| "Contrail" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Namie Amuro | ||||
| from the album Feel | ||||
| Released | May 29, 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2013 Daimonion Studios (Shibuya, Tokyo) | |||
| Genre | Electronic | |||
| Length | 4:12 | |||
| Label | Dimension Point | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Nao'ymt | |||
| Producer(s) | Nao'ymt | |||
| Namie Amuro singles chronology | ||||
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"Contrail" is a song by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro, taken from her eleventh studio and second Japanese–English bilingual album Feel (2013). The singer was approached by the Tokyo Broadcasting System team to record the official theme song for their television series Flying Public Relations Office, which resulted into the process of "Contrail". The track was written, composed, arranged and produced entirely by long-time collaborator Nao'ymt, and recorded at Daimonion Studios in Shibuya, Tokyo. Musically, "Contrail" is a dance number that includes instrumentation of synthesizers, keyboards and a drum machine. A self-empowerment anthem, the title derives from the literal term, and is delivered as a metaphor for confidence and hope.
The single premiered on May 29, 2013, as the lead single from the album, and her second digital-only release. "Contrail" receive positive reviews from music critics, many who highlighted it as one of the album's best tracks, and complimented the production and songwriting. Although it was unable to chart on Japan's Oricon Singles Chart because of their restriction of digital sales at the time, it did peak at number eight on Billboard's Japan Hot 100 chart. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for digital sales of 250,000 units.
An accompanying music video for the single was shot in downtown Los Angeles, California, at Pershing Square, which featured Amuro walking through the city with children. She has performed "Contrail" on her 2013 Feel concert tour, and two annual Live Style shows in 2014 and 2016–2017. Additionally, Amuro has re-recorded the song in two different versions; a ballad version for her compilation Ballada (2014), and a re-worked version for her final greatest hits album Finally (2017).