Flash (Perfume song)

"Flash"
Promotional single by Perfume
from the album Cosmic Explorer
ReleasedMarch 16, 2016
GenreJ-pop, EDM
Length4:36
Label
Producer(s)Yasutaka Nakata
Perfume singles chronology
"Star Train"
(2015) 		"Flash"
(2016) 		"Tokyo Girl"
(2017)

"Flash" (stylized as "FLASH") is a single by Perfume, released on March 16, 2016. It is the fifth single from their fifth studio album Cosmic Explorer. The single reached first place in the real-time ranking of iTunes with 200,000+ downloads.[1] It is also the band's highest selling single since "Love the World".

The single was used as the theme song for the live action adapted film Chihayafuru.[2]

Background

The single was sold digitally on iTunes, Recochoku, A! MUSIC and other music streaming sites.[3] The digital jacket for it was drawn by Yuki Suetsugu.[4] It was also included on the Cosmic Explorer album and was re-arranged. For the album's first limited edition, the original single edit and the instrumental came as a separate CD and the music video was included on the bonus Blu-ray/DVD.[5][3]

The choreography for the song contains martial arts and Tai chi elements.[6]

Music video

The song also has a music video for it on YouTube with some CGI.[7] It is their most watched video on YouTube with more than 60 million views. The music video is directed by Yusuke Tanaka based on the credits on the Cosmic Explorer album.

Synopsis

The video starts with the girls in a light and shadow projected room. The video randomly switches scenes from one member to all members dancing throughout the video. The drop before the second verse shows the girls walking to each other, walking in circles. When entering the second verse, the girls put their hands out one by one, holding each other before the pre-chorus, and back to circling again. The first hall of the bridge shows them dancing in slow motion. Going into the final chorus, the scenes with them dancing with the LED light sabers which are operated by their technology team, Rhizomatiks.[8] The video ends with the girls doing the signature pose.

Chart

Year Chart Peak position
2016 Billboard Japan Hot 100 2[9]

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[10] Platinum 250,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Flash won first place on iTunes (In Japanese)". Twitter. 18 March 2016.
  2. ^ "Perfume in charged of a theme song for Chihayafu". Billboard Japan. 7 March 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Cosmic Explorer Released Announcement". Perfume Official Site. 6 April 2016.
  4. ^ "『ちはやふる』原作者・末次由紀氏がPerfume描く 主題歌「FLASH」ジャケット". Oricon News. 7 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Perfume - Cosmic Explorer Limited Edition [2CD + Bonus DVD]". CDJapan. April 6, 2016.
  6. ^ "Perfume talk about their upcoming US tour, working with OK Go and having fun on stage". hello asia!. July 20, 2016.
  7. ^ "Perfume 新曲「FLASH」MVが完成、コンセプトは"カンフーダンス"". Billboard Japan. 25 March 2016.
  8. ^ "LED Light Sabers". Perfume Global Lab. March 2016.
  9. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 on 13th April". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). 13 April 2016.
  10. ^ "Japanese digital single certifications – Perfume – Flash" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2017年1月 on the drop-down menu

External