How to Be a Girl

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"How to Be a Girl"
Single by Namie Amuro
from the album Concentration 20
ReleasedMay 21, 1997
Genre
Length13:06
LabelAvex Trax
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Tetsuya Komuro
Namie Amuro singles chronology
"Can You Celebrate?"
(1997)
"How to Be a Girl"
(1997)
"Dreaming I Was Dreaming"
(1997)

"How to Be a Girl" is the tenth single by Japanese recording artist

Bristol-Myers Sea Breeze commercial song, which was used for four commercials. The style of the song is similar to that of her single "A Walk in the Park," which has an evident electronic sound in the vein of her producer Tetsuya Komuro's group globe. Lyrics were even written by Marc Panther, who is another member of the group. This was the final single from her third studio album Concentration 20 (1997), which was released two months later. The single is a follow-up to "Can You Celebrate?
", which became her biggest hit.

This single reached number one on the weekly Oricon Singles Chart for two consecutive weeks, and continued to rank for a total of eleven weeks. "How to Be a Girl" sold 772,130 copies, becoming the twenty-third best-selling single in Japan of 1997. According to Avex, this is Amuro's first number one single to not sell over a million copies.

Background and composition

Marc Panther and Komuro co-wrote the lyrics, with Panther writing the basic lyrics first and Komuro finishing them at the same time he was working on the composition. The singing sessions were conducted slowly over a period of two days. The concept was intended to be "a rock song that can be danced to."[1]

Music video

In the music video, Amuro changes her clothes in five different ways. The filming took place at Shintomichō Station on Sunday before the last train without permission. The set used was also created in one day before the shoot.[2] The choreography by Kaba-chan, a well-known former member of the three-member music group dos, was also a popular topic of interest.

Commercial performance

"How to Be a Girl" debuted at number one on the

RIAJ.[10]

Track listing

  1. How to Be a Girl – Straight Run
  2. How to Be a Girl – Adult Education Mix
  3. How to Be a Girl – Instrumental

Personnel

Production

  • Producer – toney black

TV performances

  • May 16, 1997 – Music Station
  • May 24, 1997 – PopJam
  • May 24, 1997 – CDTV
  • May 30, 1997 – Music Station
  • May 31, 1997 – PopJam
  • June 9, 1997 – Hey! Hey! Hey!
  • June 24, 1997 – Utaban

Charts

Chart (1999) Peak

position

Japan Weekly Singles (Oricon)[11] 1
Japan Monthly Singles (Oricon)[12] 2
Japan Yearly Singles (Oricon) [13] 23

Certification and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[14] Million 772,130[9]

References

  1. 角川書店刊「CDでーた
    」1997年6月5日号「安室奈美恵 新曲『How to be a Girl』発表 '97年型ダンサブル・ロック」16Pより。
  2. 」1998年1月号「小室哲哉インタビュー 4年連続ナンバー1プロデューサー 米国移住の真相を語る」57Pより。
  3. ^ "オリコン 1997.6.2". Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  4. ^ "オリコン 1997.6.9". Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  5. ^ "オリコン 1997.6.16". Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  6. ^ "オリコン 1997.6.23". Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  7. ^ "オリコン 1997.6.30". Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  8. ^ "オリコン 1997.7.7". Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  9. ^ a b オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」 [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Taiju']. Oricon. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  10. ^ "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 1997年6月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. June 1997 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). 454. Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan: 9. August 10, 1997. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 3, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  11. ^ "How to be a Girl 安室奈美恵". Oricon. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  12. ^ "オリコン(oricon)「1997年06月」の月間シングルCDランキング". Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  13. ^ "オリコン 1997年TOP100". Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
  14. ^ "Japanese single certifications – 安室奈美恵 – How to be a Girl" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 1997年06月 on the drop-down menu