My Favorite Hello! Project Songs of the Decade!
As we are entering a new decade, I want to use this time to look back on all of the music Hello! Project has released since 2010. In truth, it's actually been ten years since I become a fan. I discovered it through watching Shugo Chara! in 2009; however, I wouldn't consider myself a solely dedicated fan until 2010.
While I may not talk about it as much, Hello! Project will still be a significant part in my life. I practically grew up listening to it. This was the starting point to me really delving into the world of J-pop. In the past ten years, Hello! Project has really changed a lot. I was there at the very end of Platinum era, I was there when Berryz Koubou and ˚C-ute disbanded, I was there when S/mileage changed their name to ANGERME... and to this day, I'm still tempted to just pronounce their name literally as "anger me."
They've released so many new music, members came and go, and now I think it's the best time to share my favorite songs from Hello! Project of this decade. I'm not ranking the songs because I cannot bring myself to do so. Now, on with the list~
▶ Fantasyが始まる by モーニング娘。
(released December 01, 2010)
A fan favorite from their eleventh album, Fantasy ga Hajimaru has become one of my all-time favorite Morning Musume tracks of all time. You may or may not know this, but I'm absolute sucker for the fantasy concept. I love the EDM-pop instrumental and I think Sayumi was the perfect center for this song. No matter how many times I listen to the song, I never get tired of it. It's a Morning Musume song that I will continue playing
▶ 情熱エクスタシー by ºC-ute
(released December 23, 2015)
Honest to God, I think ªCmaj9 is my favorite ªC-ute album to date. Every single track was a bop. However, my most favorite track from the album would have to Jounetsu Ecstasy. It's become one of my favorite tracks from the group of all time. I love the rock influence on the instrumental. When I first heard the song for the first time five years ago, it made me so hecking hyped up. This was such a strong song from the album, one that'll hype up the listener and was perfect for concerts. May I also add that this is a SAKI LEAD song. SAKI WAS THE CENTER. YES.
▶ Danceでバコーン! by ºC-ute
(released August 25, 2010)
I feel like any person who is getting into the ºC-ute for the first time, Dance de Bakoon! would be one of the maybe-fifteen songs they'll be exposed to in the group. It's one of the group's most iconic songs and also one of my all-times favorites. How could I ever dislike it? It's another fun song with a rock influence to it, hyping up the listener and perfect for concerts. I'll admit, the first time I heard this song years and years ago– I wasn't that big of a fan of it. I was more into the cutesy songs. However, over time, the more I listened to it– the more I fell in love with it. I find myself banging my head to the beat of the chorus. If you ever need a song to hype you up and get you dancing, this is the idol song for you~
▶ Oh my wish! by モーニング娘。
(released August 19th, 2015)
I'll be honest. If you had to make me rank all of Morning Musume's discography, it's not super super high on the list. It's not one of my all time favorite but goddamn. Within this decade, it is one of my favorite songs that Morning Musume has released. It was a nicely polished, nicely done song. You know me, I'm a sucker for EDM which is a reason why I'm so hooked onto the melody. Can I also add that this was a DUU AND ZUKKI DOUBLE CENTER song? I was absolutely mind fxcking blown when it happened. Those two were absolutely perfect, they killed this song. It was made for Duu and Zukki, that's it. Now, every since they graduated.. the song just doesn't feel right with the current or newer members performing it. Still, I listen to the original and reminisce.
▶ I miss you by ºC-ute
(released November 19, 2014)
This is fairly different from a lot of songs that I've heard from the group, let alone Hello! Project as a whole. It had a very sophisticated, classical feeling to it with a baroque influenced sounds in between the chorus and verses. There was a lot of things going on with two verses going on at the same time, but it doesn't sound overly chaotic. The fact the there was a lot of new things going on with this song was what made it memorable to me. It's not one of my most favorite tracks from the group, but definitely one of my favorites from the decade.
▶ ファイナルスコール by ºC-ute
(released March 29, 2017)
To this day, I sincerely believed that this was the perfect farewell song for ºC-ute. I'm going to be extremely honest right now, I didn't care that much about To Tomorrow or The Curtain Rises. That's right, I said it. Final Squall was the star of the single for me. It was beautiful yet still showed off their strength as a group. When I interpret the lyrics, they're not singing about a reflection of themselves or their experiences. Rather, they're singing about how they know this is the end for now but they're going to pull through. It's a bittersweet promise that they'll meet again. I also like that when you read the katakana, you might also interpret スコール as Score – meaning Final Score. It was the perfect final song for ºC-ute and I love it so much.
▶ もう我慢できないわ ~Love ice cream~ by モーニング娘。
(released December 6th, 2017)
It's a song about wanting to have ice cream. You honestly cannot get any better than that. Definitely one of my more favorite Morning Musume tracks of the decade, but I'm going to wait a bit more to see if it's one of my all-time favorites. It's cute, lively, fun. I love listening to this during the summer time. Haachin, Haachan, Kaede, and Reina did a fantastic job with this. It was definitely one of the better tracks from the album. (P.S. I'm still bitter that we got such boring covers.. b o r i n g.)
▶ 夢見る15歳 by スマイレージ
(released May 26, 2010)
Another iconic track from Hello! Project's discography. How could I ever dislike this?
▶ Dream Road～心が躍り出してる～ by Juice=Juice
(released October 26, 2016)
I feel like when it comes to Juice=Juice's discography, not a long of people talk about this song. It's not that big of a fan-favorite but I really enjoyed this track. Heck, it's my most favorite song from them thus far.Unlike most people that I know in the Hello! Project fandom, I'm honestly not that much of a fan of Juice=Juice. It's sad because I remember loving their earlier works but now that I listen to it again, I don't feel that same spark. However, when it comes to the group, Dream Road ~Kokoro ga Odoridashiteru~ is the one track that I'll go to. It's an extremely pretty EDM song with motivating lyrics.
▶ うらはら by Buono!
(released February 10, 2010)
One of my all-time favorite tracks from Buono! ever. We are Buono! was a solid album with so many good tracks. However, out of all of them, Urahara is my favorite. Hearing it being performed live compared to the studio version was just so beautiful. If you're curious, my favorite live performance of the song was from their We are Buono! 2010 winter live tour~ The vocals and harmonies was so on point and I love the guitar instrumental~ /chef's kiss; Perfect track.
▶ 春の嵐 by 真野恵里菜
(released February 24, 2010)
My number one all-time favorite track from Mano Erina. It was one of the first songs that I've ever heard from her and I was immediately hooked. It's incredibly catchy and I think there's a bit of synth in there? I may be wrong, it just sounded like it in some spots. Out of all of the songs in Mano's discography, this is the one song I would always play and have on repeat. While I do enjoy some of her other songs, none of them has really stayed hooked compared to Haru no Arashi. I would like to add that while music video is very Hello! Project and generic, I love the pink theme and soft aesthetic~
▶ 青春Say A-HA by モーニング娘。
(released December 6th, 2017)
▶ Midnight Temptation by ºC-ute
(released April 6, 2011)
▶ 有頂天LOVE by スマイレージ
(released August 3rd, 2011)
(released September 7th, 2011)
▶ MOON POWER by Berryz工房
(released July 14th, 2010)
So those were my favorite Hello! Project songs from 2010 to 2019. I honestly wonder what this decade will bring to us. ˚C-ute's been gone for several years, Kobushi Factory is disbanding, ANGERME and Morning Musume continues to be ever-changing. I'm wondering if we'll ever get a solo artist again like Mano Erina; I think that will be interesting to see since we have so many groups.
What were your favorite songs from Hello! Project? Let me know, I'm quite curious to see. Until my next post, jyaa ne~
Comments
Post a Comment