They’re Idols, Not Musical Legends
Or: I Kind Of Wish I Could Get Excited Like This About Idols Again
This has been weighing on my mind a lot lately, and I’ve given it some thought. Probably not enough to even make a dent in the issue, but I’m gonna try! The “issue,” frankly, is the over-praise of Hello! Project. … I know this is mostly only coming from one person (hey, Radicalpatriot!), but it still bothered me. :(
Morning Musume is excellent. Hearing them for the first time, I was entranced: it was so unlike anything I’d ever seen or heard before. However, that “seen,” when I got down to it, really came first. So, so many girls. Wow. And when you get used to that, and the poppy music, and the silly costumes, and everything that Hello! Project is made of, you just see more of the same. Because while we saw something unique and interesting, maybe even downright amazing, Japan thought, “Eh, they’re still holding up after ten years?” and continues to sigh as they see more and more cute, energetic girl groups try to sell.
They’re idols. They may sing well, and that’s pretty much a bonus. Maybe they’re an exceptional dancer? Just a nice little something extra. Are they pretty or at least unconventional? This is the basis of it, yeah, but we’re not quite there yet. If they have “charm,” that certain something that sets them apart or captures a heart in an instant, that’s what will define them as an idol and ensure their success. Their music will propel them into the public eye, but they, themselves, are the actual product.
And that’s why I hate people who are too harsh on them for their musical failures, be it singing, dancing, or whatever else you do up on that stage. That’s the point. You’ve got to love them despite that. Convert to Sayuism and learn this the easy way.
Like I said, music is a part of it, and some awesome music has come out of Idol Land. But when it comes to Morning Musume and friends? How much thought is going into the music when all you can do is sigh at the group’s past three singles, roll your eyes when another puts out a “best collection” that could be better described as their full singles discography, and continue to watch the entire company party the hell out of their tenth anniversary because those classic songs are all they really have left to their name? The idea is to look at the pretty girls. Then, if the song is tolerable, you put it on your iPod and squee over your pretty girl of choice’s lines and how many of them she got, since that’s apparently a big deal.
I don’t know, maybe writing this is revealing too much of how done with this entire thing I am, rather than actually being competently persuasive. Or whatever I’m aiming for. But I’ve been dabbling in some beautiful music recently (I’ll document that in the next post!), and it’s so frustrating to amble back here, see a raving and entirely serious post about how Hello! Project is epic greatness, questioning, “Why have more people not fallen for these talented girls’ charms?!”
Because, in a lot of cases, the girls can’t sing. Because the music leans towards generic at times. Because it’s weird. It’s just not really a musically acceptable medium, and personally, I can’t understand why people don’t get that. It’s not like I feel ashamed for liking them, because I really don’t, and I think Hello! Project itself is an awesome thing. But I’d feel hella embarrassed if someone went on preaching about their greatness to some Regular Joe and expected him to be enraptured.
They’re idols. Love them. Squeal over them. Buy their merchandise. And enjoy the music, too, because it’s there to be enjoyed! Put it on repeat and have a grand old time. But don’t put it up on a pedestal, because, to be honest, that’s what the girls themselves are made for. And really, if it’s going to be anything, make it something other than Jump. I can’t stand that song.
International Wota » Blog Archive » [Blogs] Fighteen Isn’t Excited About Idols replied:
[...] They’re Idols, Not Musical Legends [...]
January 5, 2008 at 7:06 pm. Permalink.
Ella replied:
Yes! I agree with you! I’m not trying to be mean but that RadicalPatriot guy was starting to get on my nerves.. (plz.. man.. wake up from your fantasy..) XD
I’m a casual fan of MM or even H!P and you could say that I’m a lurker in International wota.. >0< Lols!
I admit that I enjoy some of the music that comes out of this institution..?? though…. Hopefully, that through your post that man (erm) wakes up from his own delusions… Srry… ^^;
January 5, 2008 at 10:04 pm. Permalink.
pengie replied:
“But I’d feel hella embarrassed if someone went on preaching about their greatness to some Regular Joe and expected him to be enraptured.”
YES. So far I’ve seen some “whoa, that’s neat” reactions, but almost everyone exposed to Morning Musume–those Regular Joes–kind of does the eyeroll, says “oh, Japan,” and goes about their daily lives.
There’s nothing wrong with liking H!P, but I die a little inside every time it’s claimed that H!P is the best music ever, that the girls are more talented than (insert other singer here), etc. :/
January 6, 2008 at 12:15 am. Permalink.
Julia replied:
I fully understand what you’re saying and generally agree, but on a personal level, I personally spend a lot more time on the music than the actual girls in H!P. That’s why I’m more willing to spend money on their CDs, but I’ll barely ever order one of their DVDs, let alone a photobook or magazine that features them or anything like that. I honestly care about their music the most. But, I’m not going to say H!P is the best music out there, or that they’re the most talented girls. Some of them are truly talented performers, but some of them aren’t really. It’s a reality I have no problem with accepting. Like when I buy Koharu’s CDs, listen to her songs and go “this music is STUPID, but I love it” and put them on repeat. I don’t bother to question it. XD
January 6, 2008 at 1:28 am. Permalink.
Julia replied:
Oh and I know for a fact that *I* can sing better than Koharu, but I still buy her CDs. And, hell, I like Sayu’s voice now. XD
And um. My brain isn’t working well this month today so I’m not going to try to say any more. XD Sorry.
January 6, 2008 at 1:30 am. Permalink.
Vulpi replied:
@Ella: I don’t really want to be mean to him, but the fact that he praises H!P (and AKB48 now) as the best music to come out of Japan just makes me sad. There’s so much amazing stuff out there, and H!P is part of it, in a way, but you’ve got to venture outside of that, too!
@pengie: Yesss. Come on, people, don’t do that. I was even just casually introduced to Momusu by a friend and I still had a kind of “Whoa, um, okay” reaction. Obviously, it did win me over, but I think part of it was that it wasn’t pushed on me; you kind of need the time to adjust when you discover a group like this.
@Julia: I buy a whole lot of not-quite-up-to-par music, and Koharu is a perfect example, haha. I loved her first album. XD It’s not a masterpiece, but you enjoy it. I think that’s the point. When people take it too seriously, either criticizing it or praising it, that’s when I have to shake my head and make a post like this.
January 6, 2008 at 1:39 am. Permalink.
coffeemilk07 replied:
There’s a lot of things I would like to say but I have to head to bed now.. ^^;
I’m just really glad that someone - in this case, you - took the initiative to write about the trueness of idols.
January 6, 2008 at 8:52 am. Permalink.
Thank You, Tokuma Japan Communications! « ★ ☆ yossha yossha YOSSHA! ☆ ★ replied:
[...] is in, as opposed to actual vocal (or other) talent. Vulpi explained this further in her blog post here, which I highly recommend to fans of H!P and other Japanese [...]
January 6, 2008 at 9:59 am. Permalink.
Hanachan replied:
I agree. I consider H!P music to be some of the catchiest and weirdest music out there, but at base level, it is sugar pop sung by a mix of good singers and bad singers. The only girl I know of in H!P with a truly great voice who is active is Ayaya (maybe Takitty, depends on the song), and everyone else has a good voice, and average voice, or they are Sayumi. xD I actually love Sayu! Anyways, I usually treat H!P idols (as well as my Disney Channel idols) like they are just fun crack with a few rare greatly talented people/groups, and I don’t judge them the same way I would someone like Utada Hikaru or Hitomi Yaida.
When people try to make more of them than they are, I think they are missing the point of idols-to have fun and look at cute girls/guys.
January 7, 2008 at 5:31 pm. Permalink.
doinkies replied:
I also agree with this post. Idols are generally picked for their looks/personalities, not so much for their singing or acting talent. That goes for both female and male idols. I love a lot of idols, especially girl groups and especially H!P. But they are not the best singers in Japan EVAR!!111!! like a certain person whose username begins with “Radical” says. Many are very talented as entertainers and performers, but as for singing talent…only a few have really great voices.
I like idols because they are fun and kitschy and just escapism from normal life. When listening to some silly song like “The Peace” or a Mini Moni song, or watching a PV of such songs, it helps remove some stress from a bad or doinky day.
Unlike Radicalp*tr*ot, I wouldn’t recommend idols to everyone, nor would I say they are the best singers in Japan with the best lyrics, etc. If one is looking for singers with great voices who sing songs with insightful lyrics, there’s plenty of non-idol J-pop singers out there to choose from. (Not that an idol song can’t have good lyrics or be serious - Keibetsu Shite Ita Aijou anyone? - but most are pretty much your standard bubblegum pop lyrics.)
January 8, 2008 at 9:37 pm. Permalink.
broomhead replied:
You made a lot of sense when you were talking about how their singing failures. It really is a bonus if they can sing exceptionally well. No agent or company is looking for an idol to be a Mariah Carey. And you are right, even if they can sing to that level, it will never really show. You can only be so good of a singer when you have material that’s not suited to showcase vocals.
January 10, 2008 at 10:49 am. Permalink.
Actually, It’s ALWAYS Been About The Music… | Stuck In A Pagoda With Motoko Aoyama replied:
[...] had a blog entry last weekend where she basically tried to explain how Morning Musume’s music, however good, was secondary [...]
January 12, 2008 at 4:19 pm. Permalink.