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Thursday 15 December 2016

My Top 20 S/mileage/ANGERME Songs!

I started doing these ages ago with the Top 20 Morning Musume songs and promised to do the rest of H!P. Then I promptly forgot all about it... But I'm back now! So here are my top 20 S/mileage/ANGERME songs!
I won't comment on all the songs since it would take too long but I hope you all enjoy this list anyway.

 20. Choto Mate Kudasai



19. aMa no Jaku



18. Dondengaeshi



17. Taiki Bansei



16. Tachiagirl     


(I chose the Submem version of the MV since it's the only one where you get a good look at Fuyuka.)
Short lived 8nin S/mileage... I'm still sad about Fuyuka leaving...

15. Mahou Tsukai Sally  


Catchy, cute, easy to sing along to, what's not to like?

14. Otome no Gyakushuu


Such a cool, creepy atmosphere.

13. Watashi


Kanon's solo song! Why did she have to graduate...

12. Suki yo, Junjou Hankouki


There was a time when this was the only 6nin S/mileage song I would listen to. Times have changed, but I still love this song.

11. Itoshima Distance



10. Eighteen Emotion



9. Gashin Shoutan



8. Yattaruchan


This song is so much fun and it's catchy too. I've never liked Kana that much but this is her song. Meimi's solo lines sound really great here to.

7. Atarashii Watashi ni Nare!


I'll be honest, I kind of hated this song when I first heard it but I find the lyrics really interesting.

Wearing different clothes but I look the same
Anything I do, it's all the same logic
I'm so thick headed
 
Unless I change myself
Miracle won't happen
 
Be the new me!
Be the new me!
Throw away my little prejudice
I want to change myself

 So over time the song has grown on me and I often find myself singing along to it now. This song is also important because I consider it the birth of sexy S/mileage (whether that's a good thing or not is for you to decide).

6. Uchouten LOVE


Wahoo! The end of 4nin S/mileage and they went out with a bang! Another cute, Super catchy song.


5. Aa Susukino


The vocals in this song are so beautiful. I usually didn't like it when S/mileage did slower songs but this is just perfect.

4. Suki-chan


4nin S/mileage at their best. This song is so catchy and cute. I especially like the part where they whisper "Suki-chan" over and over again.

3. Ee ka!?


I didn't really like this song when I first heard it. The inspirational lyrics are what caught my attention first and then I realised how catchy this song it. The rest is history and now this is my favorite song of 6nin S/mileage.

2. Desugita Kui wa Utarenai     


Firstly, the lyrics have a really cool message. I think I've mentioned this before but the lyric "the nail that stands out too much will not be hammered down" refers to a popular japanese phrase which basically means, don't stand out, blend into the crowd. This song is about ANGERME saying "hell no, we're going to stand out and be ourselves". What I probably haven't mentioned is how cool the instrumental is. I sometimes miss the old S/mileage but this song (and the one ahead of it) makes me apreciate the awesomness that is ANGERME.
1. Tsugitsugi Zokuzoku

This song is pure awesomness. That cool whispery bit at the start. That kickass chorus. Just everything about this song is perfect!


 Honourable Mention!
I started this list a long time ago, and since then ANGERME released a new single. I didn't want to redo the entire list, but I also wanted this song to get the recognition it deserves. So without further ado, here's ANGERME's Wasurete Ageru, which I would place in position 3.5 in this list if I could.

                                                                          

Monday 12 December 2016

13th Gen!!!

So, my darlings, 13th gen has finally been announced. You've probably all heard the news already, but if you haven't, our lucky ladies are Kaga Kaede and Yokoyama Reina. This is MM's first two-member generation and second generation entirely made up of KSS (everyone seems to be forgetting that Sakura did that first). 


Overall,I'm pretty happy with the results. Neither of the girls were my top picks (Takase, Kodama and Ruru) but they were definately in the Top 10 and I'm very excited to see what they bring to the group.
First up is Kaede!
 Maachan said in an interview recently that fans would be "surprised" by the 13th gen results. She was right (as Maachan often is). I don't think even Kaga's biggest fans were expecting her to make it in. She's been in H!P since the 11th gen audition and has failled 3 MM auditions, 2 ANGERME auditions and been ignored in the formations of Juice=Juice, CG, Kobushi and Tsubaki Factory. So yeah, despite her talent, everyone kind of thought H!P had given up on her. She's a pretty great performer and has clearly proved herself to be a hardworker. One complaint I've heard from a lot of her critics is that she seems to be a bit of a crybaby or diva (she once cried for not getting a solo part in a KSS performance) but that doesn't really worry me too much because: 
1. Her being upset doesn't necessarily make her spoilt or a diva, she may just be a very emotional person. 
2. If she was really a diva, I can't imagine her wanting to stay in KSS for 4 years without debuting. If not being the center of attention really upset her that much, I'm sure she would have left by now.  
3. It proves how serious she is about being an idol. 
Overall, I'm super happy and pleasently surprised by this addition to the group.

 Next up is 15 year old Reina, who in many ways is the oposite of Kaga. She's only just joined the KSS after being a runner up in the original 13th gen audition. We don't really know much about her yet, except that she seems to be very music orientated (she plays guitar, alto sax and piano and looks up to Ayaka Hirose and Oda Sakura, two of the best singers in H!P) so me and a lot of fans are looking forward to big things from her.

So there you have it. The 13th gen is finally here. It's surprising to have two "older" girls join, by which I mean this gen is one of those rare instances where the newest generation does not feature the youngest member (which is probably a good thing since Kaga seems pretty comfortable with her little sister persona and making her come up with something new so soon seems a little mean).