Concentration 20
Encyclopedia
Concentration 20 is Namie Amuro
's third original studio album. The album is a fusion of styles including Pop
, Dance
and Rock
. Released a year after her record shattering hit Sweet 19 Blues
, the album raced to the top of the chart further solidifying her place in Japan
ese music history.
The same month that the album was released, Amuro toured Japan's four domes in support of it. A few months after the tour, she would announce her pregnancy and pending maternity leave.
. Some argue that the album isn't really a reflection of Amuro, but just goes to demonstrate the talent of Tetsuya Komuro
.
Opening the album is the industrial rock
influenced, "Concentration 20 (make you alright)." The song was unlike anything she had previously released and really embodies the diversity within this project. "Me Love Peace!!" was Amuro's first attempt at reggae style music. She would not attempt a similar style again until Queen of Hip-Pop
(2005) was released featuring some songs in dancehall
and reggaeton
fashion. Two of the singles from the album, "A Walk in the Park" and "Can You Celebrate?" appear on the album subtly remixed. Perhaps the one song that does demonstrate how much of this album was Komuro is "I Know..." The song is an instrumental track performed solely by him.
Can You Celebrate? was also the theme song of the Japanese dorama Virgin Road.
How to Be a Girl was used as background music in four commercials for Sea Breeze products. The first CM was promoting a sun lotion, the second a shampoo
, the third a deodorant
and the last a moisturizer
.
No Communication was used as background music in a commercial for the DyDo Mistio drinks.
Namie Amuro
is a Japanese R&B and pop singer, entertainer, and former actress who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's...
's third original studio album. The album is a fusion of styles including Pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, Dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
and Rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. Released a year after her record shattering hit Sweet 19 Blues
Sweet 19 Blues
Sweet 19 Blues is Namie Amuro's first original studio album under the avex trax label, her first with producer, Tetsuya Komuro, and her second album overall. The success of the album helped Amuro accomplish feats never realized by a solo female artist, and made her one of the most popular and...
, the album raced to the top of the chart further solidifying her place in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese music history.
History
Two months earlier, Amuro had been touring Japan on the Namie Amuro tour 1997 A Walk in the Park. Her previous album, Sweet 19 Blues became the biggest selling album of all time when it was released.The same month that the album was released, Amuro toured Japan's four domes in support of it. A few months after the tour, she would announce her pregnancy and pending maternity leave.
Style
The album embodies an array of styles including pop, rock and even some reggae. Unlike her previous album which was heavy on the pseudo-R&B side, this album was practically void of it. Concentration 20 took on a more electronic style similar to that of her producer's group, globeGlobe (band)
Globe is a dance-oriented Japanese pop band, formed in 1995 by producer and songwriter Tetsuya Komuro. Originally consisting of Komuro, Keiko Yamada and Marc Panther, the group's singles consistently hit the charts...
. Some argue that the album isn't really a reflection of Amuro, but just goes to demonstrate the talent of Tetsuya Komuro
Tetsuya Komuro
, also known as TK, is a Japanese keyboardist, guitarist, singer, songwriter and music producer born on November 27, 1958 in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan. He is recognized as being the most successful producer in Japanese music history and introduced dance music to the Japanese mainstream...
.
Opening the album is the industrial rock
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
influenced, "Concentration 20 (make you alright)." The song was unlike anything she had previously released and really embodies the diversity within this project. "Me Love Peace!!" was Amuro's first attempt at reggae style music. She would not attempt a similar style again until Queen of Hip-Pop
Queen of Hip-Pop
Queen of Hip-Pop is Namie Amuro's seventh original studio album. It was released on July 13, 2005 after four singles and was her most commercially successful effort in five years before Play was released.- Origin of the title :...
(2005) was released featuring some songs in dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
and reggaeton
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of Puerto Rican and Latin American urban and Caribbean music. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico but is also has roots from Reggae en Español from Panama and Puerto Rico and...
fashion. Two of the singles from the album, "A Walk in the Park" and "Can You Celebrate?" appear on the album subtly remixed. Perhaps the one song that does demonstrate how much of this album was Komuro is "I Know..." The song is an instrumental track performed solely by him.
Singles
The singles from this album were very successful, two were million sellers and they reached the top spot of the charts.A Walk in the Park
Released four months after the massive success of her first studio album Sweet 19 Blues, it became her fourth number one and million selling single. The single spent 7 weeks into the top 5 and 8 weeks in Top 10 totally. She performed the song at the Japan Cable Awards in December 1996 and at the Japan Gold Disc Awards in February 1997. A Walk in the Park was the 13th best selling single of the year 1997.Can You Celebrate?
Amuro began the year 1997 with her defining single and biggest success to date. The song, a gospel influenced ballad , was released as the second single from the album. It opened at the top spot with over 800,000 copies sold in its first week, the highest first week sales for a single at that time and the 8th highest opening sales of all times for a single in Japan. It spent two consecutive weeks at #1,7 weeks in the top 5 and 8 weeks in Top 10 totally. It was charted for 40 weeks. Can You Celebrate? was the biggest selling single of 1997 and is the 14th best selling single in Japanese music history with sales of over 2.5 millions copies. A remix single of the song was also released to commemorate Namie's wedding with Sam and was also successful with about 500,000 units sold. In December 1997, the song helped her to win the Best Single Award at the 39th Japan Record Awards.How to Be a Girl
The third and last single from the album was released in May 1997. How to Be a Girl is Namie's first attempt at rock music. The single was a commercial success, spending two consecutive weeks at #1 and selling over 770,000 copies, included over 300,000 copies purchased in its opening week. How to Be a Girl was also the 23rd best selling single of 1997.Tie-ups and theme songs
A Walk in the Park and Can You Celebrate? were both theme songs for Maxell UD commercials and Whisper was used as the background music for the Maxell MD74 commercial.Can You Celebrate? was also the theme song of the Japanese dorama Virgin Road.
How to Be a Girl was used as background music in four commercials for Sea Breeze products. The first CM was promoting a sun lotion, the second a shampoo
Shampoo
Shampoo is a hair care product used for the removal of oils, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in hair...
, the third a deodorant
Deodorant
Deodorants are substances applied to the body to affect body odor caused by bacterial growth and the smell associated with bacterial breakdown of perspiration in armpits, feet and other areas of the body. A subgroup of deodorants, antiperspirants, affect odor as well as prevent sweating by...
and the last a moisturizer
Moisturizer
Moisturizers or emollients are complex mixtures of chemical agents specially designed to make the external layers of the skin softer and more pliable, by increasing its hydration by reducing evaporation. Naturally occurring skin lipids and sterols as well as artificial or natural oils,...
.
No Communication was used as background music in a commercial for the DyDo Mistio drinks.
Sales
Concentration 20 debut at #1 with 824,980 copies sold (Namie's 3rd best first week sales for an album). It vas again at the top spot in its 2nd week with 362,440 copies sold. The album stayed in the top 10 for 7 weeks and in the top 20 for 9 weeks. It sold over 1.9 million copies during its chart run and more than 2 million copies in total. Concentration 20 is Namie's second most successful album. and is the 80th best-selling album of all time in Japan.Track listing
Personnel
- Namie Amuro - vocals, background vocals
- Lynn Mabry - background vocals
- Valerie Mayo - background vocals
- Akio Togashi - background vocals, keyboard
- Will Wheaton Jr.Will Wheaton JuniorWill Wheaton, born Willie Mack Wheaton, Jr. is an American singer/songwriter and musician. He grew up in Los Angeles, California and is the son of Gospel singer Juanita Wheaton...
- background vocals - Cozy Kubo - keyboard
- Tetsuya Komuro - backing vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboard, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - Kazuhiro Matsuo - bass, guitar
- Kenji Sano - bass
- Ataru Sumiyoshi - bass
- Michael Thompson - guitar
Production
- Producers - Tetsuya Komuro
- Mixing - Eddie Delena
- Vocal Direction - Tetsuya Komuro, Kenji Sano
- Photography - Itaru Hirama
- Art Direction - Tycoon Graphics
Charts
Album - Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)| Release | Chart | Peak Position | First Week Sales | Sales Total | Chart Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 July 1997 | Oricon Daily Albums Chart | 1 | |||
| Oricon Weekly Albums Chart | 1 | 824,980 | 1,929,860 | 28 | |
| Oricon Yearly Albums Chart | 7 |
Singles - Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)
| Release | Single | Peak Position | Chart Run | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 November 1996 | "A Walk in the Park" | 1 | 16 weeks | 1,066,580 |
| 19 February 1997 | "Can You Celebrate?" | 1 | 40 weeks | 2,296,200 |
| 21 May 1997 | "How to Be a Girl" | 1 | 11 weeks | 772,130 |
| 25 December 1997 | "Can You Celebrate? (re-release)" | 1 | 9 weeks | 454,020 |