Single Keyakizaka46 8th [Kuroi Hitsuji] (2019/02/27)

Talking like that about a God, joking or not, will still be considered as an unacceptable action by the believers.

 

Ambivalent is one my top favourites but I kind of understand why Kuroi Hitsuji beat it.

 

Quick question, does keyaki sell well digitally? I know they always take the 1st spot for physical cd's but I haven't seen any data/figures for digital sales. So I'm curious if they are still able to take the top spot for digital sales.

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I saw some Japanese fans complain, saying it sounds like kpop or a 48g song but I like it. It's a lot of fun. It's cool to have two songs like these that are audibly different. So far the single sounds good.

 

it is time for them to pick up a guitar

 

It's very different from kuroi hitsuji but I like it!

 

It's good. I'm not complaining, different sound is good right, but that sure is a high pitch song

 

Nobody, nobody, nobody but you!
Good song. Liked the reggae vibe. Too bad, the vocal isn't satisfying. Acceptable for idol singing, though.

 

Neru-chan finally talked about the 8th single and MV on the show "Billboard JAPAN HOT100 COUNTDOWN". I made a post about that on her blog and you can also hear the show.

 

Keyaki is the best selling idol group digitally. So it will def be like top 3 at least

 

Spoiler: Link

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n3GvG05aKcQqXVGOJPvWqJaq19Fcw7VXRXXf0Zn4El8/edit?usp=sharing

Just mine and a friend's interpretation on the members roles in Kuroi Hitsuji so far, not done by any stretch of the imagination cause there is a hell of a lot to cover, but...

 

Woah~ that B-side. I'm IN LOVE with this single. There isn't a single flat thing about any of these songs, so far. The melodies, the compositions, the vocals "AMAZING!!"

 

Looking at Hiragana (or should i say Hinatazaka) Debut Single date and the fact that they are still participating in this single, i have a thinking that this single is planned to be released November or December 2018, but something came up and they have to delay the release.

It is strange that they are participating as hiragana in February, while debuting in the next month as Hinatazaka.

It makes more sense if the single is released in November and December, The delay would be enough ...

(Pardon for my english, english is not my first language)

 

Thank you for this. It's helped me clarify a few thoughts.

Thoughts about "Kuroi Hitsuji"

• Holy shit. Just... I was left speechless the first time I watched it. For me, without a doubt, this is the most powerful song and MV Keyakizaka has ever done. It's also the most important song they've done. I dearly hope "Kuroi Hitsuji" blows up and takes Japan by storm. The things it talks about are too important to ignore. It's as painful as it is beautiful. It's heart-wrenching.
  • As for those issues, other members here have already made some great points about that, so I won't go into huge detail about them.
• "Kuroi Hitsuji" is the perfect response to anyone who claims that idols aren't "real artists." You cannot seriously tell me that the members aren't pouring their hearts and souls into interpreting the message of the song. The performance in this MV is superb. There's nothing less than full commitment, especially from the front row members. There's so much raw emotion just radiating through the camera; I'm not surprised to read about members crying while performing and afterwards.
  
• This is also one of the times that having a large idol group greatly increases the impact of the song.
  • First, the sheer amount of voices contributing to the song. There are so many "black sheep" among us, so many voices that want to be heard, and having so many people singing to represent those voices makes that point very nicely.
  • Second, these are kids. Sometimes we forget just how young these girls are. That these are teenagers and young women performing the song adds a great deal of weight to the message. Being at the bottom of the ladder, and yet expected to carry the future of society, it's no wonder so many are crushed beneath the pressure of it all.

• On the music:
  • There's so much to love about the song itself. I don't know if I can say it's my favourite yet since it's still early, but it's close. It has really cool progressions and crisp transitions. The melodies are beautiful. It's hard to call it a proper ballad because the tempo and beat lend itself well to head-bobbing, and even dancing. The choral nature of a big idol group fits perfectly with this kind of song.
    • I want to see how the pause when Techi is climbing the stairs is handled in the album version. Will they fill it with something else? The pause is important to the MV, but not as much to the song. Maybe just the footsteps?
  • My favourite thing about the song is that driving bass from "Hiraishin" returns, and not just because I love a good bass. I mean this very literally--this is the same bass as the one in "Hiraishin." It has the same tone and the same style. This is because the bass guitar represents Techi herself, and we can see this in "Kuroi Hitsuji" because the bass doesn't kick in until she starts to move in the MV. More than that, it plays a cool role in pushing the theme of the song. As normal, we have the vocals flowing with the piano and strings, but then we also have this very prominent bassline playing alongside it, sometimes feeling like it's doing its own thing and at its most powerful during the verses. And with its particular tone, it almost seems discordant with the rest of the sounds. The bass, then, is the "black sheep" of the song, standing out on its own within the music. And yet, during the chorus, it fades back slightly to support it, mirroring the actions of Techi's character as she reaches out to the members. It's brilliant.

• On the MV:
  • Keyakizaka once again showing why Sakamichi is a cut above everyone else in the idol world. Major props to the team behind the creation of this music video, because I think it could stand with any MV in the world on artistic merit. This one is truly special.
  • The cinematography is top notch. It's a wonderful use of the long-take to show Techi (as a spirit) moving through this pastiche world of pain. It's dreamlike (nightmarish, really), but oscillates with lived realities
    • The use of colour and light is also wonderful. The muted, almost greyscaled colour palette for much of the set, with bursts of colour and light to highlight the members adds to that dreamlike quality. I though it was cool with the very deliberately use of lamps to "spotlight" the members and their issues. The explosion of colour and light when Techi reaches the roof is a great payoff.
  • The choreography is awesome. I love how raw and unapologetic it is about putting the members through the wringer, both physically and emotionally. It's really sweet to see hugs be a central part of a dance. But Techi, though. Geez. I hope she doesn't hurt herself again.

• "Zenbu boku no sei da"
  • Oh my god. Hearing Techi's voice crack as she tries to say it broke my heart.
    
  • I thought that this line deserved its own section because of how important it is to the theme of this song.
    • "It's all my fault" is the possibly the single most powerful and destructive thing a depressed and suicidal person could say to themselves. It is a breaking point. The moment a person accepts and believes the blame for everything, especially the things that they cannot control, is the moment that hope fades. From there, believing that they are the source of everyone's problems, in their minds the solution begins to become clear: "what if I just went away?"

• On the story, and its message:
  • The way that I read the story of the MV is that Hirate is the spirit of a girl who committed suicide by jumping from the roof of a building, but is hanging around the world in order to help others and prevent them from taking their own lives. I mentioned earlier that the MV setting is dreamlike. I think it's a good way to represent a spirit wandering through the world, experiencing different times and different places as one giant blur.
    
  • While the lives of all these people are blurring together, there is a very deliberate direction of motion: upwards, to the roof of a building.
    
    • As Techi's character proceeds through this building, she comes into contact with those who are suffering. She believes that the best thing she can do is to reach out and support them, when nobody else will. If she'd had someone to support her, then maybe she herself wouldn't have jumped. We can see this in the desperation of her actions. Even as she reaches out to others to embrace them, she's doing it as much for herself as she is for them, and we can see her pain when people push her away. There are those who have been hurt so much that cannot trust anyone, and they don't recognize Techi's offer for what it is. But despite the many rejections, and the memories and pain of her own life that drive her despair, she continues to chase after them. No matter what, she has to stop them from jumping from their own buildings.
      
    • "Boku dake de/ga ii"
      • "It's fine if it's only me." Her efforts pay off. At the last moment, her message has reached the people that needed it. But it comes at a price: once again, she must be alone. She is, after all, already dead. For those still alive, it's is important to find support in the people around them, and Techi makes sure they do. She watches as those people embrace each other on that roof, and chases them away from the edge. There, she draws a line, desperately wanting them to stay back. But as for herself, she must turn back towards the edge, ready to jump again, and experience another cycle of despair as she goes after the souls who still need saving.
  • It's not a happy ending for Techi's character. She's doomed to repeat her actions over again because that is her fate as the higanbana. We, the viewers, are left with the image of Techi, exhausted and in pain. But this, I think, is one of the most important points that the MV is trying to make: just as Techi reached out and supported others, the MV asks how do we reach out and support her? I think the answer is to face the world around us and act with kindness, compassion, and sincerity. To be understanding of the struggles of others, and to be the support for those who need it. To be patient and accepting. To be loving. And if we are the ones who need help, to reach out and ask for it. In doing so, we would ease the burden on the higanbana, and eventually, hopefully, put her soul to rest.

I am deeply impressed by "Kuroi Hitsuji." I so desperately want it to win song of the year in Japan.

 

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I honestly like Akanen and Yuuka's duet, but I'll inevitably come off as being biased saying it. But hearing from Yuuka herself that this song is the opposite from what Keyaki normally does in terms of message, instead of being from a teenager's pov, this song is instead n an adult's perspective, how hard it is to work ect... I think these two are the only ones who fit the song. And it paid off.

Their voices honestly have improved from like hearing them sing Aozora to MARRY songs on 48Show and what I've heard from Akanen during those Keyabingo Karaoke party bonuses lol

Lyrics transcribed and translated from today's Rekomen: https://twitter.com/toomuchidea/status/1095006397425582080

 

I think YuukaNen's song is kind of the answer for those who scoff at Keyaki rebellious image. I've read several comments about "why do they keep this edgy image even though most of the members are an adult already".

Well, it's not just edgy. Also, just because you're an adult, doesn't mean problems about conformity, staying true to what you believe, identity, etc don't matter anymore. Actually I find that the older I become, the more I feel the need to conform to things. It becomes harder to say no. Like a webtoon I once read, sometimes I catch myself becoming someone that I never know.

I remembered Keyakitte Kakenai episode about the promotion for Kaze ni. A politician commented about how Keyakizaka46 songs convey his feelings, like Fukyouwaon and Silent Majority. Maybe for some people, they perceive Keyaki songs as edgy or even extreme rebellion. Some say absolute freedom is just anarchy. But I don't think it is that extreme. What they want to convey is that it's ok to say no, you are not the only one. Such things are comforting.

I also appreciate they choose YuukaNen as singers.