Contrail (song)

"Contrail"
Buildings with airplane contrails against a blue sky.
Single by Namie Amuro
from the album FEEL
Released May 19, 2013
Format Digital Download
Genre Dance-pop
Length 4:14
Label Dimension Point
Writer(s) Nao'ymt
Producer(s) Nao'ymt
Namie Amuro singles chronology
"Big Boys Cry"
"Beautiful"
(2013)		 "Contrail"
(2013)		 "Tsuki"
(2014)

"Contrail" is a song by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro, included on her eleventh studio album and second bilingual album Feel (2013). It was served as the albums lead digital single on May 19, 2013 by Dimension Point. Written, composed and produced by Nao'ymt, "Contrail" was used as the theme song for the Japanese TV series Flying Public Relations Office. The song was recorded in Japanese language despite being written in both English and Japanese form. "Contrail" is a synthpop song that references the term contrailing, with supporting themes of hope and courage; Amuro felt the song represented a "positive view on the world".[1]

The track achieved favorable reception from most music critics, who praised the songwriting and production, though minor criticism were towards the composition. Despite being ineligible to chart on Oricon, the song charted on Japan Hot 100 and peaked at number eight. The song was certified platinum by Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of 250,000 digital units. An accompanying music video was shot in downtown Los Angeles, California at Pershing square featuring Amuro walking through the city with children, all adding special effects towards the coloring and lighting.

Background

Amuro launched her own label Dimension Point, which is owned by Avex Trax in 2013.[2] Amuro confirmed work on a new studio album that would be recorded in both English and Japanese language. Despite this, the team for Japanese network TBS Japan approach Amuro and her management in recording a song for their new TV series Flying Public Relations Office, which she accepted.[1] Amuro enlisted long-time collaborator Nao'ymt to write, produce and compose the theme song.[1][3] According to TBS Japan, they wanted the song to relate to the shows content of airplanes and Nao'ymt wrote the song "Contrail" because it references contrailing.[1]

"Contrail" is about courage and hope.[4] Nao'ymt commented that the song was about "carving" yourself throughout your past and having the strength and faith to.[1] "Contrail" is the only Japanese recorded song on Feel.[3] "Contrail" was written in both English and Japanese form because Amuro felt that her previous work in English language “sounded better”, but recorded the song in Japanese strictly because it was a theme song.[5] In 2014, Amuro re-recorded "Contrail" on her ballad compilation album Ballada, which celebrates her releases of ballad-inspired songs.[6] For the album, "Contrail" was recorded as a bonus track exclusively for iTunes, Amazon.com and on physical formats in Japan only.[6]

Amuro felt that the production off the track represents a "positive view on the world". She commented "So when I'm listening to the song ["Contrail"] on Sunday night, when I wake up on Monday morning, I am happy."[1] Isoyama discussed Amuro's input towards the track by saying she possessed "strength" and "modernity" towards the track and felt proud off the result.[1] Nao'ymt had commended Amuro's vocal delivery on the track and said that she possessed so much "strength" and felt the theme about the song was looking towards the future and looking back at the past, referring towards Amuro's musical career.[1]

Composition

Inspired by the effects of contrail, the single artwork is inspired the picture above.

"Contrail" is a “fresh” and “cheerful” synthpop song that samples cheering and clapping.[7][4] The track uses synthesizers to create a "monotonic" and "cold" sound throughout the verses, while the chorus is “off-guard with the powerful and melodic chorus [...]”[7] A reviewer at The13thGeek compared "Contrail" to another Feel single "Hands on Me" by stating “The song evokes a summer feel similar to "Hands On Me" but with a more relaxed and laid-back approach."[7] Patrick St. Michel from The Japan Times had discussed the slight Americanized influence throughout the entirety of the album and stated “nearly every track indulges in electronic trends, sometimes besting the American competition”.[5] Takashi Inomata from Watsin.jp also commented about the crossover between Western and Eastern influences in "Contrail".[8]

The song starts off with keyboard and synthesizers through a duration of fifteen seconds.[9] Amuro's vocals start soft and whispering throughout the verses. She then sings the English lyric "What is Life?" in an louder voice and throughout the chorus, she uses Japanese language until the end where she sings the word "Contrail".[9] During the bridge, Amuro's vocals are processed by vocoder to create a "robotic" tone while singing the lyrics "I didn't know then, what I know now,".[9] The English translation was considered "poetry" by Otakudx.com reviewer Paris and exemplified the lyric ("the answer is to look within myself, at home there is no meaning") and ("you run through like a baby kicking in its mother's womb") through the Japanese lyrics ("kotae wa jibun de sagasu') and ("kakenukeru taidou")[9]

Release

"Contrail" was released as the second single from the studio album and second digital single in Japan on May 19, 2013 on iTunes and Amazon.com exclusively.[10] According to Japanese outlets, Amuro had contemplated on a physical release to promote "Contrail" and the album properly. However, after producers from the TV series Flying Public Relations Office had approached her to record the single on their show, she accepted and she scrapped the released on a physical edition.[11] She believed that the digital and release on the TV series would be enough to promote the single.[11] According to the producer, he felt that the use of "Contrail", which references contrailing, shared the same use for airplanes that were used in the series.[11]

An alternative ballad version was used as the introduction on the Flying Public Relations Office series which premiered at 9pm Sunday nights in Japan.[11] The teaser music video was released on June 6, 2013.[12]

Reception

Critical response

"Contrail" received favorable reviews from most music critics. Dave Circone from NekoPop was critical on Amuro's English-language tracks for the "obvious lyrics" and pronunciation, but stated she "softens the sharp intelligence she displays in [“Contrail”]"[13] A reviewer from the online publication The13thGeek.net was positive in their review. The review off the track stated "The song is so good that even the non-Japanese speaker will want to learn the lyrics and just blare out the powerful chorus along with her [...]"[7] A reviewer from the online publication CDJournal was positive towards the track and album overall. The reviewer had praised the production and praised Nao'ymt for "exhausting" the "goodness" out of Amuro's vocal abilities.[4] A reviewer from Jpop Asia was positive towards all the tracks on the studio album, saying that "every track is good."[14] A reviewer from HMV had discussed the parent album's new consistency levels and felt it contained a "variety" of genres. In saying this, he extemplief "Contrail" in being an improvement throughout the album's consistency.[15]

Inomata from Whatsin.jp had praised the parent album for its "vivid" and "strong" production and commented on "Contrail" for being more "aggressive spirit" that "capture the fresh air that comes through."[8]

Reviewing the version from Ballada, Daisuki Music was very positive towards the song and felt that it was a "wise decision" to include it on the album; "A wise decision considering the massive success of the track last year which helped bolster the sales of “Feel” and reminded everyone that yes, Namie is still around and yes she is definitely here to stay [...]"[16] A reviewer from CD Journal, who reviewed the Ballada version was positive towards the "dramatic" change in the original, which they referred as an "sexy electro" and "symmetrical" tracks. They praised Amuro's vocal abilities and the background music.[17] A reviewer from HMV, who reviewed Ballada, praised the ballad version of "Contrail" and felt that it was the best ballad decision on the compilation album.[18]

Commercial response

Because "Contrail" was released as a digital track in promotion for Feel in May 2013, the song was ineligible to chart on Oricon and G-Music in China due to no physical format release. However, the song charted on the Billboard Japan Chart. The song had debuted and peaked at number eight on the Japan Hot 100, which was a commercial success.[19] This became her second song out off her discography to have only peaked on a Billboard chart and not on Oricon, the first being "Damage". The song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for digital sales off 250,000, her third single after "Sit! Stay! Wait! Down!" and "Fight Together" to have been certified platinum in the same decade.[20]

The song, along with her single "Big Boys Cry", appeared on Billboard's annual Billboard Year-End chart for Japan Hot 100, with "Contrail" peaking at number sixty-five and the latter peaking at number ninety-two.[21]

Music video

"Contrail" was directed by IKIOI in downtown Los Angeles, California in June 2013. This became Amuro's first single to date to have been directed in North America.[22] The video starts off with slow motion off several daily movements, then starts the vocals with Amuro walking down a street in a bright rainbow colored dress. Throughout the song, it features many people, specifically American people, doing daily things and featured them in sad-like expressions. When the chorus starts, the video features Amuro and small children marching through a bridge in a small town.

The second verse features many shots off unhappy people struggling with their life. The second chorus features Amuro and the children throughout closed traffic on a high street.[22] It features children with brightly-colored clothes and all off them are holding and playing instruments under the blue sky. When the final chorus is about to start, the public stare towards the sky and it features rainbow-colored clouds and start to become happier and brighter. The final chorus finishes with Amuro and the children dancing throughout rainbow-colored special effects at Pershing Square.[22]

Track listing

  1. "Contrail" - 4:14

Credits and personnel

Charts, peaks and position

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Japan Hot 100 (Billboard)[19] 8

Year-end chart

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Japan Hot 100 (Billboard)[19] 65

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Shipments
Japan (RIAJ)[20] Platinum 250,000

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 http://www.tbs.co.jp/soratobu-tbs/news/news130313.html
  2. ↑ "安室奈美恵、満面の笑みで荒野を闊歩するツヤ髪新CM". Businesswire.com. June 4, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Feel (Album liner notes). Namie Amuro. July 10, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 Namie Amuro / [digipak] CD / DVD. CDJournal. Reviewer unknown, July 17, 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Namie Amuro "Feel" | The Japan Times". japantimes.co.jp. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "NAMIE AMURO: FEEL | OtakuDX". otakudx.com. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Review: Namie Amuro - FEEL. Retrieved on 17 July 2013.
  8. 1 2 (in Japanese). WHATS IN WEB? Album Review | Feel | Namie Amuro. Reviewed by Takashi Inomata.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Namie Amuro - FEEL. Otakudx.com. Retrieved in February 2015.
  10. ↑ https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/contrail-from-album-feel-single/id649694321
  11. 1 2 3 4 http://ringing-song.net/drama/contrail.html
  12. ↑ 安室奈美恵（Namie Amuro） / 「Contrail」(from ALBUM「FEEL」)MUSIC VIDEO-short ver.-.
  13. ↑ Namie Amuro – FEEL (Review) NekoPop.com. Retrieved on July 21, 2013.
  14. ↑ "[Album Review] Namie Amuro's "FEEL"". jpopasia.com. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  15. ↑ FEEL (CD + DVD): Namie Amuro | HMV Online. www.hmv.co.jp. Retrieved on 24 February 2015.
  16. ↑ "Album Review: Namie Amuro “Ballada” | Daisuki Music". daisukimusic.com. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  17. ↑ "NAMIE AMURO / Ballada [デジパック仕様] [CD+DVD]". artist.cdjournal.com. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  18. ↑ Ballada (CD + DVD): Namie Amuro | HMV Online. www.hmv.co.jp. Retrieved on 24 February 2015.
  19. 1 2 3 "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). June 17, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  20. 1 2 "レコード協会調べ　1月度有料音楽配信認定" [Record Association Investigation: January Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. February 28, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Japan Hot 100: 2013 Year-End Charts | Billboard". billboard.com. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  22. 1 2 3 http://tozanabo.com/archives/28966653.html
  23. ↑ iTunes - Music - Feel by Namie Amuro. iTunes.jp. Retrieved in February 2015.
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