|
Here’s the low-down on one of Johnny’s Entertainment’s younger groups: Hey! Say! JUMP. The nine-member boyband has had an extensive history despite all of the members currently ranging from their early to mid-twenties.  Left to Right: Kota Yabu, Yuto Nakajima, Kei Inoo, Keito Okamoto,Ryosuke Yamada, Yuri Chinen, Hikaru Yaotome, Yuya Takaki The group debuted in late 2007, officially releasing their first single in September of the same year. Originally a ten-piece idol group, former member Ryutaro Morimoto was suspended in mid-2011 after a scandal regarding underage tobacco usage, to which they proceeded to release new music soon despite the situation. The Johnny’s group continues to flourish, and now has 6 albums, 17 singles, and 6 different concert films to date. Topping the Oricon rankings? Not too unusual for JUMP. Through the course of their nine years, there’s been some undeniable variability within their music. They’ve produced songs ranging from bubblegum pop to rap to funk rock. Live Performance of "Kimi Attraction" (2015) Youngest member Yuri Chinen, 22, is the son of famous gymnast Takashi Chinen; as a result, it may not be much of a surprise to see him do acrobatics in their performances. Yuto Nakajima, 23, is the group’s second youngest member. His face is commonly seen plastered amongst the cover of magazines and televisions, continuously increasing his own popularity as a model and actor. Kei Inoo, Keito Okamoto, and Kota Yabu are some of the few Johnny’s to have attended secondary education following high school (despite it not being a requirement of the agency). Inoo is the main MC for the group, having hosted an impressive number of variety shows in the past years. Okamoto is the group’s overseas representative - he is the only member to speak fluent, conversational English thanks to his time spent abroad in England. Yabu, the oldest of the nine members, is the leader of the rowdy boy group.
 Daiki Arioka and Hikaru Yaotome are the comedians and rappers of the group, the latter of which being arguably the most active in regards to dancing. Like Inoo Kei, Yuya Takaki is a frequent show host, also possessing some acting experience in TV dramas.
Center member Ryosuke Yamada, 23, is the only member with his own solo career, setting several records and topping the Oricon charts with his debut singles ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Mystery Virgin.’ Aside from that, he’s also received recent awards for his performance as Nagisa Shiota in the live action films for Assassination Classroom. Only months ago was it announced that he would also play the leading role in the upcoming live action film Fullmetal Alchemist, portraying the beloved hot-headed alchemist Edward Elric. The group may almost be moving too fast to keep up with, as shown by the steady flow of announcements regarding each individual member’s activities. As a group, Hey! Say! JUMP also released an album entited ‘DEAR’ in late July, and are currently embarking on a tour of the same name. Please keep an eye out for their activities! -Dia
0 Comments
 It's Featured Idol Friday time and this month we bring to you one of the recent favorites at A-To-J, The World Standard! The World Standard (Also known as Wa-suta or わーすた) is an idol group that is part of the iDOL Street collective that also includes groups like Cheeky Parade and GEM. The group was announced on March 29, 2015 with the stated goal of spreading the love of "kawaii" culture to the world using social media and social networking. This means that they are very active on their social media and have are very interesting in breaking into the world market. How are they doing this you ask? Well, for starters each of the members are currently learning a different foreign language (English, French, etc.) to widen their ability to speak to their fans. They also have made one other very important move; they've subtitled their MVs in English with really good translation free of the "google translate"-ness that plagues many other artists who attempt to go this route. Whether this spreads to other iDOL Street groups we will have to wait and see, but I think it's fair to say that subtitling MVs and certain promotional videos is becoming something of the standard in the idol world now. Also an ability for members to speak freely to in their fan’s native languages is always a plus.  The World Standard (2015)
The group is made up of Sakamoto Hazuki (Pastel Yellow), Hirokawa Nanase (Pastel Green), Matsuda Miri (Pastel Purple), Kodama Ririka (Pastel Blue), and Mishina Ruka (Pastel Pink). Ririka and Hazuki were previously members of the unit "Hanarichu", and Ririka was also part of "SAPPORO Snow Loveits". Miri and Hazaki shared time in "OSAKA Daizy7", and Ruka was in "NAGOYA Chubu". Going along with the iDOL Street regional units, Nanase was previously in "FUKUOKA Hakata Minion" and she is also the leader of the group. Nanase and Ruka make up much of the main vocals in the group. This is shown by the fact that in many of the early performance of the group the other members didn't have mics of their own and served mainly as back dancers. This of course has since changed but the bulk of the solos still go to Nanase and Ruka. They had their debut performance on April 29th at the iDOL Street Carnival 2015 ~GOLDEN PARADE!!!!!~ concert and began their Showroom web show the next month titled "Wa-suta no Kawaii Room (わーすたのKawaii☆Room)". Music releases were a little slower in coming, but they released their first single "Inu Neko. Seishu Massakari" via Music Card in October of 2015. The video shows off their cool style, cute sound, and cat ears! Check it out below. The World Standard - Inu Neko Seishu Massakari MV Regarding music, it should be pointed out that they are produced by Manaka Suzuki who also writes most of their music. Manaka Suzuki is a very prolific songwriter/producer who is probably best known for her work with Tomomi Itano, HKT48, and NMB48. Besides 48G she also writes for other iDOL Steet groups, Cheeky Parade, SUPER GIRLS, and GEM. Due to their name and their concept of worldwide recognition, their style is described as having a "world music feel" this means that many different music genres are often mixed together. Pop, country, electronic, disco, and other sounds come together to make up The World Standard's unique sound. This isn't quite present in their singles, but can be seen more in their album tracks. Activities-wise, The World Standard held their first one-man live on February 28, 2016 titled "The World Standard at Shibuya Club Quattro". On their one year anniversary they had their second solo live title "Wa-suta Land 1".  "The World Standard" Album Promotion I mentioned album tracks earlier, well The World Standard released their self-titled album on May 4, 2016 and this release is noteworthy in that it was released in 110 countries! Truly a milestone for any Japanese group, even more so for a relatively new idol group. The album also displays the varied sound that I mentioned earlier and will be reviewed in its entirety in due course. Marking this major album release is the MV for "Ultra Mirakurukuru Final Ultimate Choco Beam". This is the definitive Wa-suta song. There is just so much ridiculousness in it that I don't even know where to begin. It has video game motifs and references, lots of funny visual RPG references, nonsensical lyrics that are still catchy, and cute outfits designed by KOKOkim. The title itself is a mouthful too, but that adds to its charm. Did I also mention that their outfits prominently feature their Twitter user names? Because they do! Musically it's all over the place, but I'll let you judge for yourself as the video can be found below. The World Standard - Ultra Mirakurukuru Final Ultimate Choco Beam MV If all this weren't enough, they recently had their first overseas live in Shanghai this past June at the @Jam in Shanghai 2016 event. In other live activities it was also announced that they would be embarking on their first live house tour this fall. They also recently announced their first single (as of yet untitled) to be released on September 28th.  From Our Interview! Lastly, did we mention that A-To-J Connections recently were lucky enough to interview them? Well we were and that interview will be live very soon at the time of this writing! It will be available in both text (English, Japanese, and Spanish) as well as a video subtitled in English. Be sure to keep an eye out for it! Also be sure to check out The World Standard and get in on what is going to be one of the biggest idol groups of this generation!
Catch you all next month for Featured Idol Friday! -Manuel The World Standard is:
For More On The World Standard: Website: http://wa-suta.world/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tws_staff Sakamoto Hazuki Twitter: https://twitter.com/tws_hazuki Hirokawa Nanase Twitter: https://twitter.com/tws_nanase Matsuda Miri Twitter: https://twitter.com/tws_miri Kodama Ririka Twitter: https://twitter.com/tws_ririka Mishina Ruka Twitter: https://twitter.com/tws_ruka Blog: http://lineblog.me/theworldstandard/  We've talked about Yukueshirezutsurezure before, but somehow never got around to really telling you who they are. Luckily for you, it's Featured Idol Friday! With their debut mini-album fresh in everybody's minds, this is the perfect chance to tell you all about the enigma that is Yukueshirezutsurezure.
 "Happy Friday the 13th" probably isn't a phrase you're used to. Apologies, then, for this month's Featured Idol Friday. Digging through the depths of the most intense and rebellious anti-idols out there, it was hard to decide who would get the honor of being this month's terrifying poster group for underground idols. You may remember that last month we had DEEP GIRL gracing our front page, which disqualifies them for this month of course. It's too bad, since they would have fit in nicely. Instead we made the decision to give a handful of groups the spotlight, groups who we found were horror-themed, creepy, or just plain unsettling. Kamen Joshi It's hard to mention idols on Friday the 13th without bringing up the masked idols Kamen Joshi. Performing a mix of cutesy idol pop and heavy metal, these idols wear hockey masks at all times. Their bright colors and cheery music is known for taking dark turns down the path of hardcore underground music. While they bear many similarities to mainstream groups like BABYMETAL, it's their aesthetic which sets them apart and gives them a place in this article. Yukueshirezutsurezure If their name alone isn't a horror story for our English-speaking audience, then maybe their debut MV will be. This group hangs heavily in the "unsettling" side of the spectrum, making sickeningly dark "yami-kawaii" music which gives you the chills even through the sweetly innocent vocals. When they break down in chaotic fury, it's one of the most surprising musical moments in recent memory. They were set to release their debut mini-album this week, but unfortunately had to postpone it due to losing a member. Instead, it's expected to be out at the end of the month. Zenbu Kimi no Sei Da. You can't mention Yukueshirezutsurezure without their sister-group Zenbu Kimi no Sei Da, and vice-versa. This denpa-influenced idol group takes seriously dark turns into some of the most uncomfortable topics imaginable. Their recent couple of videos deal with depression, self-harm, and suicide in various ways. The first is tasteful and emotional, the second is wild and in-your-face. Enjoy! Guso Drop We don't have a lot of information regarding this new idol group, but they're as dark and heavy as it gets. Aiming to be the most hardcore group around, they actively encourage stage-diving and crowd-lifting and mosh pits... All in an attempt to prove they're more hardcore than BiSH. I think they made their point quite clearly. Honorable Mentions These groups don't really fit the theme, but deserve a mention due to their connection to the dark side of idol music. Whether it be their music or their image, something about each of these groups breaks the mold of the common idol. (only includes currently active idols!)
-Justin  It’s Friday, Friday, Friday!! You know what that means? That’s right folks! It’s time for our Feature Idol Friday article! This time around we will be talking about a group that has come about a bit more recently. A newer idol rock group known as "DEEP GIRL" which formed during the summer of 2015. Originally there were eight members: Non (のん), Kanon (かのん), Rikopin (りこぴん), Mashiro (ましろ), Renren (れんれん), Yuuyu (ゆうゆ), Erina (えりな), and Hinapisu (ひなぴす). Unfortunately though, there are only four girls remaining in the group today; Non, Kanon, Rikopin and Mashiro. For their first single, which was released on July 8th, 2015, they came with a simple yet fitting title: “Deep Girl” (ディープガール)
DEEP GIRL - Deep Girl MV It was announced on September 30th that DEEP GIRL would release their second single titled "I Kill" (イキル). Now the title for this song is really interesting because of the way they have it pronounced as “ii ki ru” instead of “ai ki ru” and the reason being that イキル (生きる) in Japanese means ‘to live.’ This puts a pretty awesome twist on things since there is a huge meaningful message within the song and video. This is probably one of the harder hitting songs with the theme of bullying and depression that I have heard in recent years and it is definitely very high on my list of admired songs and it is even in the running for my song of the year. DEEP GIRL - "I kill" MV I truly hope to see this group be able to flourish and grow as much as possible and follow them every step of the way. If they could keep releasing great songs with powerful messages I believe that they will become extremely successful and have a very long and prosperous run as a rock idol group! I definitely urge everyone to check out DEEP GIRL and share how you feel about their second single as it is very powerful and hard hitting while still managing to be a great song!
-Eric DEEP GIRL Is: Non Kanon Rikopin Mashiro For More Information: Official Website: http://www.deep-girl.com/ Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepgirlrock YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo4ejOn0522FDg5ARz7Z1Jw/videos?nohtml5=False  NOT IDOL, NOT KAWAII. BILLIE IDLE® is an anti-idol group half made up of ex-BiS members First Summer Uika and Hirano Nozomi (plus Momose Momo, who was never in BiS but was ALMOST in BiS). Contrary to other anti-idol groups, they're actually a much more upbeat and cheery kind of group. They refuse to call themselves idols though, and take heavy influence from punk rock music and culture. The group was formed immediately after BiS disbanded, by former BiS manager (and current BiSH manager) Junnosuke Watanabe. Teriyaki Boyz member/fashion designer NIGO is also involved in their management and public appearance. BILLIE IDLE® debuted in 2015 with the A M A Z I N G single "anarchy in the music scene". This is one of my favorite idol (or not idol?) songs of all time, hands-down. Shortly after they released their debut album "IDLE GOSSIP". "IDLE GOSSIP" featured not only "anarchy", but some other incredible songs like "be my boy", "moments", and "po pe pa". Their sound falls somewhere between cute idol pop and Polysics-flavored electro-dance punk. Their live shows are full of energy and even stage diving, which is normally banned by idol group management. First Summer Uika in particular was known for stage diving during her time in BiS. BILLIE IDLE® - anarchy in the music scene MV  Later in 2015 BILLIE IDLE® released their SECOND album, "ROCK"N"ROLL IDLE". Just as good as the first, this album brought us "Darling ni wa Naranai", "Kanata ni...", and "be-bop tu-tu". With BILLIE IDLE® now solidified as one of the best working groups in J-pop, it's only a matter of time before they take over the entire world. The group's image is highly centered on fashion, including some awesome outfits you can only buy in NIGO's "STORE BY NIGO" in Harajuku. They don't actually play live that often, it seems, so each show really is a big event. They once played in a wrestling ring, which was just as amazing as it sounds. BILLIE IDLE® is set to release "4-in-1: The Official Bootleg" in April; it's an EP where each of the 4 songs will be written and sung by one member of the group. After that, who knows? Another album would be welcome about now, if you ask me. Something about this group just makes them impossible to ignore. Their musical styles are as varied and unique as their personalities, and the songwriting and performance of those songs is just incredible. These really are four of the most talented singers in J-pop today, as far as I'm concerned. BILLIE IDLE® - be-bop tu-tu MV Between 2015 and 2016, BILLIE IDLE® headlined an ex-BiS tour; the "BRAND-NEW IDLE SOCIETY: IDLE IS DEAD" tour would featured BILLIE IDLE® themselves, former BiS leader Pour Lui's new band LUI FRONTiC AKABANE JAPAN, Saki Kamiya's group POP (Period of Plastic 2 Mercy, formerly Pla2me), and Maison book girl (featuring Megumi Koshouji from BiS). Ex-BiS-member-turned-DJ Tentenko also appeared at the finale of the tour. This was one of the best tour lineups of all time, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. I only wish I could have seen them. I hope BILLIE IDLE® continues to put together amazing events like that, and an international tour would not be unwelcomed. If you're a new listener to BILLIE IDLE®, I highly recommend you start with "anarchy in the music scene". After that, all of "IDLE GOSSIP". It has all those great songs I listed above, plus "Konin Todoke wa Tomaranai", plus "idle fellas" (also the name of their official fan club). You can't go wrong with any of the songs on that album, it's perfect front-to-back. After that, listen to "ROCK"N"ROLL IDLE". And after that, well, cry because there's nothing else to hear. Yet. But just wait until April. I'm gonna write about that EP so hard. It's not even an album, but it's gonna be one of my favorite albums of the year. Guaranteed. -Justin BILLIE IDLE® IS: First Summer Uika Hirano Nozomi Momose Momo Yasui Yuuhi For More Information: Website: http://www.billieidle.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/b_idle_official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG1VeRu87NHxaNuEt_a3jzw  BILLIE IDLE® - be my boy MV  In 2014, it was announced that popular “rebel idol” unit BiS (Brand-new idol Society) would disband at Budokan Yokohama Arena. In an effort to keep the legacy of BiS alive, manager Watanabe Junnosuke held auditions to replace the entire lineup. The group was announced in January of 2015, and the lineup was solidified a few months later. They were introduced as BiSH (Brand-new idol SHiT). BiSH was: Sen to Chihiro Chicchi, group captain (currently known as Cent Chihiro Chitti) Aina The End, a former R&B singer and member of PARALLEL Hug Me Momoko Gumi Company Yukako Love Deluxe Shortly after their first single, “Spark”, Yukako Love Deluxe left the group due to anxiety, but they went on without her. The debut album “Brand-new idol SHiT” was released shortly after to massive acclaim, blowing BiS’s Oricon chart records out of the water.  BiSH - BiSH: Hoshi ga Matataku Yoru ni MV  BiSH has become known for their over-the-top, often shocking music videos. From “BiSH: Hoshi ga Matataku Yoru ni” featuring scat and semen imagery, to “MONSTERS” where the group fights against the oppressive regime of a boot camp instructor (a callout against idol culture in general). The group is also known to be honest and open about their personal lives, holding nothing back in interviews. Hug Me writes a column in a porn magazine (starting with her VERY in-depth recollection of her first Brazilian wax) and Momoko has openly admitted to hating otaku, most idol fans, and even handshake events. Aina has gone on record about her history of being bullied in school, and even mentioned that she was homeless for a short time prior to auditioning for BiSH. It’s not just BiSH’s public image that differs from “ordinary” idol units; it’s also what happens behind-the-scenes. The members often write their own songs, and even do their own choreography. Their song lyrics aren’t usually that far off from what you would expect from idols (read: love songs) but they’ve been known to break the rules from time to time. A handful of their songs deal with the realities of life as an idol, including depression, discomfort, and anxiety. Some songs deal with loneliness or fear of getting stuck in the idol lifestyle without any future, or even sex. Their biggest single, “OTNK”, is about penises (though they try to hide it with the “official” lyrics being completely different to the actual lyrics.) According to Momoko, the lyrics are cute. BiSH - OTNK MV In 2015, BiSH picked up two new members: Lingling and Hashiyasume Atsuko. With their new 6-person lineup, they released their second full-length album “FAKE METAL JACKET”, and flew up the charts faster than ever. With the album came the announcement that they would soon be signing to avex trax, the same label which had signed BiS. Their major label debut is set to be released on May 4th, 2016.  There’s a lot to say about BiSH, but the best way is to just jump right in. They’re perfect for fans of groups like Babymetal and Ladybaby, or just for an idol fan looking for something new. Their music varies from pop to metal, and even to jazz-rock, hardcore punk, thrash, and blues rock. There’s something for almost everybody. I recommend starting with one of their singles, like “OTNK” or “MONSTERS”. The deep album tracks can get a little weird for anyone who isn’t into obscure subgenres. I’m still holding out hope for the inevitable “BiSHKaidan” album which will surely be the best idol album of all time. BiSH Is: Cent Chihiro Chitti (Captain) Aina the End Hug Me Momoko Gumi Company Lingling Hashiyasume Atsuko BiSH - MONSTERS MV Happy Aloha Friday folks! If anyone has ever been to Hawai’i, then you are sure to know that Fridays are known as Aloha Friday (the best day of the week)! Not only is today Aloha Friday, but it also happens to be Feature Idol Friday again as well! With this installment of our Feature Idol Friday we will be talking about Kobushi Factory (こぶしファクトリー). [Editor's Note: For a bit of information on the reference "Aloha Friday" check here!] On January 2nd of 2015, in the midst of the annual Hello! Project WINTER concert, the announcement of a new group was made. This group would be made up of 8 members, Rio Fujii, Ayaka Hirose, Minami Nomura, Reina Ogawa, Ayano Hamaura, Natsumi Taguchi, Sakurako Wada, and Rei Inoue. The name for this group would remain unknown until February 25th, when they were given the name of Kobushi Factory.  When it comes to meaning, the word Kobushi can have a few. In the case of this group, Kobushi is said to contain the meaning of both the coming of spring and the refinement of the kobushi magnolia (辛夷) as well as the strength of a fist (拳). As far as the factory goes, it is a tribute to the ever so fantastic group Berryz Koubou (工房) where the “Koubou” means “Workshop.”
Kobushi released their first Indie DVD single on March 26th of 2015 titled “Nen ni wa Nen / Survivor” (念には念 “Be Double Sure” / サバイバー). Survivor is the theme song of the musical Week End Survivor which starred the 8 members of Kobushi Factory as well as Sudo Maasa (Berryz工房). I really enjoyed the stern, serious feel of Survivor as it seemed to make the song very powerful. I would recommend using this song as a warmup song for working out! Survivor Rec/Off-shoot Video Nen ni wa Nen is definitely one of those songs that you can just blast at full volume and dance and sing along as loud as you can while having a crazy amount of fun! Nen ni wa Nen PV On June 14th, it was announced that Kobushi Factory were going to have their major debut on September 2nd with a single titled "Dosukoi! Kenkyo ni Daitan / Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san no Uta / Nen ni wa Nen (Nen'iri Ver.)." (ドスコイ！ケンキョにダイタン / ラーメン大好き小泉さんの唄 / 念には念（念入りVer.）) Since Kobushi Factory haven’t even been around for an entire year yet, this was a very big announcement, because only a few groups have made their major debuts in such short amount of time. Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san no Uta (A cover of "Ramen Daisuki Koike-san no Uta" by Sharam Q) is another one of those songs that you dance yourself silly to. Its fun and simple dance will undoubtedly keep you scooping noodles, draining the water, and eating ramen for days to come! Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san no Uta PV If you thought the Ramen song was fun, just wait until you hear Dosukoi! Kenkyo ni Daitan. Not only is this song one of my favorite hype songs of all of 2015, it was also a huge factor in the winning of an award later in the year. Dosukoi! Kenkyo ni Daitan PV
Kobushi Factory - Best Newcomer Award + Dosukoi! Performance More good news for Kobushi fans is that there has just been an announcement made that they will be having their 2nd single released on February 17th and it will be titled Sakura Night Fever / Chotto Guchoku ni! Chototsu Moushin / Osu! Kobushi Tamashii (桜ナイトフィーバー／チョット愚直に！猪突猛進／押忍！こぶし魂)! So far the released from Kobushi Factory has been awesome and I cannot wait to see how great this upcoming single will be! -Eric (BerryzGenius) For More Information: Second Single Information Official Hello! Project Profile Kobushi Factory (Magnolia Factory) Introduction In English by Mitsui Aika Hello! Station EP. 148 Kobushi History Pt.1 (34:32 – 45:00)Hello! Station EP. 149 Kobushi History Pt.2 (35:00 – 44:55)Hello! Station EP. 125 Major Debut Announcement (11:42 – 16:35) |
Search
Contributors◆ Angie
◆ Hinacchi ◆ Manuel ◆ Megan ◆ Molly ◆ Rose ◆ Sylvia ◆ Teepu ◆ Tiffany ◆ Winfield Support Us On Patreon!
Archives
March 2025
|
RSS Feed
© 2014-2025 A-to-J Connections. All Rights Reserved.