Along with Nantettate Idol, I’d say that Watashi ga Obasan ni Natte mo is a pretty defining piece of idol music. Considering how youth-obsessed the Japanese idol industry really is (I know that at 25 I would be way too old for a lot of idol groups), having a song directly be about aging fits this industry all too well. While it’s not quite as obviously self-referential as something like Nantettate Idol, having a song directly ask about if they’d still be loved when they become older is still self-referential and self-aware – I think that’s a big part of why this song is still very frequently covered.

That said, even without the lyrics Watashi ga Obasan ni Natte mo would probably be covered all the time just because it’s a great song. In fact, it’s possibly my favorite Japanese song of all time. The melody is what rules all here – while Chisato’s voice and the arrangement is good, this is possibly one of the catchiest and most fun to sing melodies out there – in fact, that might be why it’s covered so much. Watashi ga Obasan ni Natte mo is my go-to karaoke track, and it’s all becaus it has a great melody.