Play

While Namie Amuro may not have the popularity of Ayumi Hamasaki, Utada Hikaru, or even Koda Kumi, Namie has tried her best over the years to set herself apart from the rest of J-Singers. Her distinct sound certainly has set her apart from the rest of the pack, and that may not be a good thing. Ayumi Hamasaki (debatably the Queen of J-pop) is known for her Pop sounds, Utada gained massive notoriety from the Kingdom Hearts serious, and like Utada, Koda gained mention from Final Fantasy X-2, and her not so squeaky clean image. Where does that leave Namie? She certainly lags behind; but this time Namie has pushed the envelope and made a near perfect album.The album starts off with the infectious Hide and Seek. With a pop/rock/dance vibe, the chorus is bound to be stuck in your head. Namie's voice soars, and the music will easily make you want too dance. Easily the best song on the entire album. Even if you don't buy the entire album, make sure to buy this single song.Next is Full Moon, a slower more R&B/Pop song. With a gong sounding in the beginning, Namie's voice is soothing behind the nice beat. The song gets a little boring after awhile, but the first listen thru is enjoyable.Can't Eat, Can't Sleep, I'm sick plays off of a total R&B vibe. It's not a enjoyable song by any means however. Namie's voice actually sounds very weak, and the background singers 'out sing' her.It's All about You is more rock, with a almost Bollywood type feel to it. But I'm sorry to say but the beginning sounds like a rip-off of Ayumi Hamasaki's talkin 2 myself. The Chorus is very nice however, and is bound to get stuck in your head.Funky Town is more of a Dance song; and don't worry, doesn't have the same beat as the infamous song Funky Town. This song is very filler however, and doesn't make a heavy impact on the album.Step With It starts off with Namie singing solo, then goes into a nice Pop beat. It's a nice song, good beat, but easy to look over.Hello starts with the sounds of Telephones ringing, which is a sure winner. Hello is a great original song, nice beat, but not very replay heavy.Should I love him? Is the only ballad on the entire cd. Which is good, considering Namie doesn't do ballads very good. The song, like Hide and Seek, is infectious, for a Ballad. With a beautiful chorus, and nice beat, it's a surefire standout on the album.Top Secret is one of the more 'risqué' songs on the album. Namie speaks a few lines of blush inducing words, and then starts singing. The chorus is very danceable, and it's bound to have you singing it over and over.Violet Sauce (Spicy) is a good solid track. Like All about You, it's more rock then anything. The song won't get stuck in your head, but the nice rock vibe saves the song.Baby Don't Cry is more R&B/Ballad. There's something very 'Anime theme song' about it. Have you ever heard the song Come, which was sung by Namie and played as an ending theme in Inuyasha? This sounds very much like a 'sequel' to sorts. It's very similar, and very beautiful.The last track on the cd is Pink Key, which I believe is the theme song to a Japanese TV show. It's a nice pop song, but also very filler. I would have preferred a better ending song.So there you have it; Namie's album, PLAY. There are some great solid tracks, two standouts, and a few fillers. It's a defiantly a must have, as many of the songs most certainly will be stuck in your head. So, buy it, pop it in your computer or cd player, and have fun. Your in for a treat.However, $90 bucks is way too much for this cd. Do a little research, and even go on Yes Asia, Play Asia, or Cd Japan for some cheap deals.

People usually associate J-pop as being hyper-saccharine, cheesy, and crass, but Namie Amuro is a singular Japanese female artist that can easily silence Western critics with her brand of classy, sophisticated, edgy dance-pop. Namie Amuro's music sounds more like the late (and great) Aaliyah and Sugababes in that like them, she combined/combines different urban, electronic, and rock sensibilities to make pop music that's all her own. "Play" most definitely puts all those influences in the forefront, and she certainly delivers in spades.Ever since she started transitioning to a more R&B/hip-hop-oriented sound, her music's become less connected to straight-up J-pop and has become more tastefully adult and sophisticated. This change has caused many cynics to quickly judge her of ripping off contemporary Western sounds, but the fact is she combines cutting edge sounds from across the world with her foundation as a Japanese artist in order to make a modern, ecclectic mix that's unique and better than the sum of its parts."Play" is an fine pop album that's all over the place, but is seamless in its transition towards different sounds because of Namie's understated, yet solid and steely vocals. In it, there's dance-inspired rhymthmic/urban tracks ("Hide And Seek," "Full Moon," "Can't Eat, Can't Sleep, I'm Sick"), rock/hip-hop hybrids ("It's All About You," "Violet Sauce [Spicy]"), straight-up contemporary R&B/hip-hop affair ("Hello," "Should I Love Him," "Top Secret"), funky retro-urban soul ("Funky Town," "Step With It"), and even sweet dance-pop with an edge ("Baby Don't Cry," "Pink Key"). All these songs hold together so well because of Namie's detached ice queen vocals. Not that Namie shows she's a singer with limited range; she can sing quite well. Like Aaliyah and Sugababes though, her music on the album seems so cool and untouchable because she delivers the tracks with just the right amount of aloofness and coolness to make it all work as one great, effortless, and graceful sonic experience. The album's not that revolutionary or too progressive compared to many of her contemporaries, both Eastern and Western, but it is quite grand (like all of Namie's albums) because all the tracks work so well together and on their own. This is definitely a testament to Amuro and her team of songwriters and producers carefully constructing groups of songs that can be enjoyed as a whole: at this point in her career, she's beyond just being a highly-impacting singles artist.Another reason why the album is a world-class, polished effort that's exquisite is because Namie decided to do away with the little amount of unnecessary tack that's bogged down some of her previous albums. No cheesy ballads to corrupt the music (a la "All For You" from "Queen Of Hip-Hop"). In fact, the token ballad in the album, "Should I Love Him," is one of her most dignified, yet understatedly high-brow performances yet, with its "chic backing track" (as a description of the album stated). That's basically what "Play" is all about: cool, edgy, yet still very mainstream and very accessible. Namie is all about balance between taking different sounds to make an album's that's nowhere near middle-of-the-road/safe, but at the same time making music that's still extremely modern and thoroughly enjoyable. Pop music in general should take a cue from her: this is what cutting edge dance-pop should sound like these days.

Questo disco di Namie Amuro non mi ha affatto deluso. Mi sembra anzi che sia uno dei dischi che le sono riusciti meglio. Si tratta di un album carico di energia che brano dopo brano non sembra esaurire la sua carica da ballo.

Excelente servicio y precio. Lo recomiendo 100%

このアルバム、曲もテンポも全て良くて、おススメです。Baby Don't C ryのPVが欲しくてDVD付きのこちらを購入。他の曲もキレのあるダンスがカッコよくて最高です。アルバム表紙もカッコいい。ずーっとリピートで聴いていたい一枚です。今聴いても色褪せない。

最初に届いたものはケースに傷があって返品させてもらいました。次に来たものは大丈夫でした。ただCD ・DVD 自体は最高です！

２００８年にリリースされた小室プロデュース以後のベストアルバム「ＢＥＳＴ ＦＩＣＴＩＯＮ」（ＤＶＤ付）の重要性が今になってわかったような気がします。ＣＤのみもリリースされましたが、ＤＶＤ付で、当時の新曲「Ｄｏ Ｍｅ Ｍｏｒｅ」も収録されていて、それでいて安価でした。このアルバムを考案したスタッフは優秀だと思いました。安室ちゃんに少しでも関心のある人だったらファンでもなくても、ＤＶＤ付を買ってしまうからです。そして、その結果、わたしのように、次作の「Ｐａｓｔ＜Ｆｕｔｕｒｅ」（ＤＶＤ付）を購入し、すでにリリース済みのアルバムまで購入してしまいました。ファンの人は不愉快かもしれませんが、少し人気が停滞していた安室ちゃんの人気を再熱させたアルバムだった思います。あとは、やはりドーム公演ではなく、全国縦断コンサートをした事も大きかったのではないでしょうか？　運良くこのアルバムはＤＶＤ付で購入する事ができました。ＤＶＤでは、「ＨＩＤＥ＆ＳＥＥＫ」「ＨＥＬＬＯ」で歌い踊る安室ちゃんの本領発揮で素晴らしい出来栄えです。またこの２曲は歌も良いのです。ミディアムテンポやバラードではヴォーカルの素晴らしさを堪能できますし、またアップテンポの曲は不思議な事に歌詞のフレーズが聴き取れないところがあってもあまり気にならないという特異なヴォーカリストなのです。歌ってダンスでも魅せる安室ちゃんは、歌手というより、もはやパフォーマーといった感すらあります。歌って踊る歌手は他にもいますが、安室ちゃんのダンスは、キャリアの長さと、叩き上げと言った印象で、身体にダンス用のラインが一本まっすぐ入ってるような印象を受けるのです。　曲で、特に気に入ったのは、前述した２曲とアルバムのラストを飾る「ＰＩＮＫ ＫＥＹ」でした。このアルバム以前にリリースされた中では、とてもクオリティーの高いアルバムだと思いました。いつか１度でいいから、ドーム公演ではなく（あれはもう参加すると言った感じがするので）全国縦断のライブに行きたいと切望しています。 なお「ＢＥＳＴ ＦＩＣＴＩＯＮ」には、３、５、１１が収録されています。