Pop singer Namie Amuro began performing at the age of 14 in Supermonkeys, a trio of female students at the Okinawa Actors School. Born in 1977, Amuro gained fame as the lead singer of the group (later named Namie Amuro and the Supermonkeys) with several singles during 1993-94. By 1995, however, she had inaugurated her solo career with the single "Body Feels Exit," produced by Japanese super-producer Tetsuya Komuro. It was the first of several number one Japanese hits for Amuro, who released her debut solo album Sweet 19 Blues in July of 1996. Her sophomore album Concentration 20 was also a hit upon release one year later, and it served as Amuro's American debut in 1997. The singer soon became a worldwide star, popular in Australia, Great Britain and Canada as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan. Amuro's third album, 181920, was released in January 1998. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide