Top 5 H!P tracks of 2015!!

Hi everyone welcome back to MerodiiParadise!!

Now the year of 2015 is sadly ending which means it is time to look back on the amazing music H!P has created this year and see what is my top 5 tracks H!P have released this year in 2015. Now I know everyone has their own personal tastes when it comes to H!P songs. There are plenty of tracks that I love whereas someone else might have a dislike for them. So, before I get into this list please note that this list is my own personal one. It is not a representation of no one's tastes but my own so please do not be offended if some of my choices are ones you do not like.

H!P has had an amazing catalog of tracks this year and I am very excited to be hearing more amazing songs in 2016. I feel like 2015 was a year that has definitely changed the musical stylings of H!P. Sadly, Tsunku has stepped down in his dominant role as producer in H!P which means the musical style of H!P has been a lot different to what has been produced in previous years. Which really isn't a bad thing because I always love some change! I have to say some groups have really had amazing releases this year! Now let's get into my five top tracks of H!P in 2015!!

#5 Morning Musume '15 - Ima Sugu Tobikomu Yuuki

#5 is Morning Musume 15's Ima Sugu Tobikomu Yuuki. Now this is a song that was so pleasant to the ear. I loved how simple the instrumentation was throughout and then in the Middle 8 when strings were introduced it made the song sound so beautiful! I love string instruments, but I love them even more when they are used properly. I like how they were used in this song but they weren't used so much that they overpowered the song. In terms of vocals I love the mixture of different voices. Sakura and Riho sounded amazing, and Haruna and Erina sounded very good in the recording. However, it was Masaki and Mizuki that really took centre stage for me in this song. I have never heard Masaki sing with such emotion before, and she sounded amazing. The song was also a great one for Mizuki's voice. She has a very soothing and pretty voice which really suited the sound of the song!

#4 C-ute - Arashi wo Okosunda EXCITING FIGHT!

One genre of idol music that will always make me love the music is idol rock. That's why units such as Buono! are some of my all time favourite idol groups. So when C-ute released Arashi wo Okosunda EXCITING FIGHT I fell in love with it from the get go. It cannot be denied how amazing C-ute is because of their amazing vocals as a unit, but in this instance I really think this song showcased how far their vocals can go. I watched the members as they recorded this song and I have to say it isn't an easy one to sing, but I feel like the girls really learned about their singing skills and sang this song phenomenally. Everyone sounds amazing, and the rock sound of this song is one that always makes me feel empowered every time I listened to it! I think out of all the girls I think Okai Chisato sang amazingly in this single, because I think this genre of music was equipped for her voice the most.

#3 Kobushi Factory - Nen ni wa Nen

This year Kobushi Factory debuted as the newest addition the H!P roster...and woah...have they made an everlasting impression on fans! (Myself included). Instantly, they attracted fans with their amazing vocal, dancing and performing talent. Never have I ever seen an idol group where everyone sounds amazing. I am very excited to see more from this group. Nen ni wa Nen was their first song and again the rock sound of this song made me fall in love with it. Even months after it's release I still love listening to it when I am out and about. The girls energetic vocals bring sassiness and attitude to the song. I have to say Hamachan was the member that stood out for me the most, but I cannot deny that everyone sounded amazing. The instrumental punches in straight from the get go and the energy maintains itself throughout the song.

#2 C-ute - Tsugi no Kado wo Magare

Tsugi no Kado wo Magare didn't make it as my all time favourite track of C-ute this year on my top H!P tracks of 2015 video on my youtube channel (JennyInTokyo), but it is another song that I love to listen to all the time. The vocals are so powerful and soothing throughout and the instrumentation is another simple one with a mix of strings that go up and down to make more emotional parts of the song but it flows so well and it's so soothing to my ears. This song sounds like it could fit into a Final Fantasy soundtrack. I used to listen to this song a lot whenever I played Final Fantasy XIII. Again, Okai Chisato is a dominant vocal in this alongside Airi and this song is the reason Airi is my #1 of C-ute. Her vocals are just so powerful and beautiful at the same time.

#1 Dondengaeshi - ANGERME

ANGERME has done a complete 180 this year! About two years ago I didn't really pay attention to the group because I feel like it was fading away into obscurity. However, this year they have really made me pay attention to them. With the addition of the 3rd generation it feels like a completely new group! Their releases this year have been strong ones but Dondengaeshi has impressed me so much that hands down it was an easy entry into #1! Once again its another rock anthem, with powerful vocals and together they blend amazingly and make a rock anthem that makes me want to dance along. Again all of the girls sound amazing, but the stand outs for me have to be Meimi and Akari. Akari's sweet voice contrasts well with the instrumentation and Meimi's voice really does suit the rock genre with it's maturity. 

That is my list of my top 5 tracks of H!P this year! It was a difficult choice for some songs and then other choices were obvious ones for this list. I really hope you enjoyed reading this and please comment and let me know what your favourite track were. I would love to know!!

Thanks for reading and I'll catch you in my next post!!

MEIMI TAMURA ANNOUNCES GRADUATION FROM ANGERME!

Today, I was hit with some very sad news. Today it was announced at an ANGERME event that Meimi Tamura, 2nd generation member of ANGERME, would be graduating the group in spring of 2016. When she announced her graduation it was reported the other ANGERME members were very upset at the news but encouraged her to announce her graduation with strength. It seems as if Meimi had decided her graduation for a long time, but didn't want to let the other members know. It's a sad situation for the other members.

Now it is a very sad time for me as an idol fan because Riho Sayashi will be graduating from MM'15 at the New Years Eve countdown concert. The news of her graduation did make me sad, because she is such an important asset to Morning Musume '15 so it will be very strange transition to get used to once she is gone. However, when Meimi announced her graduation I had to ask other H!P fans whether this was some joke. But then the reports of her graduation was broadcast and the dark reality of it hit me.

A graduation announcement hasn't made me so upset since Takahashi Ai graduated Morning Musume in 2011. She was such a great idol for me, and still to this day I miss her a lot, but I am very happy to keep following her as a fan on her Instagram account and her blog.

The reason Meimi's graduation has hit me just as hard is because she is one of the rare idols that really has got a place in my heart. Apart from her only Airi Suzuki (C-ute) and Mizuki Fukumura (Morning Musume '15) are idols I cherish from H!P. I do have a lot of idols I like but these three are idols I truly cherish. Meimi truly is a gem and I she has had an amazing four years as an idol but with her graduating next year H!P will be losing a true gem.

Now I guess this is a graduation that has been predicted to happen for a while. On forums like Hello!Online people were discussing what she would do if she graduated because it looked as if she was ready to leave anytime soon. I myself didn't participate in the discussion because I was in denial. I still think Meimi is a girl who enjoys being an idol, and I just didn't want to think of her graduating anytime soon. I thought she would stay for another year at least, so at this moment in time I am not ready for her to graduate.

I have to agree with a lot of people that she has chosen the perfect career path for her. Meimi has announced that she wants to pursue her dream as a musical actress when she graduates which I think would be perfect for her. She was amazing in Lilium so I know she will make a name for herself when she performs on the stage. I will love to keep following her success after ANGERME because I think she will do amazing for herself. Right now, I am still heartbroken about the news and I have cried about it today, but when it gets closer to the time I will be proud of her and wish her all the best for her future.

ANGERME'S 4th Gen!!!

I am very sorry for the long absence on this blog, I cannot really have a valid reason for it. I guess I just kind of abandoned the blog for a while. I do apologize and I will try my best to keep updating this blog.

Since I last updated this blog ANGERME has gone through a lot of changes! Firstly, they changed their name from S/mileage to ANGERME and then soon after there was an addition of the 3rd generation (Murota Mizuki, Rikako Sasaki and Aikawa Maho) and they are honestly such a fantastic generation that I feel like ANGERME has transitioned into an idol group that I cannot keep my eyes away from. Since the name change and the addition of the 3rd generation their music has been fantastic and I've loved every single new release.

Soon after the addition of the 3rd generation Kanon Fukuda (1st generation member) announced her graduation from the group and she is due to graduate on the 29th of November. She has her own solo song on their latest single called Watashi and it is accompanied by a beautiful and cute music video. Once she graduates she wants to explore her talents of song-writing and I wish her all best. I will miss her a lot but I am excited how she incorporate her talents in the future.

Now a long time ago there was an announcement that there would be a 4th generation added to ANGERME, and since the annoucement there was no updates at all about how the auditions were going so a lot of fans kind of forgot about it after a while. Suddenly, a few days ago it was announced that the 4th generation would consist of one member, and I have to warn you she has such a difficult and long surname to pronounce.Her name is Moe Kamikokuryo. I am happy that there is only one new addition to ANGERME because when Kanon graduates the group can continue with the 9 member line up. There is a good number of members, and there is so much talent in the group that I don't want there to be so many members that the talent isn't displayed across the board.

From what I can see of Moe she looks very cute! There is something about her that makes her stand out among the girl so I do wonder whether she will be a dominant member vocal wise. There has been footage being shared of her singing to leave good impressions on people so I am very excited to hear her singing. I know I am going to like this girl because she already has a strong presence within the group. I am just getting more and more excited for ANGERME's future.I don't know when she will make her official debut within the group but I can imagine she will debut within the next single after Kanon's graduation.