Sweet 19 Blues

Sweet 19 Blues
Standard edition slipcase artwork. Utilized for its 2012 reissue and subsequent digital release.[1][2]
Studio album by Namie Amuro
Released	July 22, 1996
Recorded	1995–1996
Studio	TK Sequence Studios (Tokyo) Woodstock Karuizawa Studios (Tokyo) Artworks Studio (Tokyo) Baybridge Studio (Tokyo) Heart Beat Recording Studio (Tokyo) Image Recording Inc. (Tokyo) Paradise Studio Komazaw (Tokyo) Prime-Mix Studio (Tokyo) Onkio Haus (Tokyo) Record Plant Studios (Los Angeles) Sound Chamber (New York City)
Genre	Dance-pop acid house
Length	66:46
Language	Japanese English
Label	Avex Trax
Producer	Tetsuya Komuro
Namie Amuro chronology
Dance Tracks Vol.1 (1995) Sweet 19 Blues (1996) Original Tracks Vol.1 (1996)
Singles from Sweet 19 Blues
"Body Feels Exit" Released: October 25, 1995 "Chase the Chance" Released: December 4, 1995 "Don't Wanna Cry" Released: March 13, 1996 "You're My Sunshine" Released: June 5, 1996 "Sweet 19 Blues" Released: August 21, 1996

Sweet 19 Blues (stylized in all caps) is the second studio album by Japanese singer Namie Amuro. It was released through Avex Trax on July 22, 1996. It is Amuro's first release with the label since leaving Toshiba-EMI, as well as her first album free of material associated with her previous band, Super Monkey's. Sweet 19 Blues was executive produced by Tetsuya Komuro and features a diverse group of collaborators, including Cozy Kubo, Akio Togashi, Takahiro Maeda, M.c.A.T, and Randy Waldman.

Sweet 19 Blues showcases popular music genres from the 1990s, including pop, dance, R&B, jazz, blues, and eurobeat. The record was noted for taking influence from contemporary African-American music, particularly the work of Janet Jackson, SWV, and Total. Its singles were rearranged for inclusion on the album, and spliced with interludes. Lyrically, Sweet 19 Blues revolves around romance and young womanhood, and is seen as a transition from Amuro's Japanese idol image.

Music critics gave Sweet 19 Blues positive reviews, praising the album's themes, overall sound, and production quality, while some were divided over Amuro's vocal performance. In addition, Amuro and the album received numerous nominations and awards. Commercially, the album was a huge success, reaching number one on the Oricon Albums Chart and earning a triple million certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for selling over three million copies. Sweet 19 Blues was briefly the top-selling album by a solo artist, and one of the most successful releases in Japanese music history.

Sweet 19 Blues spawned five singles, all of which were commercially successful in Japan, with some ranking among the best-selling singles of 1996. In addition, several tracks from the album were used as commercial themes for various campaigns across Japan. Amuro promoted the album through live appearances, which appeared on the VHS release, Namie Amuro World. She also embarked on her First Anniversary tour, which a live release was distributed in December. In retrospect, publications have regarded Sweet 19 Blues as a pivotal moment in Japanese music history, owing to Amuro's trendsetting fashion style and departure from Japanese idol culture.