[1/29] MM。'14 55th "Egao no Kimi wa Taiyou sa / Kimi no Kawari wa Iyashinai / What is LOVE?" (158k in 3 weeks)

[forgetmenots]

The millions of syllable lines have started to seriously grow on me and now I even really like them. I'm a little surprised since that did take me aback at first.

What I find interesting about this song, however, is how there seems to only be about four actual solo lines. Most of the solo-like lines seems to be done in pairs and trios. Riho has the 'ga ii" parts and Ayumi has her rap voice parts as well (which with her grin really pull focus to her), but when it comes to obvious clear full sentence solo lines that I can find Maachan wins with two. Riho only has one and Mizuki has the other one. I kinda like how they've changed focus from the ace/center having to have the most lines on top of being centered to focusing on Riho's biggest talent: performance. The singing itself is divided up so much more than it used to be.

What is LOVE as well, even though Riho takes that final solo line, it seems like more of a Sayumi and Maachan lead, but Ayumi, Mizuki, Sakura and Riho with some lines as well. Compared to how things used to be divided up for lines I'm incredibly pleased. I like the variety of different voices, that's part of why I love the idea of girl groups rather than just a solo artist.

[Chibs]

it is good he isn't doing the ai/reina with eri/risa fixed style. But then again he might have not found what he wants to stick with yet.

[Amped]

promotion

Morning Musume '14 will be on the cover of Anican R Yanyan magazine vol.13 + 30 pages of the issue to promote the new single
http://tower.jp/item/3362953/

promotion

Morning Musume '14 will be the cover girls for GiRLPOP magazine 2014 SPRING issue and will be featured about their "re-break" and the promotion of the single.
http://www.7netshopping.jp/books/detail ... 106369484/

[Amped]

promotion :

forTUNE music is taking pre-orders for Morning Musume's new single special box set. includes a ticket to participate in photo-op events with members already arranged by teams and schedule OR in a 3 or 6 member group shot photo-op events
http://www.helloproject.com/event/13121 ... cheki.html
http://www.helloproject.com/event/13121 ... cheki.html
http://fortunemusic.jp/morning_cheki_1401_1/

forTUNE music is taking reservations for Morning Musume's new single that includes an individual handshake ticket.
http://www.helloproject.com/event/13121 ... kushu.html
http://fortunemusic.jp/morning_koaku_1401_1/

First round of orders starts 12/16, ends 12/20. Second round of orders start 1/7, ends 1/10.

events are scheduled on 3/2, 3/8, 3/23, 4/13, and 5/11

the first round of box set orders for the photo-op events is a success, so they are moving on to the second round of orders.
http://www.helloproject.com/event/13121 ... cheki.html
http://www.helloproject.com/event/13121 ... cheki.html

because of the popularity of the events, they have added another individual handshake event date on 4/26 in Tokyo
http://www.helloproject.com/event/13121 ... kushu.html

[mura_yo]

So, there are no events that are close to the release?

[boinsie]

I've been so off the radar for H!P releases for awhile.

I hadn't actually listened to What is LOVE? until this morning. But holy cow, it's so good. Some of Dub Musume, some kind of 8-bit hedgehog-inspired music, all tied together with genki idol fare~ And the fact that the only versions I've been able to find already are live performances, so there's not even the worry of whether they'll be able to pull it off outside of the recording studio... it's just marvelous.

My first listen to Egao was definitely, "wtf is this, a re-hash of the trash that is One's Life?"
And then when it was still stuck in my head a few hours later, I realized that maybe there was something there after all. A few more listens and I'm loving it.

The yearly-calendar-as-posters is pretty genius (and I wish I could more easily support it)... though, with the release date still 2 months away, a full poster's worth of days will go unused. ^^;;

[Parhelion69]

I hadn't actually listened to What is LOVE? until this morning. B

WHAT???

[Zunu]

Tsoonk sounds like a total Oda fanboy in that comment. I don't recall him ever gushing to that extent before.

[BerryzCelebration]

Producer Tsunku wrote a lengthy post with his comments on Morning Musume's new single and the members. This is my translation to English!

"Well then, in 2014 Morning Musume will begin with a fresh start as “Morning Musume ‘14”,
and those girls’ first single of 2014 will be a triple A-side single.

「Egao no Kimi wa Taiyou sa」
This song is a message to the current Morning Musume.
But it is necessary to live and survive in this new generation
I want to send a message of “youth”,
And I also wrote with the intention to tell myself, “victory”.
I am turning 45 but I’m not complete either.
I still need to grit my teeth and survive.
Not only that, I wrote with the feeling of having to treasure “smiles”.
In order for the members’ entire smiles to be genuine during the song’s hook, I read the lyrics countless times, and tried to create an image where they could deliver their best smiles while they were singing.
Perhaps you can’t see how very difficult the dance is, but this song has a shuffle rhythm when it comes to the hopping up and down, and it is incredibly hard to perform that.
And so, the chorus’ dance was made simple in order for that jumping effect to be shown well.
Please enjoy this jumping effect while they sing!
In the music video the cloudy sky has the image of rushing about, and the production was done with such a large scale in mind.

「Kimi no Kawari wa Iyashinai」
Well, this song is the official cheer song for the Sochi Olympics representatives from Japan.
The rhythm is fairly strong, and the BPM is fast as well.
I did “Kimi no Kawari wa Iyashinai” with the meaning of every individual being unique.
I wrote the lyrics with the belief that our DNA and such shine in our own personal space.
It’s often said that no adversary can surpass our efforts, but I really do believe in that.
Because if you lose to yourself, nothing will begin at all.
I think the girls are also bringing themselves closer and closer to tomorrow’s success with their great efforts as they sing and dance in that incredible rhythm.
The dance is instense, and at times the members have to substitute one another when they fall like dominoes.
Sometimes they also change places with each other on the left and right like they do in the shadow clone technique.
It’s a song where all the members come together and merge as one.
It certainly gives meaning to the song title, “There’s no one who can substitute you”!

「What is LOVE？」
I think recently this is the song that was composed and written in the shortest time, up to the arrangement.
No, even until the vocal recording to the trackdown it can be considered the fastest.
And from there there was trouble with the formation at the beginning of dance rehearsals, and so it was all done in a very compact time.
Please don’t think something like “what’re you talking about, it can be done”.
It’s rare for there to be something like this. Even while doing the arrangement and vocal recording, there was almost no criticism. They followed the image, perfected the dance, and had no doubt but to go forward.
It’s happened. During “LOVE Machine” it was like that too.
Of course there were fine tuning and sudden big changes, but from there things went very smoothly, and the passion of the members and staff piled up and delivered a really good outcome in the end. Things like that happen.
The lyrics were a collaboration project with NHK’s “J-MELO”; coming from a survey with fans from all over the world, I took them and transformed them into the song lyrics.
It is the certain that after the great disaster in Japan, the lingering memories are still continuing.
Under these circumstances, even if we call for world peace it may not have any effect.
Well, it’s that kind of message.
It’s just that in the world the opposite can also be true; having peace and equality (setting these goals) depends on us looking at the things that we ought to do, seeing the problems around us that we need to resolve. This is what I want to make known.
I assembled the shuffle beat with digital rock.
Having created a song with such a vigorous beat like this, when the current Morning Musume performs it they do it in such a beautiful, lovely way. That’s what I think.

Michishige
She’s doing her best as the leader, but as an individual she’s also putting effort into being reliable.
It must be tough to watch over the troubles of the new members, but I myself well understand that in order to guide the juniors, one must keep growing.
Michishige is at that stage now too, isn’t she.

Fukumura
She’s the sub-leader; I feel that day after day she’s giving huge effort.
Although during her Hello! Pro Egg time I didn’t recognize her as the type who’s good at dancing, she’s now able to dance with sharpness.
If she can understand rhythm that alone will influence her singing. Now is her period of growth, isn’t it.

Ikuta
“Ahh~ KY” etc is what’s being said of her, but isn’t it true?
Ahh, that’s certainly the case, but I get the feeling that even as a KY she’s surpassing a certain level and reaching that stage of a pro.
With her positivity, the atmosphere around her is always cheerful.
I want her to cut through without breaking her spirit!

Sayashi
Since she became a member, the image of Morning Musume’s dance and performance has changed
Saying that isn’t an exaggeration, and that’s not all, but I feel that singing-wise the image has also changed.
From the very start it’s been said that her dancing is good, but I think that even after joining she’s been working hard everyday and continuously increasing her skill.

Suzuki
Recently I thought she’s faced a bit of problems,
but now she’s come and opened doors by herself.
From the start she’s been sharp in her dancing and singing,
If she can open a new door for herself now she can keep growing each time.
It’d be good if she can make conversation in her own words with more freedom.

Iikubo
This girl is strong too, huh.
I don’t get part of her true nature. It’s possible that in her heart she’s actually shouting “help me~!” or “what do I do now?!” and so on, but she’s also going “I’m fine!” with that face. That’s splendid.
Even though she was an amateur in dancing and singing, she always accepts the challenge desperately. She’s reliable.

Ishida
I wrote it before too, but she’s become brighter. Both her heart and atmosphere.
It’s possible that she can be seen as tacky.
Since it’d be a disadvantage to be seen as just tacky on one side, it’s necessary to be conscious about something so that it doesn’t just end up as that. While she has a rivalry with Sayashi over the number 1 spot in dance, she’s able to come up to speed in singing so I’m looking forward to her performance from now onwards as well!
Sato
It’s undeniable she still has the feeling of being the youngest child, but even so it is a fact that her true strength is showing more.
It’s just that it’s a pity that she herself isn’t aware of this.
Even though she has a sense of rhythm, it’s a waste that she doesn’t go beyond that to understand more about the theory behind it.
It’s good that her voice is also starting to build up, so from now on she should be aiming for an A grade in the singing department.
I hope she’ll do her best.

Kudo
She’s really growing taller; along with that, she’s started to become able to make expressions like an adult.
It’s not just her responses, but she’s also becoming firmer in speaking for herself.
If she’s able to give delicate expressions in her dance from her eyelashes to her fingertips she’ll grow more and more.
In Morning Musume she’s the person with the most room for growth.

Oda
Her singing has power like a spring, and she moves all the way to her fingertip. She has a power of expression that can’t be called gooey.
It’s such that you want to be a tsukkomi and ask “are you natto?!”
She can do anything with skill; even if it’s singing or dancing, she can draw her heart and feelings out and instantly improve.
She can copy the demo tape and the dance and do better than them, making herself even stronger in her own way that’s beyond comprehension!"

I found this in Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helloprojectfa ... 3672905958

I love Tsunku so much. It makes me sad when people hate on him or whatever. This man does so much work and I feel like the fandom doesn't really appreciate him enough.

I know some people do, but generally, Idk. I'm sure more negative comments are made about Tsunku in general than positive ones...

Really, though, everyone should love him. He's the entire reason any of us are here. Hello! Project exists only because of a decision this amazing man made. And, even today, he still continues to be amazing. Sure, people might not agree with everything he does, but still.

Also, he knows his shit. There's no denying that.

Starra, pls, marry me,


Poem
I love that I really felt all the things he says about "Egao no kimi...".
I love that he explains exactly what What is Love? is.
I love that I want to see "Kimi no Kawari..." so badly.
And I love that he seems to know the girls very well.
Tsunku, oh beloved Tsunku, 55th single's name
is what I'm feeling right about you now.




No, seriously. He's awesome.

So his sun is bright like sunshine,no one can replace him,and he is love?
Sounds about right.

[Nayoko-Kihara]

My first listen to Egao was definitely, "wtf is this, a re-hash of the trash that is One's Life?"

I hadn't considered it, but maybe me liking "One's Life" is somehow related to me not really digging "Egao...".