AKB48 Gunning For Speed’s Record

The inevitable happened a couple of days ago – AKB48 with Manatsu no Sounds Good finally overtook Morning Musume’s Love Machine record of being the best selling idol single of all time. Although the group have threatened to break this record several times, they seemed to come up a little bit short each time but not this time round. 1.61m copies of Manatsu was sold during the first week which in itself set a new record. Speed’s White Love currently holds the best selling single by a girl group with 1.845m copies sold and AKB48 could very well break that record by next week.

There’s the argument that Morning Musume didn’t have any gimmicks with Love Machine and AKB48’s sales have been vastly boosted by the voting ticket for the senbatsu election. That’s a valid argument I suppose but the fact that we’re in a recession and CD sales are in decline this is still a huge accomplishment for AKB48. Even sales for Not yet and WH7’s new singles has been affected with many fans abandoning buying their singles to seek more election votes. Both singles are considerably down on sales compared to what they usually shift. WH7 seems to have suffered the most.

Not yet vs Watarirouka Hashiritai 7

With the upcoming senbatsu elections coming ever so closer, there seems to be an interesting clash happening on the 30th May and I think this is the first time for 2 AKB48 sub-units to go head to head against each other. Not yet will release ‘Suika BABY’ whilst Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 also release Shounen yo Uso wo Tsuke! It’s possible that management wanted one of the groups’ single to be released on the 6th June but seeing as it’s such an important day for AKB48 fans they had no choice to have these 2 groups releasing their singles on the same day.

There’s no doubt that it’s going to be a difficult choice for fans who aren’t blessed with money which one they’ll support. Buying both sets of singles is going to be really expensive. I think it’s Not yet who will triumph as they have more popular members than WH7. I don’t like to see them go against each other but such is life.

For Not yet’s single, Rie Kitahara has had a go in writing lyrics for a song that will appear as one of the b-sides. Her track is called ‘guilty love’. She did have some support from Aki-P in writing and she now has more respect than ever for him as she found out that it’s not easy to devise lyrics for a song. Overall though, she quietly satisfied with the track and I’m looking forward to hearing it.

WH7 – Shounen yo Uso wo Tsuke PV Preview

Here’s a small preview of Watarirouka Hashiritai 7’s new single Shounen yo Uso wo Tsuke which is released on May 30th. It’ll also be the theme song for the movie Eiga Crayon Shin-chan Arashi wo Yobu! Ora to Uchuu no Princess. As you can see from the clip, beautiful Mayuyu plays a space alien who wears a silver body suit. Is it just me or does anyone else think that CinDy feels out of place in the group?

WH7 New Single Preview

Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 which includes new temporary member CinDy will be releasing their new single Shounen yo Uso wo Tsuke! sometime during late Spring (possibly late May).  At the SSA concerts last weekend, WH7 gave the crowd in attendance their first chance of hearing the new song and now courtesy of Youtube you’re also able to hear it.

How does the new song sound to you? Like it, hate it, no opinion yet?

CinDy Joins Watarirouka Hashiritai 7

I didn’t see this one coming but SDN48 member Kazumi Urano is joining WH7 as a temporary member!! It was Aki-P who revealed all on Google +. As he has contractual obligations with WH7 as a 7 member group he had to fill in the gap left behind by Nacchan’s sudden leaving last month. Don’t get me wrong as I like CinDy but surely there was somebody in AKB48 that could have taken the position? Aki-P’s reasoning behind putting CinDy in WH7 is that she was a former Team B leader and WH was supposed to be a unit made up of Team B members. Sorry, that’s not a good enough reason for me. CinDy’s cute princess character is also supposed to fit right in with WH7. At 26 years old, CinDy would be the oldest member in WH7 with Harugon the next at 20 years old. How long she stays with WH7 is another thing is she’s only temporary?

J-Pop Top 100 Songs Of 2011

It’s that time of year again when I compile a list of the best 100 J-Pop songs I’ve listened to during the year. IMO 2011 was slightly better than 2010 in terms of great music coming out in Japan. It was tough as it always is in doing this countdown but overall I’m satisfied with what I picked.

Anyway, give me a shout about what you think of the chart.

100 EXILE – Each Other’s Way
99 AAA – Daiji na Koto
98 9Nine – Shining Star
97 Negoto – Charon
96 Aqua Timez – Mayonaka no Orchestra
95 Mai Kuraki – Your Best Friend
94 Idoling!!! – Yarakai Heart
93 Ayahi Takagaki – Takaramono
92 SDN48 – Ai, Juseyo
91 Nana Mizuki – Scarlet Knight
90 Maximum The Hormone – Greatest The Hits 2011~2011
89 Mika Nakashima – Dear
88 Yui Horie – Presenter
87 You Kikkawa – Kikkake wa You!
86 Kana Nishino – Distance
85 Buono! – Zassou no Uta
84 SDN48 – MIN MIN MIN
83 Kie Kitano – Kizuna
82 Happiness – Wish
81 Nana Mizuki – Junketsu Paradox
80 FLOWER – Still
79 YUI – Green a.live
78 SCANDAL – Haruka
77 Angela Aki – Hajimari no Ballad
76 JASMINE – ONLY YOU
75 YGA – Jounetsu Heroine
74 KAT-TUN – Ultimate Wheels
73 JUJU – Kono yoru wo Tomete yo
72 Sphere – Hazy
71 Morning Musume – Only You
70 KARA – Jet Coaster Love
69 miwa – 441
68 Tokyo Girls Style – Limited Addiction
67 Eri Kitamura – Be Starters!
66 ClariS – nexus
65 KARA – Winter Magic
64 PASSPO – Vivi Natsu
63 SCANDAL – Pride
62 Afterschool – Diva
61 Koda Kumi – Pop Diva
60 YUI – Hello~Paradise Kiss
59 Super Girls – MAX! Otomegokoro
58 May’n – Scarlet Ballet
57 Perfume – Spice
56 Superfly – Ai wo Kurae
55 Tohoshinki – Why? (Keep Your Head Down)
54 4Minute – Heart To Heart
53 Aoi Teshima – Sayonara no Natsu
52 SCANDAL – Love Survive
51 L’arc En Ciel – Good Luck My Way
50 Infinite – BTD
49 NMB48 – Zetsumetsu Kurokami Shoujo
48 Perfume – Laser Beam
47 Supercell – My Dearest
46 EXILE – Rising Sun
45 Kis-My-Ft2 – Everybody Go
44 4Minute – WHY
43 Girl Next Door – Silent Scream
42 no3b – Answer
41 French Kiss – If
40 DiVA – Cry
39 Idoling!!! – Don’t think. Feel!!!
38 Kaoru to Tomoki, Toma ni Mook – Maru Maru Mori Mori
37 Not yet – Shuumatsu Not yet
36 Bump Of Chicken – Tomodachi no Uta
35 Namie Amuro – Love Story
34 Meisa Kuroki – Wired Life
33 French Kiss – Kakkowarui I Love You!
32 Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 – Hettapi Wink
31 FictionJunction – Stone Cold
30 Atsuko Maeda – Flower
29 2NE1 – Go Away
28 French Kiss – Saisho no Mail
27 Arashi – Lotus
26 no3b – Kuchibiru Furezu
25 Namie Amuro – Fight Together
24 JASMINE – ONE
23 Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 – Valentine Kiss
22 SKE48 – Pareo wa Emerald
21 DiVA – Tsugi no Uragawa
20 B’z – Don’t Wanna Lie
19 Tomomi Itano – Fui ni
18 AKB48 – Ue kara Mariko
17 AKB48 – Sakura no Ki ni Narou
16 Not yet – Pera Pera Perao
15 Atsuko Maeda – La Brae Ave
14 NMB48 – OH MY GOD!
13 SKE48 – Banzai Venus
12 Not yet – Naminori Kakigoori
11 AKB48 – Everyday Kachuusha
10 AKB48 – Kaze wa Fuiteiru
09 AKB48 – Flying Get
08 SKE48 – Okey Dokey
07 Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 – Kibou Sanmyaku
06 Koda Kumi – Ko-so ko-so
05 Shoudo Jidai – Mr Taxi
04 Namie Amuro ft Afterschool – Make It Happen
03 Tomomi Itano – Dear J
02 AKB48 – Seishun to Kizukunai Mama
01 AKB48 – Gondola Lift

Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 – Kibou Sanmyaku 1st Day Sales

Watarirouka Hashiritai 7’s 9th single ‘Kibou Sanmyaku’ sold 55,423 on it’s first day and whilst that’s their best first day sales so far, an increase of 10k over Valentine Kiss – the chances of them achieving a no.1 hit at the end of the week looks slim as they’ve got KAT-TUN and Tohoshinki ahead of them. It’s unfortunate that WH7 has gone head to head with KAT-TUN on several occasions and lost out on the top spot. The best they can achieve come next week is no.3.

Still I like the single very much and bought it yesterday at Shinjuku’s Tower Records which came with a bonus Christmas group shot as an extra.

WH7 New Single Set To Drop In November

There’s not much details yet about Watarirouka Hashiritai 7’s new upcoming single which is set to be released on November 30th. All we know so far is that their 9th single will have 4 versions coming out: Limited Type A, B,C plus the regular edition. The limited edition versions will come with a DVD plus a ticket to their nationwide handshake events.

Tracklistings and CD covers will be posted here as soon as they’re available.

Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 Added To Event/New Acchan CM

Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 have been added to VAMP’s annual Halloween Party event. They’ll be taking part in the October 29th bash in Kobe alongside Acid Black Cherry and Shoko Nakagawa.

I said last week that Acchan had been filming a new CM for the fashion brand ‘g.u’. This CM started airing from yesterday in Japan and features Acchan donning various outfits in a room full of balloons stuck to a wall which ends with them exploding all around her set to a cool sounding rock soundtrack. Check out the CM below.

Hettapi Wink 1st Week Sales/DiVA’s Cry 1st Day Sales

3 days ago I commented on WH7’s single Hettapi Wink and the disappointing sales figures so far especially coming off the back of a great single such as Valentine Kiss.  The final total came out for the week and I wasn’t far off with my prediction for the total sold for the week. The single sold 80,017 copies. It’s not a disaster by any means for the group and I’m sure they’re pleased as punch with those figures but I did think it would have been upwards and onwards for them. Still they’ve come a long way from sales figures of last year.

Yesterday saw DiVA release their latest single Cry. It made no.2 in the Oricon Daily Charts with 35,060 copies sold. They didn’t stand a chance to achieve no.1 with Johnny’s group Kis-my-ft2 selling in excess of 175k with their single. Hopefully DiVA will top the 1st week’s sales for their debut single Tsuki no Uragawa which sold nearly 74k.