| Genic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Digital and bonus DVD cover | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 10, 2015 (2015-06-10) | |||
| Recorded | 2014–2015 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 49:00 | |||
| Language |
| |||
| Label | Dimension Point | |||
| Producer |
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| Namie Amuro chronology | ||||
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Genic (stylized as_genic) is the twelfth and finalstudio album by Japanese singerNamie Amuro. It was released on variousphysical anddigital formats on June 10, 2015 by Amuro’s label Dimension Point, and serves as the singer's final studio album before herretirement in September 2018. Amuro began working on the album in 2014 and received over 200demo recordings from her team, which included a diverse group of collaborators. Finally, she chose tracks based on theirintroductions and what was trending in music at the time.
Stylistically,Genic is influenced byelectronic dance music from the1970s and1980s, andR&B elements from the1990s, with additional elements ofpop,rock,house, andelectronic music. Lyrically, the album addresses topics includingself-empowerment, fun, glamour, and fashion.Genic is also Amuro’s thirdbilingual record; the majority of the songs on the album are inEnglish, with a fewJapanese phrases interspersed.
Music critics gaveGenic positive reviews, with many praising the album's mix of sounds, production quality, and overall appeal. However, some reviewers were divided on Amuro's English delivery and use of EDM music. Since its release,Genic and its material have receivednumerous nominations and accolades. It was a commercial success in Japan, reaching number one on theOricon Albums Chart and component charts provided byBillboard Japan, and was certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for exceeding sales of 250,000 units.
Genic did not have anysingles before its release, but her cover of "What I Did for Love" with French DJDavid Guetta was released as apromotional single. Several songs from the album receivedmusic videos and commercial attention, particularly "Golden Touch", which was highlighted by Western media. To promote the album, Amuro embarked on her Livegenic tour throughout Asia, as well as her annual Live Style show, which included songs fromGenic on the set list. Following each tour, a live release was subsequently distributed.
In 2013, Amuro established her own record label, Dimension Point, in collaboration withAvex Trax.[1] Originally, the singer planned to leave Avex and management companyVision Factory (nowRising Production) after seventeen years. However, Avex confirmed that Dimension Point would be implemented to give Amuro control over her music and personal projects.[2] Her first offering from the label was her eleventh studio and second bilingual album,Feel (2013).[3] Following this, she released a succession of stand-alone singles: "Tsuki" (January 2014) and "Brighter Day" (November 2014).[4][5]
In January 2015, Japanese media reported Amuro's intention to work with American collaborators, with her relocating toLos Angeles, California, to improve herEnglish and incorporate it into her music.[6] That same month, she left Vision Factory after 22 years to start Stella88, a private agency through Dimension Point.[7] Amuro confirmed the release ofGenic in May.[8] Avisualiser, which included lyric videos for all 12 unpublished recordings, was on trial that same month until the end of the month, and Amuro's website also hosted a special website dedicated to the album's release and promotional campaign.[9]
"I always try to include 'my identity'. I try to not play it too safe... how to put it... I always want to express something that’s a step forward from the previous album. Maybe this time the new 'something' is expressed by things like including only new songs and the wordGenic."[10]
Production onGenic began in mid-2014, while Amuro was on her annualLive Style tour.[11] Amuro told Japanesefashion magazineSweet that she wanted to create an album that sounded "trendy" at the time, while also drawing inspiration from sounds and aesthetics from the 1970s to 1990s.[11] She stated that her "staff understands my vision and made a selection of demos for me. As always, I chose the songs which instantly felt right to me."[11] Amuro attempted not to "play it too safe" and instead "express something that's a step forward from the previous album."[10]
Amuro and her team received over 200demo recordings to listen to and choose from.[10] She quickly selected each song based on theintro sections that she thought made an impression on her.[11] However, she was dissatisfied with the full length of the demos and requested that each one be reworked except for the intro, saying, "To be honest, I hardly ever ask for demos to be changed like that. This might be the first time I’ve gone so far. I wanted those intros on my album that much."[11] Two of the songs chosen were collaborations: "B Who I Want 2 B" with JapaneseVocaloidHatsune Miku (sampled from a piece by British producerSophie) and a cover of "What I Did for Love" with French DJDavid Guetta.[12]
During the sessions, Amuro decided to include only new recordings on the album, her first sinceDance Tracks Vol. 1 in 1995.[11][13] Amuro had previously released "Tsuki" and "Brighter Day", both of which featuredB-side tracks on various formats.[4][5] According to Amuro, her team had discussed including the songs inGenic. However, she rejected the idea because she believed it would interfere with the album's concept, sound, and tempo.[11] Furthermore, each single and its B-side were released as commercial tie-ins, which Amuro was opposed to, putting that decision at risk forGenic.[11]
The songs chosen were all written in English, with some phrases written inJapanese by previous collaborators Tiger andEmyli.[11][12] Amuro found the original demo, which included English lyrics, difficult and "were often translated opposite of what I intended".[11] She wanted each song to convey a different message, and she thought that incorporating Japanese into a mostly-English record would be a "puzzle".[11] She said, "I’ll take up the challenge of solving that puzzle because I also have the desire to rattle people more. Also, I think there are puzzles which only the people who bought the album can solve!"[11]
The sound onGenic is divided between 1970s-1980selectronic dance music and 1990sR&B, with lyrics that focus on self-empowerment, fun, glamour, and fashion.[9] According to Lauren du Plessis ofElectric Bloom, the album covers all of her career genres: "there's some ultra-fluffyteen pop, flashes of her R'n'B phase, and plenty of popular dance elements."[14] Similarly,The Japan Times writer Patrick St. Michel found the album influenced by EDM, but he also noted "diverse" genres such aseuropop and contemporarypop music.[15] In a similar review, Kenichi Shirahara of Utalabo compared the sound to Amuro's previous studio albumFeel while also identifyingnew wave anddisco elements inGenic.[16]
Genic begins with "Photogenic", an R&B-influenced song with heavyguitar riffs andnarcissistic lyrics; the line "Strike a pose" has been compared to "Vogue" by American singerMadonna.[17] "Time Has Come" is adance track with8-bit sounds and varying tempos, starting with a slowkeyboard intro and progressing to a fast-pacedrock chorus.[17][18] "Golden Touch" was noted for itsretro vibe, blending R&B and pop elements, love-inspired lyrics, and a joyful chorus, and was compared to the work of American singerAriana Grande.[15][18][17] "Birthday" is a pop song with a fast-pacedrap section that has been compared to the work of American singerKaty Perry due to its upbeat and girly tone.[14][17] "It" is a rhythmic love song withwhistling,handclaps, and bouncy keyboards, using theplayground gametag as a metaphor for falling in love.[17]
"Scream" is an upbeat electronic dance song with heavyclub influences that discusses having fun at anightclub.[14][17] "Fashionista" is a fast-paced EDM and R&B song that focuses on self-love and empowerment throughfashion.[17][19] "Fly" is an upbeat EDM track withdubstep and rock influences that lyrically explores the highlights of a luxurious lifestyle.[17] "B Who I Want 2 B" is a collaboration with Hatsune Miku. Miku was initially advertised as the anagram U Hum Speak It whenGenic was first announced.[20] Sophie created it as a demo track in 2014 and gave it to Amuro during the early production sessions.[20] Musically, it is an electronic track with influences frombubblegum pop andcomputer music, while theartificial vocal deliveries and sound have been described as having anuncanny valley effect.[a]
"Stranger" is an aggressive EDM track with elements oftrance and subtle dubstep music.[18][17] "Every Woman" is an upbeat rhythmic dance track about female empowerment, whereas "Space Invader" is a cheerful pop song with R&B andreggaeton elements.[18][17] The album's closingballad, "Anything", focuses on Amuro's vocals and acoustic instrumentation. Lyrically, it is an empowering anthem about self-confidence and the value of believing in oneself.[17] "What I Did for Love" is a bonus track on the album that is a cover song featuring David Guetta as the lead artist, but omits the original vocalist, British singerEmeli Sande.[21] Musically, it is a dance song with soulful vocals by Amuro.[17]
"The album titleGenic means a person who flourishes at something. For example, photogenic or videogenic. I want people to decide what kind of genic this album and Namie Amuro represent once they’ve listened to the album. Maybe dancegenic or soundgenic. That’s why I left the (lowercase dash) in front ofGenic."[10]
Dimension Point releasedGenic on June 10, 2015, in avariety of formats. All formats included 14 songs totalling more than 49 minutes in length.[12] The physical versions included a standard disc with all featured songs, while theDVD andBlu-ray includedmusic videos for "Golden Touch", "Birthday", "Fashionista", "Stranger", and "Anything".[12] Hidden footage on the DVD and Blu-ray versions also included a specialselfie video for "Birthday" and a dance-only visual for "Fashionista".[12] The standard version ofGenic was then released throughdigital andmusic streaming services, and was physically distributed in Hong Kong and Taiwan.[22][23][24]
Tisch photographed the album'scover art, which shows Amuro dressed in black and wearing a black-lace veil.[12] Jun Hirota later created the art direction and booklet for the album. Standard jewelcase packaging includes close-up shots of Amuro, whereasdigipak versions include various cut-out shapes that hold the booklet but only show parts of Amuro's face; each format includes a different shot of Amuro.[12] The titleGenic refers to the title track "Photogenic"; however, Amuro believed that the term "genic" could be interpreted in a variety of ways.[10]
"Namie Amuro and the record label reached out to me, to create something more than just her singing and performing in front of camera, which is the case for most of her videos [...] She gave our team the complete freedom, which was amazing. She and the label immediately grasped the ideas when we presented to them, and gave us full autonomy of the project."[25]
Amuro had stated that she planned to releaseGenic without anysingles.[11] However, "What I Did for Love" with David Guetta was released as apromotional single on July 1, 2015, across digital and streaming platforms.[26] Despite this, several songs from the album experienced success. Amuro released music videos for "Golden Touch", "Birthday", "Fashionista", "Stranger", and "Anything" on herYouTube channel.[b] During the album's release week, "Birthday" and "Golden Touch" were successful in Japan, with "Birthday" reaching number 36 on theBillboard Japan Hot 100 and "Golden Touch" reaching number 43 on theBillboard Japan Radio Songs chart.[31][32]
Western media highlighted the video for “Golden Touch”, which was hailed as her international breakthrough.[c] Several publications featured the music video.Elle compared the video to the sensation ofoptical illusions, describing it as "Colorful, fun, gay ... but especially interactive."[36] According to Japan Trends, they felt "Golden Touch" is "a good marketing stunt for a dying industry, and overseas media has picked up the story too".[37] British publicationCreative Review named it their music video of the month.[38] On June 5, "Golden Touch" premiered in North America onSiriusXM Hits 1 as part of their YouTube 15 schedule, hosted and chosen by American YouTube personality Jenna Marbles.[39] Following the original music video's 10 million views on YouTube, a second video featuring Amuro premiered.[40]
In October 2015, Amuro and Hatsune Miku appeared as computer-generated characters on the cover of fashion magazineNylon.[41] With their appearance, Amuro confirmed that the two would collaborate on a music video. That same month, Nylon TV premiered the music video for "B Who I Want 2 B", which featured the singers in bothtwo-dimensional and three-dimensional animated form.[41]
| Tour byNamie Amuro | |
 Official DVD and promotional artwork. | |
| Associated album | Genic |
|---|---|
| Start date | September 5, 2015 |
| End date | March 26, 2016 |
| Legs | 2 |
| No. of shows | 47 |
| Namie Amuro concert chronology | |
| |
Prior to its release, Amuro promotedGenic on various Japanese radio stations.[42] In June 2015, she announced her Livegenic tour, which included flyers of the tour in the album booklet.[12] The Livegenic tour included 47 shows across Japan, starting on September 5 at theSaitama Super Arena and ending on February 10 at theMakuhari Messe Event Hall inChiba Prefecture.[43] She expanded her tour to include two shows inTaiwan and one inHong Kong. Dimension Point hosted a special website featuring photos, digest films, and other tour-related content.[44]
A live video was recorded at theYoyogi National Gymnasium on December 8 and released in a variety of physical formats on March 2, 2016.[45] The track list features 29 songs from the show, including two bonus tracks "Break It" and "Arigatou" recorded at the Miyagi Super Arena, and a hidden video track of Amuro's song "Birthday".[45] The live releases achieved success in Japan, topping the Oricon DVD and Blu-ray charts, and was certified gold by theRecording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for exceeding 100,000 units in the region.[46][47][48]
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 5, 2015 | Saitama | Japan | Saitama Super Arena |
| September 6, 2015 | |||
| September 12, 2015 | Fukui | Sun Dome Fukui | |
| September 13, 2015 | |||
| September 18, 2015 | Fukuoka | Fukuoka Convention Center | |
| September 19, 2015 | |||
| September 26, 2015 | Hokkaido | Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center | |
| September 27, 2015 | |||
| October 3, 2015 | Osaka | Osaka-jō Hall | |
| October 4, 2015 | |||
| October 10, 2015 | Hiroshima | Hiroshima Prefectural Sports Center | |
| October 11, 2015 | |||
| October 17, 2015 | Nagano | Big Hat | |
| October 18, 2015 | |||
| October 27, 2015 | Osaka | Osaka-jō Hall | |
| October 28, 2015 | |||
| October 30, 2015 | |||
| November 3, 2015 | |||
| November 14, 2015 | Miyagi | Sekisui Heim Super Arena | |
| November 15, 2015 | |||
| November 20, 2015 | Kobe | World Memorial Hall | |
| November 21, 2015 | |||
| November 23, 2015 | |||
| December 2, 2015 | Tokyo | Yoyogi National Gymnasium | |
| December 3, 2015 | |||
| December 8, 2015 | |||
| December 9, 2015 | |||
| December 11, 2015 | |||
| December 15, 2015 | |||
| December 16, 2015 | |||
| December 19, 2015 | Nagoya | Nippon Gaishi Hall | |
| December 20, 2015 | |||
| December 26, 2015 | Fukuoka | Fukuoka Convention Center | |
| December 27, 2015 | |||
| January 16, 2016 | Niigata | Toki Messe | |
| January 17, 2016 | |||
| January 23, 2016 | Maebashi | Green Dome Maebashi | |
| January 24, 2016 | |||
| January 30, 2016 | Shizuoka | Shizuoka Stadium | |
| January 31, 2016 | |||
| February 3, 2016 | Nagoya | Nippon Gaishi Hall | |
| February 4, 2016 | |||
| February 9, 2016 | Chiba | Makuhari Messe | |
| February 10, 2016 | |||
| March 5, 2016 | Taipei | Taiwan | Taipei Arena |
| March 6, 2016 | |||
| March 5, 2016 | Hong Kong | China | Asia World–Arena |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Billboard Japan | (positive)[49] |
| CDJournal | (positive)[17] |
| Electric Bloom | (positive)[14] |
| The Japan Times | (positive)[15] |
| Pitchfork | (6.7/10)[18] |
Genic received positive reviews frommusic critics.Billboard Japan praised the album's "colourful" mix of genres, describing it as a "whole body of work".[49] Japanese magazineCDJournal praised Amuro's decision not to release any singles from the album, giving it an overall "bullishness" quality.[17] They called the album "smart" and praised the collaborations with Guetta and Miku.[17] Lauren Du Pressis ofElectric Bloom described the singer as a "chameleon force in the music industry" due to her musical exploration and mature image.[14] Despite criticism of the album's "repetitive" nature and collaborations, Du Pressis recommended it forJ-pop listeners seeking a more mature sound; "You can't hide from an album this infectious."[14]
Patrick St. Michel wrote two reviews forGenic. Writing forPitchfork, he praised the album's "confident" and "inspired" vibe, and felt this was her best EDM offering after her previous efforts, which he described as "cheap replicas".[18] Despite his reservations about her English delivery and some productions, such as "Every Woman", "It", and "What I Did for Love", he concluded thatGenic's best moments were the "most straightforward".[18] ForThe Japan Times, he wrote, "Her busy EDM songs don't always work and her English delivery still needs practice, butGenic is a solid collection of catchy pop tunes... It’s a heck of a comeback, and a well-earned one at that."[15]
Amuro receivednumerous nominations and accolades forGenic. "Anything" won the DOTD category at the Design Awards Asia, the Design Award at the FWA Design Awards, and the Best Innovative Integration Bronze Award at the Spike Asia Awards in 2015.[50][51][52] For the Design Award Asia awards, it received three specific ranking strategies: creativity (8.4 points), its content (8 points), and its visuals (7.8 points).[50] "Birthday" was nominated forVideo of the Year, and wonBest Female Video, at the2015 MTV Video Music Awards Japan.[53][54] "Golden Touch" won the DOTM category at the Design Awards Asia, and was awarded silver for the Top Japanese Gold Songs ranked byRTHK International Pop Poll Awards.[55][56]
Nielsen SoundScan Japan (nowLuminate) predicted thatGenic would top theOricon Albums Chart andBillboard Japan's Top Albums Sales chart, surpassing the work of Japanese actsMr. Children andSuperfly.[57] As expected,Genic topped both the Top Albums and Top Albums Sales charts, and spent 25 weeks on both charts.[d]Genic then debuted at number one on the Oricon daily chart, selling 81,491 units.[62] Furthermore, it debuted at number one on the weekly chart, selling 160,474 units, her third lowest first-week sales sinceBreak the Rules (2000) andStyle (2003).[63][64]
Despite this,Genic became the best-selling album by a female artist in 2015, surpassingWhite by Superfly.[65] By the end of June, the album had reached number two on the monthly chart.[66] By the end of the year,Genic had sold 246,269 units, making Amuro the best-selling solo artist and female artist of the year.[67][68] The album was certified platinum by the RIAJ for exceeding sales of 250,000 units.[69]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Photogenic" |
| Marcus | 3:28 |
| 2. | "Time Has Come" | Erik Lidbom | Marcus | 3:46 |
| 3. | "Golden Touch" |
|
| 3:31 |
| 4. | "Birthday" | Emyli | 3:08 | |
| 5. | "It" |
|
| 2:45 |
| 6. | "Scream" | Erik Lidbom |
| 3:44 |
| 7. | "Fashionista" |
| Stoddard | 3:33 |
| 8. | "Fly" |
|
| 3:22 |
| 9. | "B Who I Want 2 B" (featuringHatsune Miku) |
| Sophie | 2:52 |
| 10. | "Stranger" |
|
| 3:37 |
| 11. | "Every Woman" |
| Charge | 3:02 |
| 12. | "Space Invader" |
| Mighty Mike | 3:15 |
| 13. | "Anything" |
| Foye | 4:51 |
| Total length: | 49:00 | |||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "What I Did for Love" (featuringDavid Guetta) |
|
| 3:50 |
| No. | Title | Director(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Golden Touch" (Music video) |
| |
| 2. | "Birthday" (Music video) | Haruka Furuya | |
| 3. | "Fashionista" (Music video) | Daichi Yasuda | |
| 4. | "Stranger" (Music video) | Yasuda | |
| 5. | "Anything" (Music video) | Wataru Saito | |
| 6. | "Birthday" (Making video) | ||
| 7. | "Fashionista" (Dance video) |
Credits adapted from theliner notes ofGenic.[12]
Locations
Musicians
Imagery
Production
Weekly charts[edit]
| Monthly charts[edit]
Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Japan (RIAJ)[70] | Platinum | 250,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | June 10, 2015 | Dimension Point | [12][22][23] | |
| Various |
| [22][23] | ||
| Taiwan | June 19, 2015 |
| Avex Taiwan | [24] |
| Hong Kong | June 24, 2015 |
| Dimension Point | [24] |
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Compilation albums | |
| Live albums | |
| Concerts | |
| Video | |
| Video game | |
| Related articles | |
