OG (Graduated Members) / M-line Club / M-line Music

[Starra]

Eh, not really on the digital singles. Those take a lot less money to make than physical CDs so it's not a risk as such because they're not going to lose that much money. Streaming services also don't cost as much as some other things (they do cost money, obviously, but they're probably paying less to be on the digital music sites and YouTube than they were to host all those Dohhh Up videos ).

2010 was a weird H!P transition period like what we're seeing now, since it was just after the Elder Club mass grads and they were figuring out what to do. Which is understandable.

I'd also argue that they never really "stagnated" in terms of music, as such, just in terms of how formulaic the releases are.

But I do get what you're saying. I want to be optimistic too. I get why they're doing things in the way they are and I understand that money is an issue. But then they go and do things like put out the ANGERME BD/DVD single, which nobody is going to fucking buy because it's more expensive than CD releases . The ANGERME BD is more expensive than the regular edition of MM。's upcoming album, for example. So y'know, lol.

[AyuHikaru]

Do solo singers still sell well or it is just solo idols that don't do well?

Serious question, I'm not being facetious.

[Starra]

I think numbers have decreased overall for general solo artists, even big names like Ayu, Namie and Kumi. Honestly, I don't even know who the most popular (female) solo artist in Japan currently is , especially not out of the newer acts.

Last year the highest-selling single by a solo artist on Oricon was Hoshino Gen's Koi, which ranked in at #32 (Generasia says it sold 190k but lol). For comparison, MM。15's Tsumetai Kaze to Kataomoi / ENDLESS SKY / One and Only was #39. The highest-selling single by a female solo artist last year was Fujiwara Sakura's Soup, which ranked in at #71 (which apparently sold 76k according to Generasia). The only other female solo artists in the top 100 singles of 2016 were Amuro Namie at #75 (72k sold), Mizumori Kaori at #78 (69k sold) and Namie again at #89 (62k sold).

A LOT more female artists ranked in the top 100 albums sold for 2016, but many of them were compilations from popular artists such as Kyarypamyupamyu, AI, Nakajima Miyuki and ayaka. Though, JUJU's Snack JUJU〜Yoru no Request〜 sold 103k and ranked #39, and that was a cover album of all things. Utada Hikaru ranked #3 with 569k sold but it was her first release since 2008.

Albums seem to be the best bet, although I don't know if they're just less affected by Oricon's rules than singles are. And that's not including, say, digital sales.

I guess artists like AI and JUJU would be considered the most popular at the moment? I dunno. I'm not familiar with the solo artist scene at all. Solo female idols most definitely aren't as popular as some other genres, unless you're an 80s idol Japan still loves, like Matsuda Seiko, lol.

Also, Ariana Grande's Dangerous Woman ranked in at #49 with 82k sold and Adele's 25 was #69 with 63k sold . Which is pretty amusing to me.

[Moh]

There's an Aku Yuu tribute album being released on November 15th.
Tamura Meimi is covering Romance. There's a video, but it's region-blocked.

http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/-/Information ... s12#news12

[otaku_blue]

Do solo singers still sell well or it is just solo idols that don't do well?

Serious question, I'm not being facetious.

Some notable soloists to compare her to would be Yamamoto Sayaka (NMB48), Ami (former E-girls), Daoko and Beverly. They're somewhat new and reasonably successful in both digital and physical sales. A key advantage for a soloist as Starra mentioned is having mainstream attention and that's usually from tie-ins or frequent TV appearances.

[JonCC]

Just exactly as Reina herself described on her blog, her solo recital at Cotton Club on 27 Oct was truly the best performance of her activities in 2017. I attended the first show and happened to sit in a front bench on bit higher level which I thought was the best position to observe whole the stage (in fact an official camera to record the show was set just behind the bench).

Reina showed up along with 4 dancers to perform the opening song Brand New Morning. Reina’s singing was as excellent as always despite of her quite energetic dancing in platform shoes. Later on the blog, she confessed that after the show she had the most severe muscle soreness in her legs ever since she graduated from Morning Musume. Reina looked really happy performing the songs which she had been longing to perform on stage (not on karaoke) for long time. (See Reina’s blog for the detail program.)

Especially I got excited as she started singing Sheana Ringo’s The Queen of Kabukichou, and Twice’s TT since those are my favorite as well. Reina also chose three songs from her all-time admiring senior Gotou Maki’s repertoire. Exactly as the title of the recital “Reina 100%” she expressed herself in full.

As most of the wotas would have known it from the beginning, LoVendoЯ can’t pull the best out of Reina. This is what I want from Reina.

http://momuse.tumblr.com/post/166880294 ... bed-on-her
https://ameblo.jp/tanakareina-blog/entr ... 44238.html

[boinsie]

We wait with bated breath for Okai's solo concert, where it seems pretty likely she'll have new song(s), too.

As predicted, Okai got two new songs: "Oolong-high no Onna" and "Haha kara no Kyoukun"

Shimizu Saki also had a live performance at the Cotton Club, but it was specifically dance-focused--no new solo songs.

[Amped]

Yajima Maimi starring in the stage play "Nettai Danshi", 2/22/2018~
http://www.up-fc.jp/m-line/sp/news_Info.php?id=11095

Former Kenshuusei members Kaga Kaede and Yamagishi Riko appear in the 2013 version of Nettai Danshi
http://gekijyo.net/Gekipro/stage/2013/12/post-46.html

Mitsui Aika appeared in the sequel, Nettai Danshi 2

[Amped]

Former S/mileage member Maeda Yuuka is now working as a top class (seishun) bus tour guide crew member for a company.



She was a bus guide for students on a school trip to Okinawa. They took a commemorative photo with her and posted it on twitter. Someone told them she was a former idol.

[Nayoko-Kihara]

Looks like a very social career. I hope she's happy.