Say the word
Encyclopedia
"Say the Word" is Namie Amuro
's 19th solo single under the Avex Trax
label. It is her first single after the termination of her working relationship with longtime producer, Tetsuya Komuro
. Debuting in the top three after an all-time low chart debut by its predecessor, "Think of Me / No More Tears
" (2001), "Say the word" was her last single to sell over 100,000 copies until her 26th single, "All for You
" (2004).
. A vinyl single issued through Rhythm Republic was released in September. An exclusive remix of the title track, "Say the World (Clappy Mix)" was included on the a-side of the disc. 1,500 copies of it were released before it went out of print.
During year-end promotions where artist typically perform their most popular songs of the year in Japan, Amuro premiered a dance version of "Say the Word" on Best Artist 30. This version would later be released on the greatest hits album, Love Enhanced Single Collection (2002). The original version of the song has remained exclusive to its single and has not yet been released on an album.
artist Jeanett Debb, the song was first released on her album Virtualize (2001) and later as a single to coincide with Amuro's version.
The English
portions of the lyrics featured in the commercial match those written in Jeanett Debb's version, but were changed in the released version of the song.
In the commercial itself, Amuro advertises Kose's new line of waterproof lipstick
, Luminus. It features her underwater and breaking through to grab hold of the comestic. She puts it on underwater to demonstrate the lipsticks ability stay on even under the most damp situations.
. The main scene of the video is a performance scene with Amuro dancing with four female dancers and two male dancers. The final scene of the video involved Amuro driving in a gold cadillac
on an open road. Amuro once described herself as a paper driver on an episode of Music Station
, meaning she had a license but didn't really drive. Behind-the-scenes footage of the video aired on Channel @, showed Amuro appearing nervous and yelling "Kowai" (Scary) during filming of the scene. The end of video has Amuro getting off the bus. As it comes to a stop the doors open to reveal nothing but water. Amuro has never explained the significance of the scene.
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 19th solo single under the Avex Trax
Avex Trax
, listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
label. It is her first single after the termination of her working relationship with longtime producer, 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...
. Debuting in the top three after an all-time low chart debut by its predecessor, "Think of Me / No More Tears
Think of me / no more tears
"Think of Me / No More Tears" is Namie Amuro's 18th single under the Avex Trax label, released on January 24, 2001.- Track listing :# Think of Me – 4:46# No More Tears – 5:47# I To You – 4:43# No More Tears – 6:56- Commercial endorsement :...
" (2001), "Say the word" was her last single to sell over 100,000 copies until her 26th single, "All for You
All for You (Namie Amuro song)
"All for You" is a song by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro, released on July 22, 2004 under Avex Trax. The song was the first of three consecutive singles to sell over 100,000 copies. "All for You" has been certified gold for shipments of over 100,000 by the Recording Industry Association of...
" (2004).
Release and promotion
"Say the Word" was originally scheduled for release in July but was delayed a month for release on August 8. Early promotion for the single touted it as her first as a singer-songwriterSinger-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. A vinyl single issued through Rhythm Republic was released in September. An exclusive remix of the title track, "Say the World (Clappy Mix)" was included on the a-side of the disc. 1,500 copies of it were released before it went out of print.
During year-end promotions where artist typically perform their most popular songs of the year in Japan, Amuro premiered a dance version of "Say the Word" on Best Artist 30. This version would later be released on the greatest hits album, Love Enhanced Single Collection (2002). The original version of the song has remained exclusive to its single and has not yet been released on an album.
Original version
The original song was written in English by Ronald Malmberg and Thomas Johansson for DanishDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
artist Jeanett Debb, the song was first released on her album Virtualize (2001) and later as a single to coincide with Amuro's version.
Commercial endorsements
The song was licensed to Japanese comestic company Kose and appeared in a commercial starring Amuro herself. The version featured in the commercial is both musically and lyrically different from the version commercially released. The lyrics featured in the commercial are:-
- Say the word and I will be there for you
- Aruite yukesou
- Say the word and make my dreams come true
The English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
portions of the lyrics featured in the commercial match those written in Jeanett Debb's version, but were changed in the released version of the song.
In the commercial itself, Amuro advertises Kose's new line of waterproof lipstick
Lipstick
Lipstick is a cosmetic product containing pigments, oils, waxes, and emollients that applies color, texture, and protection to the lips. Many varieties of lipstick are known. As with most other types of makeup, lipstick is typically, but not exclusively, worn by women...
, Luminus. It features her underwater and breaking through to grab hold of the comestic. She puts it on underwater to demonstrate the lipsticks ability stay on even under the most damp situations.
Music video
A music video for "Say the Word" directed by Masashi Muto was filmed on location in Japan and revolves around three scenes. The video opens up with Amuro entering a bus. The song begins when she sits down and puts on headphonesHeadphones
Headphones are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, held close to a user's ears and connected to a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, CD player or portable Media Player. They are also known as stereophones, headsets or, colloquially, cans. The in-ear...
. The main scene of the video is a performance scene with Amuro dancing with four female dancers and two male dancers. The final scene of the video involved Amuro driving in a gold cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
on an open road. Amuro once described herself as a paper driver on an episode of Music Station
Music Station
is a Japanese music television program. It began broadcasting on October 24, 1986 and continues to be broadcast weekly in High-definition from 8PM-9PM on tv asahi...
, meaning she had a license but didn't really drive. Behind-the-scenes footage of the video aired on Channel @, showed Amuro appearing nervous and yelling "Kowai" (Scary) during filming of the scene. The end of video has Amuro getting off the bus. As it comes to a stop the doors open to reveal nothing but water. Amuro has never explained the significance of the scene.
CD single
- "Say the Word" (Namie Amuro, Ronald Malmberg, Thomas Johansson) – 3:58
- "Let's Not Fight" (Rie Matsumoto, Ramona Lyons, Jay Lyons) – 4:14
- "Say the Word (Breeze House Mix)" (Remixed by Keiichi Ueno, Hiroshi Futami, Yuji Kudo) – 5:46
- "Say the Word (Instrumental)" (Ronald Malmberg, Thomas Johansson) – 6:41
- "Let's Not Fight (Instrumental)" (Ramona Lyons, Jay Lyons) – 4:14
Side A
- "Say the Word (Breeze House Mix)" (Remixed by Keiichi Ueno, Hiroshi Futami, Yuji Kudo)
- "Say the Word (Clappy Mix)" (Remixed by Keiichi Ueno)
Side B
- "Say the Word (Original Mix)" (Namie Amuro, Ronald Malmberg, Thomas Johansson)
- "Let's Not Fight" (Rie Matsumoto, Ramona Lyons, Jay Lyons)
Personnel
- Namie Amuro – vocals, background vocals
- Hiroko Ishikawa – Dancer
- IYO-P – Dancer
- Shinnosuke Motoyama– Dancer
- Yumeko – Dancer
Production
- Producers – Ronald Malmberg, Thomas Johansson
- Arrangement – Kazuhiro Hara, Keiichi Ueno, Cobra Endo
- Mixing – Eddie Delena
- Music Video Director – Masashi Muto
TV Performances
- August 6, 2001 – Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ
- August 7, 2001 – AX Music Factory
- August 10, 2001 – Music Station
- August 25, 2001 – Pop Jam Summer Special
- August 30, 2001 – Utaban
- December 6, 2001 – FNS Music Festival
- December 19, 2001 – Best Artist 30
- December 24, 2001 – Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ X'mas Special Live V
- December 28, 2001 – Music Station Special Super Love 2001
- December 31, 2001 – 52nd Kōhaku Uta GassenKohaku Uta Gassen, more commonly known as simply Kōhaku, is an annual music show on New Year's Eve produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK and broadcast on both television and radio, nationally and internationally by NHK's networks and some overseas broadcasters which bought the program...
- January 1, 2002 – A happy music year
- May 25, 2002 – MTV Video Awards Japan 2002
- July 28, 2002 – Music Fest Peace of RyuKyu
- September 29, 2002 – Asia 2002 Music Festival
- December 21, 2002 – MTV cool X'mas
- January 1, 2003 – CDTV Special Live 2002-2003
- February 8, 2003 – Pop Jam Special
Charts
Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)| Release | Chart | Peak Position | Sales Total | Chart Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 11, 2003 | Oricon Weekly Singles Chart | 3 | 183,840 | 11 weeks |