Yes! Namie Amuro released her latest album, PLAY today. I looked over the newspaper and kinda got a hunch that I'll find her latest album in the local CD store. Hmm, still having mixed feelings over the songs... It's hip-hop, R&B, trendy and sexy and it's by Namie Amuro. Apparently, her album, PLAY became her first chart-topping album in seven years. She created a buzz with her sexy, whip-wielding image. And you know what? It's Namie Amuro's girl-woman appeal that sparked renewed interest in fans. Industry observers in Japan has predicted a new round of "Amuro Effect", as she has definitely steadily reinvented herself as a credilbe R&B and hip-hop artiste over the past two years while continuing to relate to her fans of yesteryear. PLAY is Namie's seventh studio album and it entered the Oricon charts at No 1 late last month, selling more than 400,000 copies in Japan alone. There were talks that she was copying Madonna but Namie replied that the covers of her album (Namie posed as a policewoman and air stewardess in two sets of visuals for her new album cover!!) were only designed to bring out the PLAY-ful theme of her R&B/hip-hop music and to give fans a refreshing feeling. And I dare to say loudly that I AM COMPLETELY CONVINCED!! Forget about Ayumi Hamasaki, she has to take off her clothes to sell her album and did you watch her MTV Asia Awards show in Singapore? That was simply disastrous and one of my close colleagues commented that he turned off the TV coz Ayumi was wailing like a kitten in distress instead of sounding like she's supposed to be singing. And most of all, Namie is a legend and she definitely doesn't need any titles (e.g. Queen of J-pop) to cement her singing prowess and abilities. She had it all due to hard work and her ever supporting fans all over the globe!!