To start out on a sidenote (why do I always do that?), Mikan has sold about 5,100 copies in its second week which is slightly higher than Onna and KT’s second weeks sales. It’s not a huge amount, but considering that Mikan’s first week sales were so much worse than those two singles, it’s good to see that the second week sales haven’t also sharply dropped with this single. It’s not much, but it’s something.
I am about halfway through my top # lists, so I think it’s time to take the plunge and rank my Top 10 Morning Musume Songs. Are you ready for some shameless praise spam? Then here we goooooo!!
10. Iroppoi Jirettai- My relationship with Koharu is strained at best, but I won’t let the fact that this is her debut single stop me from putting Iroppoi on my Top 10 list. This latin infused song is, in my opinion, the sexiest of Morning Musume’s singles. The opening sequence with the girls wrapped around Eri and Koharu and the whispering is genius, and the dance is amazing. It’s my favorite of the MM singles dances. The singing is notch above the other songs released around this time, especially the “hoshiii”s. I wish there weren’t so much engrish though, because hearing the phrase “sexy island” sung so emphatically just makes me want to giggle, and that’s not really fitting with the mood of the song.
9. Say Yeah! Motto Miracle Night- Techno done right! The energy of the song builds and builds with each repeated ‘zenin issho ni mirakuru mirakuru’ and stuff being triumphantly shouted between them whipping the listener into a veritable frenzy. I feel ready to take on the world after listening to this one. It’s nothing short of a tragedy that this song wasn’t released as a single, but it’s also a testament to how great the “Golden Era” really was.They had so much good material that a song like this was relegated to being an album track.
8. Aruiteru- Aruiteru came at a time that I was dangerously close to losing faith in Morning Musume’s music. I still loved the girls, but I pretty much hated Chokkan2, Sexy Boy failed to interest me, and Ambitious started to seriously annoy me after listening to it only a couple of times. Then, like a breath of fresh air, Aruiteru came along. Not an annoying pounding techno beat in sight, a genuinely catchy chorus, a PV where all the girls look fresh-faced, natural, and adorable, and a solo line from Miki near the end that sent chills up my spine. Ahhhhhh.
7. The Peace-Classic Momusu. What can I say about this song that hasn’t been already said, really? My favorite part is the verses rather than the chorus because they’re full of great hooks and nonsensical lyric choices like “konbini ga suki” which means “I love/like convenience stores” or the previously mentioned “delivery pizza!”. The PV is wonderfully bizarre, and no one can deny that it is a creative and unique song. There’s a reason that The Peace is still on the regular play list. It’s full of that special 4th gen sparkle that captured, no demanded, Japan’s attention back in those Golden Gen days. Peace peace!!
6.Shabondama-So much angst! Here’s a sound that we hadn’t heard from Morning Musume before. Shabondama is the only Morning Musume song that I can confidently sing all the words to (I can rather unconfidently sing many others), and I can say that it’s damn fun to sing. What I really love most about it is the PV. I love the frantic dancing and the splashing in the water. I love the clothes. I love the creepy-ass stares we get from the girls in the dress shots, especially the part where Aibon and Nono look up, I love the pouty “ah”s, and I really love the Reina. Reina is my second favorite Musume and this is HER song. How could I not love it?
5. Souda! We’re Alive- Mari!! And lots of her. That might be reason enough to put this song in the top 5, but I have more. I can’t believe how creative this song is. Really, who thought that it would be a good idea to blend Russian dancing, with chanting, rapping, and sugary pop interludes? How in the world did it turn out that, yes, in fact it is a good idea? The song’s a miracle in itself for accomplishing that. You’ll notice, as you read this list, that a lot of my favorite MM songs are the super-positive energetic tracks like this one.
4. How do you like Japan?- I love this song for so many reasons. Risa’s ‘yoyoyo mic check’ introduction, Yossie’s trilling thing, the aggressive way that they all spit out “nihon desu“, and that Risa gets the entire last chorus and does an amazing job with it. I vote this song the most likely to make me say, “hell yeah!” My dream is to see this song in concert someday, because from what I’ve seen in videos, it’s one of their best live songs. The girls get so into the attitude of the thing that even Sayumi manages to intimidate me a bit, and I desperately want to be shouting “LIKE THIS!” along with the fans.
3. Ai Araba it’s all Right- If you read my moments post, you know the reason that this song is so high on my list. It just makes me happy, pure and simple. Nothing can cheer me up quite like viewing the Ai Araba PV. By the way, this is the song that got me interested in Morning Musume in the first place. I watched a video of a live performance in my Japanese class back when the song had recently come out, and a wikipedia/youtube visit or two later, I was hooked! For that I am eternally grateful to the song. Also, this is probably my favorite lineup, after Kei left but before Nacchi did.
2. Koko ni Iruzee- Pushing the limits of crazy energetic bounciness… it’s Koko ni Iruzee!. Man do I love this song, its PV, and especially its dance. The whole thing lets the Momusu take a break from being cutesy or cool or sexy and have an awesome time being just plain silly. There’s just so much joy in this song both the lyrics and how they are performed. It’s a song that I can listen to over and over and over again and still not get tired of it. Aibon and Tsuji’s lines are great in this, but Ai-chan’s “breakthrough” at the end is what really seals the deal for it getting the number 2 spot on my list.
1. I Wish- It’s really hard for me to explain why “I wish” is my favorite Morning Musume song. The song itself is wonderful, and might very well deserve this place purely on its musical quality, but the reason it’s here is more about what it represents. “I Wish” has the ability to simultaneously bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. I don’t think I’m alone in this, as it has been cited as a favorite by many of the Musume themselves. The members clearly have
a strong emotional connection to the song, and maybe that’s been vicariously passed on to me. “I Wish” is the song that made 4th gen, the song featured in many a bittersweet tear-filled graduation performance, the song that ends with a quavering perfect note from little Aibon, the song with the most inspiring lyrics (imho) in the entire hello project discography, and without a doubt, my favorite song by my favorite group of all time.