[2014.01.29] Morning Musume - Egao no Kimi wa Taiyou sa / Kimi no Kawari wa Iyashinai / What is LOVE? (single)

[JPope]

[quote="aine"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="tangerine" data-cid="168139" data-time="1386764656">
This week's episode!

00:01~ Morning Musume. '14 comment about their name change (apparently to make it easier for people to remember who was in the group at different times, and to assure the group's continuation for 10, 20 years into the future)
</blockquote>


So they are still going on about it? How are they planning to figure out that it proved "too confusing" before scrapping the idea? By actually releasing a single under this name and seeing the sales and image disaster with their own eyes? They left themselves a way out of it and having 2 weeks of rather overwhelmingly negative feedback from fans (at least in Japan, the Western fandom outside of the BBS seems to be more sheepishly content with whatever they churn out) should be enough to save face and go "lol jk" about the whole thing.


<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Trinu" data-cid="168175" data-time="1386844849">
- What is LOVE? continues the trend of electro-pop they've followed this past year. The fans they gathered should be happy with it, since the song and the lyrics ate pretty cool (just listened to it again and I can't wait for a HQ version!).
</blockquote>


As a big fan of their electro sound I am not happy with it, it's all over the place and much weaker than all the recent singles in that vein. It's a gimmicky song with a hermetic background meant to stroke the fans' ego and I doubt it will sell with the general population.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Trinu" data-cid="168175" data-time="1386844849">
- The Olympic song should get its fair amount of airplay, so the name of it being in the cover helps the casual fans who listen to it wherever and want to get it. I don't know how the Ganbare Nippon Soccer song helped the JKM single, but... oh, well, that single was a bit WTF, IMO.
</blockquote>


Ganbare Nippon is one of my least favourite MM songs lol. Among promotional/motivational songs Kacchoiize! Japan and How Do You Like Japan? were infinitely better.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Trinu" data-cid="168175" data-time="1386844849">
- The third mid-tempo song is just Tsunku trying new things so MM doesn't sound like a 10nin Perfume (unless it's an electro midtempo thing lol). And I like the idea as much as I fear it, cause it will probably be the song they promote the most...
</blockquote>
 

What other songs did they call "mid-tempo" recently? Because for some reason the term only invokes a snorefest ballad in my mind. Looking briefly at the A-sides list Do it! Now and As For One Day are the only good mid-tempo songs in their history, and that was 10 years ago.
 
[/quote]
 

I agree with every point made here. I am not sanguine about this single at all. It has failboat written all over it.

 

[Anderei]

I really hope that's not the background for the MV. Red looks terrible with these outfits.

[AquaChan]

Kudou looks fierce with hair like this!

[Shoujo Q]

You know it is Anderei, you know it is. Just learn to except UF's life choices. If they want to screw over an entire years worth of hard work with bad choices, let them. It's the only thing they are good at doing.

[Anderei]

I don't want to believe that there is no one in UFP who can even match colors properly.
 
Also, I think this never got posted anywhere on the forum, but it's a What Is Love performance from the Fall tour. They filmed it at Budokan for the MV but the outfits are the same.
What Is Love

[Mukuro]

What is Love is seriously my ear worm right now. I love it.

[sayu1991]

I really hate those outfits. What is UF thinking?

[momoirosaya]

[quote="Anderei"]
I don't want to believe that there is no one in UFP who can even match colors properly.
 
Also, I think this never got posted anywhere on the forum, but it's a What Is Love performance from the Fall tour. They filmed it at Budokan for the MV but the outfits are the same.
What Is Love
[/quote]

It was posted in the Hello Stattion thread just fyi

[michisings]

[quote="Anderei"]



I really hope that's not the background for the MV. Red looks terrible with these outfits.
[/quote]
 
At the moment, I have to agree that the red BG and the outfits look terrible together. I am really hoping that they have a surprise up their sleeve. I wasn't fond of their Wagamama black and white outfits either at first, but now I quite like them. It came with a beautifully made PV.  

[Anderei]

I actually didn't like Wagamama's PV. I thought the close up lighting was awful and that filming with an empty audience behind them just looked silly.

[Meikochi]

Fukuhime and Daiishi are so gorgeous !

[ShiroiChanUK]

Kuduu is the only one who looks good in that photo, so badass <3
 
 

[yuzuriha]

I kind of hate Kudou's hair there to be honest.  I actually don't think the outfits are that terrible?

[aine]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Anderei" data-cid="168394" data-time="1387221333">I actually didn't like Wagamama's PV. I thought the close up lighting was awful and that filming with an empty audience behind them just looked silly.</blockquote>
I never got to say this in the Wagamama thread before it got too old, but this bit was a big part of what sold the PV to me, after I slammed it after seeing the short preview. If they had the audience full it would be just another hurr we dance audience cheers video. The empty audience gave it a sense of uneasiness. And I loved the far shots towards the stage, as if someone was shyly lurking somewhere in the upper circle. When they sing "I want to be loved" and you connect it with the empty audience and that someone undecided to come closer and fill the audience you can almost think that someone has put actual thought into the song as a total production, and not just random lyrics, music and video unconnected to each other and not being greater than the sum of its parts.

Oh, and I also thought that it was great that they finally got out of their box and experimented with different framing, perspectives and focal lengths - loved those wide-angle close-up group shots.


To go back on topic of the new single, black on red looks good so I don't get what everyone's gripe with those photos is. But more importantly, I take it as a good sign that the magazine seems to ignore that '14 silliness entirely and just call the group by their proper name.

[Elpis]

The outfits are okay ish, except for Zukki's they styled it differently again and it looks bad. Reminds me of the Wakuteka dress. 

[momoirosaya]

^Eveyone's is styled differently though.

[Pucchi-Mo]

Since it's a not so great quality magazine scan, the color combo might work better when seen in the actual PV. 
 
About the name change, I don't think it'll last long, but I do think the purpose of it is for them to transition to a more drastic name change a little bit later. (seeing how people react to adding a number at the end, to ease them into  <b>ɱ</b>-BØMB<b>ε_{r  ...}</b>or something more absurd)
 
Also, woo birthday single, I haven't had one of those since Akai Fressia, 10 years ago, when the H!P obsession all started for me.

[ShiroiChanUK]

MoMusu had better promote the hell out of this single because Namie Amuro is releasing a single on the same day and she's giving it full blown album like promotion.

[Anderei]

Namie is more of an albums/digital/dvd artist nowadays. MM will be fine in a singles race against her. UFP picked a very slow week.

[Shoujo Q]

A Short radio rip of What is Love?, is out. Not much different from the live version. 
 
 

[Anderei]

I wonder if Sayumi and Riho did the backing vocals for this like the rest of the recent singles. It sounds like it.
 
 

[bxstos]

Momusu facebook announces that the PV for Egao no Kimi wa Taiyou sa will be shown on tomorrow's Mezamashi TV.


Starts at 6:00 am JST (4 hrs from now I think)



The post:

明日の｢めざましテレビ｣６時台で、｢笑顔の君は太陽さ｣ミュージックビデオ初公開ヽ(´▽｀)/

７時台には、めざましじゃんけんも予定しています！！

クリスマスの朝、みんなで早起きしましょう。

[pandapanda]

Ah!  I want to see it!

[Trinu]

I was checking generasia for this single and... no b-sides in the end? That's sucks!
 
Also, seeing that EgaoNoKimi has the most DVD material, I guess that's the song they'll promote the most... oh, well. Here's hoping is good.
 
And would someone explain to me why is it Egano no Kimi and not Kimi no Egao? Is it something like "The smile of you" instead of "Your smile"? lol

[arcobaleno]

Egao no Kimi can mean "smiling you" as in Egao no Kimi wa Taiyou sa; "The Smiling You is a Sun."

[Anderei]

PV screenshots White outfits on a mostly white set with some blue mixed in.
 
And a video with part of the PV in it. Song is generic and boring, but those effects look better than I'd expect.

[momoirosaya]

Is a bit too plain, but the effects are very cool looking! Guess we'll have to wai tfor the full thing though to make any proper judgements!
I like the way the intro and chorus sounded so far too.

[Anderei]

I can appreciate how clean it is, considering some of the recent messes they've given us.

[MejraThea]

[quote="arcobaleno"]
Egao no Kimi can mean "smiling you" as in Egao no Kimi wa Taiyou sa; "The Smiling You is a Sun."
[/quote]
 
When I first read it I thought of "Your Smile is like the Sun." Or ".... as the Sun."

[neshcom]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ShiroiChanUK" data-cid="168613" data-time="1387581721">
MoMusu had better promote the hell out of this single because Namie Amuro is releasing a single on the same day and she's giving it full blown album like promotion.</blockquote>
What Anderei said. Namie thrives in digital and, despite a new song with a big movie tie in, the other two lead songs were released earlier this year as digital singles. She isn't a #1 spot threat, but she could eat up sales.


I like the song and I think it's really cute. The PV looks really cool too, but I'm taking bets that this'll be a Mikan situation (awesome song, cool PV effects, fuck-all in sales, generally negative fan reaction).