Attack of the Radio Rips!!!

Every Tuesday I look forward to checking out the new Morning Musume Q&A at Hello! Online.  http://www.hello-online.org/  This weeks question is "What does Spring mean to you?"  For me, it means the beginning of the baseball season.  For UFA, apparently it means time to release lots and lots of new singles. 

The next few weeks bring us new music from Morning Musume, Matsuura Aya, C-ute, Buono!, v-u-den, and Milky Way.  Already we have had the chance to sample most of these songs at least a month before their release in stores.  Once again, I don't understand this.  If the songs are out, then release the singles.  I can't believe this has a positive affect on the sales numbers.  You need to "strike while the iron's hot!"

I'll begin with the three songs I haven't heard a radio "rip" of yet.

C-ute ~ Namida no Iro  Well, judging from the fan recording on YouTube the wota seem to have the chant down on this one already.  And the music?  Is this a collaboration with the Gipsy Kings?  I'll reserve overall judgement until I hear a better quality version.  But I will say the music begs for a very exotic and sexy PV, and that could make all the difference.  C-ute is a hot group right now, so I'm sure it will sell well.

Milky Way ~ Anataboshi  Let me begin by saying that I love the material Koharu gets as a soloist.  The songs are cute, and fit her personality perfectly.  The only hint of this song we have had so far is the exerpt from "Kirarin Revolution" posted by Some Boys! Blog the other day.  http://www.intlwota.com/someboysblog/category/milkyway/  That does sound like Koharu...If that is indeed Milky Way, I love it!!!  Whatever the hell that song is, I'm smiling!  My first impression of Milky Way wasn't overly positive, but now I'm thinking I might have been too pessimistic too early.  If it's any indication, this unit is going to be a smash hit!  And if we go by H!P's track record, this weekend marks one month until the single's release.  So we should see a PV any day now.

Buono! ~ Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!  I haven't heard a single note, but I'm sure it will be great!

Now for the radio rips...

C-ute ~ Koero! Rakuten Eagles  Let's check the "out of town" scoreboard, shall we?...this is the fourth Eagles theme song.  The Manpower!!! is my least favorite Morning Musume single ever.  GAM's Daisuki Rakuten Eagles is decent enough, but it just doesn't sound like a baseball support song to me...at all.  DEF.DIVA's Let's Go Rakuten Eagles sounds more like a team song.  It's fun, has cheers in it, and DEF.DIVA was an awesome side project!  I would put C-ute's rendition in the category of DEF.DIVA.  It's a fun and uplifting song.  And it has those little "fight, woo" chants all through it.  By the way, it was released March 20th, and the first sign of it on You Tube???  March 20th...gooooood

Morning Musume ~ Sono Bamen de Bibiccha Ikenai jan!  I already like this song a hell of a lot more than Resonant Blue, the A-side to this B-side.  That being said. this song sounds like a B-side.  I don't know how successful it would be as THE single since the popular trends seem to point to more mature sounding music.  In fact, I could see Berryz or C-ute performing this.  Evidently Tsunku has said songs like Resonant Blue are the direction Momusu is going for the forseeable future, but this is the second single in a row that has featured a c/w song that was cute and upbeat (Bon Kyu! Bon Kyu! Bomb Girl).  I just think these types of songs are more fun to watch at the concerts.

Matsuura Aya ~ Kizuna  I think just about everyone "holds their breath" whenever Ayaya puts out a new single.  I have never heard anyone say that they don't like her, but quite a few (including myself) have been slightly disappointed with her singles lately.  But lets face it, Aya has grown tremendously as an artist since the Dokki Doki! Love Mail days.  This is a very pretty song, and very appropriate as a theme song for the Special Olympics(?).  It is extremely uplifting without being too slow.  And it shows off how wonderful a singer Aya really is.  I'm not sure if I will buy it as a single, I'll probably wait for it to come out on a full length CD.  But I'm guessing that CD might be the "Pucchi Best" compilation.  Oh yeah, first shows up on YouTube March 25th, to be released May 21st???  JEEZ!!!

v-u-den ~ Nanni mo Iwazu ni I LOVE YOU  The final single of v-u-den.  I will not be in Japan for their graduation, but I can say I was there when they announced their coming disbandment.  The last song I heard them sing "in person" was Koisuru Angel Heart.  And I had a rush of sentimentality during the first verse which I find very pretty.  If you ignore the fact that this is just a remake of a Morning Musume song Rika sang on originally, it is a perfect "sad" song of reflection and finality.  My guess is that this will be the song they finish with at their summer tour.  And I think it will be an amazing moment to watch them cry through it.  I really liked v-u-den, and am sorry they weren't overly successful.  I sincerely hope there is a future in Hello! Project for Erika and Yui.

Good luck ladies! 

CK in California