Fast Car (Namie Amuro song)
Encyclopedia
"Fast Car" is a song by Namie Amuro
. It was released as the main promotional track from her 9th album, Past. The album puts more emphasis on songs with "bright melodies/coolness," instead of the R&B/hip-hop beats of Play
and previous albums.
" jazz. The lyrics use a 'fast car' as a metaphor for how the song's protagonist sees her lover. She wants him to "speed it up," and states that Amuro describes the lyrics as being a "playful adult love song," where a woman is teasing a boy by saying that he is hers.
Amuro chose the song for her album after listening to a demo from pop music production team Dsign Music
. She liked it for its "analog atmosphere," and said it reminded her of the Sofia Coppola
film "Marie Antoinette
."
The song was composed and its English lyrics written by the Dsign Music team, while female Japanese rapper Tiger wrote the song's lyrics (she had previously worked with Amuro, writing the rap in Amuro's 2003 single "So Crazy."
"Groove Line" radio show. It was released as a ringtone download on December 2. The song charted on the Billboard
Japan Hot 100
in early December, and peaked at #5 on the December 28 chart. The song also charted on the RIAJ Digital Track Chart
Top 100 at #24 (though only after the album has been released, due to the song not being released for full chaku-uta (cellphone download) or digital download
).
world" theme, and was given the concept after Amuro's first impressions of listening to a demo of the song., The video made its TV Primere November 26, 2009.
The video centers around scenes shot in four different Palace of Versailles
-inspired rooms: a bedroom, a hallway, a main hall, and a more contemporary striped alcove. In the bedroom, she performs a dance with hand-held fans
, with four female dancers on a four poster bed
. In the hallway scene, she walks in from the door at the end and performs a contemporary style dance with four male dancers in a bourgeois/cabaret-inspired outfit. The main hall dance begins in a contemporary style with all eight dancers, and transitions to a ballroom
style. In the red alcove, she poses in a black dress and leather stiletto
s without dancing, instead mouthing the song's lyrics and making small posture changes. The majority of scenes in the last minute focus on the main hall dance.
Amuro found the video the most difficult music to create in her 17 year music career, due to the clothing and choreography. She calls the video the highlight of the Past Future session videos.
The video won the award for Best Female Video at the 2010 MTV World Stage VMAJ, as well as the Best Video of the Year award and Best Art Direction Video award at the 14th Space Shower Music Video Awards.
Namie Amuro
is a Japanese R&B and pop singer, entertainer, and former actress who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's...
. It was released as the main promotional track from her 9th album, Past
Play (Namie Amuro album)
Play is the eighth studio album by Japanese pop singer Namie Amuro, released on June 27, 2007 in Japan. The follow-up to her successful 2005 album Queen of Hip-Pop, Play showcases her new hip-pop genre. This also marks her first album to be released in both the CD and CD+DVD formats. PLAY is her...
and previous albums.
Writing
The song is an upbeat pop song with a retro, with influences of "cabaretCabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
" jazz. The lyrics use a 'fast car' as a metaphor for how the song's protagonist sees her lover. She wants him to "speed it up," and states that Amuro describes the lyrics as being a "playful adult love song," where a woman is teasing a boy by saying that he is hers.
Amuro chose the song for her album after listening to a demo from pop music production team Dsign Music
Dsign Music
Dsign Music is a songwriting/production company based in Trondheim, Norway. It was formed in 2006 by Robin Jenssen, Anne Judith Wik, Nermin Harambašić and Ronny Svendsen. The team was signed to Universal Music Publishing Group in 2008...
. She liked it for its "analog atmosphere," and said it reminded her of the Sofia Coppola
Sofia Coppola
Sofia Carmina Coppola is an American screenwriter, film director, actress, and producer.In 2003 she received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation, and became the third woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Directing...
film "Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette (2006 film)
Marie Antoinette is a 2006 biographical film, written and directed by Sofia Coppola. It is very loosely based on the life of the Queen consort in the years leading up to the French Revolution. It won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design...
."
The song was composed and its English lyrics written by the Dsign Music team, while female Japanese rapper Tiger wrote the song's lyrics (she had previously worked with Amuro, writing the rap in Amuro's 2003 single "So Crazy."
Release
The song was first released to radio on November 24, when it was played on the J-WaveJ-Wave
J-Wave is a commercial radio station based in Tokyo, Japan, broadcasting on 81.3 FM from the Tokyo Tower to the Tokyo area. J-Wave airs mostly music covering a wide range of formats. The station is considered the most popular among FM broadcasts in Tokyo, and has surprised the radio broadcast...
"Groove Line" radio show. It was released as a ringtone download on December 2. The song charted on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Japan Hot 100
Japan Hot 100
The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com ....
in early December, and peaked at #5 on the December 28 chart. The song also charted on the RIAJ Digital Track Chart
RIAJ Digital Track Chart
The is chart ranks the best selling digital singles in Japan, provided by the Recording Industry Association of Japan since April 2009. The chart measures cellphone downloads ....
Top 100 at #24 (though only after the album has been released, due to the song not being released for full chaku-uta (cellphone download) or digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
).
Music video
The music video was shot by director Shigeaki Kubo, and was shot over two days. The video has a "gorgeous bourgeoisBourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
world" theme, and was given the concept after Amuro's first impressions of listening to a demo of the song., The video made its TV Primere November 26, 2009.
The video centers around scenes shot in four different Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
-inspired rooms: a bedroom, a hallway, a main hall, and a more contemporary striped alcove. In the bedroom, she performs a dance with hand-held fans
Fan (implement)
A hand-held fan is an implement used to induce an airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself. Any broad, flat surface waved back-and-forth will create a small airflow and therefore can be considered a rudimentary fan...
, with four female dancers on a four poster bed
Four poster bed
A four-poster bed is a bed with four vertical columns, one in each corner, that support a tester, or upper panel. There are a number of antique four-poster beds extant dating to the 16th century and earlier; many of these early beds are highly ornate and are made from oak...
. In the hallway scene, she walks in from the door at the end and performs a contemporary style dance with four male dancers in a bourgeois/cabaret-inspired outfit. The main hall dance begins in a contemporary style with all eight dancers, and transitions to a ballroom
Ballroom dance
Ballroom dance refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Because of its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television....
style. In the red alcove, she poses in a black dress and leather stiletto
Stiletto heel
A stiletto heel is a long, thin, high heel found on some boots and shoes, usually for women. It is named after the stiletto dagger, the phrase being first recorded in the early 1930s...
s without dancing, instead mouthing the song's lyrics and making small posture changes. The majority of scenes in the last minute focus on the main hall dance.
Amuro found the video the most difficult music to create in her 17 year music career, due to the clothing and choreography. She calls the video the highlight of the Past Future session videos.
The video won the award for Best Female Video at the 2010 MTV World Stage VMAJ, as well as the Best Video of the Year award and Best Art Direction Video award at the 14th Space Shower Music Video Awards.
Chart rankings
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... |
5 |
| RIAJ Digital Track Chart RIAJ Digital Track Chart The is chart ranks the best selling digital singles in Japan, provided by the Recording Industry Association of Japan since April 2009. The chart measures cellphone downloads .... Top 100 |
24 |