She released an album almost on english because it has a larger international appeal, what, again, isn't really that risky... And even so, most of her music since Uncontrolled sounds +- the same, and the same as a lot of American artists that aren't really known for playing it safe.

I will ignore what you said about Ayu and (even worst) Utada and (I don't believe I will say it) even Koda, as you clearly doesn't listen to them.

Funny story... I can't sing Go Round without my brain mixing it up with Yeah-oh...

^^ Not to me!! Namie sticks to her style yes, but each namie album is totally different from the next. Feel sounds nothing like ballads or uncontrolled. lucky?? Namie practically reinvented her entire career and hit rock bottom because of it, 2004-2006. NAmie took risks and worked hard to be where she's at. While other jpop Queens over played their own styles to death. At least that's how I see it :D

I find it ironic that most of Namie's music "blends" when you could say that for 30% of Ayu's ballads as well. It's a tired argument, even Kuu has a tendency to recycle the same type of tracks with each album so i don't see the particular problem.

It's not science, she obviously got lucky with 60s 70s 80s but there's no denying the quality of those tracks and the risk they took. Namie might not be as involved with her music as Ayu and Utada, but her delivery is great and she manages to "sell" the songs she's singing. She has a cool, mysterious vibe to her that personally is what appeals so much to me.

With that being said, i can see why she might not be your thing. She tends to look death, some of us think it looks fierce and some see it as if she's detached.
But it's sad that we have to underestimate her success and talent based on that, she obviously wouldn't be where she is now if she didn't have something unique to offer.

^Well, I can only speak for myself, and I don't think she doesn't deserve her success or that she just remained relevant by accident... Namie is, in some ways, the ultimate idol, her public image being the perfect empty vessel so who watch her can project anything they wish into her... And her public image is carefully constructed around this.

She is an idealized woman, and in order to be indealized she must avoid anything that makes her too human... The fact that media made a feast with her personal tragedies probably makes it even easier and confortable for her to keep an unpersonal image like that... But every market needs someone to fill the role she is filling, and she does it well.

Lol just realized that Namie's LIVE STYLE 2014 sold (155,024) almost 10 times of ayumi's PREMIUM SHOWCASE 2014 (16,318)!!

People must love watching dead, boring person performs..!

Lol y'all wanna talk about how Namie's music sounds "same-y" when Ayu 'bout to drop the most basic album of the year bye

Yet she went on a direction totally different for her with Colours, and try something different every two years... Namie is doing more of the same, and only that, since Uncontrolled...

If numbers define quality, is AKB48 better than Namie? And was her production from 2000 to 2006 shit?

Flawless Forehead is doing something right if she's been around forever and outselling most singers. Then again, every singer goes through cycles where they sell really well.

As for her personality being compared to sushi, I feel she's just an intensely private person, especially growing up in the light during the 90's. Would it kill her to crack a joke every now and again ? It actually might, and then I'll be sad.

^Some people don't really know how cruel media was during the whole incident with her mother, her marriage, the custody battle for her son... I would be really private about my personal life on her place too.

Wait someone compared her personality to sushi? She's gotta be very yummy then.
http://i.minus.com/iFXq5zvACw0z1.gif

Queen namie took back her throne. :yes . Apparently, some are having a hard time dealing with it, resulting in juvenile name calling. Sushi??? Wow :rolleyes

Exactly. They turned on her like sharks smell blood. If that means she's boring, I'm ok by that lol.

Apparently, people didn't get the sushi comment was poking fun at Namie and her critics. Relax. Namie is flawfree.

Namie has good production. Music that keeps up with fun trends and doesn't stray far from the mainstream if at all honestly. She's also well respected and doesn't have any scandals in recent years. She's simple. Easy to handle and take in. Doesn't have any aspects to herself or her music that would cause controversy, or repell some people. She's like the perfect pop-star. Like a more mature idol. She doesn't polarize people like ayu and many American pop singers do. And you can see it in her sales since her second peak. And the sales before second peak are to me an influence of not having as positive of an image, or as palatable of a sound sometimes too.

A better example is Utada Hikaru...of someone who is perfect to the public, since I think Utada has much better respect because her image is even more acceptable and she's very down to earth seeming and likable, with a focus on her music. So when she drops her new album I'm confident she will destroy.

Namie has that appeal, just in a lesser and more pop diva way.
Idk, that's just how it works. Some people have more public appeal than others. I think ayu and other j-pop singers have better music than Namie but does that really matter? No. I also think her music when she had lower sales was better than what she releases now. But that also doesn't matter. I also think she should be selling better than acts like AKB? But what the public prefers is what the public prefers.

Artists can try to cater to it more, but I think there's a point where it just doesn't work. I think ayu can release stuff that would appeal to people but her general image and widespread feelings about her will never let that happen. Same with Kuu.


I also think it's hard for people to talk about their favorite artists and why they sell well. Everyone wants to say that their favorite artist who is selling well is selling well because they're just the best. And then the people with favorite artists who they think are better end up often being bitter. There are always a lot of factors in sales.

Anyway, I'm glad Namie is doing so well. She works pretty hard. She's not Utada but she's not trying to be. She's just playing the pop star game and winning with going in the right directions production and image wise lol. And unless she does something stupid, she should stay that way.

Pretty much what everyone says. She releases mostly radio friendly tracks, knows how to keep her private life truly private, and leaves things like marketing, covers and Pvs to pros who know what they are doing.

Number do tell something, especially when you put 2 solo 30s+ female artists side by side, not a group of 48 Idol Girls.

The truth is Namie's LIVE STYLE 2014 sold (155,024) almost 10 times of ayumi's PREMIUM SHOWCASE 2014 (16,318), so did Namie's previous live concerts (you can check it yourself). Japanese people are not that crazy when they did come to her concert more than once and then buy the concert disc once again just to enjoy her her dead boring non-quality concert.

Sales show popularity, and pretty much just that. Other than that, I'm pretty aware of Ayu sales (and that she still one of the biggest touring acts in Japan, only behind Namie among the female soloists), bringing the numbers over and over again will convince me of nothing regarding Namie's quality as a pop star.

Other than that, I pretty much agree with everything Primavera said.

Radio friendly hits and such will cause people to buy things, especially nowadays. Love Story-type tracks among others.

Sales do matter a little bit, but I think there's something to be said about artists that never stay within their comfort zone and still perform well sales-wise/ticket-wise.

There are tracks on FEEL that are reminiscent of what she has done before. Yes, there are collaborations in there that are completely out there from her sound and some stuff that is generally out of her "sound's" range but most of those tracks are not why people ~love~ Namie. The ones I like from FEEL are the ones that are a little less Namie from what she tends to deliver.

Her music is okay, not horrible, but catchy enough to appeal to a lot of people.
With Ayumi and Kumi they're hit or miss. With Namie it's like.. a constant flow of okay music so she doesn't really ruffle many people's feathers and have them leaving the fandom.

I think this is crucial.

Most astute post in this thread. I agree: Namie and Hikki are probably the most media-savvy of the female artists. They know the proper way to exercise control over image.

Of course, I admire Namie for what she has achieved and how she's able to stay on top of things. I do like quite a few of her songs very much; she's radio-friendly and an easy listen. On the other hand, because of these same qualities, she won't be provoking the same kind of passion that other artists inspire.