Shine More

"Shine More"
Single by Namie Amuro
from the album Style
B-side	"Drive"
Released	March 5, 2003
Recorded	Baybridge Studio
Length	3:40
Label	Avex Trax
Songwriter(s)	Paul Taylor, Scott Nickoley, Sandra Pires, H.U.B
Namie Amuro singles chronology
"Wishing on the Same Star" (2002) "Shine More" (2003) "Put 'Em Up" (2003)

"Shine More" (styled in lowercase letters) is the 23rd single by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro. It was released on March 5, 2003, by Avex Trax and serves as the second single from her sixth studio album Style (2003). "Shine More" was originally written by Scott Nickoley, Sandra Pires and Paul Taylor, while the lyrics were translated into Japanese by H.U.B. Amuro called the song the first part of a dance number trilogy including "Put 'Em Up" and "So Crazy."

Musically, "Shine More" is an up-tempo R&B and dance-pop song with thick vocal work and rushing, minor-key strings. Its lyrics describe the protagonist still loving someone after a breakup, but deciding not to chase after them. The song was recorded in the now-defunct Baybridge Studio, which was located in Shibaura, Tokyo. "Shine More" was warmly received by music critics for its production value, with some lauding it as a highlight from her discography.

Commercially, "Shine More" performed moderately in Japan, peaking at number eight on the Oricon Singles Chart. The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipping over 100,000 units nationwide. The track was additionally used as the Mandom Lucido-L Prism Magic Hair Colour commercial song. Since its release, the song has appeared on several of Amuro's concert tours, as well as her greatest hits album Best Fiction (2008).

Background and composition

Following her stint as a member of the collaborative project Suite Chic, she switched to R&B/hip-hop for the album Style.^[1] She commented on the songs, "I released an album in which I did everything I wanted to do in Suite Chic, and I was able to release this album in the good vein of that."^[2] Incidentally, one week before the release of "Shine More," she released the original album When Pop Hits the Fan under the Suite Chic umbrella.^[3] Amuro called "Shine More" the first part of a dance number trilogy including "Put 'Em Up" and "So Crazy."^[4]

The original demo of "Shine More" was recorded in English by Sandra Pires under the title "Catching Up On You." "Shine More" was written by Scott Nickoley, Sandra Pires and Paul Taylor, while H.U.B. translated the lyrics into Japanese.^[5] It was recorded at the now-defunct Baybridge Studio in Shibaura, Tokyo, mixed by David Z., and mastered by Yasuji Yasuman Maeda.^[5] Musically, "Shine More" is an up-tempo R&B and dance-pop song with thick vocal work and rushing, minor-key strings.^[6][1][7][2] It lyrically describes the protagonist still loving her estranged lover after a breakup, but deciding not to chase after them.^[2]

Release and promotion

Still from the music video showing Amuro on a white painted Japanese-style stage set with additional backup dancers.

Avex Trax released "Shine More" in Japan on March 5, 2003, in digital and physical formats.^[8][9] It serves as the second single from Amuro's sixth studio album Style (2003). The CD single and digital format include the titular track along with the B-side "Drive,"^[8] which is the fourth consecutive song written by Amuro herself, following the previous B-side song "Did U."^[10] When news of the new single was first announced, it was titled "Ride It". The title was changed to "Drive" and it was included as a B-side.^[8]

Ugichin directed the video for "Shine More."^[11] The shooting for the music video for "Shine More" took place in mid-February 2003 at a studio in the suburbs of Tokyo.^[12] The music video portrays Amuro and her backup dancers dancing on a Japanese-style stage set that is painted white.^[12] The song and video were included in Best Fiction, with the video appearing on her video album Filmography 2001-2005 (2005).^[13][14] Since its release, "Shine More" has appeared on four of Amuro's concert tours and subsequent live releases: So Crazy Best Singles,^[15] Space of Hip-Pop,^[16] Live Style 2006,^[17] and Best Fiction.^[18] To promote the song, “Shine More” was used in a television advertisement for Mandom's "Lucido-L Prism Magic Hair Color" in which she appears.

Reception

Music critics gave "Shine More" positive reviews. AllMusic recognized it as one of Amuro's best songs.^[19] Japanese magazine CDJournal reviewed the single, as well as its appearances on Style and Amuro's greatest hits album Best Fiction (2008). CDJournal positively stated that Amuro's vocals have become more relaxed and have become more lustrous.^[6] Furthermore, its appearance on Style was praised for is combination of dark sensations and cool pop.^[1] In their Best Fiction review, the magazine stated that the song had "medium R&B with a European flavor" and praised Paul Tyler's and the rest of the overseas production team's contributions to the song.^[7]

Commercially, "Shine More" underperformed in Japan. It debuted at number eight on the Oricon Singles Chart, selling 27,938 copies in its first week.^[20] It dropped to number eighteen on its second week, logging sales of 11,020 copies,^[21] before dropping out of the top twenty entirely the following week. It remained on the charts for nine weeks in total,^[22] selling 52,268 copies by September 2018.^[23] Despite being viewed as a commercial disappointment, "Shine More" was still certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).^[24]

Track listing

1. "Shine More" (Paul Taylor, Scott Nickoley, Sandra Pires, H.U.B) – 3:40
2. "Drive" (Cherokee, Brion James, Anthony Nance, Namie Amuro) – 4:24
3. "Shine More (Instrumental)" (Paul Taylor, Scott Nickoley, Sandra Pires) – 3:40
4. "Drive (Instrumental)" (Cherokee, Brion James, Anthony Nance) – 4:21

Digital download

1. "Shine More" (Paul Taylor, Scott Nickoley, Sandra Pires, H.U.B) – 3:40
2. "Drive" (Cherokee, Brion James, Anthony Nance, Namie Amuro) – 4:24

Personnel

• Namie Amuro – vocals, background vocals

Production

• Mixing – David Z.
• Mixing assistant – Sang Park
• Instrument programming – David L. Huff, Cobra Endo
• Vocal direction – Mayumi Harada
• Music video director – Ugichin
• Choreographer – Warner

TV performances

• March 1, 2003 – PopJam
• March 1, 2003 – CDTV
• March 6, 2003 – AX Music Factory
• March 7, 2003 – Music Station
• March 10, 2003 – Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ
• April 2, 2003 – CDTV Special
• January 1, 2004 – CDTV Special Live 2003-2004

Charts

Chart (2003)	Peak position
Japan Singles (Oricon)[22]	8

RIAJ certification

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[25]	Gold	52,268[23]

References

1. "Namie Amuro / Style [CCCD]". CDJournal (in Japanese). Japan. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
2. "本人による「STYLE」収録曲目の解説 (saturday storm)". Archived from the original on January 31, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
3. When Pop Hits the Fan (Japanese album liner notes). Suite Chic. Avex Trax. 2003. AVCD-17233.
4. "時代が安室ちゃんに追いついた～第2期ブレイク～". 良盤ディスク (in Japanese). Japan. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
5. Amuro, Namie (2003). Style (Liner notes). Namie Amuro. Japan: Avex Trax, Avex Taiwan. AVCD-17372.
6. "Namie Amuro / shine more [CCCD]". CDJournal (in Japanese). Japan. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
7. "Namie Amuro / Best Fiction". CDJournal (in Japanese). Japan. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
8. "shine more" formats listed below:
   • Amuro, Namie (2003). shine more (CD). Japan: Avex Trax. AVCD-30411.
   • Amuro, Namie (2003). shine more (CD). Taiwan: Avex Trax. AVJSG40270.
9. "shine more (EP) by Namie Amuro". Spotify. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
10. Amuro, Namie (2002). Wishing On The Same Star (liner notes). Japan: Avex Trax. AVCD-30379.
11. "Shine More: ミュージックビデオサーチ" (in Japanese). Space Shower. Archived from the original on November 22, 2004. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
12. "NAMIE AMURO Promotion Video Shooting Report". Archived from the original on April 24, 2003. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
13. Best Fiction formats listed below:
    • Amuro, Namie (2008). Best Fiction (CD). Japan: Avex Trax. AVCD-23651.
    • Amuro, Namie (2008). Best Fiction (CD+DVD). Japan: Avex Trax. AVCD-23650/B.
14. Amuro, Namie (2005). Filmography 2001-2005 (Liner notes). Japan: Avex Trax. AVBD-91359.
15. Amuro, Namie (2004). So Crazy Tour Featuring Best Singles 2003-2004 (Liner notes). Japan: Avex Trax. AVBD-91187.
16. Amuro, Namie (2006). Space of Hip-Pop: Namie Amuro Tour 2005 (Liner notes). Japan: Avex Trax. AVBD-91403.
17. Amuro, Namie (2007). Best Tour: Live Style 2006 (Liner notes). Japan: Avex Trax. AVBD-91466.
18. Amuro, Namie (2009). Best Fiction Tour 2008-2009 (Liner notes). Japan: Avex Trax. AVBD-91736.
19. "Namie Amuro Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
20. Oricon Style Staff (March 17, 2003). "Oricon Singles Chart – Chart Week March 17, 2003". Oricon; published through Yahoo! GeoCities (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
21. Oricon Style Staff (March 24, 2003). "Oricon Singles Chart – Chart Week March 24, 2003". Oricon; published through Yahoo! GeoCities (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
22. "shine more 安室奈美恵". Oricon. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
23. オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」 [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Taiju']. Oricon. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
24. "ゴールドディスク認定作品一覧 2003年1月～7月" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). Archived from the original on February 10, 2004. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
25. "Japanese single certifications – 安室奈美恵 – shine more" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2003年07月 on the drop-down menu