She initially debuted in 1992 as the lead singer of SUPER MONKEY'S, with fellow Okinawa Actors School classmates MAX as back dancers. After the group disbanded, she eventually had her solo debut in 1995 on the Avex Trax label with the Tetsuya Komuro produced single "Body Feels EXIT", which was an instant hit. The following singles "Chase the Chance", "Don't wanna cry" and "You're my sunshine" all sold 1 million copies during a short period of time. In 1996, Namie released her debut solo album "SWEET 19 BLUES" which sold 3.8 millions of copies throughout Japan and broke sales records at the time. It is the 12th most selling album of all time in Japan. At the end of 1996 she won the Grand Prix Award, the highest honor at the Japan Record Awards, for "Don't wanna cry". Another monumental release for Amuro was 1997's "CAN YOU CELEBRATE?", which was the best selling release of the year, and remains the best-selling physically released single by a solo female artist in Japan.
In 1997, Namie shocked everyone when she announced that SAM (from the band TRF) and she were getting married and that she was pregnant. Namie took a break from the entertainment business and her son, Haruto, was born on May 19, 1998.
Her comeback single, "I HAVE NEVER SEEN", released on December 23rd the same year, gave Amuro a warm welcome back to the industry. "I HAVE NEVER SEEN" became Amuro's 9th number-one single.
On March 17th, 1999, Amuro released her 12th single, "RESPECT the POWER OF LOVE". On the same day, Emiko Taira, Amuro's mother, was murdered. All promotional activites for the single grinded to a halt as Amuro flew to Okinawa to identify Emiko's body. A short break followed for Amuro to recover.
A few months later, Amuro began to work with producer Dallas Austin, known for his work with American hip-hop/R&B trio, TLC. This shift was in part to Amuro's personal desire to create more R&B and Hip-Hop oriented music. In 2001, Amuro parted ways with long-time producer Tetsuya Komuro, as part of her musical direction shift. From this point on, Amuro always would be in complete creative control of her career. Around this time, Amuro made a few attempts at writing lyrics for her songs, including her single "Say the word", which hit #3 on the Oricon charts, and remained a fan-favorite with Amuro performing the song over numerous tours, including her final tour, which included 20 songs that garnered the most fan votes.
Amuro and SAM would divorce in 2002, and Amuro would completely mmerse herself in her work, hardening her R&B and Hip-Hop sound, collaboriating with a number of artists under a sonic project entitled "SUITE CHIC". "SUITE CHIC" helped empower Amuro to not "be stuck in the past" with her music, as she felt mentally constricted by her name at the time. Feeling liberated after releasing a SUITE CHIC album, Amuro would continue to refine her sound and image with the following albums "STYLE" in 2003, and "Queen of Hip-Pop" in 2005.
"PLAY", released on June 27, 2007, became Amuro's highest-selling studio album since her 2000 album, "GENIUS 2000", sold 540,000 copies, and contained another fan-favorite release, "Baby Don't Cry", which reached #3 on the Oricon charts.
2008 marked a new peak in Amuro's career. In March, she released a new single, "60s70s80s", which became her 10th #1 single, the first one for Amuro since 1998's "I HAVE NEVER SEEN".
Amuro released her third "best of" album "BEST FICTION", on July 30, 2008. "BEST FICTION" proceeded to spend 6 weeks at the #1 position on the Oricon charts, had the highest first-week album sales of any release in 2008, became the #2 best overall-selling album of that year, and has sold more than 1.4 million copies since its release.
Namie started a new arena tour called Namie Amuro BEST FICTION 2008-2009 tour. It ran from October 25, 2008 to May 31, 2009. This was her first tour Amuro held sans songs produced by Tetsuya Komuro.
From 2009 on, Amuro would steadily release chart-topping studio albums. Straying from the traditional methods of the Japanese music industry yet again, Amuro decided to utilize a strategy of focusing on touring as means of promotion, rather than TV and commercial appearances. What resulted was a beneficial business move, while fulfilling Amuro's long-time preference to perform over giving interviews. This cultivated a very loyal and diverse fanbase that would consistently result in sold-out shows whenever Amuro toured.
From 2010 to 2018, as Amuro performed relentlessly long tours every year, Amuro remained consistent and dedicated to giving performances she felt she could be proud of, and in the process, quietly withheld that after a vocal cord injury in 2010, Amuro's vocal cords slowly were deteriorating. Amuro later revealed this was the deciding factor in her retirement, as she did not want to perform at a level she personally could not accept.
After her 25th anniversary concert in Okinawa, Amuro announced that she would retire from the industry on September 16th, 2018. The masses, aggrieved with this announcement, even created the name "Amuloss" for the emotion that was felt, knowing Amuro would leave a great void in the music industry.
A greatest hits album, "Finally" would be released in November of 2017 and would go on to sell over 2.5 million copies and be the best-selling album in Japan for both 2017 and 2018. Starting in March 2018, "namie amuro Final Tour 2018 ~Finally~" would result in Amuro breaking both ticket and Blu-ray/DVD sales records. With shows in all 5 major Japanese domes, including and a handful of shows outside of Japan, nearly 800,000 were in attendance. Pre-orders alone for the Blu-rays/DVDs would exceed the best-selling concert video release at that time. Combined DVD and Blu-ray sales for "namie amuro Final Tour 2018 ~Finally~" have sold over 1.74 million since its release in late August 2018.
MEMORIES～明日のために～
安室奈美恵 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
坂の途中のあの喫茶店へ
いつも必ず誰かがいたよね
そう内緒話あかしたり
時には泣いてケンカして
不思議に気持ちわかり合えてた
明日また会えること
あたりまえの日々が
Ah MEMORIES 心は
いつまでも忘れない
MEMORIES 明日の
そのために振り向くから
近頃みんな恋もして
彼とのデイト忙しい
ヒールも様になってきたわよと
そう久しぶりの電話でも
気持ちはきっとあの喫茶店に
いるようで何か嬉しくなって
だけどお互いなりの苦労が山積みで
無邪気でいられたあの日が遠くて
Ah MEMORIES 心は
いつまでも忘れない
MEMORIES この先
悲しみがあふれても
MEMORIES 幼い
想い出としまえない
MEMORIES 明日の
そのために振り向くから
明日また会えること
あたりまえの日々が
遠くなって気づく戻れない時間
Ah MEMORIES 心は
いつまでも忘れない
MEMORIES 私が
どんなにか変わっても
MEMORIES 素顔で
付き合えたあの日々を
MEMORIES 明日の
そのために振り向くから
The lyrics are about memories and nostalgia for a time when the singer and her friends would skip afternoon classes to go to a café on the side of a hill. The café was always crowded with people, and they would gossip, argue, and sometimes even cry. The singer reflects on how they were able to understand each other's emotions in a way that seems impossible now that they've all grown apart. The chorus repeats the phrase "Ah MEMORIES" which suggests that the singer cherishes these moments and will always remember them. She recognizes that these moments of innocence and happiness are gone forever, and that time has moved on.
The second verse shifts to the present and describes how the singer and her friends have changed. They are all older now, with boyfriends and busy schedules. Even though they have grown apart, the singer still feels a sense of pleasure towards these memories. The lyrics mention that even when the singer is on the phone with her friends, she feels like she's in that café once again, and it's a happy feeling. The song ends with the singer acknowledging that even though life has moved on, those moments from the past have shaped who she is today.
Line by Line Meaning
午後の授業を抜け出して
Skipping out of afternoon class
坂の途中のあの喫茶店へ
Heading to that café halfway up the hill
いつも必ず誰かがいたよね
Someone was always there, without fail
そう内緒話あかしたり
Sharing secrets with each other
時には泣いてケンカして
Sometimes crying and fighting
不思議に気持ちわかり合えてた
Strangely we understood each other's feelings
明日また会えること
Being able to meet again the next day
あたりまえの日々が
The everyday things
遠くなって気づく戻れない時間
Realizing that it's time we can't go back to
Ah MEMORIES 心は
Ah, memories- my heart
いつまでも忘れない
I'll never forget
近頃みんな恋もして
Recently everyone's been in love
彼とのデイト忙しい
Busy with dates with their significant others
ヒールも様になってきたわよと
Even my heels have become more fashionable
そう久しぶりの電話でも
Even though it's been a long time, on the phone
気持ちはきっとあの喫茶店に
Our feelings are surely still at that café
いるようで何か嬉しくなって
It's like we're there, and it makes me happy
だけどお互いなりの苦労が山積みで
But we each have our own struggles to face
無邪気でいられたあの日が遠くて
Those days where we could be carefree seem so far away
MEMORIES この先
Memories- from here on out
悲しみがあふれても
Even if sadness overflows
MEMORIES 幼い
Memories- innocent
想い出としまえない
Memories that I can't push away
MEMORIES 私が
Memories- of me
どんなにか変わっても
No matter how much I change
MEMORIES 素顔で
Memories- of our true selves
付き合えたあの日々を
Of those days we spent together
明日また会えること
Being able to meet again the next day
そのために振り向くから
That's why I look back
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: 計見 鈴木
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-ml7mp7bl4e
ノーマ・シェフィールドのMEMORIESのカバーですね
@716nicolas
サイコーだね。
この頃の安室奈美恵の声はヤバい。
むちゃくちゃ良い。
@user-qg2hs3pk2h
歌詞が切な過ぎてトライミーのB面として出会った時から大号泣でした。思い出も回り道もありすぎる私の青春...胸熱...
@user-rz6iw9zy2n
奈美恵ちゃんのメモリーズはめちゃgoodです🎉
@user-kq3ds9tj6p
午後の授業を抜け出して 坂の途中のあの喫茶店へ
いつも必ず誰かがいたよね
そう 内緒話あかしたり 時には泣いてケンカして
不思議に気持ちわかり合えてた
明日また会えること あたりまえの日々が
遠くなって気づく 戻れない時間
Ah… MEMORIES 心は いつまでも忘れない
MEMORIES 明日の そのために 振り向くから…
近頃みんな恋もして 彼とのデイト忙しい
ヒールも様になってきたわよと
そう 久しぶりの電話でも 気持ちはきっとあの喫茶店に
いるようで何か嬉しくなって
だけど お互いなりの 苦労が山積みで
無邪気でいられた あの日が遠くて
Ah… MEMORIES 心は いつまでも 忘れない
MEMORIES この先 悲しみが あふれても
MEMORIES 幼い 想い出と しまえない
MEMORIES 明日の そのために 振り向くから…
明日また会えること あたりまえの日々が
遠くなって気づく 戻れない時間
Ah… MEMORIES 心は いつまでも忘れない
MEMORIES 私が どんなにか 変わっても
MEMORIES 素顔で 付き合えた あの日々を
MEMORIES 明日の そのために 振り向くから…
@Gammanoize
Mega Fira Blaze