I prefer my artists singing good material from other people than singing their own crappy stuff if something like this is going to happen...
Some people act like singing/dancing/acting in order to make a song more than just notes, but into something beautiful and emotional as something less important... Not every composer can put out a good performance (yeah Utada, I'm looking at you
Even if u can really put lots of emotion on ur voice) and not every amazing performer is the best of the composers (people around here enjoy bashing humming 7/4? well, it's by Crea
)
About Namie being a sell out...
Ayu was a dance artist, and after that, a rock artist, and she released evena gospel influenced song! If variety means "sell out", well, she jumped from a metal influenced album into a eletropop influenced album... she is a sell out^^
Utada was a r&b artist... and after that she released some eletronic music... and after that, more r&b... ooops... sell out :O
Mika Nakashima... from jazz to rock! Damn!
Koda... hmmm... r&b... hip hop... eletropop... cutesy songs... another sell out...
Maybe Japan is just the country of sell-out music acts!