"Carry On" is a song by Norwegian producerKygo and British singerRita Ora, released as a standalonesingle for the 2019 film,Pokémon Detective Pikachu.[3] The song plays during the end credits of the film.[4] "Carry On" was released on 19 April 2019, throughRCA Records.[5] The music video was released on the same day.[6]
"Carry On" was written by Kygo, Rita Ora,Ilan Kidron,Natalie Dunn,Josh Cumbee and Afshin Salmani. According to Dunn and Kidron, they began writing the song in 2016 and the initial version of the song was recorded by several singers, includingKelly Rowland,Dua Lipa (featuringSwae Lee) andCharlie Puth.[7] Ora later recorded the song with Kygo, after adding abridge. At the time, Ora was working on thePokémon filmDetective Pikachu, and the song would go on to be featured in the end credits of the film.[8]
EDM.com's Katie Stone wrote that "as the song progresses into the first instrumental build" an "airytropical house beat" is introduced which "pairs beautifully with the top line." Stone also wrote that Ora's vocals get "pitched up and overlayed, creating a vibey track."[2] The music siteRun the Trap described the song as "melancholic."[9]
John Frisica ofNintendo Enthusiast wrote that the song is "pretty chill and ethereal."[1] Katie Stone from EDM.com praised Ora's singing as "soulful" and thought that "it's only fitting she would be included on the original soundtrack" since she appears in the film.[2] Becca Longmire ofET Canada called the song "catchy."[10]
While announcing the song's release onTwitter on 15 April 2019, Ora accompanied the post withfilm stills which theWisconsin Gazette described as her "channelling"Detective Pikachu.[11][12] The music video for the song was released onYouTube four days later, on 19 April. Directed by Jonathan Singer-Vine and produced byColin Tilley, the video intersperses scenes fromPokémon Detective Pikachu.[13]
Rolling Stone wrote that the video is "set in the world of the film" and added that "Ora sports a Pikachu-yellow trenchcoat while driving around a dark city, as clips ofDetective Pikachu play alongside her."[6]
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 27. týden 2019 in the date selector. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 20. týden 2019 in the date selector. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 20. týden 2019 in the date selector. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
