To provide a dye to be used for an optical recording medium excellent in both high speed recording characteristics and reproduction durability.A dye having an azo compound represented by the following formula coordinated to a metal ion: wherein the ring A represents a nitrogen-containing heteroaromatic ring containing a carbon atom and a nitrogen atom; X represents C—R1R2, an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom or N—R3, wherein each of R1, R2 and R3 which are independent of one another, represents a hydrogen atom, a linear or branched alkyl group, an aralkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a linear or branched alkenyl group, an aryl group or an acyl group represented by —COR4, wherein R4 is a hydrocarbon group or a heterocyclic group which may be substituted; and the benzene ring B represents a benzene ring which may have a substituent(s), provided that adjacent substituents in the benzene ring B may be mutually bonded to form a ring.