149 replies to this topic

[Krusha]

Honestly, and don't get me wrong, while this is a common phenomena across the board, it's also a very distinct Japanese phenomena, where if something works, then it's safe, and then it gets repeated ad infinitum because hey, it worked, so then it must still work now, regardless of whatever. And this is in companies and so on, not just music related. A group like AKB48 is so big that if they do something "fresh" it still won't crash and burn because they have that level of popularity that they can do it. But it's easier to choose the safer option. My preference would be that at least 3 singles a year is fresh and new than done this tried this. I want more "cool" songs or something in that vein. It doesn't mean that it should copy previous singles, it can still be new, but of that style. I also want songs reminiscent of old school AKB48. And then maybe something retro influenced. But well...

[JennyInTokyo]

I agree I do see a lot of this happening with a lot of Japanese groups where if they find something they can do successfully they will continue to do it until management realize its not as effective anymore. One other example I can think of is MM with their use of EDM in their music, it's been successful for them now since One Two Three and it's still been successful for them, even if some people have admitted that they are getting bored of it a little. However, it's still making Morning Musume '14 sell a good amount of single so they're going to stick with it until it burns out. The successful thing with AKB48 is that they have luck on their side with their mass popularity, they can release the same old generic songs for years to come and they'd still get 1 million+ sales. I just think sometimes it can be a risk if you repeat the same thing over because it's a safe and comfortable way to keep promoting and gaining success.

[sidhme]

Making popsongs is a craft like anything else.

Critique against popsongs seldom take into account that chairs most often have four legs, most houses have four walls and pottery is usually round.

The amount of work and research into what makes popsongs work, have revealed specific qualities which make them sell.

 

From 1960-2010, 80% of the Billboard number one songs are sung in a major key.

All of them follow a I-III-IV chord progression in 4/4 time signature, and they all have a verse-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus structure. 

Most pop hits hover around an optimal figure of 119,8 beats per minute.

In addition, there are trends in popmusic over these 5 decades: the songs are getting longer, louder, "dancier" and slightly more energetic (the rate is almost unrecognizable).

 

What does this tell us?

 

Well, it tells us that there aren't that many variables that make popsongs (that sell!) different from one another.

It tells us that making many changes to a winning formula will most likely decrease the chances of selling in huge numbers.

 

As a footnote, I'll add that research in the private sector has discovered at what volumes (dB) of music in stores people shop the most, and at what volume 

people drink the most in bars, nightclubs and dancehalls.

 

All of this also indicate that we consumers are unaware of these factors, it is not a conscious process in consumers that makes a song sell the most.

 

But all this aside, there are of course nuances in music which are difficult  to show statistically.

And we all know that when following a specific artist, band or idol group, we are all the more aware of these nuances, as well as theme and lyrics.

I find this to be self-evident, or we wouldn't have this discussion I think.

 

This not really meant as arguementation in this discussion, but more as interesting facts/findings related to it. (You can take a look at the initial Engelhardt/Ellis study here.)

 

 

I do like Krusha's statement that " A group like AKB48 is so big that if they do something "fresh" it still won't crash and burn because they have that level of popularity that they can do it.".

So if they had gone further in personalizing the single to Mayuyu, and dropped the obvious attempt at replicating the KFC dance phenomenon, they wouldn't be taking too big of a risk.

 

That being said, I do like the song and the PV isn't too bad.

The covers, though, is another matter. The only positive thing I find about them, is the fact that the girls look good in yellow, which people actually seldom do.

But they'd probably look good in whatever they'd be wearing 

 

 

 

nnn

[Krusha]

Staff ver. PV:

[AragonDx]

^

KFC Staff Ver. v2.

[Tulken59]

PV Full version

http://v.youku.com/v...UwOTgxMjcy.html

[pink-ku]

altenative (I can't get youku to load)

http://leocgomes.tum...koro-no-placard

>

[Raami]

And again i like this a lot like KFC, the PV set has some similarities in it but it worked so why not   

[Ketchup]

 

It has started...

[AragonDx]

the dance move seems simpler than KFC, but when I tried, actually it's harder than KFC. I don't know why

[Ketchup]

I'll wait for the dance video, but yeah it does look simple compared to KFC.  I'm hoping somebody translates all those signs

[HappySensation]

Songs ok, but whenever I try to think of how it goes KFC just plays in my head instead

 

Ah well, I haven't heard the other songs yet but hopefully they're catchy. Still can't get used to seeing Ikoma in the group

[AragonDx]

Here's the coupling songs for KnP.

 

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5K8_4My-Tk&list=PLTnoe1_0qtAYpzYEHkeNmAuuVQgLcKCvH

 

In my personal opinion, the best song among those 4 is the future girls's song. It's very catchy.

[Krusha]

Some of these songs sounds promising

[beyooooonk]

Regarding KNP's PV, I like it, but I wish the PV was retro-style.  The song sounds like a blast from the past.  It would be so cool if the MV took place in a roller rink or bowling alley in the 70s or something.

[AragonDx]

you mean like this one?

 

[Krusha]

How about this for retro? 

 

[beyooooonk]

I knew I was thinking about Namida no Seesaw Game!  It's been a while since I saw that PV-- it's one of my favorites.  I wanted a "roller rink" theme for KFC, but this song is so similar.  Something with soda pop, neon colors, early arcade machines, and placards haha

 

But now I'm getting Hey-- I got my "bowling" theme with the Upcoming Girls PV.  Too bad it didn't take place in an actual bowling alley.

[Julia Hwang]

the song is not bad. and the dance sure is easy..

look kinda like a KFC ver.2 e...

[Krusha]

1st day sales for AKB48: #1 with 871,923 copies sold. 128,077 copies needed for 1M.
 
For what it's worth, Maeshika Mukanee got 970,413 on 1st day, while Suzukake got 916,912. And KFC, which was Sasshii's election winning single, got 1,095,894...
 
For comparison: 
 
 

　　　　さよなら　　クッキー　　エレキ　　　鈴懸　　　前しか
―――――――――――――――――――――――――
火　　1,450,881　1,095,894　1,020,800　*,916,912　*,970,413
水　　*,100,193　*,*81,300　*,*53,379　*,*38,574　*,*44,403
木　　*,*49,509　*,*42,957　*,*62,134　*,*17,531　*,*19,890
金　　*,*47,232　*,*32,651　*,*17,824　*,*21,522　*,*16,121
土　　*,*41,960　*,*26,774　*,*17,050　*,*13,666　*,*13,732
日　　*,*40,385　*,*27,905　*,*14,686　*,*12,887　*,*12,092
―――――――――――――――――――――――――
週　　1,762,873　1,330,432　1,203,586　1,033,336　1,091,406
SS..　*,585,624　*,439,129　*,306,759　*,203,190　*,236,005
累　　1,955,800　1,540,562　1,293,823　1,086,491　1,153,662
SS..　*,799,352　*,593,835　*,340,627　*,231,200　*,254,472

Day 2 to 6 totals:

KFC: 211.6k
Ereki: 165k
Suzukake: 104k
Maeshika: 106k

So 128k needed to make 1M in first week seems impossible. For total, perhaps...