As we near the 22nd anniversary of Morning Musume's debut single, "Morning Coffee" (1/28/1998), I went through all of their single covers and ranked my top 20(+1). Only covers for audio editions that were available for purchase to the general public through normal channels are considered, so no Single V's, and no event, promo or … Continue reading Top 20 Morning Musume Singles Cover Art
Morning Musume
Generation XV
Morning Musume - "KOKORO&KARADA / LOVEpedia / Ningen Kankei No way way" The most anticipated Morning Musume singles for me these days are those that debut a new generation. I've been less interested in the H!P flagship than all other H!P groups since Sayumi graduated, and that saddens me a bit. MM is the group … Continue reading Generation XV
Did “One•Two•Three” Save H!P?
I saw this pop up in my Twitter feed a few days ago: https://twitter.com/ainogundan/status/1208394441142292481 This is an interesting theory. There's no question that "One•Two•Three" (OTT) returned Morning Musume to relevance in the J-idol world, but it's effect on the Hello! Project itself is something I'd never considered. I did some research using data from the … Continue reading Did “One•Two•Three” Save H!P?
“Ai no Tane (20th Anniversary Ver)”
The Hello! Project dropped it's 20th Anniversary bomb today; a (slight) reworking of Morning Musume's first recording, "Ai no Tane", originally released on this day in 1997. The group, dubbed Morning Musume 20th, consists of the current MM'17 lineup and the full original 1st Generation. It's a digital-only release, which is understandable, as the target … Continue reading “Ai no Tane (20th Anniversary Ver)”
Oh HELL Yes!
If this is the only thing to come of the Morning Musume 20th anniversary, well, I'll still be disappointed, but this is a surprise. Just watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThUHrBnBBnQ This makes me happier than this guy right here: I can't put into words how happy I am that Asuka was able to put aside her differences with … Continue reading Oh HELL Yes!
Morning Musume ’17 “Wakaindashi” – First Impressions
The first song of Morning Musume '17's new single has been radio-ripped to Youtube. If you haven't heard it yet, here's your big opportunity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px4rBfIGIeA I know this is only half the song, but I really hate this. It's musical pabulum. The arrangement feels mailed-in and directionless, which is odd for a Tsunku production. It … Continue reading Morning Musume ’17 “Wakaindashi” – First Impressions
Holy Hell, I found that DJ Kuno Remix I mentioned in the last post…
Buried in the deep recesses of an old hard drive is this remarkable fan remix of Morning Musume's "Roman ~MY DEAR BOY~", which is really a three-way mash-up of MM, Namie Amuro ("Strobe") and HALCALI ("Tandem"). It's a stunning work that represents, in my opinion, the absolute peak of the fertile Morning Musume remix scene of … Continue reading Holy Hell, I found that DJ Kuno Remix I mentioned in the last post…
That Time When Yossie and Mikitty Got Their Moe On.
Sorry for the lull in posting new content. I'm in the process of moving out-of-state, and it's taking up most of my time. As a gift, here's a video of perhaps the most fantastically ridiculous Morning Musume performance ever: Miki Fujimoto and Hitomi Yoshizawa doing "Rainbow Pink": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtEppjV6xZ0 Yossie's abject failure to pull of the … Continue reading That Time When Yossie and Mikitty Got Their Moe On.
The Country Girls/H!P Shake-up
We now know the results of the Country Girls/KSS Divestment Draft of 2017: ANGERME gets CG member Musubu Funaki and KSS member Ayano Kawamura; Morning Musume gets CG member Chisaki Morito; Juice=Juice gets CG member Nanami Yanagawa and KSS member Danbara Ruru. KSS member Reina Ichioka will lead a new group with members to be … Continue reading The Country Girls/H!P Shake-up
Random Thought On Haruna Ogata
What you wanted: The new Nozomi Tsuji. What you'd settle for: The new Asami Konno. What you got: Takahashi's personality, Koharu's voice, and Iikubo's dancing.