Nami Tamaki

Biography

Nami Tamaki (玉置 成実, Tamaki Nami; born June 1, 1988) is a Japanese singer. As a teenager under the Sony Music Japan label, she had four top-ten albums, two of which reached number one. Her singles were used as theme songs for animated shows such as Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny, and D. Gray-man, as well as being representative of the J-Pop music trend. She has various commercial tie-ins with the anime and games industry, and has also performed in stage musicals and a movie.

Beginnings

In 1999, Tamaki attended dance school and learned how to perform on stage. She auditioned for Sony Music Japan in 2001 when she was thirteen years old where she performed cover songs of the Destiny's Child hit "Survivor" and "Full Moon Prayer" by Core of Soul. She was selected out of 1,000 applicants and started her career in 2003 with her debut single "Believe×Believe23 April 2003 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Believe3:562Complete4:133Can you feel my love4:014Believe -Instrumental-3:56" which was an opening song for the anime Mobile Suit Gundam Seed. Her follow-up single, "Realize×Realize24 July 2003 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Realize4:432Hot summer day3:003明日の君5:214Realize -Instrumental-4:41", was also used in the series. The popularity of the Gundam franchise, and the inclusion of her work within it, helped her gain immediate popularity as a singer. Her first concert performance was opening for T.M.Revolution at the Pacific Media Expo in 2004. She released her first studio album, Greeting×Greeting25 February 2004 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Eternal Voice5:252Believe3:573day by day4:334Complete4:135Be Positive <光の中で輝いて>5:106NEVER STOP MY HEART—君という奇蹟に—5:357Shining Star☆忘れないから☆4:268Realize4:439Naked4:0310Destiny4:2411明日の君5:2112Prayer4:4913Believe –Evidence01 Mix–5:04Disc 21Opening Document2Believe3Realize, and was hailed as a J-pop princess.

She graduated from high school in March 2007. Her first greatest hits album was released on November 29, 2006, to mark the event, and she soon began an acting and stage performing career. Her first Japanese tour, "Nami Tamaki Best Concert 'My Graduation'" took place in March 2007.

Record label transfer & "nami"

In 2008, Nami's live events were in full motion. Nami's fourth album, Don't Stay×Don't Stay23 April 2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Don't Stay -Inst.-1:522visualize4:013Together4:304Brightdown3:575hitchHIKER4:126Speedway3:217Station5:028Promise4:279re-birth4:1010ごきげんだぜっ!〜Nothing But Something〜4:1511EDEN4:2112CROSS SEASON -After Graduation Mix-5:30134234:0714MY WAY Reproduction -Original Mix-4:33Disc 21CROSS SEASON2Brightdown3Promise4ごきげんだぜっ! 〜Nothing But Something〜55th Anniversary Special Interview6玉置成実 in U.S.A 〜19日間密着ドキュメント〜, was released on April 23, 2008, containing songs from her singles "Brightdown×Brightdown29 August 2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Brightdown3:592あなた色の涙4:403Endless Dream4:364Brightdown -Instrumental-3:57", "Cross Season×CROSS SEASON14 March 2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1CROSS SEASON5:292i CAN FLY5:193Lost and Found4:024CROSS SEASON -Instrumental-5:27", and "Winter Ballades×Winter Ballades26 December 2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Promise4:302Christmas Time4:593winter fall5:294Promise -Instrumental-4:26", as well as some new tracks. The album did not chart or sell as well as her previous albums. Coinciding with the release, Nami held a special live tour "Anniversary Live 5," which took place in Tokyo and Osaka. A lengthy period with a lack of new material followed after the album's release, although Nami remained occupied with various concerts. Speculation and rumors surfaced about Nami leaving Sony Music Japan to join another record label. During a live performance on September 22, 2008, at "Girls Entertainment vol.1", Nami confirmed the transfer but could not give further details.
The September 2008 monthly issue of her fanclub magazine, "Amour Fan Club", released an official confirmation about the transfer, stating that Nami would be transferring to Universal Music Japan. The transfer marked a change in the record label under which Tamaki's subsequent musical activities were released.
Amour Fan Club Manager states:

Debut 5th Year Anniversary was welcomed, Nami moves forward with a jump for her record company transfer to UNIVERSAL-J from Sony Music Records. Currently, we are earnestly working with the new system. Release time is undecided, but until settlement of assurance we will notify you.

Please continue to support Nami chan !!
On January 15, 2009, Nami's official website announced the release of "Give Me Up×GIVE ME UP25 March 2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11GIVE ME UP2イチズナネガイ3GIVE ME UP (Instrumental)Disc 21GIVE ME UP -MUSIC CLIP-", her first single under the Universal-J label and her 16th career single. The single features a more positive upbeat sound compared to her previous singles.
After the somewhat successful release of "Give Me Up" in January 2009, Nami continued to release new music with the singles "Friends!×Friends!29 July 2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Friends!2Happy Forever3Friends! (instrumental)Disc 21Friends! –Music Clip Dance Only Version–2Friends! –Making–", "Moshimo Negai ga...", and "Omoide ni naru no?". Universal-J also gave Nami Tamaki the stage name "nami", as opposed to using her full name in kanji. Her first album under Universal-J, "Step", was released on February 24, 2010.
In late 2011, Nami made her second record label transfer to Teichiku Records, a sublabel of Victor Entertainment. Her first two singles with Teichiku Records, "Lady Mind×LADY MIND25 January 2012 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11LADY MIND4:482START UP4:143LADY MIND (Instrumental)4:484START UP (Instrumental)4:12Disc 21LADY MIND (Music Video)2LADY MIND (Dance Only Video)" and "Paradise×Paradise10 October 2012 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11PARADISE4:212COLORS3:303PARADISE (Instrumental)4:214COLORS (Instrumental)3:27Disc 21PARADISE (Music Video)2PARADISE (Dance Only Video)", were produced by Shinichi Osawa. Her third single with the label, "Real", was released on April 17, 2013. The single included a remake of "Believe×Believe23 April 2003 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Believe3:562Complete4:133Can you feel my love4:014Believe -Instrumental-3:56" in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of her debut. The title song was produced by nishi-ken, who collaborated with Nami previously for her albums Speciality×Speciality12 July 2006 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks1Speciality -Inst.-1:452Result4:173IDentity4:174New World3:515Sunrize4:466CASTAWAY4:067No Way Back4:078Sanctuary4:559Get Wild4:2610Reach For The Rainbow4:2811MY WAY4:1512Ready Steady Go!4:14 and Don't Stay.

Anime and game industry

Nami has a relatively close relationship with the ACG (Anime, Comics, Game) industry, as she contributed to several ACG franchises with her music. Well-known examples of her contributions include those in the Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny franchise ("Realize×Realize24 July 2003 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Realize4:432Hot summer day3:003明日の君5:214Realize -Instrumental-4:41", "Believe×Believe23 April 2003 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Believe3:562Complete4:133Can you feel my love4:014Believe -Instrumental-3:56", "Reason×Reason10 November 2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Reason4:512Promised Land5:083Truth4:414Reason -Instrumental-4:50", "Result×Result3 May 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Result4:172Making the pride5:033Stay Gold4:044Result -Instrumental-4:18" and "IDentity"), "Brightdown×Brightdown29 August 2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Brightdown3:592あなた色の涙4:403Endless Dream4:364Brightdown -Instrumental-3:57", an opening song for the anime series D.Gray-man, and "Sanctuary×Sanctuary7 June 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Sanctuary4:552Happiness4:203Double Story4:134Sanctuary -Instrumental-4:56", an opening song for the anime series Kiba.
She also performed the song "Fortune×Fortune26 January 2005 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Fortune4:242Everlasting5:203DreamerS5:114Fortune -Instrumental-4:23" as the main theme for the PS2 role-playing game Radiata Stories (as well as having a cameo appearance in the Japanese version of the game itself), and "CASTAWAY" as the theme song for a GBA turn-based strategy game, Super Robot Wars J. The release of "CASTAWAY" also featured a cover of the famous theme song "Get Wild×Get Wild2 November 2005 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Get Wild4:282Get Wild -DX remix-6:523Shining Star ☆忘れないから☆ -Supernova remix-5:144CASTAWAY4:08" from the anime City Hunter, originally performed by TM Network.
Nami's 16th single, "Give Me Up×GIVE ME UP25 March 2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11GIVE ME UP2イチズナネガイ3GIVE ME UP (Instrumental)Disc 21GIVE ME UP -MUSIC CLIP-", was used as the theme song for the anime Yatterman. Another song, "Negai Hoshi", which is included in her 17th single, is the theme song for the Wii RPG, Arc Rise Fantasia, while her 18th single, "Moshimo Negai ga..." is also the theme song for another Wii RPG, Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga. Both games were released by Marvelous Entertainment.

Health

In 2014, Nami announced that she had become frustrated as she was having trouble singing her songs. She then went on to state that she had been struggling with sinusitis since a young age and had regularly been receiving treatment, but decided to get surgery to fix the problem. Once recovered, she said that she felt good and no longer had problems. However, in 2015 she was diagnosed with vocal nodules as she had been having pain while singing once again. Tamaki stated that she would be receiving treatment during her current activities and that her plans for her upcoming musical would continue as planned. Due to her condition, she had to cut back her performance set-list while promoting for Everlasting Love.

Other compilation songs

Note: The songs below are tributes to several famous Japanese artists and are not presented in any of Nami Tamaki's singles or albums.

"Blue Jeans Memory" – Matchy Tribute (January 25, 2006)
"Storm" – Luna Sea Memorial Cover Album -Re:birth- (December 19, 2007)
"Tonari no Totoro by Jazzida Grande feat. Nami Tamaki" – Ghibli meets Lovers Reggae (July 8, 2009)

DVDs

Believe DVD – November 12, 2003
Realize DVD – December 17, 2003
Greeting DVD – May 19, 2004
Make Progress DVD – July 6, 2005
NAMI TAMAKI 2nd CONCERT "Make Progress～road to～ – October 5, 2005
Speciality DVD – August 30, 2006
NAMI TAMAKI Best CONCERT "My Graduation" – June 13, 2007
Gundam OP/END COLLECTION Volume2–21st Century – August 25, 2009
STEP DVD – February 17, 2010
Monthly NEO Nami Tamaki DVD – February 24, 2011

Performances

Concert
Pacific Media Expo 2004, opening for T.M.Revolution
FanimeCon 2004, MusicFest event
Animax Musix Fall 2010
Anime Friends 2025, São Paulo, Brazil
Musical
"Sweet Charity" (スウィート・チャリティ) as Charity
"High School Musical ON STAGE!" (JPN ver.) (ハイスクール・ミュージカルON STAGE!) as Gabriella Montez
"All Shook Up" (JPN ver.)
"Anything Goes" as Erma
Movie
Lovely Complex (ラブ★コン) as Nobuko Ishihara (石原信子, Ishihara Nobuko)
Stageshow
Sengoku Basara 3 Utage as Oichi
Musical
Faust ~The Last Crusade~ as Princess Margarete

Animation, Comics, and Games (ACG)

Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny and related franchise: "Believe×Believe23 April 2003 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Believe3:562Complete4:133Can you feel my love4:014Believe -Instrumental-3:56", "Realize×Realize24 July 2003 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Realize4:432Hot summer day3:003明日の君5:214Realize -Instrumental-4:41", "Reason×Reason10 November 2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Reason4:512Promised Land5:083Truth4:414Reason -Instrumental-4:50", "Result×Result3 May 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Result4:172Making the pride5:033Stay Gold4:044Result -Instrumental-4:18", "IDentity" (Collaborated in the Gundam SEED C.E. 73 Δ Astray comic project
Radiata Stories, a PS2 role-playing game from Square Enix: "Fortune×Fortune26 January 2005 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Fortune4:242Everlasting5:203DreamerS5:114Fortune -Instrumental-4:23"
Super Robot Wars J, a GBA turn-based strategy game from Banpresto: "Castaway"
Kiba: "Sanctuary×Sanctuary7 June 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Sanctuary4:552Happiness4:203Double Story4:134Sanctuary -Instrumental-4:56"
D.Gray-man: "Brightdown×Brightdown29 August 2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Brightdown3:592あなた色の涙4:403Endless Dream4:364Brightdown -Instrumental-3:57"
Yattaman (2008 remake version): "Give Me Up×GIVE ME UP25 March 2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11GIVE ME UP2イチズナネガイ3GIVE ME UP (Instrumental)Disc 21GIVE ME UP -MUSIC CLIP-"
Arc Rise Fantasia, a Wii role-playing video game from Marvelous Entertainment: "Negai Hoshi" (願い星)
Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga, a Wii ARPG from Marvelous Entertainment: "Moshimo Negai ga..." (もしも願いが．．．)
Sengoku Basara 3 Utage: "Real"
Argevollen: "Vivid Telepathy×Vivid Telepathy19 November 2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Vivid Telepathy4:552Do Ya Wanna Dance5:373Vivid Telepathy (instrumental)4:554Do Ya Wanna Dance (instrumental)5:32Disc 21Vivid Telepathy –Music Video2Vivid Telepathy –Music Video (dance version)3Vivid Telepathy –TV‐SPOT"
Vampire Holmes: "Everlasting Love×Everlasting Love3 June 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Everlasting Love4:002VAMPIRE HOLMES ～ハンレットとの出会い～3:073Everlasting Love -inst-3:58"

TV Shows and others

Matthew's Best Hit TV: "Shining Star ☆忘れないから☆"
NTT DoCoMo Commercial: "DreamerS"
Sports Urugusu: "CROSS SEASON×CROSS SEASON14 March 2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1CROSS SEASON5:292i CAN FLY5:193Lost and Found4:024CROSS SEASON -Instrumental-5:27"
High School Musical 2: "You Are the Music in Me (Japanese version)"
NNN News Real-time: "Together"
Palty Commercial: "Friends!×Friends!29 July 2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Friends!2Happy Forever3Friends! (instrumental)Disc 21Friends! –Music Clip Dance Only Version–2Friends! –Making–"
Utastar !! (歌スタ !! ): "Omoide ni naru no?" (思い出になるの？)
Ultraman Z (tokusatsu show): "Connect the Truth×Connect the Truth5 August 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Connect the Truth4:072ウサギハサビシクナイ4:243Connect the Truth (off vocal)4:074ウサギハサビシクナイ (off vocal)4:24"