''Sweet 19 Blues'' (stylized ''SWEET 19 BLUES'') is the second
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by Japanese recording artist
Namie Amuro
Namie Amuro ( ; ja, 安室奈美恵, Amuro Namie, label=none; born September 20, 1977) is a Japanese former recording artist, producer, songwriter, dancer, model, actress and entrepreneur who was active between 1992 and 2018. A leading figure of ...
. The album was released in four different slipcases, with the first three cases limited to 1,000,000 copies each—were put on sale on July 20, 1996, throughout Japan, and
were distributed two days later to the rest of Asia by
Avex Trax. The album was primarily handled by Japanese producer
Tetsuya Komuro
is a Japanese musician, songwriter and record producer. He is recognized as the most successful producer in Japanese music history and introduced contemporary electronic dance music to the Japanese mainstream. He was also a former owner of the ...
, with the assistance of Cozy Kubo, Akio Togashi, Takahiro Maeda, M.C.A.T. and Randy Waldman, it is her debut solo album to date since the spilt of Super Monkey's.
''Sweet 19 Blues'' is a departure from the singer's debut album ''
Dance Tracks Vol. 1
''Dance Tracks Vol.1'' is Namie Amuro's debut studio album and only release through Toshiba-EMI. Nine days after ''Dance Tracks Vol.1'' hit stores, she released her first single with Avex Trax, "Body Feels Exit" on 25 October 1995. The album rea ...
'' (1995), having been influenced by various
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
genres and styles such as
acid house
Acid house (also simply known as just "acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synthesiz ...
,
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
and
R&B to name a few. Alongside a selection of newly recorded songs, the album also holds a number of interludes and re-worked material, alongside remixes of each single. Lyrically, the album's central focus is about adolescence, which is loosely derived on the record's title, and discusses about prior relationships, family, and other activities in Amuro's personal life.
The album receive commercial success and received critical acclaimed by their reviews had drawn Amuro numerous awards and accolades, including the prestigious Best Album achievement at the
Japan Record Awards
is a major music awards show, held annually in Japan that recognizes outstanding achievements in the Japan Composer's Association. Until 2005, the show aired on New Year's Eve, but has since aired every December 30 on TBS Japan at 6:30 P.M JST a ...
. Commercially, the album was a success in Japan, debuting atop of the
Oricon Albums Chart
The Oricon Albums Chart is the Japanese music industry standard albums popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Oricon originally published LP, CT, Cartridge and CD charts prior to the establishment of the Oricon Albu ...
, and has sold under four million units. Achieving the highest first week sales for a solo female artist, the album was once the
best-selling studio album in Japanese music history, until it was surpassed by future titles by other artists.
To promote the ''Sweet 19 Blues'', Amuro and Avex released five singles; "
Body Feels Exit
"Body Feels Exit" (stylized as Body Feels EXIT) is Namie Amuro's debut solo single on the Avex Trax label. Released nine days after her only album with former label, Toshiba-EMI, "Body Feels Exit" debuted in the top three on the Oricon chart and ...
", "
Chase the Chance
"Chase the Chance" is Namie Amuro's second solo single on the Avex Trax label. Released in December 1995, it debuted at number one on the Oricon charts becoming her first of five million selling singles. As of August 2012, the single has sold 1.3& ...
", "
Don't Wanna Cry "I Don't Wanna Cry" is a song by Mariah Carey.
I Don't Wanna Cry or Don't Wanna Cry may also refer to:
* ''I Don't Want to Cry!'', Chuck Jackson's 1961 debut studio album or its title track
* "I Don't Wanna Cry" (Larry Gatlin song), 1977
* "Don't ...
", "
You're My Sunshine
"You're My Sunshine" is Namie Amuro
Namie Amuro ( ; ja, 安室奈美恵, Amuro Namie, label=none; born September 20, 1977) is a Japanese former recording artist, producer, songwriter, dancer, model, actress and entrepreneur who was active b ...
" and the
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
, all resulting into commercial success. To follow-up on the album's success, Amuro conducted a nationwide tour that celebrated her first anniversary as a solo artist, travelling through her native
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
and
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the ...
; a live release was distributed in December 1996. In retrospect, ''Sweet 19 Blues'' has been cited as an emblematic musical release to Japan, and Amuro's appearance and fashion style, at that time, was noted as a significant trend throughout the Japanese public.
Background and development
Okinawan-native Amuro had moved to
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, Japan in order to pursue a music career; there, she was the lead singer to the
idol group Super Monkey's
were a Japanese pop-singing and dancing group that spawned the careers of Namie Amuro and some members of the girl group MAX, the group was active between 1992 till 1995 and that disbanded on 1996.
History
Pre-debut
The group was originall ...
, along with five other girls:
Anna Makino
is a J-pop singer, and an original member of the group Super Monkey's. She was born in Okinawa, Japan and is the granddaughter of film director Masahiro Makino. She made her debut as a solo J-pop singer on 22 January 1987, aged 15. Her first so ...
,
Hisako Arakaki
is a J-pop singer from Okinawa, Japan, and an original member of the group Super Monkey's. She left at the end of 1993, and later worked as a dance instructor at the Okinawa Actors School.
References
See also
* Super Monkey's
19 ...
,
Nanako Takushi
Nanako Takushi (2016)
Nanako Takushi (''Takushi Nanako'', 澤岻奈々子, born 25 March 1976) is a J-pop singer from Okinawa, Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situ ...
, and
Minako Ameku.
After a string of unsuccessful hits, the four latter members decided to reform a sub-group without Amuro named
MAX, signed under the Japanese record label
Avex Trax. As a result, Amuro released two more solo singles with
Toshiba-EMI
, formerly , was one of Japan's leading music companies. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. on June 30, 2007, after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. Its CEO and president was Kazuhiko Koike. When ...
, and moved to Avex Trax herself.
In mid-1995, Avex hired Japanese producer and
Globe
A globe is a spherical model of Earth, of some other celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but unlike maps, they do not distort the surface that they portray except to scale it down. A model globe ...
member
Tetsuya Komuro
is a Japanese musician, songwriter and record producer. He is recognized as the most successful producer in Japanese music history and introduced contemporary electronic dance music to the Japanese mainstream. He was also a former owner of the ...
to work with the singer on her solo debut; co-producers Cozy Kubo and
executive
Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to:
Role or title
* Executive, a senior management role in an organization
** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators
** Executive dir ...
Max Matsuura
, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese record producer and businessman. He is the founder of Avex Group, one of the largest music labels. He is known mainly for discovering and developing new artists into stars (most notably Ayumi Hamas ...
assisted the two performers.
This was Matsuura's second time working with Amuro, whom crafted majority of the content—alongside remixing additional tracks—on the singer's debut album, ''
Dance Tracks Vol. 1
''Dance Tracks Vol.1'' is Namie Amuro's debut studio album and only release through Toshiba-EMI. Nine days after ''Dance Tracks Vol.1'' hit stores, she released her first single with Avex Trax, "Body Feels Exit" on 25 October 1995. The album rea ...
'' (1995). Between 1995–96, Komuro was in the process of producing Globe's first record
self-titled album, and Matsuura had continued scoping more younger and upcoming music artists; this resulted into limited studio sessions with Amuro. ''Sweet 19 Blues'' was recorded through various studios in Japan, such as Avex Studios and Prime Studios, and additionally recorded vocals in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and
New York City, New York
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
By the second quarter of 1996, the material from ''Sweet 19 Blues'' was mixed and mastered by Avaco Creative Studios and Sounds Inc Studios.
Composition
![MTV VMAJ 2014 Tetsuya Komuro (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/MTV_VMAJ_2014_Tetsuya_Komuro_%28cropped%29.jpg)
''Sweet 19 Blues'' was primarily handled by Japanese producer
Tetsuya Komuro
is a Japanese musician, songwriter and record producer. He is recognized as the most successful producer in Japanese music history and introduced contemporary electronic dance music to the Japanese mainstream. He was also a former owner of the ...
—whom had helped Amuro with her early work when she was with
Super Monkey's
were a Japanese pop-singing and dancing group that spawned the careers of Namie Amuro and some members of the girl group MAX, the group was active between 1992 till 1995 and that disbanded on 1996.
History
Pre-debut
The group was originall ...
, and with her early solo work—with the assistance of Cozy Kubo, Akio Togashi, Takahiro Maeda,
m.c.A.T
, better known by his stage name is a Japanese musician, rapper, singer and record producer with Avex Trax. He graduated from Hokkaido Sapporo Tsukisamu High School and the Hokkaido University of Education. His debut single as m.c.A·T, " Bomb ...
and Randy Waldman.
Musically, it is a departure from ''
Dance Tracks Vol. 1
''Dance Tracks Vol.1'' is Namie Amuro's debut studio album and only release through Toshiba-EMI. Nine days after ''Dance Tracks Vol.1'' hit stores, she released her first single with Avex Trax, "Body Feels Exit" on 25 October 1995. The album rea ...
'' (1995), having been influenced by various
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
genres and styles such as 1970s–1980s
acid house
Acid house (also simply known as just "acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synthesiz ...
,
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
and
R&B.
Stylistically, a member from American publication
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
wrote that it was a "highly polished dance-pop sound characterized by disco rhythms and funky basslines."
At the time of Amuro's debut, the
eurobeat
Eurobeat refers to two styles of dance music that originated in Europe: one is a British variant of Italian Eurodisco-influencedAng, Ien & Morley, David (2005). "Cultural Studies: Volume 3, Issue 2". ''Routledge''. pgs. 171, 173, 170. . "Eurorec ...
genre was heavy with the Japanese music industry, which resulted in the genre being a blueprint to ''Dance Tracks Vol. 1''. This was also noted by critics as a parallel difference between Amuro's debut and Komuro's sound with
Globe
A globe is a spherical model of Earth, of some other celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but unlike maps, they do not distort the surface that they portray except to scale it down. A model globe ...
.
There are 11 full-length recorded songs on the album, all which features vocals from both Amuro and various backing singers and choir members.
The singles—"
Body Feels Exit
"Body Feels Exit" (stylized as Body Feels EXIT) is Namie Amuro's debut solo single on the Avex Trax label. Released nine days after her only album with former label, Toshiba-EMI, "Body Feels Exit" debuted in the top three on the Oricon chart and ...
", "
Don't Wanna Cry "I Don't Wanna Cry" is a song by Mariah Carey.
I Don't Wanna Cry or Don't Wanna Cry may also refer to:
* ''I Don't Want to Cry!'', Chuck Jackson's 1961 debut studio album or its title track
* "I Don't Wanna Cry" (Larry Gatlin song), 1977
* "Don't ...
", "
Chase the Chance
"Chase the Chance" is Namie Amuro's second solo single on the Avex Trax label. Released in December 1995, it debuted at number one on the Oricon charts becoming her first of five million selling singles. As of August 2012, the single has sold 1.3& ...
", "
You're My Sunshine
"You're My Sunshine" is Namie Amuro
Namie Amuro ( ; ja, 安室奈美恵, Amuro Namie, label=none; born September 20, 1977) is a Japanese former recording artist, producer, songwriter, dancer, model, actress and entrepreneur who was active b ...
" and the
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
—were all remixed by Komuro, removing their original
J-pop
J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...
and eurobeat sound, in favour for "sophisticat
d and "mature" compositions.
Additionally, there are eight interludes, one which is an orchestral re-worked version of "Don't Wanna Cry".
Through majority of the record, Amuro sings in both
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
, though her inclusion with the former language was assisted by the backing singers; this reflected on the tracks "Let's Do the Motion", "Private", "Rainy Dance", "I'll Jump", "I Was a Fool", "Present" and the title track.
The song "Joy", which features vocals by M.C.A.T., is in fact a shortened version to what appears on the
CD single
A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
of "Sweet 19 Blues"; two additional remixes appeared on it, whilst an original mix was featured on his single "Thunder Party".
The material on ''Sweet 19 Blues'' were written by Komuro, with the assistance of Takahiro Maeda, at Komuro's request.
Lyrically, the album's central focus is about
adolescence
Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the t ...
, which is loosely derived on the record's title track and interlude "...soon nineteen".
Some of the album's lyrical material surrounds Amuro's personal life, such as past relationships, friendships and family ("Present", "Don't Wanna Cry", and "I Was a Fool"). Moreover, Amuro's personal aspirations and dreams of becoming a recording artist was reflected onto "Chase the Chance", whereas Maeda incorporated references from
politics
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
around the world, and created metaphorical deliveries for the dance-anthem "Let's Do the Motion". Other entries deliver obscure stories from the singer's past; on "Rainy Dance", Amuro sings about her enjoyment of the rain and not allowing obstacles to ruin her day. "Private" was one of the first tracks recorded for the album, but had to be re-worked by Maeda as Komuro felt her deliveries were insufficient; Maeda had written
rapping sequences for Amuro to sing, and described the process as more of a "short story" than songwriting.
Release
The first-press editions of ''Sweet 19 Blues'' were made available in selected stores in Japan on July 20, 1996.
Two days later,
Avex Trax had distributed the record throughout Japan, housed in four different card sleeves. For each sleeve, one million copies were printed by Avex, and all designate an original artwork; the inner booklet of the
jewelcase
Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage.
Jewel case
...
features a black-and-white still of Amuro, sitting on an arm chair with a camera by her side. The photographs of the album shoot were taken by Itaru Hirama, while the design of its booklet was produced by Tycoon Graphics in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.
In August that year, the record was distributed to the Taiwanese market, and furthermore in Hong Kong in mid-October 1996.
To celebrate the singer's 20th music anniversary, ''Sweet 19 Blues'' was re-issued in Japan at a special limited-low price deal.
According to Ted Mills from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, the title of the album was a reflection of a "melancholic passing of another sweet year of youth", which he described as a "particular Japanese obsession".
Promotion
Singles
The first single from ''Sweet 19 Blues'' was "
Body Feels Exit
"Body Feels Exit" (stylized as Body Feels EXIT) is Namie Amuro's debut solo single on the Avex Trax label. Released nine days after her only album with former label, Toshiba-EMI, "Body Feels Exit" debuted in the top three on the Oricon chart and ...
", which also served as Amuro's first release after signing to Avex Trax. Released on October 25, 1995, it became a huge success in Japan, peaking at number three on the
Oricon Singles Chart
The Oricon Singles Chart is the Japanese music industry-standard singles popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Chart rankings are based on physical singles' sales. Until 2017, Oricon did not track download sales. In J ...
, and earned a double Platinum certification for selling over 881,000 units in that region. The second single, "
Chase the Chance
"Chase the Chance" is Namie Amuro's second solo single on the Avex Trax label. Released in December 1995, it debuted at number one on the Oricon charts becoming her first of five million selling singles. As of August 2012, the single has sold 1.3& ...
", became her first number single on the Oricon Singles Chart, and her first to sell over one million copies in the country. After a brief hiatus, Amuro released two more singles in 1996: "
Don't Wanna Cry "I Don't Wanna Cry" is a song by Mariah Carey.
I Don't Wanna Cry or Don't Wanna Cry may also refer to:
* ''I Don't Want to Cry!'', Chuck Jackson's 1961 debut studio album or its title track
* "I Don't Wanna Cry" (Larry Gatlin song), 1977
* "Don't ...
" and "
You're My Sunshine
"You're My Sunshine" is Namie Amuro
Namie Amuro ( ; ja, 安室奈美恵, Amuro Namie, label=none; born September 20, 1977) is a Japanese former recording artist, producer, songwriter, dancer, model, actress and entrepreneur who was active b ...
". The former track spent a total of three weeks at number one on the Oricon Singles Chart, whereas the latter spent two weeks there.
Both singles were successful in Japan, bringing her second and third consecutive number one singles, and both sold over one million units there. She released the album's final single,
the title track, on August 21, 1996.
It achieved success by peaking at number two on the Oricon Singles Chart, but was her first single to sell under 500,000 units in the country.
Many songs from ''Sweet 19 Blues'' were used as promotional recordings to commercial endorsements throughout Japan, and to simply promote the record itself. The first out of the bunch was "Let's Do the Motion", which was used as the theme song to a special Avex Trax commercial to promote the album. A remix to "Private"—the fourth track on the album—was used in four different campaigns for
Nissan
, trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...
cars; each advert featured Amuro. "I'll Jump" and the original mix of "Don't Wanna Cry" were used in the commercial for DyDo Mistio Soft drinks, which had Amuro consuming the drink. The final album track taken as a theme song was a short snippet of "Joy", which was placed in the commercial for the Maxell product UD2.
Concert tour
In order to promote the album, Amuro conducted a special concert tour that also celebrated her first anniversary as a solo singer. She visited the Ginowan Seaside Park Outdoor Theater in her native
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
, and performed two concerts on August 27–28, 1996. Three days later, she travelled to the
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the ...
to perform a setlist of songs at the
Chiba Marine Stadium
(official name: ) is a stadium in Chiba City, Chiba, Japan. It opened in 1990 and holds approximately 30,000 people. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Chiba Lotte Marines. It is also used for Rugby union. The stadium ...
. Amuro performed majority of the material off ''Sweet 19 Blues'', alongside some tracks from her work with Super Monkeys—the band had re-united on September 1 to perform a bunch of tracks with the singer. That same day, her performance was recorded live by Japanese director Kenji Sano, and printed onto
VHS on December 4, 1996 in Japan. Four years later, the VHS was converted into a limited edition
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
format, and printed in Japan only. Avex Trax had re-issued the DVD format for special limited-edition prices in 2005, and again in 2012 for her 20th anniversary.
Critical reception
''Sweet 19 Blues'' received acclaim from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. Ted Mills from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
awarded the record three-and-a-half stars out of five, praising producer Tetsuya Komuro's input on the remixes and musical expansions on a "brilliantly produced pop album,". Mills emphasized that Komuro's intention to remix majority of the content "came as a shock" to the Japanese public, but new additions such as "I'll Jump" and "I Was a Fool".
Despite having ambivalent views on Amuro's "limit
d vocal abilities, he concluded that "Listenable, and danceable, from beginning to end, any 19-year-old pop wunderkind couldn't ask for anything more... and secured a place in J-Pop history."
Minoru Majin of
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...
highlighted the album's
R&B quality as a successful factor to its release, and, once again, complimented Komuro's involvement.
Writing for ''CD Journal'', a staff member felt the "surreal" and "poet
c songwriting and Amuro's image shift from a typical Japanese idol, was a successful turn in her career.
Commercially, ''Sweet 19 Blues'' was a massive success in Japan. It opened at number one on the
Oricon Albums Chart
The Oricon Albums Chart is the Japanese music industry standard albums popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Oricon originally published LP, CT, Cartridge and CD charts prior to the establishment of the Oricon Albu ...
, selling a record-breaking 1.921 million copies in its first week of release, the highest achievement by any group or solo artist in Japan at the time. She was also the first female music artist to achieve the highest first week sales. According to various published sources and journalists, the album, in total, sold three million units in its first week throughout Asia, one of the biggest first week accumulations by any Asian artist.
It retained its position at number one the following week, but sold 352,950 copies, and fell to number four in its third week with sales of 196,240 units. The album spent a further 39 more weeks on the top 100, and at the end of 1996, it was ranked the second highest-selling album of the year, just behind Globe's
self-titled release.
It was certified triple million by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969.
The RIAJ's activities include pr ...
, with shipments of three million copies.
In September 2017, Namie Amuro announced her retirement from the music industry. Because of this, her music catalogue skyrocketed on several digital stores; ''Sweet 19 Blues'' was included, and debuted at number 13 on the Oricon Digital Albums Chart with sales of 766 copies.
Impact and legacy
''Sweet 19 Blues'' remains Amuro's best-selling studio album, and overall work of her career. For a brief period in 1996, ''Sweet 19 Blues'' was the
best-selling album in Japanese music history, until it was surpassed that same year by
Globe
A globe is a spherical model of Earth, of some other celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but unlike maps, they do not distort the surface that they portray except to scale it down. A model globe ...
's self-titled release—which became the first record to achieve over the four million sales mark.
Additionally, ''Sweet 19 Blues'' was the highest-selling release for a solo and female artist, until it was challenged by
Hikaru Utada
, who is also known by the mononym Utada, is a Japanese-American pop singer, songwriter and producer. By 2010, Utada had become one of the most influential, and best-selling, musical artists in Japan.
Born in the United States to Japanese parent ...
's 1999 studio album ''
First Love
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
'', which to this day stands as the best-selling album in Japan.
By the end of the 1990s, it sold over 3.359 million copies in Japan alone; as of today, it has achieved under four million sales in that region.
Additionally, Amuro was the only artist in 1996 to have the most million-selling singles from a single album, with a total of three ("
Chase the Chance
"Chase the Chance" is Namie Amuro's second solo single on the Avex Trax label. Released in December 1995, it debuted at number one on the Oricon charts becoming her first of five million selling singles. As of August 2012, the single has sold 1.3& ...
", "
Don't Wanna Cry "I Don't Wanna Cry" is a song by Mariah Carey.
I Don't Wanna Cry or Don't Wanna Cry may also refer to:
* ''I Don't Want to Cry!'', Chuck Jackson's 1961 debut studio album or its title track
* "I Don't Wanna Cry" (Larry Gatlin song), 1977
* "Don't ...
", and "
You're My Sunshine
"You're My Sunshine" is Namie Amuro
Namie Amuro ( ; ja, 安室奈美恵, Amuro Namie, label=none; born September 20, 1977) is a Japanese former recording artist, producer, songwriter, dancer, model, actress and entrepreneur who was active b ...
"). In an article written for ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine, the
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969.
The RIAJ's activities include pr ...
(RIAJ) confirmed that Amuro—alongside the "Komuro family", consisting of Amuro, Komuro, Globe
Tomomi Kahara
born on August 17, 1974 in Tokyo), is a Japanese pop singer. She is famous for working with Tetsuya Komuro who gave her much success in the 1990s, which led to her deep dip in popularity after 1999, the year in which she released her first no ...
, and
TRF—were the most "dominating" figures in the Japanese industry and music economy at the time, and resulted into higher sales percentages from the previous year. That same year, the magazine hosted an article that was dedicated towards Komuro, and exemplified Amuro's single "Don't Wanna Cry" as a "good example of Komuro's good school of pop production,".
As a result to the album's success in the 1990s, Amuro was noted by journalists and commentators as a trendsetter to the Japanese public, where her fandom were dubbed "Amura".
She became a lot more prominent in fashion magazines, and the general press, for the typical
Japanese idol
An is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in acting, dancing, and modeling. Idols are commercialized through merchandise and endorsements b ...
departure, in favour of "dyeing their hair brown, plucking their eyebrows... High heels, a miniskirt, and tattoos,".
Because of this, critics noticed that she stood out from her contemporaries, and other idol singers.
However, David W. Edgington—writer of the novel ''Japan at the Millennium: Joining Past and Future''—opined that Amuro had changed the stereotypical idol culture, whereas writer Marwan Kraidy believed she was part of "Japan's rising cultural power" towards the world. Furthermore, an author from the U.S.-Japan Women's Centre believed the singer's success of ''Sweet 19 Blues'' was the reason many people emulated her as a
role model
A role model is a person whose behaviour, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people. The term ''role model'' is credited to sociologist Robert K. Merton, who hypothesized that individuals compare themselves ...
between 1996 and 1997.
Evidently, some commentators described her sudden rise in success to the experiences of
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
and
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
, two artists that catapulted into stardom at a young age.
These two artists, in particular, inspired Western media to dub Amuro with
honorific titles such as the "Queen of Japanese Pop" or "Japanese Madonna".
The album's success also awarded Amuro with numerous accolades and recognition. At the
38th Japan Record Awards
The 38th Annual Japan Record Awards took place on December 31, 1996, starting at 6:30PM JST. The primary ceremonies were televised in Japan on TBS.
Award winners
*Japan Record Award:
**Tetsuya Komuro (producer) & Namie Amuro for "Don't Wanna Cry ...
, Amuro won the Grand Prix award—the highest honour of the ceremony—for her single "Don't Wanna Cry"; she was the youngest artist to be awarded this accolade. Additionally, she received the Excellence award for the single, and a Best Album achievement for ''Sweet 19 Blues''. At the 11th
Japan Gold Disc Award
The is an award presented by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Associa ...
s ceremony, Amuro was recognized as their top-selling and earning artist; she was also selected as the top five artists of the year. "Don't Wanna Cry" was chosen as one of the five best singles of 1996, and the singer's DVD "First Anniversary at Marine Stadium" was the voted the best music video. Furthermore, Amuro was given the Music Award at the 33rd Golden Arrow Awards, the Best Idol Performer at the 1st annual Idol Awards, and the Best Dresser statue for the female category. In 2015, Japanese website Goo conducted a survey to find out which amongst Amuro's albums was viewed her best by the Japanese public; with over 1,600 votes in total, ''Sweet 19 Blue'' ranked first place.
Track listing
Credits adapted from
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...
.
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the CD liner notes of ''Sweet 19 Blues''.
;Recording and management
*Recorded and mixed between 1995–1996 at TK Sequence Studios, Woodstock Karuizawa Studios, Artworks Studio, Baybridge Studio, Heart Beat Recording Studio, Image Recording Inc., Paradise Studio Komazawa, Prime-Mix Studio, Onkio Haus (
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
);
Record Plant Studios
The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blon ...
, Sound Chamber (
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
New York City, New York
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
).
;Personnel
* Namie Amuro – vocals, background vocals
*
m.c.A.T
, better known by his stage name is a Japanese musician, rapper, singer and record producer with Avex Trax. He graduated from Hokkaido Sapporo Tsukisamu High School and the Hokkaido University of Education. His debut single as m.c.A·T, " Bomb ...
– vocals
*
Sheila E.
Sheila Cecilia Escovedo (born December 12, 1957) better known under the stage name Sheila E., is an American percussionist and singer. She began her career in the mid-1970s as a percussionist and singer for The George Duke Band. After leaving t ...
– backing vocals, percussion
* Joey Johnson – backing vocals
*
Lynn Mabry – background vocals
* Ricky Nelson – background vocals
* Tracey Whitney – background vocals
* Valerie Williams – background vocals
* Kinbara Chieko –
strings
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
* Cozy Kubo – producer,
keyboard
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
, synthesizer
* Tetsuya Komuro – producer, backing vocals, keyboard, synthesizer
* Kazuhiro Matsuo – guitar
* Tatsuya Murayama – strings
* Raphael Padilla – percussions
* Michael Paulo – saxophone
* Neil Stubenhaus – bass guitar
* Michael Thompson – guitar
* Keith Cohen – arranger, mixing
* Akihiko Shimizu – vocal director
* Itaru Hirama – photographer
* Tycoon Graphics – art direction
Charts
Weekly chart
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
Notes
References
See also
''Sweet 19 Blues''at Namie Amuro's official website.
{{Authority control
Namie Amuro albums
1996 albums
Avex Group albums
Albums produced by Tetsuya Komuro