I have just discovered, through the ancient art of 'related videos browsing', a song that is calling me back from the dead as far as idol blogging is concerned. The song is 'Shoumei Teenager' by 5 member group Yumemiru Adolescence.
These past few months I have been just as active in my listening to of idol music but not at all active in blogging about it. The combination of making the most of my last year of high school (read - drinking rather too much), applying for university, sitting more exams and the summer job from hell have meant that I have been kind of short on time.
Anyway, 'Shoumei Teenager'. I can't really describe very efficiently exactly what it is I like about this but I think it is the combination of a very idol-y tune, pop/rock and electronic backing, a fairly slick looking video and the fact that the girls have some sort of camera presence, something which I find some other idols these days to be lacking.
The group consists of 5 members between the ages of 14 and 18, if I understand correctly are all models for a fashion magazine called 'Pichi Lemon' and apparently their goal is to become successful actresses while still continuing with the music. A different angle but whatever works I suppose.
I can also recommend their song 'Mawaru Sekai'. The song and video are, again, good fun and I love this take on the schoolgirl outfits.
The girl who sticks out to my eyes is Kobayashi Rei but they all seem to have the potential to reach their aspirations. So, do you think we're looking at one of Japan's next big stars.
While I enjoy some of the ***48 groups' releases, I would not call myself an avid follower and so it wasn't until the other day that I stumbled across this song by Osaka-flavour group NMB48. It turns out
that this great little song, 'Kimi to Deatte Boku wa Kawatta', is one of the B-sides to AKB's impossibly long titled new single.
The thing that really struck me about this song was the fact that it had this sort of energy and hopeful-ness that I immediately associate with idols. It is classic and old-fashioned without being deliberately retro in the same way as the likes of 'Koisuru Fortune Cookie'. I confess, I could not name a single one of these girls but they hold your attention because a lot of them radiate personality and character in the exact way that an idol should.
I began thinking, what other songs would you say had this same pure "essence of idol". Some of the ones that came to my mind were Morning Musume's 'Ai Araba it's all right' and Speed's 'Body and Soul'. Any other suggestions?
Today I happened to stumble across a music video by 'Idol College', a group I'd never crossed paths with before. That video was for a song called 'YOZORA' which, as I understand, was one half of a double A-side single released back in February.
The song itself is nothing particularly special but it is however up-beat and just generally good fun. And everybody loves idols dancing on rooftops. The 'drama' scenes in the video are rather dull but a bit of rooftop and some amazingly gaudy royal blue uniforms make up for that. To go back to the song, I find that the melody sounds slightly familiar but I can't place it so I'll try not to let it bother me.
It turns out that the other A-side on this single was a song called 'Shoujo Sotsugyou' which replaces the synths of YOZORA with a more pop-rock orientated instrumentation. The melody however, remains simple and sweet.
This video is, in my opinion, not quite as enjoyable but considering the groups status as a fairly small-time idol group I'm not really expecting the world.
To give a bit of background on the group, they were originally formed in 2009 as 'B.L.T. Idol College' in connection with the magazine 'B.L.T.'. A few singles were released under this name before the whole group "graduated". The group was then given a revamp and new members were found.
The group's new album 'IDOL COLLEGE no Tsutaetai Koto' has just been released, debuting at 29 on the Oricon chart. While I don't think I will be splashing my non-existent cash on a whole album just yet, I am looking forward to seeing what else IDOL COLLEGE has to offer.
Last Friday me and my family got on a train from Edinburgh down to London in order to, among other things, allow myself and my sister to go to see everybody's favourite techno-pop three-piece girl group Perfume.
We arrived in Kings Cross around 3pm with enough time to drag our suitcases through various forms of public transport towards the kind relative's house where were staying, grab something to eat and then make our way towards the venue. When we reached the queue, my dad wandered of with the intention of going to the cinema and then coming back to find my sister and I afterwards. However, his plan wasn't quite watertight and as a result of this you can thank him for the photos and videos that will make up the majority of this post. You see, he went to the nearby cinema and the only film starting soon was the new Superman. Now, there's nothing wrong with a bit of Superman. Unfortunately, this film was pushing 3 hours long. And so his cinema idea was given up on. Finding nothing else to do he walked back to the venue, bought a ticket for the balcony and ended up also experiencing Perfume in concert.
Some of the people at the concert were kitted out in some great cosplay that made me feel extremely under-dressed.
The following are some links to youtube uploads of some of the video that my very helpful father took.
Overall, the concert was an incredibly enjoyable experience that I would repeat in a heartbeat. It was great hearing all the music on such a large scale and being able to also really appreciate the visual aspect of the performance; even if I did spend quite a while coming to terms with the concept that it was really them. The dancing was sharp, the graphics were well constructed, the atmosphere was brilliant, the talky bits were good fun (fish and chips!) and hey, we even got an unexpected performance of We Will Rock You. I think it can safely be concluded that a good time was had by all!
Anyone reading a Jpop focused blog is sure to have at least heard of Avex. Being home to several giant labels and other entertainment related thingymebobs they have presented us with various idol groups over the years. I would think that despite 'Avex Idol' not really being a proper term, many people would associate it certain groups, performance styles of even just a certain quality. As far as actual groups are concerned, it could mean anything from SPEED to SweetS to Tokyo Girls' Style.
Me? I think of two groups. Those are the short lived trio Earth and the previously mentioned Tokyo Girls' Style. I could also say SPEED and Fairies but for some reason I associate these groups with their agency Vision Factory as opposed to their record label. (Both now release on 'Sonic Groove')
Introducing Earth
As I have already said, Earth sadly didn't last long. However, while it did, it was fantastic. They released 6 singles and an album over the course of 2000-2001 and showed a RnB/pop sound that is very typical of the time.
The three members Tomonaga Maya, Setoyama Sayaka and Togo Yuka were, in my opinion, strong performers and developed remarkably over such a short space of time.
The Earth girls on the cover of their album 'Bright Tomorrow'
Earth's debut single 'Time after Time' was their most successful reaching number 13 on the Oricon chart when it was released back in February 2000. The music video is nothing to write home about but it always strikes me how young the girls look here (they are all 13 in this video). And hey, who doesn't like random people dancing in an empty warehouse-y building!
A year later comes my personal favourite 'Is this love' (SNAP!!). This song just doesn't stop and I love that about it. Also, check out how grown up they all look in comparison to 'Time after Time'.
Earth's final single was 'Color of Seasons' released in October 2001. It has a different sound from the other two songs I have featured but is just as enjoyable. The music is good fun in a way only early 00s music videos can be. (Also, fairly unsuccessful group in lots of decent locations. Hello!Project take note.)
Fast Forward 10 years and we have Tokyo Girls' Style
Tokyo Girls' Style is a five member group that was formed in 2010 and have a pretty much stellar discography to their name already. The group consists of Yamabe Miyu, Nakae Yuri, Shoji Mei, Konishi Ayano and Arai Hitomi. Ayano and Hitomi lead the group vocally and pretty much hold the title of 'Lead Singers'. It's not quite a 'SPEED' style divide but there is clearly a formula.
Tokyo Girls' Style during the shoot for their third album 'Yakusoku'
Tokyo Girls' Style's debut single was the very slick sounding and slick looking 'Kirari' released in May 2010. The girl's showed great promise from the start, pulling ofthe song and choreography excellently.
Limited Addiction. I would go as far to it was definitely one of the best songs of 2011. The riff is great, the melody is perfect, the solo is fun, the arrangement is crisp sounding. . . . Trust me, I could go on forever.
Tokyo Girls' Style's brilliant, uber-funky new track 'Unmei' due out at the beginning of next month. The song is similar in style to last year's 'Bad Flower'. I wonder if this is TGS's style for the time being? I guess only time will tell?
Two groups. One who's tenure was disappointingly short and the other who are at three years and counting. I pray that Avex will not pull the plug on TGS as they have so much to offer and I cannot wait to see them in a few years time. Go girls! The world is your oyster!
Yesterday was rather productive for me as I solved some storage problems by buying a tall, thin shelving unit that fits nicely into my tiny room. After we had lived the joys of building flat-pack furniture, I went round the house claiming all the CDs that belonged to me and went on a wee trip down memory lane.
A New Home
Among the things that I found was a loose CD with the words "Morning Musume - 10 MY ME" written hastily on the front in permanent marker. This was the start of my J-pop fixation. I had not long got into Momusu and so had bought their, at the time, new album and burned it onto a CD. And suddenly it hit me that this was three years ago. I thought, "Wow, I must've been only been in second year when I got into all this". But thinking about it, I remember having Aya Hirano's 'Love Gun' stuck in my head during a first year french test, although I suppose that was the anime connection more than anything else.
Anyway, the Morning Musume of '10 MY ME' is now long gone, with only two members from that era remaining. Which brings me on to my next point. 'Renai Hunter' was a year ago! "That's not very long" you may say but, although it feels like yesterday, I would say I've changed quite a lot between then and now. It's been two years since I was entranced by miwa's fantastic debut album, two years since I was worryingly hooked on Perfume's 'Laser Beam', getting on for four years since I first heard Morning Musume and SCANDAL.
My point is that change is good. The change is what has, ultimately, fuelled by love of Japanese music. There is always new material being released and I cannot think of a time when I have been bored with a trend simply because they last no time at all! I often think to myself "Will I still like this stuff when I'm older?". While in the past I have been cynical and answered that question with "Of course not, I will have matured", now I see no reason why I can't be fan of Japanese music for years to come. After all, I've come this far.
(Bonus points to anyone who recognises the title of this post as a certain '99 gem)
Just the other day I was browsing the forums of 'Popjustice' and was lucky enough to come across a song called 'Lights' by a girl named Nobuchika Eri.
Released back in 2004, 'Lights' starts off as a piano ballad that shows of Eri's beautiful voice perfectly. However, by the chorus it has transformed into an incredible dance track. The changes in style between verse and chorus keep the listener hooked and created what was, in my opinion, an incredible debut single. Someone in the comments of the YouTube video has pointed out how the track reminds them of Sophie Ellis Bextor, who I love. Eri has a more powerful voice than Sophie but in terms of the laid-back dance style I can definitely see the comparison.
Eri's songs 'Sketch for Summer' and 'Kodou' which both have a sort of jazzy style, as well as 'Voice' which is a dance track powered by an acoustic Spanish sounding riff (shouldn't work but does).
Nobuchika Eri has now become the second 'personal favourite' that I have featured on this blog (the first was the incredible Shizukusa Yumi). I hope to continue highlighting some of the great J-music out there that maybe doesn't get quite the recognition it deserves.
