Concentration 20

Concentration 20 is Namie Amuro's second original studio album under the avex trax label. The album is a fusion of styles including Pop, Hip-Hop, Reggae 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 Japanese music history.

1 History
2 Style
3 Singles
4 Tie-ups and theme songs
5 Sales
6 Track listing
7 Personnel
8 Production
9 References
10 Charts
11 Singles - Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

[edit] History

The release of Concentration 20 was a surprise in Japan. Only 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, so naturally expectations for this album were skyhigh. Although the album didn't quite match the success of its predecessor it was able to demonstrate how versatile a performer she was. During its time, many Western listeners negatively viewed Concentration 20 as being too different from her past works. In later years, the album has found an appreciation with these fans who have come to consider it her best original album.

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. Fans and critics alike view the brief period between the album and her announcement as the beginning of her decline.

[edit] 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, globe. 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.

[edit] Singles

The singles from this album were very successful, two were million sellers and they reached the top spot of the charts.

[edit] 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 6 weeks into the top 5.^[1] ^[2] ^[3] ^[4] ^[5] ^[6] 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.

[edit] Can You Celebrate?

Amuron 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^[7], 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.^[8] It spent two consecutive weeks at #1 and charted for 40 weeks. ^[9] Can You Celebrate? was the biggest selling single of 1997 ^[10] and is the 14th best selling single in Japanese music history ^[11] with sales of over 2.5 millions copies.^[12] 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.

[edit] 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 to 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.^[13] How to Be a Girl was also the 23th best selling single of 1997.

[edit] 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.^[14]

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 the SEA BREEZE products. The first CM was promoting a sun lotion, the second a shampoo, the third a deodorant and the last a moisturizer.^[15]

No Communication was used as background music in a commercial for the DyDo Mistio drinks.^[16]

[edit] 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.^[17] and is the 80th best-selling album of all time in Japan.^[18]

[edit] Track listing

"Concentration 20 (make you alright)" (Tetsuya Komuro) – 4:07
"B w/z you" (MARC, Komuro) – 5:03
"Close your eyes, Close to you" (MARC, Komuro) – 5:50
"Me love peace!!" (MARC, Komuro) – 4:29
"No Communication" (MARC, Komuro) – 4:14
"a walk in the park" (Komuro) – 5:50
"To-day" (MARC, Cozy Kubo) – 4:41
"Storm" (m.c.AT, Akio Togashi) – 3:07
"Whisper" (Komuro) – 5:08
"CAN YOU CELEBRATE?" (Komuro) – 6:15
"I know..." (Komuro) – 3:09
"How to be a Girl" (MARC, Komuro) – 4:24

[edit] Personnel

Namie Amuro - vocals, background vocals
Lynn Mabry - background vocals
Valerie Mayo - background vocals
Akio Togashi - background vocals, keyboard
Will Wheaton Jr. - background vocals
Cozy Kubo - keyboard
Tetsuya Komuro - backing vocals, guitar, keyboard, synthesizer
Kazuhiro Matsuo - bass, guitar
Kenji Sano - bass
Ataru Sumiyoshi - bass
Michael Thompson - guitar

[edit] Production

Producers - Tetsuya Komuro
Mixing - Eddie Delena
Vocal Direction - Tetsuya Komuro, Kenji Sano
Photography - Itaru Hirama
Art Direction - Tycoon Graphics

[edit] References

[edit] Charts

Album - Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

Release	Chart	Peak Position	Sales Total	Chart Run
24 July 1997	Oricon Daily Albums Chart	#1
24 July 1997	Oricon Weekly Albums Chart	#1	1,929,860	28
24 July 1997	Oricon Yearly Albums Chart	#7

[edit] 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

v • d • e Namie Amuro

Albums	Dance Tracks Vol. 1 \| Sweet 19 Blues \| Concentration 20 \| 181920 \| Genius 2000 \| Break the Rules \| Love Enhanced Single Collection \| Style \| Queen of Hip-Pop \| Play

Singles	Body Feels Exit \| Chase the Chance \| Don't Wanna Cry \| You're My Sunshine \| Sweet 19 Blues \| A Walk in the Park \| Can You Celebrate? \| How to Be a Girl \| Dreaming I was Dreaming \| Can You Celebrate? (Maxi Single) \| I Have Never Seen \| Respect the Power of Love \| Toi et Moi \| Something 'bout the Kiss \| Love 2000 \| Never End \| Please Smile Again \| Think of Me / No More Tears \| Say the Word \| lovin' it \| I Will \| Wishing on the Same Star \| Shine More \| Put 'Em Up \| So Crazy / Come \| Alarm \| All for You \| Girl Talk / The Speed Star \| Want Me, Want Me \| White Light / Violet Sauce \| Can't Sleep, Can't Eat, I'm Sick / 人魚 \| Baby Don't Cry \| Funky Town \| 60s 70s 80s

Other related articles	Super Monkey's \| MAX \| Suite Chic \| Tetsuya Komuro

Categories: Namie Amuro albums | 1997 albums

Concentration 20

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