Namie: The Attitude

Namie's story as a J-popstress in 3 years can be made into a movie easily. Just look at how she has mesmerized every girl in Japan from the way she sings, her energetic dance moves, her dressing style, to her drama-like trials and tribulations. Namie had a fairytale-like rising when she was selected by Japan's #1 dance music producer TK (Tetsuya Komuro a.k.a 小室 哲哉) to be his first major female solo project at a mere age of 17. Oozing innocent, girlish charm, Namie rapidly pioneered the fad of keeping long dyed, straight hair and wearing of mini skirts and high-cut leather boots.

Her escalating career took a surprise turn when she announced her sudden marriage to label-mate TRF member Sam two years ago. And she went on to shock the industry with news of her pregnancy at the age of 20. Fans quivered with anxiety when talk of her retirement leaked out. Not content with the changes in her life so far, Namie decided on a bolder statement: she chopped off her silky tresses!

As expected, her baby Haruto was ushered directly into media spotlight the moment he was born. But Namie soon had the media turning back to her when she released what was to be her last single before her one-year retreat. The result of her love for Haruto was the beautiful ballad titled Can You Celebrate? (the theme song of Japanese drama Virgin Road). The hit track sat prettily at the #1 spot for four straight weeks, making it the biggest selling single of the year, with more than two million copies sold in one month!

After a year of rest, Namie made a timely comeback and this was heralded as the J-Pop event of the year. Everyone had a high expectation and dark doubts. Will the J-Pop Queen be able to hold on to her throne? Namie silenced all her critics with her comeback single I Have Never Seen, a dark brooding number that was a big hit. This un-Namie tune sold more than one million copies within one week and rocketed straight into the #1 spot in its first week of release.

But just a day before the release of her second comeback single Respect the Power of Love, disaster struck. Namie's mother was brutally murdered by her uncle! This family tragedy shocked the whole of Asia and traumatized Namie to such an extent that she took close to half a year to recuperate.

They say what doesn't kill you make you stronger. Namie lives up to this saying by making her comeback one of the most amazing ones. Collaborating with US production teams brought her to a new level, and under the wings of hot American R&B producer Dallas Austin (who had delivered #1 hits for International Acts such as Madonna, Boyz II Men, Monica and TLC), she practically soared. Sounding slick and sexy, with a streetwise black attitude, Namie aimed for the top of the charts with her single Something 'Bout The Kiss. Cosmetics giant Kanebo liked the track so much that they adopted it to be their commercial song.

And who dares claim not to have heard of her famous Love 2000 number? It's a ubiquitous dance hit which has paved the way for her hit album Genius 2000, produced by TK and Dallas Austin. Even the politicians were smittened by her, when she sang Never End for President Clinton at the G-8 summit at Okinawa. Clinton even gave her a "thumbs up" signal and lavished praise on her fine vocals! Looks like Namie is on her way to becoming a truly international star!

Pop Star Mums who Rock!

They are not your typical mums. With their gorgeous looks and to-die-for bodies, they are proof that you can be a mum and still rock. Look at J-Pop Queen Namie Amuro. At 23, she is the proud mother of a two-year-old boy, and juggling the demands of a career and motherhood with more success than ever. If anything, the birth of her child seems to have rejuvenated her.

Gone are the funeral rags she wore during the 1998 Red & White Song Festival (紅白歌合戦). Now, Namie re-invents herself as she pleases - sexy a la Jennifer Lopez one moment, or a Tokyo street girl the next, complete with dark make-up. With her hourglass figure, Namie is clearly the hippiest celebrity mum in Japan. But it has been hard work to stay at the top. When Namie took a year off to focus on her baby, others like Utada Hikaru and Ayumi Hamasaki moved to the forefront of J-Popdom. But not for long. The queen of pop returned to reclaim her throne last year, with the multi-platinum album, Genius 2000.

Five years ago, Namie Amuro, at 18, was a teen idol like none other in Japan. Her wild-child stunts and her killer knee length boots are an iconic part of school girl fashion. Five years on, Namie has matured into a singer-songwriter. Rumors of a flirtatious husband have not destroyed Namie's faith in her marriage and she works round the clock to hold her career and her home together. she attributes her strength and her commitment to her son. After all she is not only a role model to her child but also to other mothers who see her as proof that they can have it all.

The power of the celebrity mother can perhaps be traced back to the rebellious sweetie-pie-turned-sex siren Seiko Matsuda, who broke the stereotypical image of maternity with her daring exploits. In spite of her husband's pleas to stay away from the entertainment business, Seiko insisted on going her own way. The message she sent to millions of Japanese women was that they can find fulfillment in many ways - not just as a wife or a mother.

In June last year, some of Japan's hippiest celebrity mums, including the likes of Chara and Ua, took centrestage in a special concert. Mother's Love, demonstrating that motherhood is a cause for celebration, not retirement. Motherhood certainly hasn't been an obstacle in the careers of these amazing J-Pop mums. Maintaining a young spirit is the name of the game. Perhaps Namie Amuro summed it up best when she was asked about the exact moment she realized she was an adult. Namie responded: "That moment hasn't happened, I'm still very much a kid."