Oricon Top 30 for August 2011 Namie Amuro She has been referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's. Though mostly unsuccessful, the group gained popularity during their final year together with the single "Try Me (Watashi o Shinjite)" in 1995. Amuro left Toshiba-EMI after releasing two more solo singles; she continued her music career as a solo singer with the then-small independent label Avex Trax. Under the guidance of producer Tetsuya Komuro, Amuro quickly became a commercial success, producing several million-selling records and starting several fashion trends. Her single "Can You Celebrate?," released in 1997, became Japan's best selling single by a solo female artist. Over a decade since her musical debut, Amuro has remained one of the longest surviving popular female acts in Japan, regularly placing on the Oricon charts.

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