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I'm a bit late on the momu thing, but as some of you may know I write my master thesis on idol pop these days and I can share the moumu part of it with you (yet uncorrected)
Probably one of the most important and influential groups for the overall development of the current idol culture made its debut in 1998. The talk is of Morning Musume, an all-girl pop group under the Hello! Project umbrella, which hosts a variety of female Idol artist signed to the Up-Front Group label.
Morning Musume is manly produced by singer-songwriter tsunku. Being lead vocalist of a quite famous visual rock group himself, with Morning Musume he fulfilled his desire of writing and producing a different kind of genre. The girls were chosen out of the contestants who participated in a string of open audition broadcasted nationwide on TV. The group’s original line-up of five member total however, was soon after their debut extended by three additional girls.
After Tsunku realized the audience’s interest in the changing of the ranks, he rotated his idols frequently, citing reasons such as “graduation”(to solo careers [as in the case of popular member Maki Goto] or “retirement” and bringing in new, younger recruits as replacements. Another example of personal malleability is Tsunku’s direction to break up Morning Musume into a variety of temporary sub-“units” which release on or two singles under different group names, before “graduation” or return to the original lineup.
Tsunku’s ambition and methods are prototypes of the handling and presentation of contemporary idol performer. Both, the ‘rotation’ as well as the ‘graduation’ system are common among idol groups not only from Japan, but also among Idols originated in other Asian countries, nowadays. This is a reflection of today’s fast paced, short lived and consume hungry industry, wherein the usual idol remains one among hundreds and is exchangeable with “lightning speed” . The steady rotation of different members enforces idol bands to “remain forever young.” “Morning Musume’s music has rarely changed, perhaps not surprising given that one man has produced every song.” Nevertheless, the group managed to spawn a notable amount of Top 10 singles and albums, with several releases even hitting the first place in weekly rankings, under their belt. Although Tsunku’s most successful product has been on a decline in sales since the mid-2000s , the group managed to reestablish itself in very recent year, with their latest singleわがまま 気のまま 愛のジョーク／愛の軍団 (Wagamama Ki no Mama Ai no Joke/Ai no Gundan, Selfish, Easy Going, Jokes of Love / "GUNDAN" Of The Love) being their bestselling single since their 2002 release ここにいるぜぇ!? (Koko ni Iruzee!,"I'm Here!"), showing that they are still relevant, even after more than fourteen years in the business, and yet reflecting current tendencies of the market.
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