"60s 70s 80s" | ||||
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Single by Namie Amuro | ||||
from the album Best Fiction | ||||
A-side | "New Look" "Rock Steady" "What a Feeling" | |||
Released | March 12, 2008 | |||
Recorded | 2007 | |||
Studio | Giant Swing Studio Tokyo | |||
Genre | J-pop | |||
Length | 22:28 | |||
Label | Avex Trax | |||
Producer(s) |
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Namie Amuro singles chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
"60s 70s 80s" is a triple A-side single by Japanese singer Namie Amuro from her third greatest hits album, Best Fiction (2008). It was released on March 12, 2008, through Avex Trax and consists of the songs "New Look," "Rock Steady" and "What a Feeling," each sampling from a specific decade in music, hence the title. "New Look" represents the 1960's and features a sample from The Supremes' "Baby Love." "Rock Steady" represents the 1970's and features a sample from Aretha Franklin's song "Rock Steady." The last song, "What a Feeling" represents the 1980's and features samples from Irene Cara's "Flashdance... What a Feeling," which was the theme for the 1983 film Flashdance .
All three songs on "60s 70s 80s" were used for Vidal Sassoon's advertising campaign for its line of hair care products. World-renowned creators Patricia Field and Orlando Pita were brought on as creatives for the hair and makeup, and three cut-down size promotional videos for each age group were aired in the TV commercial.
The single solidified her comeback following the success of her eighth studio album, Play (2007), released nine months prior. "60s 70s 80s" became her first number-one single in nine years and three months on the Oricon Singles Chart and her tenth overall. Individually, "New Look" peaked at number-one on the then-newly established Billboard Japan Hot 100, while "What a Feeling" peaked at number 28.
Amuro was thrilled at the chance to reinterpret classic hits, commenting that though her ideas in general weren't always fruitful, the end product of "60s 70s 80s" was as "new and unprecedented" as she had expected. Amuro found the production process difficult as she and her team struggled to find the middle ground in how much of the original composition to sample, seeking the best method to reinterpret these "masterpieces." [1]
Amuro brought on three producers who each worked on a single song, with Michico receiving co-writing credits on all three. Michico is the sole lyricist on the release, apart from sample credits. [2] "New Look" was produced by T.Kura, and features a sample of "Baby Love" by the Supremes from 1964; Holland–Dozier–Holland received writing credits as a result. [2] The song "Baby Love" is reportedly a prior favorite of Amuro's. [3] Other contenders for sampling included music by the Beatles and Deep Purple. [4] "New Look" references prominent English model Twiggy and the styles popularized during the swinging 60s. Amuro stated that the finished product of "New Look" was just as she had envisioned. [1]
"Rock Steady," produced by Muro, features a sample of the similarly-titled "Rock Steady" by Aretha Franklin from 1971; Franklin received writing credits as a result. [2] Amuro previously worked with Muro when they were both a part of the collective project Suite Chic back in 2002. Amuro sings about an elopement: "I think the '70s was a time when women were becoming stronger, and it was interesting to see how Michico's take on that would be "kakeochi" (駆け落) (laughs). I thought it was unexpectedly bold and cool." [1] The final track, "What a Feeling," is a deep house production by Shinichi Osawa, and features a sample of "Flashdance... What a Feeling" by Irene Cara from 1983; Cara and Keith Forsey received lyrical credits and Giorgio Moroder received compositional credits as a result. [5] [2] It utilizes a military cadence-styled call-and-response in its bridge. [5] Amuro found the melodies to songs from the 1980s to be particularly nostalgic, and thought that its lyrics would resonate with people who dance. [1]
The single was announced in January 2008. "60s 70s 80s" was billed as a collaboration single between Amuro and the hair care segment of Vidal Sassoon, under the advertising campaign called "Fashion Music, Vidal Sassoon." [6] A launch event was held on January 17, 2008, where Amuro performed a medley of "New Look" and "Rock Steady." [7] As part of the "Fashion Music, Vidal Sassoon" campaign, a giant poster with a life-size Namie Amuro design was displayed in the Shinjuku underground passage Metro Promenade from January 28 to February 3, 2008. [8] Eighty-four Namie Amuros were displayed in life-size using sequential photographs in a total of 56 meters; whenever a passerby would hold their mobile phone over the poster, a website would open, and by accessing the URL on the website, they could listen to "New Look", a track from Amuro's new single "60s 70s 80s." [9] For the campaign and music videos, Patricia Field and Orlando Pita were brought on to create period-inspired looks for Amuro; they were presented as "collaboration films" and a title card preceded each with all three "billed" in their respective roles. The music videos were re-cut and spliced with conventional beauty ad footage of Amuro for use in commercials that began airing in late January. [10]
The music video for "New Look" was directed by Yuichi Kodama, and is a dream sequence where Amuro receives a makeover in mod and space-age inspired fashions, as well as posing with store mannequins that come to life. Field makes a cameo appearance. "Rock Steady" follows Amuro as a rising star and was directed by Yusuke Tanaka, with filming done in Los Angeles. [1] "What a Feeling" was directed by Takeshi Nakamura and places Amuro against a troupe of robots in a dance battle, being the most choreography-focused of the three videos from "60s 70s 80s."
"What a Feeling" was the first song to premiere from "60s 70s 80s," being broadcast on J-Wave's Groove Line radio program on February 25, 2008. [11]
The physical single for "60s 70s 80s" was made available in two formats: a CD-only edition containing six tracks (three being instrumentals), and a CD+DVD edition containing three music videos. Different artwork was issued for each format, both photographed by Shoji Uchida. Amuro is depicted covering her chest with a shawl of black feathers in one, and is enveloped in a fur jacket in the other. [2]
A writer for CD Journal gave "60s 70s 80s" a favorable review, hailing it as a "feat of artistry" while complimenting Amuro's presence on the tracks. [12] In its track-by-track commentary of the single's parent album, Best Fiction (2008), the website praised "New Look" in being able to modernize its 1960s references, and found Muro's work on "Rock Steady" to be "innovative" in "retaining Aretha's power while emphasizing Amuro's cool beauty side." [5] "Rock Steady" is highlighted as a track pick by AllMusic in their listing for Best Fiction. [13]
"60s 70s 80s" debuted at number two on the Oricon Weekly Singles chart, moving 114,719 copies, becoming Amuro's best first-week sales since 2000's "Never End." [14] [15] It ascended to the top of the charts in its second week with 38,162 copies sold, [16] making it her first number-one single after 9 years and 3 months since 1998's "I Have Never Seen" peaked at number-one on January 11, 1999. [17] The single reached number two in its third week, being out sold by 20th Century's "Ore ja Nakya, Kimi ja Nakya" by only 1,686 copies. [18] In December 2008, "60s 70s 80s" was listed as Japan's 18th best-selling CD single of the year. [19] "60s 70s 80s" is ranked as Amuro's seventeenth highest-selling single according to Oricon Style, [20] spending a total of 21 weeks on the charts, [21] and has since shipped approximately 293,097 copies. [22]
"60s 70s 80s" as a whole was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for shipping 250,000 copies nationwide. [23] Individually, "New Look" proved to be the most successful song from the set, receiving a triple platinum certification for ringtone sales in October 2008 and a double platinum certification in digital downloads in January 2014. [24] [25] "What a Feeling" and "Rock Steady" were certified platinum and gold in digital downloads, respectively, in January and July 2014. [25] [26]
"New Look" debuted at number 69 on the then newly-established Billboard Japan Hot 100, during the week of March 5, 2008. [27] It jumped to number 29 the next week, and reached the summit during the week of April 2, 2008. [28] [29] It spent 14 weeks in total on the Hot 100 and ranked at number 12 on the year-end chart. [30] [31] "What a Feeling" debuted and peaked at number 28 during the week of March 19, 2008. [32]
"What a Feeling" was initially the only song from "60s 70s 80s" to receive promotion. Amuro performed it for the first time during the March 10, 2008, broadcast of the music program Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ , prior to the single release. [33] It was performed on subsequent Music Fighter, CDTV and Utaban appearances throughout March; "New Look" and "Rock Steady" made their televised debut on the April 5, 2008, episode of Music Fair. [11]
All the songs were performed in a concert setting for the first time during the Taiwanese leg of her Play tour on April 12 and 13, 2008. Her record label held an annual shareholder meeting at the Saitama Super Arena on June 22, 2008, where she performed "New Look," "What a Feeling" and "Chase the Chance" to an audience of nearly 9,000. [34] Additionally, "What a Feeling" was a part of her set list at A-Nation, a summer concert series exclusive to her labelmates, in July and August 2008. [35] It was Amuro's first and only appearance in the event's history.
Amuro has performed the three songs on several of her Japan and greater East Asia-based tours, with "What a Feeling" making the most appearances:
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arranger(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "New Look" (sample: The Supremes' "Baby Love" from 1964) | Michico, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Eddie Holland | T.Kura, Michico, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Eddie Holland | T.Kura for Giant Swing Productions | 3:58 |
2. | "Rock Steady" (sample: Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady" from 1971) | Michico, Aretha Franklin | Muro, Michico, Aretha Franklin | Muro (King of Diggin' Production) | 3:29 |
3. | "What a Feeling" (sample: Irene Cara's "Flashdance... What a Feeling" from 1983) | Michico, Keith Forsey, Irene Cara | Shinichi Osawa, Michico, Giorgio Moroder | Shinichi Osawa (Mondo Grosso) | 3:49 |
4. | "New Look" (instrumental) | 4:00 | |||
5. | "Rock Steady" (instrumental) | 3:31 | |||
6. | "What a Feeling" (instrumental) | 3:47 |
No. | Title | Director(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "New Look" (music video) | Yuichi Kodama | |
2. | "Rock Steady" (music video) | Yusuke Tanaka | |
3. | "What a Feeling" (music video) | Takeshi Nakamura |
Region | Date |
---|---|
Japan | March 12, 2008 |
South Korea | March 19, 2008 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Japan (RIAJ) [44] Physical | Platinum | 293,097 [22] |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Japan (RIAJ) [45] Digital | 2× Platinum | 500,000* |
Japan (RIAJ) [46] Ringtone | 3× Platinum | 750,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Japan (RIAJ) [47] Digital | Gold | 100,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Japan (RIAJ) [48] Digital | Platinum | 250,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
"New Look" | ||||
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Single by MiSaMo | ||||
from the EP Haute Couture | ||||
Language | Japanese | |||
Released | October 9, 2024 | |||
Genre | J-pop | |||
Length | 3:16 | |||
Label | Warner Japan | |||
Composer(s) |
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Lyricist(s) |
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MiSaMo singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"New Look" on YouTube |
Japanese sub-unit MiSaMo, composed of Twice's members Mina, Momo, and Sana, recorded the cover of "New Look". It was released on October 9, 2024, through Warner Music Japan as a pre-release single from their upcoming EP, Haute Couture , set for release on November 6, 2024. The remake marks the group's first release since their debut EP Masterpiece in 2023 and celebrates classic '60s fashion inspired by British model Twiggy. With lyrics that echo themes of self-expression and style, the song combines pop and retro elements, blending nostalgic aesthetics with contemporary visuals in its music video. [49]
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
Japan (Japan Hot 100) [50] | 8 |
Japan Combined Singles (Oricon) [51] | 10 |
Namie Amuro is a retired Japanese singer. She rose to prominence as a teen idol, and transitioned into a leading pop artist due to her versatility across music styles and visual presentation. Due to her career reinventions and longevity, she is known as an icon across Japan and Asia. She has been referred to as the "Queen of Japanese Pop", and her influence domestically has drawn equivalent comparisons to artists such as Janet Jackson and Madonna in Western pop culture.
Queen of Hip-Pop is the seventh studio album by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro. It was released on July 13, 2005, by Avex Trax. The album's lyrical content, composing and arrangement was handled by multiple music collaborators, such as Nao'ymt, Sugi-V, Michico, Tricky Stewart, T.Kura, among many others. It is her second full-length urban contemporary record, and is made up of songs of various musical genres. Amuro uses the term "hip-pop" to describe the music on the album because it fuses pop music with other genres including R&B and hip-hop music. Three different formats were released to promote the album: a standalone CD, a limited edition Playbutton, and a digital download.
"Want Me, Want Me" is the 29th single by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro. It was released by Avex Trax on April 6, 2005, and was the last single from her seventh studio album, Queen of Hip-Pop (2005). "Want Me, Want Me" was initially supposed to be released as an album track of Queen of Hip-Pop or a coupling song, but Amuro thought it was so good she made it a single despite the opposition of her staff. The song's lyrics were written by Michico, while its music was composed by Sugi-V. Musically, "Want Me, Want Me" is an upbeat reggae-style tune with influences of reggaeton and bhangra music. Lyrically, the song is a provocative song that explores themes of desire, sexual agency, and the pursuit of pleasure.
"Girl Talk" is a song by Japanese singer Namie Amuro. Avex Trax released it on digital and physical formats on October 14, 2004, and it is the third single from Amuro's seventh studio album, Queen of Hip-Pop (2005). It was also released as a double A-side with "The Speed Star", though the latter did not appear on the parent album. "Girl Talk" was written and produced by T.Kura and Michico, and is a dance song with R&B and pop influences that, like its parent album, transitions from Amuro's original dance sound to a more mature yet transatlantic sound.
"Alarm" is the 26th single by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro. It was released by Avex Trax on March 17, 2004, serving as the lead single to Amuro's seventh studio album Queen of Hip-Pop (2005). The song was written by Jusme and composed by Monk. The B-side "Strobe" was first planned as the main track of this single and when Amuro got the demo for "Alarm" the song was titled "Clock."
"Can't Sleep, Can't Eat, I'm Sick" is the 31st single by Japanese singer Namie Amuro. It was released by Avex Trax in Japan alongside "Ningyo" on May 17, 2006, as a double A-single. "Can't Sleep, Can't Eat, I'm Sick" served as the second single from Amuro's eighth studio album Play (2007), but "Ningyo" was excluded from the track list. "Can't Sleep, Can't Eat, I'm Sick" was produced by her two most frequent collaborators at the time: T.Kura and Michico for Giant Swing Productions. Musically, it is an upbeat urban contemporary and dance pop song that features a hefty amount of saxophones. Lyrically, it speaks of a lovesick person who can't get anything done when he or she thinks about their lover.
"I Have Never Seen" is the twelfth single by Japanese singer Namie Amuro. It was released by Avex Trax on December 23, 1998, as the lead single to her fourth studio album Genius 2000 (2000). The song was written and composed solely by Tetsuya Komuro. It was the first single released after Amuro's return from her yearlong maternity leave, and was released approximately one week before her well-publicized official comeback at the 49th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen. Musically, the song is a melancholic power ballad.
"Never End" is the 17th single by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro. It was released on July 12, 2000, as the lead single from her fifth studio album Break the Rules (2000). The track was made specifically for the 26th G8 summit that took place in Amuro's home prefecture Okinawa during July of that year. "Never End" was written, composed and arranged solely by her long-time producer Tetsuya Komuro. Musically, it is a pop ballad that takes influences from Okinawan music. Lyrically, the song describes distant memories, distant places, and distant emotions, indicating a longing for connection and understanding.
Best Fiction is the third greatest hits album by Japanese singer Namie Amuro. It was released on July 30, 2008, by Avex Trax and features seventeen singles released between 2002-2008, which included five new songs, three of which were released as a triple A-side single called "60s 70s 80s." Furthermore, the album tracks "Do Me More" and "Sexy Girl" were released as digital singles.
"Wild" is a song by Japanese singer Namie Amuro. It was released by Avex Trax on March 16, 2009, and serves as the lead single for her ninth studio album, Past<Future (2009). Furthermore, all physical and digital formats included the A-side titled "Dr.," which appears on the parent album. Amuro intended to depart from her previous releases with "Wild" and "Dr.", her first forays into new material. Michico, T. Kura, and Nao'ymt created and produced "Wild," which was recorded at Tokyo's Azabu-O-Studio with Ryosuke Kataoka's assistance.
Past<Future is the ninth studio album by Japanese pop singer Namie Amuro. It was released on December 16, 2009, through Avex Trax. This was her first original album to be released in two and a half years. The record came after the release of her blockbuster greatest hits album Best Fiction (2008), which sold over a million copies. Unlike her previous studio albums, Queen of Hip-Pop (2005) and Play (2007), Past<Future features a more electropop and synth-pop sound that was prevalent in the Western music charts at the time.
Checkmate! is a collaboration album by Japanese singer Namie Amuro, featuring a collection of her collaborations with other musicians released between 2003 and 2011, as well as four new collaborations. The album was released on April 27, 2011, about one month after its original release date, due to 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
"Wonder Woman" is a song by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro, featuring R&B singer and rapper Ai as well as rock musician Anna Tsuchiya. The song was the lead promotional single for Amuro's collaboration-compilation album, Checkmate!, released in April 2011.
"Sit! Stay! Wait! Down! / Love Story" is an extended play by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro from her tenth studio album and debut bilingual album Uncontrolled (2012). The EP contains the songs "Sit! Stay! Wait! Down!" and "Love Story" from the parent album and two new tracks "Higher" and "Arigatou". The EP was produced by Michico, T. Kura, Miriam Nervo, Olivia Nervo, T-SK, Tesung Kim, and Nao'ymt, and is divided into two dance-pop songs and two pop ballads.
Uncontrolled is the tenth studio album by Japanese pop and R&B musician Namie Amuro, released on June 27, 2012. This marks Amuro's first original album in two and a half years since her last album Past<Future (2009) and her first original album for her 20th anniversary of her debut. It was released in three formats: CD+DVD, CD and Playbutton. Uncontrolled consists mostly of songs sung in Japanese, however this was the first album of Amuro's to feature several songs sung entirely in English. "Go Round" and "Yeah-Oh" are songs with entirely English lyrics, and are included under the titles "Go Round " and "Singing "Yeah-Oh!"" respectively. The new songs "In The Spotlight (Tokyo)," "Hot Girls" and "Only You" are also include entirely English lyrics.
Genic is the twelfth studio album by Japanese singer Namie Amuro. It was released on various physical and digital formats on June 10, 2015 by Amuro’s label Dimension Point, and serves as the singers final studio album before her retirement in September 2018. Amuro began working on the album in 2014 and received over 200 demo recordings from her team, which included a diverse group of collaborators. Finally, she chose tracks based on their introductions and what was trending in music at the time.
"Brighter Day" is a song by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro. Released as a single on November 12, 2014 by Amuro's label Dimension Point through Avex Trax, the release contained the B-sides "Sweet Kisses", and "Still Lovin' You". It received mixed reviews from music critics; many commended Amuro's vocal abilities while some criticized the song's composition and production. Charted as a single on the Japanese Oricon Singles Chart, it reached number eight, becoming her lowest chart single since "Alarm" which peaked at eleven. The title track was certified platinum by Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for digital sales of 250,000 and all three tracks charted on the Japan Hot 100.
"Hero" is a song by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro. It was released as a stand-alone single on July 27, 2016 by Avex Trax and Amuro’s own label Dimension Point; it was distributed physically in Japan and Taiwan, and digitally worldwide. The song was written by Ryosuke Imai and Sunny Boy, whilst production and composing was handled by the latter collaborator. Originally slated to appear as a B-side track to her previous single "Mint", it served as the official Japanese theme song to the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, broadcast by the NHK. Alongside this, a B-side track titled "Show Me What You’ve Got" appeared on the release of "Hero".
Finally is the seventh greatest hits album by Japanese singer Namie Amuro. It was released in a variety of formats by her label Dimension Point on November 8, 2017, and was later distributed to other markets in Asia. It is the singer's final music release upon announcing her retirement from the entertainment industry in September 2018.
"Dr." is a song by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro, taken as the only A-side single from her ninth studio album Past<Future (2009). The track was written, composed, arranged and produced entirely by long-time collaborator Nao'ymt, and recorded at Azabu-O Studios in Minato, Tokyo. Musically, "Dr." is a dance number that is influenced by modern club music, and also samples an orchestral section from the musical piece "Boléro", composed by French conductor Maurice Ravel. Lyrically, it is a love song that uses the titular term to metaphorically describe Amuro's lover.
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