Genius 2000
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Genius 2000
| type = studio
| artist = Namie Amuro
| cover = Genius 2000.png
| alt =
| caption = Standard cover. The original cover features a blue background.
| released = January 26, 2000
| recorded = 1998–1999
| venue =
| studio = {{hlist|Audio Resource|Baybridge Studio|Darp Studios|The Hit Factory|Larrabee West|Record One|Record Plant Studios|Sony Music Studios|True Kiss Disc|TK's Malibu Studio|Transcontinental Studios|Village Recorders|Yamaha Epicurus Studio}}
| genre = {{hlist|Pop|electronica|R&B}}
| length = 66:00
| label = Avex Trax
| producer = {{hlist|Dallas Austin|Tetsuya Komuro}}
| prev_title = 181920
| prev_year = 1998
| next_title = Break the Rules
| next_year = 2000
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Genius 2000
| type = Album
| single1 = I Have Never Seen
| single1date = December 23, 1998
| single2 = Respect the Power of Love
| single2date = March 17, 1999
| single3 = Something 'Bout the Kiss
| single3date = September 1, 1999
| single4 = Love 2000
| single4date = January 1, 2000
}}
}}
Genius 2000 is the fourth studio album by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro, released on January 26, 2000, through Avex Trax. The album was released three years after her last album, Concentration 20 (1997), and was produced by Tetsuya Komuro and Dallas Austin, marking her first collaboration with an American producer, the album spawned four singles: "I Have Never Seen", "Respect the Power of Love", "Something 'Bout the Kiss" and "Love 2000".
Upon its release, Genius 2000 debuted at number one on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart with 536,000 copies sold.{{cite journal |title=安室奈美恵の作品 5ページ目 |trans-title=List of Namie Amuro's works, Page 5. |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/191925/products/p/5/ |journal=Oricon |language=Japanese |accessdate=November 10, 2020}} It became her fourth studio album and fifth overall to top the chart, but had the lowest first week sales of her career at the time. The album has sold over 800,000 copies and has been certified 2× Platinum by the RIAJ in February 2000.{{cite journal |title=GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2000年2月度 |trans-title=Gold Albums, and other certified works. February 2000 Edition |url=http://www.riaj.or.jp/issue/record/2000/200004.pdf |format=PDF | journal=The Record |type=Bulletin |language=Japanese |location=Chūō, Tokyo |publisher=Recording Industry Association of Japan |publication-date=April 10, 2000 |volume=485 |page=8 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102225426/http://www.riaj.or.jp/issue/record/2000/200004.pdf |archivedate=November 2, 2013 |accessdate=January 22, 2014}} Only 11 months after the album's release, Amuro released her fifth studio album, Break the Rules.
Singles and tie-ins
{{Quote box
|quote = "People say, 'Wow,' but at first I had no idea who he was. So when they told me, I was like, 'Oh, I see.' Mr. Komuro did his best to build a bridge between us. But I gradually realized that he is an amazing person who has produced my favorite artists like TLC, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Monica, and many others. ......"
|source =—Amuro talking about working with Dallas Austin.{{cite magazine | title=さらに前へ進む私。 | magazine=ViVi | date=October 1999|pages=24–25|language =Japanese}}
|width = 30%
|align = left
}}
The album's first single, "I Have Never Seen", was released 13 months before the album, on December 23, 1998. The single marked her return to the entertainment industry following her maternity leave and was her last number one single until 60s 70s 80s almost 10 years later. The second single, "Respect the Power of Love", was released on the same day that Amuro's mother was murdered, causing the singer to cancel promotion for the single. "Something 'Bout the Kiss", produced by Dallas Austin, was released in September and was Amuro's first single to be produced by Austin. The final single, "Love 2000", was released on New Year's Day in 2000, preceding the album by three weeks.
The album contains the songs which Komuro produced with American musicians, and the songs which Dallas Austin produced. Musically, it shows that Amuro's interest shifted towards hip-hop and R&B. It also features a duet with American boy band Imajin, titled "You Are the One". The song "Things I Collected" would be covered by Tamia for the soundtrack of Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Tamia's version of the song omits the acoustic guitar solo, but otherwise is identical to Namie's version.
Promotion and live performances
Amuro embarked on the Genius 2000 Tour in promotion of the album, which began in Chiba, Japan on March 20, 2000, and ended in Honolulu, Hawaii on May 14, 2000. The Honolulu concert was attended by 6,000 people.{{Cite web |title=Big Wave Honolulu live {{!}} Namie Amuro - Toi et moi - Final Version |url=https://amuro.fr/v5/datas/articles-interviews/news-gossip/big-wave-honolulu-live/ |access-date=December 29, 2023 |language=en-US}} The penultimate dates in Osaka on May 6 and 7, 2000, were attended by 30,000.{{Cite news |date=May 9, 2000 |title=Honolulu Star-Bulletin 9 May 2000 seems like yesterday doesn't it? |pages=32 |work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-bulletin-honolulu-star-bul/9911551/ |access-date=December 29, 2023}}
Track listing
{{track listing
| headline = Genius 2000 track listing
| extra_column = Arranger(s)
| title1 = Make the Connection Complete
| lyrics1 =
| music1 = Tetsuya Komuro
| extra1 = Tetsuya Komuro
| length1 = 1:06
| title2 = Love 2000
| lyrics2 = Tetsuya Komuro, Takahiro Maeda, Sheila E., Lynn Mabry
| music2 = Tetsuya Komuro, Sheila E, Lynn Mabry
| extra2 = Tetsuya Komuro, Sheila E, Lynn Mabry
| length2 = 5:12
| title3 = Respect the Power of Love
| lyrics3 = Tetsuya Komuro
| music3 = Tetsuya Komuro
| extra3 = Tetsuya Komuro
| length3 = 5:26
| title4 = Leavin' for Las Vegas
| lyrics4 = Dallas Austin
| music4 = Dallas Austin
| extra4 = Dallas Austin
| length4 = 4:39
| title5 = Something 'Bout the Kiss
| lyrics5 = Dallas Austin, Lysette, Titi, Chang Hai
| music5 = Dallas Austin
| extra5 = Dallas Austin
| length5 = 4:25
| title6 = I Have Never Seen
| lyrics6 = Tetsuya Komuro
| music6 = Tetsuya Komuro
| extra6 = Tetsuya Komuro
| length6 = 4:36
| title7 = Still in Love
| lyrics7 = Dallas Austin
| music7 = Dallas Austin
| extra7 = Dallas Austin
| length7 = 4:17
| title8 = Mi Corazon (Te' Amour)
| lyrics8 = Tetsuya Komuro, Takahiro Maeda, Sheila E., Lynn Mabry
| music8 = Tetsuya Komuro, Sheila E., Lynn Mabry, Renato Neto
| extra8 = Tetsuya Komuro, Sheila E., Lynn Mabry, Renato Neto
| length8 = 4:48
| title9 = You Are the One
|note9 = featuring Imajin
| lyrics9 = Tetsuya Komuro
| music9 = Tetsuya Komuro
| extra9 = Tetsuya Komuro
| length9 = 5:48
| title10 = Kiss-And-Ride
| lyrics10 = Takahiro Maeda
| music10 = Tetsuya Komuro, Cozy Kubo
| extra10 = Tetsuya Komuro, Cozy Kubo
| length10 = 3:48
| title11 = Things I Collected
| lyrics11 = Dallas Austin, Debra Killings
| music11 = Dallas Austin, Debra Killings
| extra11 = Dallas Austin
| length11 = 6:18
| title12 = Next to You
| lyrics12 = Dallas Austin, Jasper Cameron
| music12 = Dallas Austin, Jasper Cameron
| extra12 = Dallas Austin
| length12 = 4:15
| title13 = Asking Why
| lyrics13 = Nico (Namie Amuro)
| music13 = Tetsuya Komuro
| extra13 = Tetsuya Komuro, Cozy Kubo
| length13 = 5:07
| title14 = Give It a Try
| lyrics14 = Tetsuya Komuro, Takahiro Maeda, Sheila E, Lynn Mabry
| music14 = Tetsuya Komuro, Sheila E, Lynn Mabry
| extra14 = Tetsuya Komuro, Sheila E, Lynn Mabry
| length14 = 4:24
| title15 = Log Off
| lyrics15 =
| music15 = Tetsuya Komuro
| extra15 = Tetsuya Komuro
| length15 = 1:51
}}
Credits and personnel
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
= Personnel =
- Namie Amuro – vocals, background vocals
- Imajin – vocals, background vocals
- Terry Bradford – background vocals
- Alex Brown – background vocals
- Sheila E. – background vocals, drums, percussion
- Kiyoshi Hiyama – background vocals
- Yuko Kawai – background vocals
- Debra Killings – background vocals, bass guitar
- David Lawson – background vocals
- Maxayn Lewis – background vocals
- Lynn Mabry – background vocals
- Minako Obata – background vocals
- Takeo Saito – background vocals
- Kenji Sano – background vocals
- Naoki Takao – background vocals
- Will Wheaton Jr. – background vocals
- Tetsuya Komuro – acoustic piano, keyboard, synthesizer
- Tomi Martin – guitar
- Kazuhiro Matsuo – bass, guitar
- Chiharu Mikuzuki – bass
- Renato Neto – keyboard
- Ramon Stagnaro – guitar
- Michael Thompson – guitar
{{col-2}}
= Production =
- Producers – Dallas Austin, Tetsuya Komuro
- Mixing – Mike Butler, Alvin Speights
- Mixing assistant – Skye A.K. Correa
- Midi and sound design – Rick Sheppard
- Vocal direction – Kenji Sano
- Photography – Itaru Hirama
- Art direction – Tycoon Graphics
{{col-end}}
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!Chart (2000) !Peak |
| scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon){{cite web | script-title=ja:安室奈美恵のリリース一覧 |trans-title=List of Namie Amuro's Releases | url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/191925/products/release/ |language=ja | work=Oricon | access-date=June 4, 2014}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 1 |
|---|
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!Chart (2000) !Position |
| scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon)
| style="text-align:center;"|28 |
|---|
{{col-end}}
Sales and certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2|artist=安室奈美恵|title=Genius 2000|relyear=2000|certyear=2000|certmonth=2|salesamount=802,740|salesref={{cite web | title=オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」 |trans-title=Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree' | url=http://ranking.oricon.co.jp |language=ja | work=Oricon |url-access=subscription | access-date=May 21, 2014}}}}
{{End}}