Comfort Funk

ANGERME – “Hade ni Yacchai na!”

The second track from ANGERME’s forthcoming single hit YouTube a couple of days ago, and we’re seeing a few trends developing. First, this is Anju’s third single in a row with a decidedly funk-pop track, which in and of itself is neither good nor bad. Of the three, I rank “Hade ni Yacchai na!” between “Mirror, Mirror” and “Hakkiri Shiyou ze,” and while it has room to grow, I don’t see it ever catching “Mirror, Mirror.” From a musical and production standpoint it’s unremarkable, and I mean that in the most clinical sense possible. I suppose a more charitable way to put it is that it sounds familiar, which is fine so long as it’s good — not every song has to break ground or push envelopes, and in the idol game it’s probably best that most don’t. “Hade ni Yacchai na!” is enjoyable, but nothing really stands out to me melodically, harmonically, rhythmically , vocally or instrumentally. It’s solid but unspectacular musical comfort food.

The only thing that does stand out is the second — and more disturbing — trend that I hope is not actually a trend, but rather an anomaly unique to this particular single, and that’s the noticeable use of not-for-effect pitch correction. I talked about this at length in my review of “Ai ・ Masho,” and it’s back for Round 2. The solo lines from both Shion and Yuki are the worst examples of this, being wrenched with authority into the Auto-Tune Uncanny Valley: the area where it almost sounds like an effect, but not quite, and is absolutely unnatural. There’s almost zero variation between voices in the unison lines, which means they’ve not only been hard-tuned, but stretched to be perfectly aligned note-for-note. Without belaboring the point again, I’ll just say that a large percentage of H!P’s built-in audience neither requires nor desires such production “perfection,” and this is the sort of thing — should it become commonplace — that could push some of that audience away.

As with the song, the video feels familiar, although much more well done. The set for the dance shots is just grimy enough for the funky music, and the back lighting is used to great effect. The blue-and-black outfits for these parts are idol-chic and perfectly fit each member’s personality. There’s a lot of Bad Bitch energy here, lead by Rikako (obviously) but it works for everyone, with one obvious exception (one day, Wakana, you will be able to pull off “bad bitch,” but today is not that day.) The twin tropes of the impromptu fashion show and the magazine covers also work well, mainly because the stylish fashions they feature are awesome. Everything is a great fit not only for this song, but for a group that has felt as much like a modeling agency as it has an idol troupe for several years now.

Memphis Soul Stew this is not, but “Hade ni Yacchai na!” is satisfying enough H!P comfort-funk to hold you for a while, although maybe not the nearly full year that seems to have become ANGERME’s release schedule, which is the third, also disturbing, trend.