Single Nogizaka46 21st [Jikochuu de Ikou!] (2018/08/08)

Hehe. Humane. Writing mistake

 

LOL I think you just need a rest.

Hmmm... So the single hasn't reached a million yet. Not really a bad thing though and I guess they're leaning on the "safe" side.

 

unfortunately it probably wouldnt reach 1m in 1 weeks with very small margin. but since of course the NHS event still 1 month away , this single had decent rise from almost all previous single except for synchronicity. i think the group was in the right track and lot of new fans come to this fandom.

 

I think mgmt needs nanase to be a center again to get one day a million copies.

 

Hmm.. Why am I unable to find the past main tracks before Synchronicity in their Youtube channel? Or is it region based?

 

Me too.. I cant find previous main track single mv.

 

someone just remember about this "No concept" thing that akip said at their first senbatsu, music type, dance, etc

GREAT!!

 

I’ve been listening to the single properly for a week now, so it’s time to write about the music and my humble opinion of it. Singles 19 and 20 were great releases. Will the 21st single follow in their footsteps? Let’s find out!

Jikochuu de Ikou
This song proved to be a polarizing one right from the beginning, as many people pointed out the influences from other idol groups’ material. Whether that’s true or not, I prefer to answer the question if said inspiration does work for this song.
Soundwise, it takes you back to the olden days of Nogizaka46, because it has a lot in common with Girls’ Rule. And that is a good thing. The rock approach of summer songs like Natsu no Free & Easy tend to be somewhat generic, and the more experimental approach of the recent summer compositions were hit (Hadashi de Summer) and miss (Nigemizu). But Jikochuu takes away every doubt from the first second. The overwhelming intro has this distinct Japanese idol sound and drags you right into summery territory. Joyful keyboard melodies, alternating traditional and electric guitars and a driving drum beat do the rest.
I like the variation in the choruses. By mixing up the lyrics and adding extra syllables, they vary with the vocal rhythm, keeping it interesting. The song lacks a proper bridge, but instead puts a nice different twist at the end of the song.
Does it beat Girls’ Rule as the best Nogi summer song? No, but for me, it is a close second.

Sora Tobira
A bit of a grower, this song. Multiple listens are needed to fully understand what’s going on, because of the many instrumental layers. Don’t forget to pay attention to the playful drum patterns or the swift keys that are popping up every now and then. It’s an upbeat song, and a nice continuation of the main song. The vocal lines are less interesting though. Decent, but a bit on the predictable side.

Sankaku no Akichi
A song with a more serious atmosphere. The guitars and keys create a dramatic scenery, but the supporting rhythm section provide little burst of hope with their creativity. The guitar solos are a bit on the safe side, but they do the job. Most interesting are the vocals. The pace is constantly switching and it sounds great!

Jibun Janai Kanji
The least interesting song on this single, imo. I’m not a fan of funky guitar work, the key melodies are too simplistic for my taste and the beat could use some creativity too. Vocally, there are a few interesting things going on, but I wished they left out the male backing vocals.

Kokoro no Monologue
This! Songs like this are the reason I am so intensely grateful for knowing Nogizaka46. A song that had me hooked from the start. An emotion filled masterpiece. Both Maiyan and Naachan do a stellar job. Their vocals do have similarities in some ranges, but also have their own characteristics. I do think Naachan did put a bit more feeling into it, whereas Maiyan has a more ‘distant’ sound.
Their vocal lines, combined with the chord progression of the synth tell a story that grabs you and won’t let you go until the last tones have faded, leaving you breathless. One of Nogi’s best.

Chikyuu ga Marui nara
Another masterpiece. One that creates vivid pictures when listening to it. Not everyone associates music with colors, but this song is very blue and green for me. The sound is soothing and comforting, and opting for Ashu, Yoda and Momoko with their dreamy voices (and a bit of reverb) for this song is a brilliant move. Especially Momoko. She made Kotodamahou on the previous single better than it already was, and her recognizable sound does the same for this song. She has a voice you can feel, and I can only hope the continue to utilize her like this.

Anna ni Suki Datta noni…
That intro… I don’t like it. Luckily, it picks up when the instrumentals kick in. The bass, together with the palm muted guitar, have a delicious groove. The guitar solo is very nice as well. The biggest issue with this song for me are the vocals. Especially in the chorus, where they combine the more higher pitched voices, which I don’t think combine well.

Conclusion
This single is not a continuation of the previous 2 singles in terms of overall quality. There are a few songs on this one that aren’t as good as they could have been. On the other hand, the highlights are absolutely fantastic, and one of them is the title song. A rare occasion, because I think most A-sides lose my interest after a while. Kokoro no Monologue and Chikyuu ga Marui nara are masterpieces as well. I am satisfied.

 

Thank you for your reply though. I think the previous main tracks (before Synchronicity) can't be viewed in my country anymore somehow. It says "This video is not available" lol

 

since you made this, might as well share mine
https://neverendingferriswheel.blogspot.com/2018/08/jikochuu-de-ikou-impression.html

you made some great point on the music, something that is not my strongest point, but i am interested on what you think of the MV's...

 

Finally Ikuchan performing~!

 

I'm assuming all new Nogizaka46 MVs as of 2018 (starting with Synchronicity) are region-unlocked. Previous MVs (2012-2017) are still subject to region lock, unfortunately (that's why there's a Vevo for that).

(There was the infamous YouTube Red blockade (remember going all the way back to autumn 2015, which initially knocked AKB48 offline in YT Red countries for quite some time?) that did not bring Synchronicity MV to YT Red countries until June, though, when the YouTube Premium (renamed from YouTube Red) expansion to Europe made more sense to remove the dreaded blockade for Sony artists that have decided to go region-unlocked (at least for new videos, such as Nogizaka46; as well as Victor Entertainment, which was region-unlocked other than being subject to the YT Red blockade), since such a blockade would remove access to too many countries, given the new YouTube Premium would cover pretty much the majority of the world that is able to watch YouTube, sans Japan.)

 

So with the the single finally available on Spotify in Canada, I've spent most of the day listening to it while doing things.

Song Rankings and Thoughts (From least favourite to most favourite):

• Note: I don't take lyric meanings into consideration for these. I'm going purely by how the music sounds.

• Anna ni Sukidatta no ni...
  • It's a nice song, but ultimately forgettable. I don't dislike it, but it sounds rather generic to me. Not very dynamic, and the obligatory guitar solo sounds just that--obligatory. It doesn't really add anything. It feels like fluff to pad the song, just as the song feels like fluff to pad the single.

• Chikyuu ga Maruinara
  • It's super soothing. Pleasant vocals, chill rhythm, sunny feeling. The MV is ridiculously cute, because those girls are ridiculously cute.
    
  • It has a nostalgic feel to it, and not just because I recently returned from a Japan vacation which also featured a day trip to Kamakura. I did a double take when I watched the MV and realized that I could say that I'd walked down that same street. Kamakura really is a beautiful city, and the MV was a perfect tourism ad for it. I was seriously longing to go back after I watched it.
    
  • The other way that it feels nostalgic is that it somehow reminds me of some songs from Ragnarok Online. Hard to believe that game is nearly 20 years old now... I remember playing the beta! Where does the time go?
    
  • I might have the song ranked low right now, but I have a feeling that it will grow on me more. I suspect that the pull of nostalgia will be very strong. And honestly, this and the next two songs are pretty interchangeable for me right now.

• Jibun janai Kanji
  • Another pretty chill song. It's got those 70s synths and cool disco funk, but it also feels like contemporary indie J-rock in composition and vocals. I'm a fan.
    
  • It's interesting that it leads in with the sound of ticking, which then becomes part of the beat, mostly because of how it follows and contrasts with Sankaku no Akichi's use of ticking. It's very leisurely here, whereas in Sankaku it's used to signal that time's up.

• Sora Tobira
  • Very anime-ish, which it of course is because it was made for an anime. It feels a little chaotic, though. If I had to describe it, it's like if a rollercoaster were a song. Moves quickly, can change direction sharply, and is overall thrilling and entertaining. I dunno, there's just something "jerky" about the transitions between verse/chorus/bridge that throws me off a little. But each of the pieces do sound really nice.
    
  • I think the reasons that I currently rate it above Jibun janai Kanji are that I like the higher tempo, and that the MV is entertaining and makes me wish for a Nogizaka TV drama with its story.
  • Not a fan of the dance stage for the choreo. Looks kinda cramped.

• Kokoro no Monologue
  • It's a lot of fun, both in song and MV. I love how it plays on the images that Shiraishi and Nishino project, with a lot of silliness thrown in. And they both look fantastic in the MV, of course. I've also always liked both of their voices, and they always sound great paired together. I'd love to see the stage performance.
    
  • But the honest truth in why I rate it so high? It's totally a eurobeat song. Aggressive synths and a driving beat, but paired with beautiful melodies that suit our two glittering pillars of Nogizaka. And if you speed it up a little bit (1.25x) and it'll fit right in on Initial D. It is endlessly amusing to imagine Maiyan and Naachan drifting cars on mountain roads.

• Jikochuu de Ikou!
  • Truthfully, at first I didn't like the song very much. I think I was too distracted by the horns that give it that retro idol feel that I'm typically dismissive of. However, the beautiful MV got me to listen to it more, and I've ended up really enjoying it.
  • It wasn't until later that I realized how fresh of a sound this is for a Nogizaka A-side, and even in general. It's been 2 years since they've had one with the same kind of tone, which was Hadashi de Summer, and even longer since the last horn-heavy single in Girls Rule. It's been a long time since Nogizaka has utilized that sound in a significant way. I was curious, and took a quick a look through the discography, and it seems that the last time they really used it was Nidome no Kisu kara, which was on the Sayonara no Imi single. It's a sound role that has been typically filled by electric guitar or strings or other dance-style synths. In that way, I've come to appreciate it more in light of the current Nogizaka style.
    
  • It reminds me a lot of #Sukinanda. However, I vastly prefer the guitars in Jikochuu.
    
    • Especially the acoustic guitar. That's something that I love about Sakamichi songs in general--the composers heavily feature the acoustic guitar in their music. I even consider it a key feature in Keyakizaka songs. That, combined with how the composers seem to be bringing a lot of contemporary J-rock influence into the music is one of the reasons why I follow 46 over 48.
  • The MV is--as always, it seems--gorgeous. This single's doing some great promotion for Kamakura and Vietnam. But even though it's a bright summer song, I can't help but feel nostalgic and a bit bittersweet when watching it. It feels more like it's an end-of-summer song. It's the sunset (and sunset lighting) that does it. A "reflect on what you've done and where you've been" type of MV.

• Sankaku no Akichi
  • What a wonderful song. While nearly all the other songs are likely to move around my standings for this single, Sankaku no Akichi is by far my favourite track. The Undergirls have been absolutely killer for a few years now.
    
  • The members look stunning in these outfits and with that makeup. They've brought that touch of Nogizaka elegance to a cabaret costume and it looks brilliant. Special shoutout to Wada Maaya, who has been looking very mature lately, and it really shows in this MV.
    • When Ranze looks into the camera... oof. My heart.
    • I enjoy how flowy and smooth the choreography is.
      
    • Lots of great shots of the girls, and even in general. Cinematography is smooth like the choreo.
  • The music is layered and mixed so darn well. The instruments and vocals don't seem trip over each other at all, anywhere in the song. It all flows together so smoothly. I guess smooth is the calling card for this song because I keep coming back to it. Smooth, but powerful.
    • Beautiful vocals and flow. But even though Kanarin is great in this, I can't help but think that Rotti would have been the absolute perfect centre for a song like this.
    • One of the best aspects of this song is how it uses its three guitars. The acoustic heavily and clearly carries the rhythm, while one electric adds a few helpful phrases in support of the mood. Without them, I don't think the second electric would be able to build itself up so well into its solos. I love how that guitar builds itself by wailing alongside the chorus, so when the chorus ends it can bust out that melancholy, wistful solo without feeling shoehorned into the song. It all works so perfectly.

Overall Thoughts:

• It's a pretty neat single. That said, I can't help but feel a little let down after Synchronicity, but that's really no fault of Jikochuu; I consider Synchronicity to be a nearly perfect album, while Jikochuu is "just" really good. I also think that Jikochuu is a bit on the conservative side as a follow-up to Synchronicity. Jikochuu tread some well-worn paths, while Synchro experimented a lot with their sound.
• There's a very nostalgic tone to this single, with Chikyuu, Jikochuu, and Sankaku all carrying that vibe in their own ways. Even Monologue and Jibun janai create feelings of nostalgia in me for weird personal reasons (Initial D? RO? Really?). And then there's the whole "passing of the torch" theme of Sora Tobira, which can invoke those same kinds of pangs. I think I'll always connect this single to an "end of summer" feeling, and that leaves a unique impression on my mind when it comes to thinking about Nogizaka music.

 

6th day Oricon sales: 16,609 (988,453)

Soundscan 1st week sales: 1,052,776

 

So it maybe break up million but not oricon lists or?
I mean it 1 week..

Anyway is one of highest week for N46..
But well... Anyway worth talking about it?

Are one know how that get overseas?

 

Hey guys, I just wanted to make sure, but how am I supposed to acquire tickets for individual handshakes? Cuz lookin at the schedule, I may have time on 10/13 for the Tokyo round of individual handshakes, fortunemusic is really tripping me up.
To clarify, buying a CD (of any type) gets me a NHS ticket right? But how am I supposed to get the individual handshake ticket lottery? Or is it already over? I'm so confused. Thanks for any knowledge!

 

Fortunemusic, lottery application, but you're too late now pretty much sold out already.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

^ For the popular members. There’s plenty of slots available to go meet Maaya! LOL!