“Onna ga Medatte Naze Ikenai” (女が目立って なぜイケナイ, “Why Can’t Women Stand Out?”) is the 42nd single by Hello! Project unit Morning Musume. The single is scheduled to be released on February 10, 2010. There will be three limited edition releases as well as the normal edition– “A”, “B” and “C”– all of which will contain a different DVD. All four editions (including normal) will also contain a special card with a serial number on it, which will be used in an event draw.This will be the first single from the group since the graduation of seventh generation member Koharu Kusumi.
Mano Erina’s 6th major single release is “HAru No Arashi:. The c/w track, “Hello! Esper! Hello!” is the theme song to her drama “Hanbun Esper”. Both of the limited editions come with a numbered card with a chance to attend a live ManoEri event. Here’s the video!
On august 12th 2009, Morning Musume will release their 40th single: Nanchatte Renai. There will be 4 different versions available, the regular edition, limited edition A (+ DVD), limited edition B (+ DVD) and a special commemorative version that contains another b-side.
Today their new single premiered on a Japanese radio station, of course someone recorded it and here it is for you to listen. It starts off sounding somewhat similar to their 39th single ‘Shouganai Yume Oibito’. But then LinLin and JunJun start rapping and a really uplifting, happy chorus follows. I really like it and I already pre-ordered all 4 versions of the single (^-^).
Stay tuned for the PV (= promotional video aka music video) of the single.
At age 12, Ai Kago auditioned to be in Japanese idol girl group Morning Musume, she passed and became part of the 4th generation of that group in 2000.
In 2004, she graduated from Morning Musume, together with fellow 4th generation member Nozomi Tsuji to form the singing duo W (Double You).
In 2006, photos of the under-age Kago Ai smoking were leaked by the media. As a result, she was immediately suspended for one year by Up-Front Works Agency. In 2007, toward the end of her suspension, she was caught once again smoking and was found to be romantically involved with a 37-year-old man. This resulted in her contract being terminated permanently. After a hiatus that lasted a year, she signed a contract with R&A Promotions Co.,Ltd and resumed her career as an actress and a singer.
Now she has released her first single: No Hesitation.
She still looks incredibly cute and her voice sounds cute as well.
Here’s her Morning Musume audition video, she was 12 back then.
In june 2008, Japanese idol girl group Morning Musume visited South Korea to hold a concert there. Here’s a documentary that shows their arrival, rehearsals and more. I’m so jealous of all the people that saw them live, if they ever come to Europe, no matter what country, I’m going to travel there and see them live.
Morning Musume(モーニング娘。) is a japanese girl group, whose act generally revolves around singing and dancing. They are the lead group of Hello! Project, which is managed by producer Tsunku. Currently, they hold the record of having the highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Japanese Oricon Charts. Musume, in this context, means girl. The group is particularly well-known for its ever fluctuating line-up, with “graduations” and auditions occurring nearly each year.
Back in 1999 I downloaded Morning Musume’s album 3rd Love Paradise from some illegal jpop website (forgot it’s name). At first I thought that Morning Musume was a class full of girls, who happened to be recording music. I didn’t know any of their names, I only remember that I really liked the song Love Machine from that album. I didn’t have a clue that that song was a huuuuge hit in Japan, selling more than 1,6 million copies. But soon I forgot about Morning Musume, because back then there weren’t really any forums that paid attention to them and it was pretty hard to find non-japanese information.
Morning Musume’s 3rd Love Paradise album cover:
In 2003 I joined the jpop.com forums, the community there is long gone, but back then it was brimming with enthousiast Morning Musume fans. I still didn’t know who they were, but my interest was triggered. jpop.com had a ‘members plus’ download section that featured the 5th generation audition (2001) video of Morning Musume. I immediately became a fan of auditonee Ai Takahashi, she was so cute and she was great at singing and dancing.
Here’s a part of the audition video of Ai Takahashi
I was hooked straight away and started looking for Ai Takahashi in all of their videos. It didn’t take long before I knew all the girls by name and face. Then they released their 18th single AS FOR ONE DAY and I immediately loved it. Soon after, Kei Yasuda (2nd generation) graduated from Morning Musume, but 4 new girls were added, Morning Musume now consisted of 15 girls! It was the biggest girl pop group I had ever seen and I loved it! These girls were so funny and cute, they just made me feel happy.
Morning Musume’s 18th single: AS FOR ONE DAY:
That’s how I became fan, since 2003, lots of girls graduated and new girls were added (it’s in their 8th generation right now). The group has 9 members currently.
5th generation: Ai Takahashi (leader), Risa Niigaki (subleader)
6th generation: Eri Kamei, Sayumi Michishige, Reina Tanaka
7th generation: Koharu Kusumi
8th generation: Aika Mitsui, Qian Lin (chinese), Li Chun (chinese)
This is what Morning Musume looks like right now:
Their 40th single, Nanchatte Renai will be released in august.
Here’s a list of all the girls that are/were in Morning Musume:
(bold is currently in Morning Musume)
1st generation: Yuko Nakazawa, Aya Ishiguro, Kaori Iida, Natsumi Abe, Asuka Fukuda
2nd generation: Kei Yasuda, Mari Yaguchi, Sayaka Ichii
3rd generation: Maki Goto
4th generation: Hitomi Yoshizawa, Rika Ishikawa, Nozomi Tsuji, Ai Kago
5th generation: Ai Takahashi, Asami Konno, Makoto Ogawa, Risa Niigaki
6th generation: Miki Fujimoto, Eri Kamei, Sayumi Michishige, Reina Tanaka
7th generation: Koharu Kusumi
8th generation: Aika Mitsui, Qian Lin (chinese), Li Chun (chinese)
