My Top 25 Songs of 2014 – 10 to 6

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10. Morning Musume ’14 – What is Love?

One of the coolest, most surreal experiences of my year was seeing Morning Musume perform live and meeting the members. That was an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime weekend that I will never forget. However, I might not have decided to fly to New York for a weekend and stand in line for six hours if Morning Musume hadn’t really upped their game in 2013 and 2014.

Morning Musume’s unevenness is it’s greatest asset and its greatest weakness. It’s always an interesting group, to follow, but there are some lineups and some musical eras that I like better than others. Morning Musume has really hit its stride in the post-10th gen era with catchy, fun music, and What is Love is my favorite MM song in several years.

I think what initially made me love What is Love is the way it bends genres, taking Morning Musume’s current electronic music and mixing it with swing. It’s a delight to hear two genres that don’t get too much mixing and putting them together. Aside from that, What is Love is just a successful song; the pacing is perfect and with a catchy melody. I might have liked some real instruments, but the dubstep instrumentation works just fine here.

What is Love was the first song I got really excited about in 2014, and I think it’s going to be a favorite for years to come.

9. Especia – No 1 Sweeper

While i haven’t explored Especia as much as I might like, there’s no denying that they’re one of the most unique groups out there, in terms of sound and aesthetic. While I’m not entirely familiar enough with vaporwave as a movement, it’s clear that they are inspired by vaporwave. They are clearly influenced by the 80s and early 90s, but often the aspects that aren’t the most fondly remembered, like the saxophone.

While I have been intrigued by Especia for a while, No 1 Sweeper is the first song that really spoke to me (though I am also very fond of Kuru ka na). It’s arguably the most listenable of Especia’s songs, with a catchy melody that shines through all the intentional cheesiness and weirdness of the instrumentation.

That said, I do like how ambitious Especia is as a group. A lot of idol groups are doing some fantastic things with music, but Especia has such a distinct and unique sound and feel to them that it makes them intriguing. I like that they have relatively cheesy instrumentation; I might have a high tolerance for cheese, but it gives them a unique appeal.

Especia is going for something unique and I have to love it. No 1 Sweeper is an addicting song and I can’t wait to hear more from them.

8. Dempagumi.inc – Sakura Apparition

Oh man, did Dempagumi.inc start the year out right. Sakura Apparition isn’t perhaps as ambitious or interesting as the W.W.D series (or the next Dempa song on this list), but it’s a well-constructed, fun, song. I especially enjoy the brief snippets of traditional Japanese music, especially the extended bit that sounds like it’s inspired a lot by ondo music. This isn’t a route Dempagumi.inc goes down too often (preferring to surround themselves much more with a modern identity of Japan rather than a traditional one), but I do like the combination of sounds. It makes me wonder what a dempa enka ballad might sound like.

The melody is, as always from Dempagumi, catchy and strong. It feels a lot more unified and standard than some of their other songs, but I think it works here. The arrangement isn’t a very stand out one (though I often find myself listening to the bass line of this song) but focuses more on supporting the melody in a fairly unobtrusive way. There are some snippets of what sounds like some traditional instruments, so kudos to Dempa for this.

Sakura Apparition isn’t the most interesting or most out there Dempagumi.inc, but it’s a really solid, really enjoyable listen that I’ve enjoyed since it came out.

7. Takoyaki Rainbow – Zesshou! Naniwa de Umareta Shoujotachi

When Takoyaki Rainbow’s center, Towa, graduated the group, I wasn’t too worried. Stardust does a solid job of promoting every member in its groups, so while Towa is missed it’s not a fatal strike the group. However, I did wonder what would happen to the group. As it turns out, they got another song by Hyadain, and an introduction song.

The song I’d most easily be able to compare this to is Dempagumi.inc’s W.W.D, except much more joyful. W.W.D was about Dempagumi.inc’s members coming from less than zero, while Zesshou is much more of an upbeat introduction song focusing on the group being from Osaka. Much like W.W.D, each member gets a separate introduction piece, which then all comes together into the chorus. It’s the type of thing that you don’t think will work, but somehow all the weird pieces of this song come together in a much cohesive whole than I thought it would.

All of Takoyaki Rainbow are still growing as singers and performers, but there is a real confidence to Zesshou. Sakura, Karen and Kurumi all show off some solid vocal skills. This group is growing very rapidly and it’s really fun to watch.

Listen, just seeing the word “Hyadain” should clue you in. This is another really fun, quality song by Hyadain that does a great job of introducing the group. I am so excited to see more of Takoniji.

6. Team Syachihoko – Akamiso Blood

I love this song. I briefly considered putting it at the very top of this year’s list, but held off. But man, Akamiso Blood is one of the most unique songs that came out this year.

Essentially, this is the collaboration of Team Syachihoko and Daichi, a beatboxer who got a lot of recognition off of YouTube. So this is a very minimalist track of Daichi, a keyboard, and Team Syachihoko, who provide both the main vocals and some of the other rhythm and sounds found in the piece.

This is incredibly minimalist, a completely unusual idol song. While some idols have done acapella before, I don’t know any groups that did something this minimalist and had it as an album track. Of course, this is reinforced by the vocals, piano and melody all working well together, but the fact that this even got made shows incredible trust in the songwriter (Shihori, who also did MomoClo’s GOUNN), Daichi, and the members.

 

Idol Thoughts: Is it possible to have an “accurate” Request Hour?

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I will probably write more about AKB48’s Request Hour after the top 200 songs are performed later this week, but this year deserves some special notice because, for the first time, they are doing a request hour 1035. This is every single AKB48, SKE48, NMB48, HKT48, JKT48, SNH48, SDN48, solo and unit songs, ranked by fan votes. Since performing all of these songs live is pretty impossible, everything up to 200 is put on YouTube. This is a fascinating look at AKB48 for anyone, so I’d consider taking a look.

The first thing that’s pretty easy to notice is how much the 48 groups have changed in terms of structure. The low ranked songs from 2006 – 2009 are almost all stage songs. The low ranked songs from 2010 – 2014 are usually the B-sides to singles. Any AKB fan could tell you that the focus has moved from the theater to other venues, but this is a clear reminder that stage performances have taken a backseat.

However, the main thing I was complaining about is that this ranking does not seem to be about quality at all. I know that must seem incredibly obvious, since this is a fan ranking, but it got me wondering if there was a way to “fix” this.

Essentially, voting for Request Hour is a second Senbatsu Sousenkyo – it’s a popularity contest for members, hidden in the trappings of voting for songs. People tend to vote for the songs that feature their favorite member most heavily, which is why Itoshiki no Natasha ranked so highly for quite a while (because Sashihara Rino fans were voting it up high). There are always some very highly ranked stage songs because of that very reason.

However, is there a way to have a more accurate fan vote focusing more on quality of songs? Fan voting is always going to have an element of bias towards favorite members. I’ve listened to many more Watarirouka Hashiritai songs than I have listened to no3b songs, for example, because I much prefer Watarirouka as a group, and that’s the case. Newer songs are going to have an advantage because current fans will have more likely listened to them than older songs. Older fans are smaller in number, and many of them may have moved on from 48 groups.

Further, there is an incentive to vote for recent songs because of the changing lineup of members in the groups. Say your all-time favorite member graduated. You might vote for the song featuring your current member, because you know that at least they will be there to perform the song.

I don’t think there’s a way to get away from this affecting the rankings, especially the top spots, as long as you have fan voting. However, ranking every song gives an interesting opportunity to see all the songs voted higher. I’m not sure if AKB will do this again next year, since they are making a big deal that this is the 10th anniversary of AKB48. However, if they do it again, the “fix” that might make things more interesting – allowing each vote to vote for multiple songs.

Now, I doubt that AKB48 will do this. Since votes are limited to fans who either members of a subscription or for fans who bought a copy of the most recent single, there are financial stakes in the request hour. That said, there are financial stakes for the fans, too. If you are going to buy a single and have a limited number of votes based off of what you are willing to pay, you aren’t going to throw away those votes

However, if you got a ballot that allowed for, say, 10 songs without repeats, you might be inclined to vote for songs you like to listen to in addition to songs that feature your favorite. Weighting these might make the results even more reliable; have fans rank the songs 1 – 10, and weight it at 10 points for 1, 9 points for 2, etc. I know this is how a lot of foreign fans tend to weigh voting systems, but it works pretty well. So that way, fans could definitely vote for their favorite member’s biggest song, but they might be inclined to give their #10 vote for a song they just like to listen to.

The biggest issue with this list is the lowest songs have too many ties; I’m assuming they’re songs that got 1 vote, then two votes. This system could help break those up and get a more solid ranking, as well as allowing for more popular group songs get further (Party ga Hajimaru yo and Wasshoi B do not belong in the 400s, I’m sorry).

No system is going to be perfect for getting an accurate ranking of 48 groups songs, especially if you want a ranking that is about quality rather than who is in the song. However, allowing for more songs per voting system might give people the perceived ability to vote for more songs, and get a more varied and more interesting Request Hour.

My Top 25 Songs of 2014 – 15 to 11

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15.  Takoyaki Rainbow –  Naniwa no Haniwa

While the song has grown on me, I didn’t like Takoyaki Rainbow’s debut single Under the Takoyaki Rainbow much initially. I like it now, but it felt disappointing. So, when Naniwa no Haniwa came out, the one thing that struck me immediately was that it was written by Maeyamada Kenichi. Well, this song turned my impression of Takoyaki Rainbow around, fast.
Like many Hyadain-penned songs for Stardust groups, Naniwa no Haniwa is fast paced and weird. However, starting from the drums, it has a bit of a traditional feel to it. While they haven’t stuck with this in their next single, I like that a lot.
There are so many odd elements in here; some melodramatic singing, the shouting, singing “nyan nyan nyan,” the recorders, etc. I feel like written by anyone else, this song could be unlistenable in its annoyingness. However, in Hyadain’s hands, he is able to put together several disjointed elements and weird things to make a cohesive, fun song that put Takoniji on the map.
14. Dempagumi.inc – Dempari Night

My first instinct in writing this was to claim that 2014 was a less than stellar year for Dempa, though that is blatantly false. Dempagumi.inc in 2014 is still one of the most consistently interesting and consistently fun idol groups out there. Even though I wasn’t terribly fond of Dear Stage e Youkoso (it was fine but not to the level of the rest of Dempa’s output), their musical output was fantastic all around.
While Dempari Night isn’t my highest ranking Dempagumi song of the year, it has a lot of interesting elements going for it. It’s a lot more cohesive than some of my favorites of 2013, namely the W.W.D series, but it still has some odd, interesting elements to it. I especially enjoyed the Russian influenced section and the use of the ticking clock as a percussive instrument. The entire arrangement of this is top notch and solid.
While I preferred other Dempa songs, there’s no way I couldn’t include this on my list.
13. i*Ris – Itazura Taiyou

i*Ris is one of those groups that, when I first listened to them this year, I immediately wondered why there wasn’t more buzz surrounding this group, especially among foreign fans. Their music is great, but more notably, i*Ris has strong vocalists and high production values. Their music is really fun and sounds great. While the group’s masterpiece is 2013’s Gensoukyoku Wonderland (a song, had I known its existence, would have been easily in my top 10 songs of the year), 2014’s Itazura Taiyou is fantastic.
While the overall production value is arguably the strongest part of Itazura Taiyou (the vocals are mixed very well), the entire instrumentation and arrangement is very well done. The way that the heavy drums and guitar is mixed with some electronic sounds reminds me a bit of Jeff Lynne from Electric Light Orchestra. However, the vocal arrangement is really the top, here. The background vocals and the harmonies sound fantastic. On top of all this production value is a solid melody and hook.
i*Ris is a group that I’d recommend checking out if you haven’t already. I haven’t heard a great amount of buzz about this group with foreign fans, but if you value any kind of production value, I’d give i*Ris a shot.
12. Rhymeberry – Idol Illmatic

Going into 2014, Rhymeberry had me worried. Their early single, Winter Jam, was fine but not anywhere near the heights of something like SUPERMCZTOKYO. Then one of their members, Yuka, graduated from the group. Then they left their label, T-Palette (whether they left on their own volition or were booted, I have no idea). Things weren’t looking good for Rhymeberry. Then they put out Idol Illmatic and all my worries were assuaged, because Rhymeberry came back better than ever. A cliche? yes. However, it doesn’t stop it from being true.
The biggest thing that sets Idol Illmatic apart from Rhymeberry’s earlier singles is that there are only two members; yet, their skills as MCs have improved, even since the release of SUPERMCZTOKYO. Miri in particular has a great flow, but Hime is more than pulling her weight. This track goes back and forth between both Miri and Hime, adding a great energy to the track. Even DJ Hikaru gets in and sings, adding a sung hook in the middle of the song.
Idol Illmatic is not as inventive as Sekaichuu ni I Love You or as polished as SUPERMCZTOKYO, but it focuses on the raw skill of the members of the group. It reminds me a little of Rhymeberry’s first single, Hey! Brother, but with a lot more skill involved. Miri and Hime are legitimately skilled as MCs and fun to listen to.
While I started 2014 worried for Rhymeberry’s future, Idol Illmatic has me excited.
11. Team Syachihoko – Ii Kurashi

 I’ve written about Ii Kurashi twice already, so I’ll keep this short. Going into listening Ii Kurashi, if you told  me “Team Syachihoko will do an acid house song as their latest single,” I would be unsure of what to think. Ii Kurashi is not a song I would normally listen to, but it made me intrigued in the genre and allowed Syachi to do a song that isn’t very idol-like. It’s a long song that never outstays its welcome. While it’s not my top Syachi song of the year, I do think it’s a very well-written song and one that I’m glad that my favorite idol group got to perform.

My Top 25 Songs of 2014 – 20 to 16

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20. Rev. from DVL – Step by Step

I can’t find a video link that contains this song, but if you haven’t checked out the B-Sides to the Rev. from DVL singles, please do! There are some really surprising and excellent songs in there. One song in particular is Kimi Dake no Story, a duet between members Nagisa and Miki, and Eien Puzzle. But man, Step by Step is one of my favorite songs of the year and ended up being my favorite Rev song, after a year of three really solid groups.

It’s hard to explain why I latched onto this song so much. The back and forth in the vocals during the verses is great, the (admittedly fake) strings in the instrumentation sound great, and everything has a nice energy to it. But really, it’s the repetition of “step by step” in the chorus that got to me. The back and forth between “step by step” and the other words of the chorus have a great, infectious effect. I first really listened to this song during one of their performances at Tokyo Idol Festival and since then I had the song stuck in my head. This is one of the catchiest, most infectious melodies of the year.

This isn’t one of the most groundbreaking singles, but Rev wasn’t one of the most groundbreaking groups. Yet, despite that, Rev has succeeded by having a discography of really solid pop tunes with catchy melodies. So while I might not think they are the most interesting songs of the year, they are some of the songs I’ll be listening to in the future.

19. Aso Natsuko – My Starlit Point

This is a very bittersweet placement on my list, as Natsuko announced this year that she was putting her music career on hiatus. I don’t blame her; last I checked she was studying law at a prestigious university as well as being a television presenter. However it is bittersweet that her last album ended up being so good, possibly her best album. Natsuko’s music has always been a very high standard, but My Starlit Point as an album was cohesive, well-written music, and its titular song is no exception. While not as strong as her recent singles Moonrise Romance and Never Ending Voyage, My Starlit Point goes heavy on the strings and guitar to create a fast-paced yet beautiful song. It’s arranged beautifully, and Natsuko is at her finest, vocally. It’s more laidback than something dramatic like Never Ending Voyage, but it does a lot to show off how strong Natsuko is. I’ll definitely miss her, as she was a bright spot in the idol business.

18. RYUTist – Chu-la-la

One of the best moments of my year was seeing RYUTist live, but man do I wish they had put out this song before the live because this is fantastic! I love a good deal of RYUTist’s music, but I don’t think I would complain if they veered more to the style of Chu-La-La. This is definitely old-school, but what it reminds me of more than anything is 2nd generation Tanpopo, stuff like Otome Pasta ni Kandou. This song gets that style perfectly, down to the background vocals of “ooh la la.” Deciding to do this song is one thing, but the execution of it is near perfect, from the vocals to the melody to the arrangement. The back and forth between the main vocals and the background, for example, is stellar. This song chose to have a specific style and just aced it, and it happens to be a style of song I really love. This is a big highlight of the year, and I hope that RYUTist can keep it up!

17. Team Syachihoko – It’s New Sekai

Choosing a selection of Team Syachihoko songs to include on this list was no easy feat. So there are going to be others higher up on this list. This is a late addition, a B-Side off their newest single, Shampoo Hat. When Shampoo Hat, a much more normal song, came out, I think a lot of people wondered how Syachi’s music would end up in the future, since Syachihoko has long been a group known for upbeat, weird music. However, It’s New Sekai proves that they aren’t completely doing a new thing. It’s New Sekai is fast paced and catchy from the getgo; it’s hard to not get the “Wow wow wow” stuck in your head. The further you go into the song, thought, the more interesting it gets, with tempo and style changes. The slower sections are very beautiful, with piano-heavy instrumentation. I also love the execution of this song; the members really growl out the word “ishibashi” for example, and get into this.

I really don’t like using the word “epic” because it’s really overused, but that’s how I feel like I have to describe this song. It feels like there is a sense of scale to it; even the title, “It’s New World” has a sense of scale. Immediately after this song was first played, people started saying it sounded like an anime ending, and I think it’s because of that sense of weight the song has.

It’s New Sekai is a fantastic song, and one I’m glad to have in the Team Syachihoko discography.

16. LinQ – Uessai! Gassai!

I believe I said this last year, but I want to get more into LinQ. I really like the leader, Amano Natsu, and the group is a bundle of fun, as in Uessai! Gassai!. This single had quite a bit of hype surrounding it, as it was produced by Dempagumi.inc’s producer. And, by the vast amount of energy in this song, it shows. This song is very high energy, with a great melody and a really fun back and forth between the members. It reminds me a bit of SKE48’s 1 2 3 4 Yoroshiku, which is one of SKE’s best singles in my opinion. This song is very well produced, with tons of energy and fun. There’s never a dull moment, and even at it’s slowest it still feels like there’s a good deal of energy at play. Uessai! Gassai! is one of the most fun songs of 2014, and one I will keep listening to for quite a while.

2014 in Review

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The end of the year is always a great time for reflection. While I don’t necessarily get serious about resolutions or anything, I like doing end of the year lists because I think it’s a great way of summing up the year and taking a big picture look at things. It’s hard to think about these things while the year is going on, but I do like thinking about these things. As such, here are some of my assorted thoughts about 2014.

AKB48 is falling – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

As someone who has been a big AKB fan in the past, 2014 was not a great year. In addition to having subpar musical output, the attack of Kawaei Rina seriously put into doubt one of the cornerstones of AKB’s fandom, the handshake event. Things are slowly cooling down, but right around the time of the event there was serious doubt thrown into it. Members are graduating left and right, and the last real notable single was, by my count, Koisuru Fortune Cookie. Kokoro no Placard was really trying hard to replicate the viral success of Koichun, but not working.

In 2015, AKB48 is going to seriously have to do something – Takahashi Minami is graduating, and while she hasn’t been to the level of Maeda Atsuko, she is probably the biggest grad since Acchan. Nothing against Yuko or Mariko, but Takamina is a huge influence within the group as well as outside of the group. They will have to seriously work if AKB is to remain the biggest group out there.

That said, while the 48 groups have been starting to struggle (and, mind you, this is while they are maintaining their chart dominance – by no means has the 48 groups failed YET), I don’t know if this is a bad thing. While I have maintained in the past that the 48 groups dominance is a pretty good thing, for bringing idols into the public eye, this might also not be a bad thing. We are at the point where there are several groups out there that have big followings. Idol groups are out in the public eye, and a decline in popularity for AKB might not be terrible. If even half of the current AKB fans decided to support other idol groups, should AKB fall, that would be a huge boon to smaller groups. While I’m sure there are a lot of AKB fans that are just fans of AKB and nothing else, there are certainly fans that are mostly interested in idols and might be inclined to move on.

The point is, even though I do think it’s possible to point at AKB and say it’s the beginning of the end (unless they make some big changes to make themselves more relevant) I don’t think this will necessarily be a bad thing for the idol industry as a whole.

Lesser known idol groups keep on growing and doing great things for the industry

More and more idol groups are going major; I recently saw that Yumemiru Adolescence is going major, for example. While working on my top 25 list of songs, I was really amazed at the variety of the groups, and how many groups I’m enjoying that either just went major or are fairly recent groups. The idol boom is really paying off for a vast number of idol groups who are managing to do good things with it.

I think this could be excused by the idol boom, which I would say started at the end of 2009 with AKB48’s River but really came into its own in 2010 with Heavy Rotation. So it’s been several years, and groups that were formed around that time are finally coming into their own. That said, these groups are often diverse musically, and there’s a ton of really quality stuff out there. Beyond idols being a trend, there are a ton of groups that are filling musical niches and doing really interesting stuff. These are the groups I think can stand the test of time, but I think beyond that they are showing that idol groups don’t just have to exist as a trend or as nerd culture, but can fill musical niches as well.

I’m really satisfied with where the idol industry is going, and I have high hopes for the future, even as idols become less trendy.

International appeal is gaining notice, which is good for me!

As a live music fan, being a fan of idol music can kind of suck. I love going to live concerts, but I’m at the point where I have to fly out somewhere to see shows. That said, the distance I would have to go is shortening.

This year, Morning Musume, Babymetal, Cheeky Parade, Tokyo Girls Style, Itano Tomomi, RYUTist and Aither all performed live in the United States. That is quite a lineup. With Babymetal’s huge fan following outside of Japan, with Morning Musume’s successful live at a decently sized concert venue, with Cheeky Parade making a PV and performing at a non-Japanese themed event, things are going well for Japanese artists in the United States. These are all still incredibly niche followings, of course, but slowly but surely Japanese groups are starting to realize they have a passionate following outside of Japan.

I really hope this trend can continue, partially for my sake, but also so that idol music can possibly expand and grow.

My 2014

On a personal level, 2014 is the best year I’ve experienced as an idol fan. While my blog writing has definite room for improvement, I had a lot of really great things happen this year. The big two were Idol Matsuri and seeing Morning Musume in New York. Honestly, thinking back, it’s hard to fathom the things I did this year. I flew to both coasts of the United States on my own, stayed in a hotel with friends, met idol groups, met more friends, and had two incredible weekends.

Idol Matsuri was another level of fun. It was a very small event, but that lead to a really fun, intimate atmosphere. It’s a little surreal, hanging around at the hotel, and seeing the idols you are into hanging around the hotel as well. Or being in the front row for two indie lives. It was a really full weekend of fun. Even beyond the idol moments, of which there were many (Chatting with Aither’s Misaki about Morning Musume and her singing Ikuze Kaitou Shoujo, RYUTist doing their intro to me during their interview), this is the first time I really hung out with idol fans I know online in person, and it was ridiculously fun.

It’s easy to imagine how fun going to an idol live, but almost equally memorable are things like going out to a late night meal with a bunch of idol fans, fellow bloggers and twitter buddies. Being able to mention to people at the con that I love Team Syachihoko, and have other people go “OH Team Syachihoko is great!” is a weirdly amazing kind of thing that I don’t get in my personal life. I don’t want to list everyone I met because that would get boring fast, but if I met you it was an absolute pleasure. Talking idols was so much fun, and I want to hang out again sometime.

New York was another really fun time because, while RYUTist and Aither were really fun, Morning Musume is really the group that got me into idols in the first place. Seeing Renai Revolution 21 and The Peace performed, two of my long-standing favorite idol songs, was a moving experience. Even though this group is very different from the group that I became a fan of, and even though they performed updated versions of my favorite songs, it was still an amazing experience. Hell, even waiting in line for over six hours was totally worth it, because it allowed me to meet more people and chat with more people. Waiting in Times Square and seeing this concert was practically surreal, as was meeting the members. Even though I can barely remember meeting half the members, because it all went so fast, it was really wonderful. Ishida Ayumi has been a favorite for a couple of years, now, so telling her that I was a big fan of hers and getting to wear her colors was so fun.

Again, meeting people was just as big of a deal, if I’m being real. I stayed with my friend, Dani, who I’ve been good friends with for easily over 5 years at this point. I had a lot of fun hanging out in New York with her, and being able to meet her was really special. Hello! Party was very fun, as well, and it’s also exciting being able to see all sorts of fans and people I knew (I also got to see the trophy the Koisuru Fortune Cookie Fan Version won, which was pretty nifty). I got to meet and hang out with people I’ve known for a while on Facebook and Twitter, which was both fun and surreal. Even standing in line, I met twitter friends who I didn’t even know I would meet. Again, I won’t list everyone, but wow it was fun.

2014 was a year of meeting friends, seeing idols, and having a great time. I think it has pulled me even deeper into the idol fandom, really. I just feel so privileged to have met so many amazing people, done so many great things, met idols. I just can’t put into words how grateful I am to everyone in this fandom and for the amount of fun I had. While I’m not sure what I’ll be doing in 2015, if it’s anywhere near as fun as 2014 then I am looking forward to it!

My Top 25 Songs of 2014 – 25 to 21

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Here it is guys, the main event!

25. Babymetal – Gimme Choco

Babymetal had quite an eventful year, but most of it was just that – events. Babymetal released their first, self-titled album, but spent most of the year touring, and doing a lot of that touring abroad. It’s a very solid strategy, but that means that there wasn’t too much new Babymetal music out this year. While I liked their album just fine, it did the all too common idol album thing where most of the album was already existing singles and B-Sides; there were only a couple of new songs.

Gimme Choco has a lot going for it, and does a lot well. I like how the heavier metal seems to be in the verses where Yui and Moa shout, and I like how the chorus is a bit poppier. This song is one of Babymetal’s most poppy songs since Doki Doki Morning, but that’s definitely not bad. The electric guitar solo is really fantastic, and the whole instrumentation is great. I love the arrangement that manages to mix metal, idol pop, and a bit of electronic music in there. What Babymetal does best is mix and match genres, and while Gimme Choco isn’t as obvious as something like Megitsune, it still has clear metal and pop in there, which makes for a fun listen.

Gimme Choco isn’t as successful as Headbanger or Megitsune, but still is a fun song. It’s easy to see why Gimme Choco caused the viral sensation it did.

24. Rev.from DVL – Do My Best!!

While I’d consider Love Arigatou to be a stronger single song, Do My Best has the distinction of being one of the most fun songs of the year to me. While their third single, REAL, stood out to a lot of people, Do My Best is just a happy energetic song that is just trying to be happy and fun. Its melody is addictive and memorable, the arrangement is cute but not cloying, and the pacing of the song is pretty impeccable. It’s not trying to experiment, but is instead a very successful pop song. The song builds all the way to the end with a driving beat and never outstays its welcome.

Even though Rev became popular because of Hashimoto Kanna’s rise to popularity, Do My Best does a great job of proving that Rev is ready for the big time. Their first single is all covers of previously released music, and while it’s fantastic (I really wish I could put Love Arigatou and Kimi Dake no Story on this list), it’s still all older music that they have done for a while. Do My Best!! was their first new music after their major debut, so there was really a lot to prove. Could they continue the momentum? I say yes. Do My Best is the type of fun and happy idol song that made me fall in love with the idol genre in the first place, so even if it’s not the most intriguing song of the year I feel comfortable putting it on this list.

23. Team Daiouika – Diving

If you haven’t heard of Team Daiouika, you are probably not alone. The team was a temporary group that was formed for this year’s 3B Junior concert, and to be on the 3B Junior best album. They will probably not continue being a group, as two of the members went on to join Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku. Still, man I love Diving a lot.

Have you ever gotten a song stuck in your head, had no idea what it was, and then realize that it was some song you listened to weeks prior? No? Well, that happened with me with Diving. It’s a relatively simple idol song, but I love the way the melody goes back and forth between members of the group. The arrangement isn’t really anything special, but is a solid guitar-heavy arrangement that goes a long way in supporting the stand out melody and vocal line.

This isn’t really anything new, which is why it’s so low down my list. However, I do think it’s a really solid song for the idol genre, and one to be looked to for good songs within the idol genre. It doesn’t break new ground or anything, but it’s strong melody and vocal line does a lot to elevate this song into one of my most liked songs of 2014.

22. HR – Evolution Da

I am very pleased by HR’s rise to relevance. The group first grabbed my attention when they performed at Tokyo Idol Festival, and now it seems like they are ready for the big time. Evolution Da was the single that I think really grabbed a lot of people’s attention, and it certainly got me even more intrigued in HR. Starting out with the plucked, almost Spanish-sounding guitar line and then moving into a more electronic sound mixed in with heavy percussion and guitar, this is an unusual, but cool sounding idol song.

This song reminds me of older-school anime them songs, in the best way; it’s a song that’s specifically geared to sound epic. Just about every second has a lot of stuff going on, never letting up except for a single moment of silence later in the song. I really like how the strong beat can combine with the lyrics, about becoming a different person from yesterday (hence, evolution). The lyrics have a great, strong message, and are backed up by the fantastic melody and instrumentation.

There was so much strong music out this year that Evolution Da has to be down this low, but it definitely made me much more excited for HR’s future.

21. Babyraids – Koi wa Panic

Babyraids’ first album, Ji Tora Shoukai, was a bit of a revelation for me this year. While I had passively enjoyed Babyraids’ debut single for a while, their entire first album is really quite good. I really hope it ends up being a sleeper hit, or at least gets recognition from the idol fan community, because Babyraids is really putting out a lot of solid stuff.

Koi wa Panic is a bit of an odd duck among all of the rest of the songs on this list because it is relatively mellow. However, it’s a song that never happens to be boring while being mellow, which is the key. Koi wa Panic comes across like an indie rock song or a classic rock song with a mellower melody. Even when the instrumentation veers into being more minimalist, the sound feels full. Every element in the song feels like it’s working together for something great, which is always good to hear. Nothing feels excessive, and yet it never feels like it’s missing anything.

Koi wa Panic is a good song that I didn’t expect to find as an idol song, in a good way. It feels more akin to a good indie rock song, and I’d really like to hear more songs like this, from Babyraids and from the idol world as a whole.

My Top 25 Songs of 2014 – Honorable Mentions (part 2)

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When I started thinking of the preliminary songs on this list, it took me a while to even list 15. Once I got going, however, it ran to nearly 50 songs, with a wide variety of acts. I think that’s the most important thing here: while there are a couple of acts that pretty heavily dominate the top 5 or so, this is a really varied list. While the idol boom is shifting and changing, there is a remarkable variety of acts that are doing great things out there, and I’m really happy to highlight some of those.

E-Girls – Odoru Ponpokorin

Nothing E-Girls has done this year has really stuck with me the way that Gomen Nasai no Kissing You did. That song was one of my favorites of 2013, and E-Girls generally haven’t gotten to that level. However, Odoru Ponpokorin was a really cute cover song. It doesn’t seem like it does too much other than doing a solid arrangement, but the original song is already really fun so they really didn’t have to. Odoru Ponpokorin is a lot of fun and E-Girls do a great job with it. It’s not really their typical style; E-Girls go for a cooler, more KPop sounding sound than most other idol groups. However they made it work, and I’ve gotten a lot of enjoyment out of listening to this.

Bitter & Sweet – Dare ni mo Naisho

This song is Call Me Maybe. It really is. If you compare the beat and the pizzicato violin instrumentation, you’ll realize that this is very similar to Call Me Maybe. That said, Dare ni mo Naisho is still a good song, even with its similarities. Both this and Bitter & Sweet’s self-titled debut really put Bitter & Sweet on the map for me. I never paid too much attention to Tasaki Asahi during her solo debut (though, listening back, maybe I should have), but Bitter & Sweet is a really solid group. While Gesshoku and Install might get more notice (at least, from what I’ve seen), their poppy, upbeat numbers are where they shine. They have a real maturity to them that not a lot of idol groups have, and I’m looking forward to more from Bitter & Sweet. Hopefully Up-Front will be able to promote them a little more, and we can see where they go!

Berryz Koubou – Ichi Oku Sanzen Man Sou Diet Oukoku

Oh Berryz. Berryz Koubou is an interesting group for me. They were my first idol group I actively became interested in, but they pretty quickly lost my interest. They also have a really spotty record, where I won’t like most of their music for quite a while before they release something I really like. While I find Ai wa Itsumo Kimi no Naka ni to be a pretty solid song, Ichi Oku Sanzen Man Sou Diet Oukoku is the song that put Berryz on the map for me this year. This is a very polarizing release, mostly because its lyrics can be interpreted multiple ways. For a lot of people, this song exists to shame the larger girls in Berryz to go on a diet. But, I really think the lyrics go a long way to show how damaging a diet-obsessed culture can be. Health is important, but I think the song tries to show how these girls want to do other things but are trapped in a diet-obsessed culture, reinforced by the repetition in the melody and lyrics. Berryz hasn’t been this interesting for years, and I think I’d like to see more songs like this. Most songs don’t really cover any issues, and while this isn’t as direct as I’d like, this does go in interesting places.

Juice = Juice – Are Kore Shitai

This is honestly here just for the lyrics. The song itself is cute and poppy, but not terribly remarkable. However, the lyrics are what really made Are Kore Shitai stand out to me. So many idol songs focus on pure teenage youth, but Are Kore Shitai stands out to me because the lyrics have a maturity to them while still being about younger people. They are the idol lyrics that possibly fit me as a person best, as a single woman in my 20s who is still trying to find herself™. With lyrics about looking back at graduation photos, reaching the age where your mother got married, and wanting to do a lot of things but not having time, Juice=Juice succeeded in encapsulating me, which makes me have to put this on there.

Oomori Seiko – Kyuru Kyuru

I never know where to classify Seiko; she really defies classification. Is she an idol? Anti-idol? Singer-songwriter? Since this is a list of idol songs, can I put Seiko on there? Last year Oomori Seiko grabbed my interest with her song Mahou ga Tsukaenai Nara Shinitai, and so I was very pleased by her rise and major debut in 2014. Kyuru Kyuru in particular grabbed my interest; it’s a lot more polished than Mahou ga Tsukaenai, for sure, but it still has an edge, a rawness to it. While her music has a lot more synth and has become more complicated, it doesn’t feel like Seiko is selling out in any way. It feels like a natural extension of her pre-existing aesthetic, like she was given more resources and told to run with it. Oomori Seiko is doing some really great work, and idol or no you really should be checking her out.

Momoiro Clover Z – Moon Pride

Momoiro Clover Z was given a thankless task. Perform the new theme song for a classic, beloved anime series with a very iconic theme song. There were so many ways this could have gone wrong. Yet, Moon Pride is by most accounts a success. It’s the right level of epic energy for a magical girl series, complete with big electric guitar solo. I personally prefer the Moon Pride lyrics to Moonlight Densetsu’s lyrics as a fan; Moonlight Densetsu emphasized romance, Moon Pride emphasizes the girl power attitude of the series that made it a beloved favorite of so many ladies my age. Moon Pride does a great job out of a difficult task, and while it just barely got edged out by other songs on this list, I still love it.

My Top 25 Songs of 2014 – Honorable mentions (part 1)

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Hey all! It’s time for my top 25 songs of the year, plus the assorted change that makes up my honorable mentions list.

In a weird way I like writing the honorable mentions more than the top 25 songs of the year. The reason for this is because I feel like there’s an inherent pressure on the top 25 songs to be the songs I legitimately found to be the most interesting and best-written songs of the year, and the actual ranking is often splitting hairs. However, the honorable mentions are usually pretty clear; they’re the songs that didn’t quite make it, I couldn’t put on my top list for whatever reason, or might have good parts without being actually good. So, without further ado, here are my honorable mentions for the best of 2014.

AKB48 – Kokoro no Placard

Kokoro no Placard is a song that either thrives or languishes based off of comparison. If you compare it to last year’s election song, the fantastic Koisuru Fortune Cookie, it’s a disappointment. Koisuru Fortune Cookie is a fantastic song, and this isn’t anywhere near fantastic. On the other hand, if you compare Kokoro no Placard to the rest of the year’s output for AKB, it sounds much better.

This year was not great for the 48 groups. Not a single 48 song made it on my top 25, although there will be another for the honorable mentions. Most of the songs the 48 groups did were generic and nowhere near the heights of what the 48 groups can do. Even songs like Kibouteki Refrain, which was hailed as a return to form for AKB, fell flat for me.

Kokoro no Placard isn’t very interesting, nor is it particularly memorable. However, it’s much more memorable than stuff like Labrador Retriever. It’s passable, listenable, perfectly mediocre. But, since AKB ‘s year was so lackluster, I suppose I’ll take what I can get.

NMB48 – Ibiza Girl

Again, this is here because of NMB’s lackluster year, though I do like Ibiza Girl much more than Kokoro no Placard. It’s a fun upbeat number with a catchy melody. It has a real energy to it, in a way that’s missing from a lot of 48 group songs this year. In the entire NMB48 oeuvre it’s not particularly memorable, but it’s NMB48’s best song of the year, and is the best 48 song of the year. Like I mentioned, I’m not particularly impressed with the 48 groups this year. I really think they can do better, with their level of popularity and the resources the 48 groups have, so it’s unfortunate when nearly everything they put out this year is forgettable and bland. Ibiza Girl is probably the only 48 group song from 2014 that I will still be listening to in 2015, so for that it gets an honorable mention. It’s fun, upbeat, and has a memorable/fun melody. It’s not quite NMB’s best (last year’s Bokura no Eureka might be up there) but it’s still good.

Everything Armor Girls put out this year, but especially A!Chu! A!Chu!, CLAP and Matsuri Adventure.

I never thought I would become a fan of Alice Project. I never really got into Alice Juban and Steam Girls’ music doesn’t really appeal to me. However, Armor Girls struck a chord with me that I didn’t know I had. The members perform in fake armor and perform Irish-inspired pop songs? Somehow this is what I’ve always wanted out of a group. The armor gimmick is cool, but the fact that Armor Girls’ songs are all fantastic. All of them. The three songs I’ve highlighted are the three of the ones that came out last year (a few others came out late 2013).

The only thing is that Alice Project groups tend to do more live performances than release singles. While Alice Project has become one of the three big groups of Alice Project, they haven’t put out any singles yet. My rules for my top 25 songs of the year state that they have to be songs that were released this year and no covers, because I want to honor the music that was put out this year. So I can’t technically honor any of these Armor Girls songs in my actual top 25. But I have to give them an honorable mention because all of the Armor Girls music is excellent, and I really hope that this group does well in the future.

Ange Reve – Yuukan na Koi no Serenade

Ange Reve is another Arc Jewel group, the label that also brought Lovely Doll and Doll Elements. Ange Reve made its debut just this year, and Yuukan na Koi no Serenade was its first song. Even though Lovely Doll and Doll Elements have been around for a couple of years now, I have to say I’m very impressed by Yuukan na Koi. It’s a very catchy song that sounds fantastic for a group’s first song. It’s not necessarily the most interesting song of the year, but I think it’s impressive that a new indie group can have a song that has me singing it to myself for months after the first listen.

Rev.from DVL – Love -arigatou-

You might be wondering why I have this down on my honorable mentions. Rev. from DVL is one of my favorite idol groups around, and Love Arigatou is one of their most beloved songs. The reason it’s on here is because it’s a cover. A cover from the group that wrote a lot of Rev’s songs, but the first time I know of Rev performing it happened after the original group did it. Love Arigatou isn’t particularly unique, but it’s a really solid pop song that has a melody that doesn’t scream idol to me. It has one of my favorite melodies, and I think it’s a very solid song. I’m not entirely thrilled with every change that has been made to the arrangement since Rev went major, but it’s still a favorite idol song I wish I could put on my top list.

Review: Team Syachihoko – Himatsubushi

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You guys knew I had to review this, right? Seriously, this review has been a long time coming. I started reviewing this when it came out. It’s been months. What happened?

It’s no secret that Team Syachihoko’s first album, Himatsubushi, is my most highly anticipated release in quite a while. They are by far my favorite idol group out there; all of their members are really fun performers and the group does a lot of fun things that make them a really fun group to follow. However, what really cinches them as my favorite group is their music. Often unorthodox, very often catchy, Team Syachihoko is one of the most consistently great groups in the idol world for musical output. Since Himatsubushi was announced to have nine new songs, a rarity in the idol world where albums are often just a collection of single songs and b-sides, I have been waiting for this album. And, spoiler alert, it was well worth the wait.

1. Space Himatsubushi supported by ZEN-LA-ROCK

One of the things that continues to impress me about Team Syachihoko, musically, is the variety of talent they collaborate with. They work with a wide variety of artists and composers who are often not usual figures in the idol world. Space Himatsubushi is a collaboration of Team Syachihoko with Japanese hip hop MC ZEN-LA-ROCK, who also wrote the lyrics (the music was written by Anne Beats). It’s pretty remarkable how, in these songs, Team Syachihoko often takes a back seat to the featured artist; ZEN-LA-ROCK is very prominently featured.

Possibly the most notable thing about this song is the lyrics. While usually idol lyrics aren’t the focus of a lot of idol tracks, this song is basically a large collection of inside references to the group. The chorus is based off of the words from Syachihoko’s overture, “Ningen Gojuunen, Idol Gonen, Owari Nagoya ni Syachihoko ari” which, in my rough translation skills, means “Human 50 years, Idol 5 years, in conclusion, in Nagoya there are Syachihoko” (please let me know if you have a better translation). As a point of note, this actually refers to a famous Noh verse called The Atsumori, and the “Ningen gojuunen” is famously referring to the span of a life. So this is basically saying that, for what humans is fifty years, for idols it’s five years. (Syachi, please don’t disband in a couple of years).

Anyways, the rest of the lyrics are filled with references to other Team Syachihoko songs like Owari no Hana and OEOEO. It’s a fun song to listen to in that regard, as it rewards listeners who are familiar with Team Syachihoko’s discography.

The actual song itself is fast-paced but predominantly laidback. It seems like a bit of an odd choice to start out with, especially with such strong starter songs like Otome Juken Sensou and Dakishimete Anthem would be, but I actually really like how this starts. It feels like it’s winding up into the album instead of everything starting right away. It’s electronic and a little dreamy; it feels a bit like trance music. It’s actually kind of hard to describe; I’ve listened to the song several times in this review and I just can’t pin it down.

This isn’t a typical Team Syachihoko song, or a typical idol song. That said, it feels like a telling opener for this album. Many  idol albums choose to start out with a high energy song, to immediately hook the listeners. Team Syachihoko chooses a more unusual song to ease listeners in.

While this song isn’t the most exciting on its own, its referential lyrics and it’s dreamy feel make it an excellent start to the album. 8/10

2. Shuto Iten Keikaku

The first major single, and the first single to pop up on this album! This was written by hip hop artist Seamo, and remains one of my favorite Team Syachihoko songs.

I feel like this could be a separate post in itself, but it’s interesting to see what artists do as their first single and as their major debut single. These are singles that set the stage and show what the group is going to be doing. Koibito wa Sniper and Shuto Iten Keikaku are two interesting cases. On the one hand, Koibito wa Sniper is hyperactive and a bit crazy, which is what I think a lot of people expect from Team Syachihoko. But on the other hand there’s Shuto Iten Keikaku. I know I was surprised the second I heard Shuto Iten Keikaku, and it took me a while to get into it.

The thing is, it’s written by a legitimate hip hop artist, Seamo, and it kind of shows. While a lot of idol songs might have a rap verse here or there, Shuto Iten Keikaku is a bit darker, a bit heavier and feels more like an actual song written by a hip hop artist. The beat’s great, and the pacing is just perfect. The song never lets up in all its five minutes. That said, the Syachihoko members actually sell the song; I don’t know if every idol group could do with this song what Team Syachihoko managed.

Further, when talking about Team Syachihoko lyrics, Shuto Iten Keikaku is one of the best. Not satisfied with just having a song about their hometown, Shuto Iten Keikaku is Team Syachihoko singing about how the capitol of Japan should be moved to Nagoya. It’s a bit silly and the lyrics are pretty funny, almost reminding you that while they are performing this song that they are still Team Syachihoko.

This is one of the great Team Syachihoko songs. The lyrics make me laugh, but the song is what keeps me listening. 9/10

3. Dakishimete Anthem

Since this song was the first song released from Himatsubushi, via a dance practice video, I think this will be the song a lot of people take away from Himatsubushi. And really, it’s not a bad song to be the representative song. It was written, after all, by Asano Takashi, who writes a lot of Team Syachihoko songs. He wrote Koibito wa Sniper, The Stardust Bowling, Otome Juken Sensou and Katte ni Hybrid.

Katte ni Hybrid is what this song reminds me of most. Both of these songs combine the hyperactivity of a lot of Team Syachihoko’s work with the sound of something like Shuto Iten Keikaku, to create a hyperactive song with heavy beats that has a killer rap line by Haruna. These two songs might be the best example of Team Syachihoko’s style, actually. Upbeat and happy but with a good beat to them.

This song is quickly becoming a Syachihoko staple, and for good reason. It’s perfectly paced, has the high energy that has become a big part of Team Syachihoko, and is just generally well written and well arranged. Even though Team Syachihoko has never really been known for lyrics, they sell this song and sound great in the “woah woah woah” parts and the softer bridge.

This is generally a perfect Team Syachihoko song; energy with enough edge. 10/10

4. Ndatte!!

This song immediately surprised me the first time I heard the instrumentation at the beginning; it sounds like more of a rock song that Syachi has ever really done before. While the song veers more towards pop in the chorus and verses, there’s a rock sensibility that feels rare from idol songs.

Ndatte is one of the Syachi songs that kind of sneaks up on you. When I first listened to it I didn’t know if I liked it much. However, I found myself humming the chorus to myself later in the day, and then kept seeking out the song. It’s surprisingly catchy and fun.

This song was written by Tsutaya Koichi, who also notably wrote Dempagumi.inc’s great song VANDALISM. While NDatte isn’t quite as unhinged and wacky as VANDALISM got, it still has a bit of that same feel to it. It’s harder rock than Syachi’s used to, and still gets a little bit unhinged. Syachi manages to do the song justice, too.

While Ndatte took a while for me to get into, I ended up really liking this song. It’s not quite as interesting as some of the other songs on this album but it’s still great. 7/10

5. Ai no Chikyuusai

This is another song that took me a while to get into the first time I listened to it! It’s… weird.

Ai no Chikyuusai is relatively laidback (well, for the most part) song with an electronic arrangement that, again, takes a while. As I mentioned in my full review of this song and PV, it was written and arranged by Komorita Minoru who did some of songs from Matsuura Aya’s later albums, which had a similar feel in being laidback and mellow but still upbeat and idol-y.

Ai no Chikyuusai is one of those songs that I don’t think I’d ever put as one of the best Syachi single songs, but I still like it a lot for what it is. It’s a break from what Syachi was used to, for one. I also really like how, for the most part it’s laidback but in the chorus and at the end it just suddenly ramps up to being more unhinged and energetic in the way I expect Team Syachihoko to be.

Ai no Chikyuusai isn’t the song I would pick as a representative Team Syachihoko song, but it doesn’t have to be. Instead it’s a pleasant diversion for the group. 8/10

6. Ii Kurashi

Written by my twitter buddy Yoshida Tetsuto! My review of this actually got some feedback from Japanese Syachi fans and from Yoshida Tetsuto, who composed and arranged this song. This is probably the proudest moment I’ve had while writing Happy Disco.

One of the things that I mentioned in my first review that I have to say again is that this song does NOT feel like six and a half minutes. Instead, it totally justifies those minutes by being six and a half minutes of just about perfectly paced acid house music.

I also stand by the fact that, since Yoshida already writes acid house music, that the arrangement is better for it. While I tend to prefer instrumentation that includes, instruments, there’s no arguing that Ii Kurashi does it just about perfectly. The arrangement is full but not too busy.

This is a song I never expected to love, but I do. Everything about this song is pitch perfect. 10/10

7. I Don’t Care

I Don’t Care is the song on Himatsubushi that I can’t really put my finger on. It has a much darker feel than most Syachi songs (and a lot of idol songs), focusing on electronic sounds and is heavy on the bass. Even the sentiment, proclaimed by title and in the chorus, “I don’t care,” doesn’t feel quite like Team Syachihoko. This isn’t a bad thing; Syachihoko has been trying to branch out. However, it just feels kind of odd.

The song itself is solid. It’s catchy, and the beat is fantastic, especially as the song ramps up into choruses. Also, I know that I’ve been personally singing the “I don’t care” from the end of the chorus to myself a lot. The dubstep, EDM sound isn’t necessarily my favorite, but they do it well.

That said, this is one song that Team Syachihoko doesn’t quite fit. “I don’t care” as a sentiment doesn’t really work when you have six enthusiastic girls doing their best. As such, even though they are all trying to sell this song, they aren’t really completely successful at it. None of the girls really fit the song, except for the parts leading up to the chorus where things lighten up. There, Honoka and Chiyuri really shine.

This is a good song, and I like that Syachi tried it, but it doesn’t really work for me the way that the rest of this album does. 7/10

8. Akamiso Blood

I have been way too hyped over this song for a long time. The song and lyrics were written by Shihori, who wrote Momoiro Clover Z’s GOUNN. However, the main draw of this song is that it’s a collaboration with Daichi, a famous beatboxer. So, along with Daichi, Syachi’s vocals provide the backing track for the song, with Yuzuki and Nao as the main vocalists.

This is the type of song that I honestly don’t know if other idols have really done before. I mean, I know that idols have done acapella before. Berryz Koubou famously has done acapella arrangements of their tracks at concerts. However, this is an original song, and as such is written to suit the human beatbox that Daichi and Syachihoko provide. It has a fairly simple but pleasant melody, and while Syachihoko are hardly experts at this they do a fine job. The simple piano background suits the song well, too; rather than doing a song that’s fully acapella, it’s Daichi, the members of Team Syachihoko, and his keyboard. This creates an interesting, original sound, where all the elements play off one another very well.

I think the thing I love about Akamiso Blood is that it’s an experimental song, and a song I haven’t heard really by anyone else, but Syachi is doing a lot to elevate the song. Akamiso Blood isn’t just a little experiment they did, it’s an experiment that they are putting on an album.

And really, while it might be easy to look at an experiment and not think highly of it, Akamiso Blood shows that a little ingenuity can work. This song is fun, and it sounds superb. Every element is noticeable and so one element being off (such as the melody, or the backing vocals provided by Syachi) could make the whole thing fall flat. That said, every element is completely on point. This isn’t the most complex song of the year (by its very nature it’s not trying to do so), but it is by far one of the best songs of the year. 10/10

9. colors

Since I have taken so long to write this review, Team Syachihoko’s latest single, Shampoo Hat, has come out. A lot of people marveled at how relatively normal Shampoo Hat is, when being normal is an unusual thing in itself for Syachi. However, I’d say that “colors” is their most standard song yet. Written by one of the members of the band Base Ball Bear (who I knew from their single with Hyadain), this is Syachi’s take on a pop-rock song. While this might not be what everyone expected from this album, I know a lot of fans have grown attached to colors, and for good reason.

When a group focuses on having a weird image or doing unusual songs, it’s easy to assume that the group is doing that as a gimmick. I certainly don’t think that is true about Team Syachihoko, but it’s an easy assumption to make. What something like colors does is show off just how strong of a group Team Syachihoko is at its core, without the strangeness. The song has a very strong melody, and I really like the guitar heavy instrumentation. However, what I think works the best about colors is the basic arrangement. Behind everything is a faster, driving guitar and drums, but Syachi’s vocal line is often slow, with elongated notes. The melody could belong in a pretty basic ballad, but the arrangement keeps it moving forward. However, that slower melody that Syachihoko sings allows for members to show off their vocal prowess. Chiyuri, as expected, sounds fantastic, but Yuzuki really impressed me with that last vocal line. It’s these songs that can showcase a member’s talents and skills.

Beyond that, the rest of the song is great. It’s paced just about perfectly, the harmonies and the vocals are spot on almost everywhere. While I don’t hold this up with Dakishimete Anthem or Akamiso Blood as the real stars of this album, colors is a great song. It’s not just a great idol song, but it’s a well-produced, well-written song that any artist should be proud to have. While I know I initially found Syachihoko for their weirder songs, I’m glad that they are putting out songs like this. 8/10

10. Akeboshi

Akeboshi is not a track I expected from Team Syachihoko. At all. It’s a slow ballad sung completely in unison which ends up being very restrained. Restraint is not a word I would normally associate with Team Syachihoko. And really, neither is ballad. Team Syachihoko is a group that I know for its high energy, not for something like this.

Ballads are not my favorite type of song. At all. It takes a lot for me to really love a ballad; a memorable melody line or inspired instrumentation. Luckily for me, Akeboshi has both. The thing that immediately struck me with Akeboshi is that it reminds me of an Electric Light Orchestra ballad. ELO’s songs often combined rock music with orchestral instruments and synthesized electronic sounds. Akeboshi is very heavy on the strings, string instruments and a piano largely backing the piece, but it’s often intercut with electronic sound. This adds a really interesting element to the song, as the strings/piano feel old-fashioned but the electronic sounds add a newer sound to it. It’s odd, but it works.

The vocals are all restrained, but I actually like it that way. All the members sound incredibly pretty singing this. While some idols can belt vocally (I’m looking at you, Chiyuri), I’m actually not a huge fan of belting in songs, especially ballads. It’s more of an expression of raw power than finesse. The vocals in Akeboshi don’t show off much skill in particular, but they sound really soothing and pretty.

The song does a good job of building up towards the end, using more drums, but ultimately this is a beautiful, laid back ballad that does interesting things with its instrumentation. 9/10

11. Yoroshiku Jinrui

Man, I love the opening of this song. Nao and Chiyuri singing “Hello” at the start of Yoroshiku Jinrui might be my favorite individual couple of seconds. While the rest of Yoroshiku Jinrui is a fine song, the opening 20 seconds or so are just golden. And then the song breaks into the Ode of Joy, which is apparently an idol trend to use in idol music this year.

This song builds really nicely; the verses are good, but they really drive into the chorus. I would say the chorus is where the song shines, but that wouldn’t really be truthful. The verses do a great job of leading up into the chorus, but the verses are quite listenable, too. Driving forward is really what I would use to describe this song, oddly enough. It’s over five minutes long, but while not being as frantic or fast as something like Dakishimete Anthem, it still feels like those five minutes go by in an instant. The song doesn’t rush, but it still moves at just about a perfect pace. Even in the slow part near the end, it almost always feels like it’s moving forward.

Beyond that, it’s a lot of business as usual for Team Syachihoko. Upbeat, well produced pop music. However, it’s a pretty layered song, with a lot of different elements going on at once, without ever feeling cluttered or like too much. Yoroshiku Jinrui is, more than anything, a well-made pop song. It’s not quite the hyperactive, weird Syachihoko we know and love, but it’s a great example of idol pop. It has complex instrumentation that just sounds effortless, a catchy melody, and is easy to listen to. This is the type of song I have grown more and more fond of the more I listen. 9/10

12. Country Girl
So, for the penultimate song on Himatsubushi, I’m not sure what I was expecting, but country was NOT it. It feels like this entire album is comprised of surprises, which I am very fine with. Syachi excels at being unexpected, and Country Girl is certainly it.

This immediately gives me Country Musume vibes. However, the one thing that differs in this regard is the tone. It’s not just cheesy, banjo country music (though I do believe that is a banjo in this song), but it’s literally referring to the country. The song is upbeat and happy, but also wistful and nostalgic, as the members are singing about having only one hometown in their heart. Even if their hometown is a large metropolitan center like Nagoya, it feels appropriate, and almost necessary. As Syachihoko has grown, they have spread far beyond Nagoya. However, the group has always had strong roots in Nagoya, and this reinforces it. Really, this song feels appropriate for almost any local idol.

The instrumentation on this is excellent. The main sounds other than Syachi are guitar, banjo and horns, and while I wouldn’t necessarily peg horns as being a common element of country music, they work remarkably well here.

Even though I initially thought this song sounded a tad cheesy, I really like how it ends up sounding wistful. The song is well-made and, like always, catchy and a pleasure to listen to. This is a song I didn’t thought would be memorable and wonderful, but it is. 8/10

13. Otome Juken Sensou

If I had to pick one song that encapsulated Team Syachihoko, Otome Juken Sensou would be it. This is possibly THE Team Syachihoko song; it opened their first oneman live and ended it. It is always a hit at concert, and one of the songs I never tire of, even though it came out nearly two years ago (as a limited venue-only single).

This song is high energy, it’s weird, it’s Syachi at its best. It involves Nao shouting at the crowd, it involves Yuzuki shouting “sir! Yes sir!” Just every element of this song is high energy, and it’s just one of the most fun idol songs around. It’s fast-paced and builds to a fairly epic end. This is either the perfect start or end of an album, and I think it really fits well at the end. I don’t have much more to say, because every element of Otome Juken Sensou is perfect to me. It’s one of my favorite idol songs of all time. 10/10.

Overall: Himatsubushi is a joy from start to finish. Dedicated to surprising its listeners, Himatsubushi brings together various different genres, styles of music and sounds to form a surprisingly cohesive whole. There are so many songs in this album I didn’t imagine to hear from Team Syachihoko, but now that I’ve been listening to the album for several months I can’t imagine them not doing. While I would argue a few of the songs are less successful than others, this album is a triumph overall. It’s unique but polished and listenable. As a culmination of about a year and a half of Team Syachihoko (from Otome Juken Sensou onward), it does a great job combining the old and the new. This is my favorite album of 2014, and possibly my favorite idol album for quite some time.

Idol Thoughts: On Michishige Sayumi

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Honestly, if you told me several years ago that I would be contemplating a lot about the nature of idols and idol fandom over the graduation of Michishige Sayumi, I probably would have laughed at you a bit. Not that I had anything against Sayumi; I’ve never hated or even disliked her. She’s just never really been on my radar. She was never a particular favorite or least favorite, and as I settled into my all time favorite Morning Musume member (Ishikawa Rika) and then my current favorites (then Mitsui Aika, now Ishida Ayumi) I never gave Sayu too much thought.
That said, looking back, I do think she’s come quite a long way as an idol and as a member of Morning Musume. Reflecting on Michishige Sayumi’s tenure in the group is actually a very interesting time capsule. Her first single was Shabondama, well past Morning Musume’s peak in sales and in the public consciousness, but there were still first generation members in Morning Musume when she was there. While she wasn’t someone who was in Love Machine while it released, she was with members who did. She went through all the graduations and dips in Morning Musume’s popularity, through the constantly changing lineup to the stagnant lineup of the Platinum era, and saw Morning Musume through to its 12th generation of members and heights in popularity they haven’t seen in nearly a decade.
Sayumi has also grown a lot in the years. Again, ask me in 2009 if I thought that Sayumi would be leader, and a great one at that, I would have probably laughed at your face. She had a reputation as being self-centered, and it was possibly deserved. Even if most of what she said was an act, it was still pretty self-centered. She publicly (and justifiably) complained about how many lines and how much focus she got in singles. Yet now I’d consider her a fantastic leader, given how much she has really let the other members shine. A lot of this is due to the various line distributions and where she is positioned in PVs and in photo shoots, but she hasn’t seemed to complain like she did in 2008-2009. She has let the group shine over herself, which is what I would consider the mark of a great idol leader.
This year I also gained a stronger appreciation for Sayumi after seeing Morning Musume perform in New York. Honestly, while her handshake had very little impression on me, her performance won me over completely. While I don’t think even Sayumi fans would consider her to be an accomplished vocalist (though she has improved a lot over the years), her performance of Lalala no Pipipi was fantastic. She had a completely magnetic stage presence, and controlled the stage. While I think the other girls will be able to handle losing Sayumi, this year I appreciated how strong of an idol she really is.
Ultimately, though, I don’t think it will affect the group too much, at least not sales wise. While some Sayumi fans will surely leave, more fans will join in. Morning Musume is at its strongest its been in many years. Heavy hitters like Takahashi Ai and Tanaka Reina have left in  the recent years, and the group has only grown stronger. I think this will be an adjustment for some of the girls, but at this point 9th gen has been a part of the group for over three and a half years and I think they are more than ready to take on some leadership.
As I think about this graduation, I’m reminded a bit of Maeda Atsuko’s graduation. Sayu has never been the center of the group in the way Acchan was, and she certainly doesn’t have Acchan’s popularity. However, when Acchan left, the big reason that she gave was that it was time for the juniors to shine. I think in a way this is what Sayumi is doing. She has been a part of the group for a long time and has seen it rise to its current heights, but it is now her time to move on and let her junior members shine.
So really, thanks for all the years, Sayumi.