How to Be a Girl
{{For|the podcast|How to Be a Girl (podcast)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = How to Be a Girl
| cover = Namie Amuro - How to Be a Girl.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Namie Amuro
| album = Concentration 20
| released = May 21, 1997
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = {{hlist|Pop|dance|rock}}
| length = 13:06
| label = Avex Trax
| writer = {{hlist|Tetsuya Komuro|Marc Panther}}
| producer = Tetsuya Komuro
| prev_title = Can You Celebrate?
| prev_year = 1997
| next_title = Dreaming I Was Dreaming
| next_year = 1997
}}
"How to Be a Girl" is the tenth single by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro. It was released on May 21, 1997, through Avex Trax. It was used as the 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."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。
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.日経BP刊「日経エンタテインメント!」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。 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 Oricon Singles Chart, with 328,560 copies sold in its first week.{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/970602.html|title=オリコン 1997.6.2|accessdate=February 23, 2024|archive-date=March 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331131932/http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/970602.html|url-status=bot: unknown}} It stayed at number one for a second week with 162,340 copies sold.{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/970609.html|title=オリコン 1997.6.9|accessdate=February 23, 2024|archive-date=March 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331132033/http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/970609.html|url-status=bot: unknown}} The single dropped to number four the following week, selling 88,600 copies.{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/970616.html|title=オリコン 1997.6.16|accessdate=February 23, 2024|archive-date=March 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331131948/http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/970616.html|url-status=bot: unknown}} During its fourth week of availability the single stayed at number four with 65,660 copies sold.{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/970623.html|title=オリコン 1997.6.23|accessdate=February 23, 2024|archive-date=March 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331131948/http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/970623.html|url-status=bot: unknown}} "How to Be a Girl" single stayed in the top ten one last week, ranking at number nine and selling 41,380 copies on its fifth week of availability.{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/970630.html|title=オリコン 1997.6.30|accessdate=February 23, 2024|archive-date=March 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331131959/http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/970630.html|url-status=bot: unknown}} Afterwards, it dropped to number 16 on its sixth charting week and out of the top twenty entirely the following week.{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/970707.html|title=オリコン 1997.7.7|accessdate=February 23, 2024|archive-date=March 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331131921/http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/970707.html|url-status=bot: unknown}} It charted in the top 100 for eleven weeks, selling a reported total of 772,130 copies.{{cite web|script-title=ja: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 Taiju'|url=http://ranking.oricon.co.jp|work=Oricon|url-access=subscription|access-date=February 23, 2024}} "How to be a Girl" ranked at number 23 on the year-end Oricon Singles Chart for 1997 and was certified million by the RIAJ.{{cite journal |title=GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 1997年6月度 |trans-title=Gold Albums, and other certified works. June 1997 Edition |url=http://www.riaj.or.jp/issue/record/1997/199708.pdf | journal=The Record |type=Bulletin |language=ja |location=Chūō, Tokyo |publisher=Recording Industry Association of Japan |publication-date=August 10, 1997 |volume=454 |page=9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103051739/http://www.riaj.or.jp/issue/record/1997/199708.pdf |archive-date=November 3, 2013 |access-date=April 27, 2014}}
Track listing
- How to Be a Girl – Straight Run
- How to Be a Girl – Adult Education Mix
- How to Be a Girl – Instrumental
Personnel
- Namie Amuro – vocals
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
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!Chart (1999) !Peak position |
| scope="row"|Japan Weekly Singles (Oricon){{cite web|title=How to be a Girl 安室奈美恵|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/191925/products/46065/1/|work=Oricon|accessdate=February 24, 2018}}
| style="text-align:center;" |1 |
|---|
| scope="row" | Japan Monthly Singles (Oricon){{cite web|title=オリコン(oricon)「1997年06月」の月間シングルCDランキング|url=https://cd100.net/oricon/19970601.html|accessdate=November 18, 2023}}
| style="text-align:center;" |2 |
| scope="row" | Japan Yearly Singles (Oricon) {{cite web|url=https://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/1997.html|title=オリコン 1997年TOP100|accessdate=March 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331131852/https://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/1997.html|archive-date=March 31, 2019|url-status=dead}}
| style="text-align:center;" |23 |
Certification and sales
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan|type=single|award=Million|certyear=1997|certmonth=06|title=How to be a Girl|artist=安室奈美恵|salesamount=772,130|salesref={{cite web|script-title=ja: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 Taiju'|url=http://ranking.oricon.co.jp|work=Oricon|url-access=subscription|access-date=February 23, 2024}}}}
{{table end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Namie Amuro singles}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:How To Be A Girl}}
Category:Oricon Weekly number-one singles