Break the Rules

Infobox Album
Name = Break the Rules
Type = Album
Artist = Namie Amuro


Released = December 20, 2000
Recorded = Baybridge Studio, DARP Studios, Guillaume Tell, Larrabee Sound Studio, Ocean Way Recording, On Air Azabu Studio, Stanley House, TK Disc Studios, TK's Malibu Studio, Woodland Studios
Genre = Pop, Dance, R&B
Length = 63:03
Label = Avex Trax
Producer = Dallas Austin, Ricciano Lumpkins, Tetsuya Komuro
Reviews =
Last album = "Genius 2000"
(2000)
This album = "Break the Rules"
(2000)
Next album = "Style"
2003

"Break the Rules" is Namie Amuro's fourth original studio album under the Avex Trax label. It is her second album of 2000, coming only 11 months after her previous album "Genius 2000", and is her final album to date with producer Tetsuya Komuro. Due to the small space in time between the release of this album and her last album, only two singles precede it.

Overview

"Break the Rules" is her second album to feature songs written and produced by American music producer, Dallas Austin. His role in this album, however, is much smaller than the last. For "Genius 2000", Austin produced half of the album; with this album he only produced four songs. The majority of the tracks features compositions from Amuro's main producer, Tetsuya Komuro.

First editions of the album came in special packaging. The booklet was presented as a foldout poster featuring Amuro looking out of an airplane window. It also came with a foldout card of photos depicting Namie in different locations around America, mostly New York City, NY and Los Angeles, California. The album was housed in a transparent slip case with the phrase "break the rules" in pink running diagonally across the front and back of it.

The songs "Think of Me" and "No More Tears" were released as a double a-side single shortly after the release of the album. A video was made for "Think of Me" in New York during photo sessions for the album artwork. No video was made for "No More Tears." Previous songs that appear on the album have all been slightly modified. These songs include "Never End," "Please Smile Again," and "Cross Over." "Cross Over" features a rap verse from Poppa L.Q. Unique among Amuro albums is that it features her first attempt at singing a song entirely in English on the track, "Looking for You".

Among the Western J-pop community, "Break the Rules" is regarded as her worst album. Some criticism of the album is that it seems rushed. The album ultimately sold 500,000 copies less than its predecessor, a major disappointment. It is also her first original album to not debut at #1. fact|date=February 2007

Track listing

# "Rule 8AM" (Tetsuya Komuro) – 0:30
# "No More Tears" (Tetsuya Komuro) – 5:45
# "Better Days" (Gary White, Dallas Austin, Ricciano Lumpkins, Junko Kudo) – 4:22
# "Break the Rules" (Tetsuya Komuro) – 4:01
# "Looking for You" (Tetsuya Komuro, Zhana) – 4:37
# "Please Smile Again" (Tetsuya Komuro) – 4:43
# "Never Shoulda" (Dallas Austin, Jasper Cameron, Junko Kudo) – 4:21
# "Cross Over" (Tetsuya Komuro, Poppa L.Q.) – 5:02
# "Girlfriend" (Dallas Austin, Debra Killings) – 4:13
# "Never End" (Tetsuya Komuro) – 6:26
# "Think of Me" (Dallas Austin, Junko Kudo) – 4:46
# "Rule 8PM" (Tetsuya Komuro) – 0:33
# "HimAWArI" (Tetsuya Komuro) – 4:45
# "No More Tears Remix" (Tetsuya Komuro) – 8:59

Personnel

* Namie Amuro – vocals, background vocals
* Poppa L.Q. – vocals
* Terry Bradford – background vocals
* Alex Brown – background vocals
* Andy Caine – background vocals
* Jennifer Carr – background vocals
* Debra Killings – background vocals
* Maxayn Lewis – background vocals
* Oleatha "Butta" Richie – background vocals
* Juliet Roberts – background vocals
* Will Wheaton Jr. – background vocals
* Ken Kimura – guitar
* Tetsuya Komuro – acoustic piano, keyboards, synthesizer
* Kazuhiro Matsuo – acoustic guitar

Production

* Producers – Dallas Austin, Ricciano Lumpkins, Tetsuya Komuro
* Arrangement – Dallas Austin, Tetsuya Komuro
* Mixing – Dave Darlington, Kevin "KD" Davis, Chris Puram, Alvin Seights
* Midi & Sound Design – Rick Sheppard
* Vocal Direction – Kenji Sano
* Remixing – Junior Vasquez (No More Tears Remix)
* Photography – Shoji Uchida
* Art Direction – Tycoon Graphics

Charts

Album - Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

Singles - Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)