Wonder Woman (Namie Amuro song)

"Wonder Woman" is a song by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro, featuring R&B singer and rapper Ai as well as rock musician Anna Tsuchiya. The song was the lead promotional single for Amuro's collaboration-compilation album, Checkmate!, released in April 2011.

"Wonder Woman"
Promotional single by Namie Amuro featuring Ai and Anna Tsuchiya
from the album Checkmate!
LanguageJapanese, English
ReleasedMarch 9, 2011 (2011-03-09)
RecordedAzabu-O Studio, Avex Studio
Length4:53
LabelAvex Trax
Songwriter(s)Tiger, Marek Pompetzki, Paul NZA, Chantal Kreviazuk, Tanya Lacey
Producer(s)Marek Pompetzki, Paul NZA

Namie Amuro had previously collaborated with Ai on the songs "Uh Uh,,,,,," (Suite Chic, 2003), ""Do What U Gotta Do" feat. Ai, Namie Amuro & Mummy-D (Zeebra, 2006) and Ai 2010 single "Fake." Ai and Tsuchiya had previously collaborated on Ai's 2007 album Don't Stop Ai with "Butterfly" featuring Anna Tsuchiya, Anty the Kunoichi, Pushim, as well as on Tsuchiya's 2008 single "Crazy World". Amuro and Tsuchiya have not previously collaborated.

The song was the most successful of the four new songs from the album, peaking at number five on the Recording Industry Association of Japan's Digital Track Chart, and being certified gold twice, for downloads to cellphones as well as PC downloads.[1][2][3]

Composition and production

The song is an up-beat pop rock song, sung in a vocal trio with verses sung alternatively by each singer and the chorus sung by all three. The verses are arranged sparsely, with a bass guitar and beats, while the chorus features a full band backing with drums, bass guitar, and guitar.

The lyrics are split roughly half and half between English and Japanese, with the singers alternating between the two languages throughout the song. The lyrics describe somebody trying to reassure someone that they will be their "wonder woman" who will be there to help them in times of need. The person is someone who is always acting strong, and the song's protagonist wants them to "tell [her] those SOS [moments]" so that they can help them.[4]

Amuro wanted to create a collaboration featuring a chorus of strong female vocalists. [5] When thinking of such musicians, Ai and Anna Tsuchiya came to mind. Amuro felt that she had worked with Ai so many times in the past that a collaboration with her could not go wrong. [6]

Promotion
Namie Amuro in the Coca-Cola Zero Wild Race commercial, featuring "Wonder Woman."

The song was featured in a high-profile marketing campaign for Coca-Cola Zero, the third of Amuro's songs to be used, after "Wild" (2009) and "Break It" (2010). The commercial first aired on February 13, 2011.[7] The commercial featured Amuro on a motorbike in the desert, racing several androids on bikes.[8]

All three musicians billed in the song appeared on the cover of fashion magazine S Cawaii's April issue, in promotion of the single.[9]

On June 25, 2011, all three musicians attended the 2011 MTV Video Music Aid Japan award ceremony and performed the song.[10]

Music video
(left to right) Ai, Namie Amuro and Anna Tsuchiya in the outfits they appear in the music video

The music video was directed by Hideaki Sunaga,[11] who had previously not worked with Amuro, Tsuchiya or Ai on a music video. The video features the three vocalists in a darkly lit, wet parking lot. One musician performs the song while walking across a road, another in a white car, and another in a red elevator. Each vocalist switches roles, appearing in each of these separately. After one cycle of this, two vocalists are seen entering separate elevators, and the cycle repeats. Only in the final scene of the video do all three vocalists appear together in the red elevator.

The music video first aired on Space Shower, on February 18.[12] The video is featured as a part of Checkmate!'s DVD edition.

Chart rankings
Chart Peak
position
Billboard Adult Contemporary Airplay[13] 2
Billboard Japan Hot 100[14] 5
RIAJ Digital Track Chart weekly top 100[1] 5

Certification
Chart Amount
RIAJ full-length cellphone downloads[2] Gold (100,000+)
RIAJ PC downloads[3] Gold (100,000+)

Personnel

Personnel details were sourced from Checkmate!'s liner notes booklet.[15]

  • Ai – vocals
  • D.O.I. – mixing (at Daimonion Recordings)
  • Hitomi Joko – recording
  • Shigeki Kashii – recording
  • Ryosuke Kataoka – recording
  • Chantal Kreviazuk – writing
  • Tanya Lacey – writing
  • Paul NZA – instruments, production, recording, writing
  • Marek Pompetzki – instruments, production, recording, writing
  • Tiger – writing, vocal direction for Ai, Namie Amuro
  • Anna Tsuchiya – vocals
  • Yuko Yasumoto – production coordination

Release history
Region Date Format
Japan February 16, 2011 (2011-02-16)[16] Ringtone
February 17, 2011 (2011-02-17)[17] Radio add date
March 9, 2011 (2011-03-09)[18] Cellphone download
April 27, 2011 (2011-04-27) PC download

References
  1. "レコード協会調べ 2011年03月09日～2011年03月22日 ＜略称：レコ協チャート（「着うたフル(R)」）＞" [Record Association Analysis: March 9, 2011—March 22, 2011 (Abbreviated: RIAJ Chart ('Full-length Cellphone Downloads')]. RIAJ. March 25, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
  2. レコード協会調べ　5月度有料音楽配信認定＜略称：5月度認定＞ [Record Association report: May digital music download certifications (Abbreviation: May Certifications)]. RIAJ (in Japanese). June 20, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
  3. レコード協会調べ　2月度有料音楽配信認定＜略称：2月度認定＞ [Record Association report: February digital music download certifications (Abbreviation: February Certifications)]. RIAJ (in Japanese). March 19, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  4. Checkmate! (Media notes) (in Japanese). Namie Amuro. Aoyama, Tokyo: Avex Marketing. 2011. AVCD-38277.CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. "安室奈美恵、今度は山下智久、AI&土屋アンナ、川畑 要、AFTERSCHOOLとコラボ" [Namie Amuro, this time collaborating with Ai & Anna Tsuchiya, Kaname Kawabata, Afterschool]. Barks (in Japanese). February 17, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
  6. Kanako Hayakawa (April 21, 2011). 安室奈美恵インタビュー [Namie Amuro Interview] (in Japanese). Yahoo! Music. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
  7. "「コカ・コーラ ゼロ」新TV-CMソングにAI&土屋アンナとのコラボ新曲が決定!" [New Coca-Cola Zero commercial song a collaboration song with Ai and Anna Tsuchiya!]. Avex Marketing (in Japanese). 2011. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  8. 安室奈美恵、バイクレースで"アンドロイド"と対決 [Namie Amuro, android showdown in a bike race]. Oricon (in Japanese). February 9, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  9. "安室×AI×土屋アンナの豪華コラボ、ファッション誌表紙を飾る" [Amuro x Ai x Anna Tsuchiya's wonderful collaboration, decorating fashion magazine cover]. Oricon Beauty (in Japanese). March 1, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
  10. アジアの歌姫も負けない　安室奈美恵はＡＩ＆土屋アンナと競演 [Even Asian divas can't give up, Namie Amuro vocal contest with Ai and Anna Tsuchiya]. Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). June 26, 2011. Archived from the original on June 26, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
  11. "アーティスト名 安室奈美恵 feat.AI＆土屋アンナ 楽曲名 Wonder Woman" [Artist: Namie Amuro feat. Ai & Anna Tsuchiya. Song Name: "Wonder Woman"]. Space Shower (in Japanese). Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  12. "『Wonder Woman』ミュージックビデオ、独占オンエア決定!" ["Wonder Woman" music video, exclusive on air decision!]. Avex Marketing (in Japanese). 2011. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  13. "Japan Billboard Adult Contemporary Airplay". Billboard Japan. May 4, 2011. Archived from the original on April 27, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  14. "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard Japan. May 4, 2011. Archived from the original on May 4, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  15. Checkmate! (Media notes) (in Japanese). Namie Amuro. Tokyo, Japan: Avex Marketing. 2011.CS1 maint: others (link)
  16. "レコチョク独占先行!着うた(R)配信決定!" [Recochoku exclusive advanced release! Ringtone download announced!]. Avex Marketing (in Japanese). 2011. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  17. "「Wonder Woman / 安室奈美恵 feat.AI＆土屋アンナ」ラジオ解禁決定!" ["Wonder Woman / Namie Amuro feat. Ai & Anna Tsuchiya" radio release!]. Avex Marketing (in Japanese). 2011. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  18. "着うた(R)フル、先行配信スタート!" [Chaku-uta Full preceding download start!]. Avex Marketing (in Japanese). 2011. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
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