H!P Kenshuusei Thread

[Solarblade]

Hello Pro Kenshuusei - 43do


Hello Pro Kenshuusei - Tadashii Seishun tte Nan Darou

[downfrontguy]

welp, it looks like Yamazaki (Yuhane) doesn't possess a clear/strong upper register in her vocal. Noticed it from last year's performance, but was waiting to see if it changes - could've been still going through puberty-related vocal change.

Her vocal is more close to of dirty/rough tone - not in a bad way, mind you, more of describing nasally and/or rougher/husky quality rather. Hers is more close to Momohime, Sayashi, or all these other girls'. Most of girls don't have that crystal-clear, relatively effortless and strong high register tone anyway. It's what one is born with, so can't be helped. Among the active H!P girls, a rare case would be someone like Kamikokuryo. I happen to like that type of clean/strong high register tone (i.e. not squeaky weak high pitchy stuff), but that's me.

Some other girls who are widely acknowledged as good singers like Sakura or Dambara have very clean and strong mid-tone, but tends to break down and get nasally with higher register (again something they are born with). Doesn't make Kamikokuryo a better singer than them, just because her vocal doesn't break down as much and is able to project more clean/strong tone in high pitch. While she may have the best base among the active girls IMO, her vocal tends to get wobbly and pitchy at times and generally lack skill-wise when compared to current best H!P vocalists (girls like Sakura, Dambara, or Takagi) - she still sings a bit like a child at age 18, but guess that's charming.

Anyway I digress. Not at all saying anything about Yamazaki's future prospect as an idol singer - just making a comment on her vocal tone.

[Amped]

Watching the performances, Yuhane sounded better. But Shimakura Rika's expressions are on point. Nakayama's costume change made her really shine.

[Celedam]

I wonder how much of that roughness is due to the fact they're performing songs written for groups. In groups, members alternate lines, and that's what enables the wild changes in tempo and key. Not to mention the lack of pauses for breath.

[Nayoko-Kihara]

I think that's one thing I notice a lot of people comment on each year when the song choices are released. I'm not sure all of the Kenshuusei quite understand the difference between challenging themselves and putting themselves at a disadvantage (though I imagine now and then someone just wants to go all in on fun and sing their favorite song, without thinking any deeper).

That being said I'm sure the KSS teachers that see them on the regular have a more well-rounded basis for evaluating them while taking things like that into consideration. They're probably getting what they need.

[downfrontguy]

Yeah no doubt Yamazaki's vocal here is straining, which only accentuated the roughness quality. And trying to sing a fast tempo pseudo-rock song (keep adding "pseudo" as a caveat 'cos I can't help myself, lol. Am not a rock purist or anything.) intended for a group and on a key that is probably a bit higher than comfortable for her natural vocal range certainly didn't help. Her performance was fine; just nothing really exceptional which is probably why she didn't win despite all the pre-performance buzz, if I have to guess.

My describing her vocal wasn't a critique of her performance here, but pointing that she won't be a Kamikokuryo vocal type with skills that I've been waiting since...Matsuura maybe (within UF), which means quite a while now. Again strictly personal taste in this regard.
There is a reason why Kamikokuryo isn't really a vocal ace even within her own group and never seriously considered when invoking the best H!P vocalist shortlist - still like her vocal just fine btw.
So what if hers is lacking skills and one-dimensional - it's very rare type of vocal color, especially within H!P as I can't think of any. Her type of strong/high vocal is of a quite different quality when compared to so-called "high pitch" vocals like Maeda Yuuka and some others, if i may add. It's strong/clean vs soft/weak.

Based on what I heard (of Yamazaki's few performances), she can hits/belts notes a bit better than most, which is why folks are considering her to be the next big thing. She isn't quite Dambara-level, but probably more close to Murota and better than Kaga/Hamaura when strictly talking about debut-ready Kenshuuseis IMO.

A bit of off-topic, but not sure how many folks watched when Music+ (ep73) featured Suzuki+Okai recording the song a while back. Putting in a spoiler as it's getting off topic again.

Spoiler: show

One can clearly hear Okai is straining big time while Suzuki is hitting notes relatively easily during the chorus part. It still kinda works as it's a rock-feel and she has that vibrato going - you can hear them commenting "ぎりぎり" during Okai part. These two have a similar vocal range though and Suzuki doesn't strain/crack as much usually as she sings more of mixed voice for those high parts - while Okai is almost all from chest voice. So during live performances, Okai will crack way more but always will louder and more powerful. I've usually preferred Okai's over Suzuki's - no doubt that Suzuki is a better singer, has better control of her vocals, can do falsetto the best since Matsuura within H!P that I've heard (gonna ignore girls like Ruru since it was just that one song and it wasn't that good IMO, ditto for Kago), arguably better mid-tone, the list goes on. Pretty much the only thing going for Okai is that Suzuki still can't really do vibrato and Okai can sing louder. But Suzuki's vocal has this habit/tendency that just gives out on end of phrase on high notes that have always bothered me. While some can hear it as a style and don't hear much fault in it, I've always felt it made her sound a bit amateurish, every time her voice just give out on notes. Having vibrato and something to properly finish notes on some of those will go a long way, but again IMO.

Anyway where am I going with this before getting more and more off topic...I guess I was trying to write that with practice and age/experience, one can improve - to a point. I remember Sakura (around her MM debut period) straining quite badly for higher notes but these days it's not as bad. It's still there but not as terrible as before. It's never going to be the same quality/color on those high notes of Kamikokuryo/Matsuura but that just becomes a strictly personal taste category after a certain point. So it's not like I've already abandoned the Yamazaki Yuhane ship.

[Amped]

today, Takase Kurumi appeared on a TV drama special as part time worker extra. Her name also appears in the end credits.

Video clip
https://twitter.com/kalno/status/995310 ... 54466?s=19

Screen caps
https://twitter.com/nodoame_3/status/99 ... 32322?s=19
https://twitter.com/m_seijin/status/995 ... 2160?s=19r

[Amped]

Kenshuusei album Rainbowx2 will be released on 7/11

http://www.hmv.co.jp/artist_%E3%83%8F%E ... 72_8831895

[Nayoko-Kihara]

Does anyone know the name of the drama Takase appeared in? I'm having a hard time finding it.

[Amped]

yo nimo kimyo na monogatari (Tales of the unusual Spring 2018 special). She appears in the first of the omnibus stories.

http://www.fujitv.co.jp/kimyo/201805120 ... 2018051201