Idol Watch #15: September/October 2022
Rounding up the best idol songs from the past two months, featuring airattic, Sandal Telephone, SPECIAL CHEESE MENU and more
Hi! Welcome to Idol Watch, a bi-monthly companion newsletter to This Side of Japan that’s all about Japanese idols! You can check out past months from 2022 here: January & February / March & April / May & June / July & August
Male idol group 8LOOM is at the center of the newest TV drama, Kimi No Hana Ni Naru. Premiered on October 18, the show follows Asuka (Tsubasa Honda) as she picks up a job to upkeep the dorm belonging to 8LOOM, whose members have six months to prove themselves of their worth to their CEO and get their contracts renewed. While the story brings a classic “save the band” plot line, the producers behind the series have so far put in a lot of work to keep the original series up to current trends. The first obstacle that the idols are up against is a case in point: in order to win over their CEO, the group must rank first place in the sales charts in the category of not CD units but streaming.
The work to place the show in today’s pop-culture landscape, though, began months before the series aired. Once TBS unveiled information about Kimi No Hana Ni Naru, the main cast1 playing the idols also announced that they will begin activities as the off-screen version of 8LOOM. The network has been treating the occasion as if they produced a legitimate idol group, tracking the process from its audition stages up to their music video shoots until the pilot episode aired. The video content resembles much of what you’d see in a regular idol group’s YouTube channel: Vlogs, music video reactions, behind the scenes documentary. If you’ve been following along since then, Kimi No Hana Ni Naru might feel more of a vehicle for the idol group than a story based on a fictional unit.
And did they take it seriously to build the aura of the real for this semi-fictional idol group. Not only do 8LOOM have so far two songs released, they also performed one of them at KCon Japan 2022. The performance was of course in promotion for the TV drama: TBS also featured a booth dedicated to Kimi No Hana Ni Haru at the event. But the group fit seamlessly in the weekend’s lineup2 consisting of groups like JO1 and INI—two Produce 101 Japan groups who serve as predecessors of a sort to 8LOOM—enough for their TV affiliation to go unsuspected to the casual audience.
Kimi No Hana Ni Naru team brings an ambitious project in 8LOOM, but the multi-media angle to the series only nods to the very all-encompassing nature of idol. Idols have been encouraged, if not pushed to be a jack of all trades since its initial boom in the Showa era, and over time, the primary trade of an idol has cemented into being an idol with nothing considered a secondary facet. The actors are only doing what idols do, starring in a show and recording music and participating in YouTuber culture all as a part of their work description.
Welcome to the final Idol Watch column of the year with the next rollout being the year-end list, which has already begun production. Also, it’s only on the second episode at the time of this writing, but Kimi No Hana Ni Naru is a fun little drama show if you’re into rom-coms. Anyway, here are 10 idol songs I enjoyed in September and October.
“God’s Artifact” by KIMITOWA [PLUS]
KIMITOWA turn to melodrama in “God’s Artifact” as the idols play the part of a hopeless lover dealing with a rejection. “Please, lord, can you undo / this biggest sin I’ve committed,” they sing in the chorus, wishing that they never confessed their love or even fell in love in the first place. But while the maudlin lyrics on paper call to mind stern string arrangements, the chosen production projects a starry scene through twinkling synths and slick funk guitars as if to cover up the brooding inside. KIMITOWA end up striking a sweet balance in this devotional with the shiny funk brightening up the earnestness of their message.
with me is out now. Listen to it on Spotify.
See also: “Aoi Flare” by Appare!; “Bottle Mail” by Kasumisou To Stella
“Summersault” by Solaris in the Rain [DSPM]
September might be a little late for a summer song from Solaris in the Rain, but the wistful twinkles of the math-rock-sourced guitars in “Summersault” signal more of the fade-out of the season anyway. The idols, too, go about their glory days solemnly, mourning the loss of a moment more than they embrace the present, sometimes before it even happens. “If the first firework went up now, the memory will get lost in the crowd of people,” they sigh in the song’s main refrain, observing their precious summer at a remove. Rather than celebrate the possibilities on offer, Solaris in the Rain dedicate “Summersault” to the bittersweet feeling that the season is always over a bit too fast.
Listen to it on Spotify.
See also: “Love Letter” by yumegiwa last girl; “201” by YURERU LANDSCAPE
“Paper Moon” by Rebel Rebel [Spiritwalker]
The collected tracks in Rebel Rebel’s ZUGZWANG EP fulfill the duo’s concept of “Electro Funky Sound”—think of the more low-stakes, late-at-night disco affairs of The Dance for Philosophy. The top-batter, “Paper Moon,” sticks out the most from the record thanks to its slick 2-step production. The idols’ vocals effortlessly glide across the slinky drum beat that elevates the group’s usual slap-bass funk. The smoothness of the performance lends the song a dreamy feel as they sing lyrics that are just as cosmic: “These unforgettable recordings / that’s like a paper moon / and memories of our journey / let’s continue them together with you,” they sing before the starry beat takes them away.
ZUGZWANG is out now. Listen to it on Spotify.
See also: “Philosofia” by The Dance for Philosophy
“Kirameki, ima, mierudesyo?” by rirunede [DearStage]
Rirunede are constantly caught seeking attention of another in their romance-centric songs, but the “look at me” sentiments of “Kirameki, ima, mierudesyo” resonate on a different level with their disbandment on the horizon. The trio seem to welcome the paralleling of the track with their break-up as a group, their constant self-references letting the chorus read like a direct call-out to their fans: “Can’t you see us, shining, capturing just this moment? / If we meet again sometime, tell me all about the stories of it,” the three sing as if to advise what to do when they return to a life as civilians. Despite the farewell mood, not a hint of glumness exists in the glittery synth-funk production, ensuring rirunede will be remembered as their best, jubilant selves.
Kirameki, ima, mierudesyo? is out now. Listen to it on Spotify.
See also: “pepermoon” by izayoi-polaris; “Kyarurinpa” by maidin!
“Film Reel of Our Youth” by airattic [6jomaproject]
Airattic’s latest single finds the ever-prolific Azusa of For Tracy Hyde fame behind yet another idol single. While he’s been indulging on the noisy, punk-ish side of his favorite genre of shoegaze in his band, the translucent guitar tone of “Film Reel of Our Youth” places the idol trio’s song more in the realm of dream pop. The music is deceivingly pretty, its ethereal sheen covering up the ambivalence that informs the lyrics: “Run the film reel / show us the days we can’t go back to,” the group sings in the chorus after reflecting on time moving a bit too fast. “The pieces from those days / I want to believe they’ll still be here.” True to the idols’ words, the rock music continues on regardless, eager to show the beautiful scenery that lies ahead.
Listen to it on Spotify.
See also: “Take it easy” by The Candace
“Lillight” by QUEENS [MUSIC@NOTE]
This year, QUEENS overhauled the grunge and metal sound worn proudly in last year’s REBUILD in favor of EDM-pop that’s very much of the current moment. The sudden pivot in sound feels as though one of the members in the self-produced idol group stumbled upon the recent music of 4s4ki by chance. They tapped the right producer to bring that specific sound to life for their latest single, “Lillight,” too: Yackle is more than familiar with lacing up hybrids of SoundCloup rap and drum ‘n’ bass—a hyperactive production style that Queens plays around here with glee.
Lillight is out now. Listen to it on Spotify.
See also: “escalate” by yosugala; “Hyper Cracker” by ASP
“CELEBRITY IMAGE” by SPECIAL CHEESE MENU [Tapestok]
As one might pick up from the their name of SPECIAL CHEESE MENU, the latest group to come from the Tapestok label is a sillier enterprise than any of their idol-rap-meets-rave predecessors who once hailed from the Koutei Camera Girl franchise. Take the whole conceit of “CELEBRITY IMAGE,” where the trio fantasize about being a celeb in their raps, dreaming up comical images of wealth: “I go horseback-riding when I’m sad,” they chant in the chorus, and that’s only scratching the surface. The lyrical antics feel even more reckless as they bounce around a chaotic acid beat that carries on the legacy of the KouteCa groups.
SLICE is out now. Listen to it on Spotify.
See also: “Drug Cocktail” by 9DayzGlitchClubTokyo; “Obsession” by ExWHYZ
“Gensou To, Sonosakie” by Gensou Badend [self-released]
Gensou Badend shed their searing metal to instead adopt pop punk for “Gensou To Sonosakie,” and the lithe bounce of the latter subgenre inspires a newfound optimism in the group. The idols blush at the burst of fuzzy emotions inside of them, kind of like the traditional cutesy idols who their usual sound stood in contrast with: “If I can honestly accept it, maybe I won’t feel sad anymore / A little late, but hear me out, actually I love you… or something like that,” they sing about their emotions like it’s a new outfit they’re just trying on. Gensou Badend decide to have faith in what lies ahead, and it leads to an exciting act of self-transformation.
Listen to it on Spotify.
See also: “Boku no Sekai” by BLUE BARE; “Last Days of August” by GoodDay
“Koi No Mahoutsukai Ni Wa Narenai” by Sandal Telephone [Sony]
While Sandal Telephone can capably deliver exquisite melodrama as showcased in their other single from the trio’s latest full-length, REFLEX, they excel even more when they loosen up in the bubbly disco of “Koi No Mahoutsukai Ni Wa Narenai.” The glitz and glamor offered by the funk beat give way to a playful display of personality by the idols, who try their best to be the one in control of this cat-and-mouse chase. As alluded by the title—I can’t be the magician of love—the single is about how they ultimately fail to take the mount, but Sandal Telephone sure won’t go down without a fight.
REFLEX is out now. Listen to it on Spotify.
See also: “Yoiyoi” by et-and-
“open mind” by Beni Usakura [NARUHESON;S]
Once again behind Beni Usakura’s new single, Emiri Kanou crafts a disco record that’s a lot more straightforward in its style than her last for the solo idol. The production’s Chic guitars and the sticky bass line chalk up a vibe similar to Doja Cat’s “Say So” while Usakura hits back at a flirt trying to play with her feelings. “Don’t look down on me / I’m not a kid anymore,” she quips, though she quickly takes a few steps back: “But my mind is a child, you know?” That said, she’s only participating in the game, too, going along for ride to see what this smooth game would bring.
Listen to it on Spotify.
See also: “Curious Girl” by Sayonara Ponytail
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Four of the seven cast members also have some idol, dance or music experience. This includes singer-songwriter NOA, Ryubi Miyase formerly of M!LK, Rintaro Hachimuchi of WATWING, and Shuto Mori of BUDDiiS. Kouki Yamashita also has a solid resume as a dancer as listed on his Wikipedia page.
Not only is this telling of what kind of groups TBS wants to align 8LOOM with but also the kind of audience it wants to showcase 8LOOM to. It’s no surprise it wants to win the attention of the fans of K-pop not just because male groups of Japan (like really the rest of Asia) look to K-pop groups for inspiration but also because that’s where a lot of idol fans of Japan are right now.