PAST<FUTURE is Namie Amuro’s 8th album and it was released on December 16, 2009. The album reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 522,343 copies.

I just really started listening to Namie  after reading so many reviews about her having amazing music and I wanted to broaden my Japanese music ( also at the time, K-pop started getting boring).The flare of the horns mixed with the piano give off a jazzy feel in FAST CAR. A laid back vibe coming from Namie’s  ‘I could care less’ vocals start off the album in a fun way.

COPY THAT has a spy/James Bond feel to it. The repetitive mention of the title can be a little overbearing.  This song and Love Game have the elements of being a good song, but are boring.

I fell in love with Bad Habit the first time I listened to it. It’s a fun song with an infectious chorus and ‘you know should , but you can’t stay away’. The falsetto towards the end is pretty awesome. I kept waiting for a climax in Steal My Night and unfortunately it never did. Namie says it pretty well in the song herself,”It’s so boring”.

FIRST TIMER feat. DOBERMAN INC reminds me of something ICONIQ might sing with all the layering of synth and vocals. DOBERMAN INC sound alright,but really the song could do without them. Wild uh uh; not a good track. It’s all over the place and Namie’s vocal performance isn’t anything spectacular.

Shut Up is a blend of pop and rock. The intro sounded a bit more like a dance song and I liked it, then the actual verse came in and I didn’t like. MY LOVE is another track that’s not really top notch. The repetition of the title got annoying and the beat was mediocre.

The Meaning of Us is a sweet ballad with soft chimes. I really like it especially after all the upbeat songs, it’s nice to hear Namie’s voice. Defend Love is the perfect way to end the album with aggressive beats and ’80s vibe.

For my first listen to Namie, I’m very impressed and she is a powerful vocalist. I enjoyed listening to this album, although I’m a year late. I would rate it 4/5.