And that's kind of what I was getting at in the first place. I'm glad they're doing well popularity-wise and all that. But I mean I'm primarily a music fan, and Stardust groups have some of the strongest and most unique songwriting in the genre.

After Moon Pride came out it kind of hit me that MomoClo have had 3 average-to-good singles in a row, but nothing on the level of what they were doing even a year ago. Marty Friedman came back, but Moon Pride doesn't even come close to Mugen no Ai.

I don't want them to just dump out singles every two months, I'm just itching for some music that really grabs me.

One thing that's bothering about the new releases is that there's barely/no fan-chants. Where do fan-chants come from anyway? Are they provided? (I know they do provide them in KPOP)

Sometimes their newer songs are a little awkward during lives because there is less interactions and fans aren't screaming their guts out. Then an older song with fanchants comes and the place explodes.

^maybe I am wrong, but it seems that some compositions are more suitable for chants (they seem to be composed in the way that there is "space" for the chants) than other. The newer ones seem to me not as suitable as the older ones.

I would just insanely chant their names each time anyone has a solo :)) . It's just that some songs sound sooo empty without chants. I think I realized it with some of the songs from the 5th dimension album while they sang them on Haru no ichidaiji 2013. It gives you the sensation that people hate the song and are just waiting for some of the older stuff.

I know is not that they hate it, but it feels weird.

That's part of why it's a shame that Hyadain doesn't really work with Stardust anymore. That guy's songs work insanely well in a live setting. He and Narasaki, who has also been kind of absent lately.

That's good news. MomoClo's management need to make up with him, then, and get him back in the writing stable. It would be a good balance to the more subdued newer stuff.

Fan chants are all created by fans, and as such the older songs definitely will have more participation than newer songs simply because they've been around and established. As each new song debuts, it takes a bit of time for chants to be created and integrated into the fan community. Of course, some songs aren't really conducive to fan chants. Doudou Heiwa Sengen is a prime example. They performed it only a few times since release, and the arrangement doesn't really allow for any of the usual fan chanting. The 5th Dimension tracks experienced the same thing. Fan chants also spread via osmosis through a crowd.

K-pop fan chants are initially created by a small group of fans and are showcased during artist comebacks, and it's interesting to note how, for example, with Girls' Generation, most of the Japanese audience can do the Korean chants, but the chants for Japanese songs are almost non-existent. A good example is Mr. Taxi, where it was released in Japan first, had pretty much no fan chant, got a Korean version and instantly had one that is now used at concerts in Japan. The Japanese fans have tried making their own chants for Japan exclusive songs, but it's just not the same kind of oomph compared to the established Korean ones.

atmospherium said:

Welllllllll....I can't point to anything specific. I just have a vague feeling that since the National Olympic Stadium shows, the girls are starting to take their fame and success for granted, as if they now expect nothing less. Just a feeling I get from watching recent videos. I would like to be totally wrong, of course.

Maybe I'm just not paying as close attention to them as I did a couple of years ago, (before Babymetal stole my heart!) when Momoclo were still fighting their way to the top. The intense appreciation and gratitude they had toward their fans was so obvious and visible then. Getting "back to their roots" and reconnecting with their core fanbase with smaller concerts is an excellent idea. As exciting and spectacular as the stadium shows are, it's easy to forget from the stage that the massive ocean of swaying glow sticks out there is made up of individual people; and without their support and investment in the group, the girls would not be where they are now.

Eventually, that will happen. When a group is reaching the top, everything will get less personal, less connected etc. Momoclo still handle this popularity better than some other group, I can only say this :)

MCZTamanofu said:

Fan chants are all created by fans, and as such the older songs definitely will have more participation than newer songs simply because they've been around and established.

Yes. But ... I am thinking about this since years. Maybe I am wrong. But I think that composers like Hyadain and Tsunku are composing the songs very often in a way that is "leading" the chants (you can see that extreamly by the older Momoclo songs, Nippon Banzai for example).

I'd just like to put my two cents in.
On the whole, I agree that Momoclo's songs aren't really "chantable" like they were in the old days.
However, I don't exactly think this is a bad thing.
(Edit: I guess I should clarify that I love the chants, and also agree that Mononofu are a big part of what makes the concerts special. I just think it's ok to have some songs that aren't as well suited for chanting)

I have never really liked Idols, and Momoclo is pretty much the first time in my life that I've ever "fanned" a group so hard.
However, putting Momoclo's characters,backstories, and image aside, one of the main reasons I like them so much is because of their musical diversity.

How many groups out there can you say have done ballads, hard rock, metal, drum & bass, dubstep, punk, hip-hop, pop techno, folk, etc etc (and with all of them being high-quality)
Heck, if we include the solo songs then we can also include funk, surf rock, enka, city pop, and so on.
I appreciate that they don't just stagnate with one particular image and strive to branch out to other areas.

Are Hyadain's songs good? Absolutely, but you cannot deny that his songs have a particular feel and sound to them that becomes more apparent the more you listen to them.
Don't get me wrong I love his works (2 of my top5 and 4 of my top15 Momoclo songs are made by him), but it's nice that Momoclo have pursued other collaborations.



We have to remember that Momoclo have all grown up. They aren't the same mid-school/high schoolers that they were when Hyadain was still with them.
Besides the fact that they have matured as a person and an artist, you can't really expect them to do keep doing crazy stuff like Coconuts or Kaito Shoujo -- their body won't keep up forever.

And this is evidenced by the direction Momoclo has been going these few years: more emphasis on singing ability, more technically difficult songs, holding special concerts where they don't dance at all, etc. Heck, this past month we've just got news that their new monthly show will feature them learning to play the guitar, which is about as far from jumping and dancing around as you can get.

I guess a lot of people view Momoclo as that wacky group with insane energy and crazy fun, and that's fine. I love their energy as much as the next person, and I personally feel they still retain that in them, it's just that they developed other traits too, so you don't see it 24/7 now.

However, I am more pleased with the fact that we are able to witness the growth, maturity, and evolution of Momoclo firsthand, both as individuals and as artists. To me Momoclo was never just about the energy and craziness, but more about that they were willing to do what was needed of them, in pursue of a dream or goal.

If you don't care for all that and really just want the craziness/energy, I think they've passed down that trait to their sister groups pretty well, so maybe check them out instead :D