Translated from my Chinese blog
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Today I am going to promote Momoclo’s acoustic lives 「Momoiro Yobanashi」(ももいろ夜ばなし)
Particularly the second one, 「Gentou」(玄冬)
Today’s subject
Ever since I knew of this series of concerts, 「Gentou」has been at the top of my list of performances I wanted to see.
It’s a rather large deviance from the high-energy, action-packed lives that Momoclo are known for, but that just makes it all the more special.
And after hearing the recording of their performance in 「Hakushu」on the 5th Dimension album, it seems obvious that there is quite a bit of potential there.
I was very happy indeed when Momoclo announced that they were going to properly release the two concerts into a Blu-ray set…..and after watching it, I must say I was not disappointed in the least. It really is a performance of epic quality!
As I was watching, it also dawned on me just exactly why they waited so long to release them…..you really have to watch both 「Hakushu」and「Gentou」to entirely appreciate the improvement Momoclo had during the 1.5 years in between.
I highly recommend picking this up if you are interested in a more mellow side of Momoclo. It’s not something you see often from idols that’s for sure!
(Spoilers Alert)
Basically the whole disk is filled with highlights, whether it’s each members solo song, Arin’s revenge performance of 「Silent Eve」, Reni’s assault on Shiorin’s lips (twice!), cosplaying as THE ALFEE, 「Orange Note」with the audience, or the「Hai to Diamond」ending performance…..just to name a few.
However, there were three parts that particularly left an impression on me, and in the interest of sharing I went ahead and made subbed videos, so enjoy!
「たしかなこと」 Tashikanakoto (Firm Belief)
Momoiro Clover Z feat. Midori Karashima (Original singer: Kazumasa Oda)
Midori Karashima is a very established singer, so there was no doubt she would put on a good performance. However, Momoclo also proved that they were not to be taken lightly.
From an objective standpoint, Momoclo collaborations with other singers have been rather hit-or-miss
Sometimes it’s because their voices don’t match with the other artists, and other times the songs they cover just aren’t suited for them
For this performance though, the 3-person/2-person harmonization had a pretty nice effect, with Shiorin and Arin as the main vocals, and the rest providing strength in tone.
The full on 5 person harmonization was also pretty soothing to listen to, regardless of whether Karashima-sans voice was mixed in or not.
Another thing I found pretty amusing was the topic -「love」
For a group mostly marketed as idols, Momoclo have surprisingly few connections with this idol cliche, whether in their group image, songs, or skits that they do. At least, for most people. they wouldn’t instantly associate Momoclo with 「love」
In this instance, they actually had a little seminar on love before they sang this obvious love ballad. Perhaps with their coming of age, Momoclo are also starting to experiment with this area (lol)
「Hello, Again～昔からある場所～」Hello, Again～mukashikara aru basho～
(Hello, Again ~a place that existed since the distant past~)
Takagi Reni (Original Singer: MY LITTLE LOVER)
Speaking of love….this song is also a very famous ballad touching on this subject
I have always maintained that Reni has an excellent voice, and should be given more opportunities to shine
With that said, even I was surprised by the level of performance she put on.
A soothing voice coupled with a soothing song, it’s like the two were perfect for each other
Reni’s transition between the high notes and low notes was also pretty spot on, and unlike some past instances, her voice remained stable throughout the song, showing little signs of wavering.
I loved that she also properly sustained the end notes.
If fact, the only gripes I have would probably be the slight overkill when singing “shadows” and “places”……but after listening a few times to the original version, I came to the conclusion that this added a more Reni-like touch (her vocals in 「Hai to Diamond」come to mind)
So in the end, in contrast to the original singer’s sentimentalism or JUJU’s melancholy, Reni’s comforting vocals seems like a pretty good 3rd alternative ^^
「卒業 」Sotsugyo (Graduation)
Tamai Shiori (Original Singer: Yutaka Ozaki)
The two songs above are already of high caliber, but if I had to choose the performance that shocked me the most, it would have to be Shiorin’s 「Graduation 」
Regardless of how Shiorin acts in front of the camera, her vocal role in Momoclo’s songs has always stayed the same- soft, delicate, and innocent sounding.
Even with her more recent maturity in solo songs such as 「Namidame no Alice」or「Shojo Ningyo」, that is still in line with traditional idol singers a la 80’s and 90’s
This song however, is a pure display of embitterment and detest, with very resentful and cynical lyrics
I would say it’s a hard song even for regular pop singers, not to mention a cutesy-innocent type like Shiorin
From a technical standpoint, she was indeed put in a rather precarious spot, especially during the ending parts of the song, where her voice was VERY close to cracking. Thankfully, she prevailed through to the end.
But more importantly, while listening I was very amazed to find that I could sympathize with her entirely . Technique notwithstanding, the way she put her emotions into her singing allowed my own emotions to resonate with her voice. Even before looking up the lyrics, I could feel the song’s strong resentment and grievance.
To be honest, I really didn’t think Shiorin had it in her to sing like this. A very pleasant surprise indeed.
In one of the interviews Momoka had with Quick Japan, she mentioned that she was surprised by Shiorin’s performance of this song. But really, one still has to see it firsthand to understand what Momoka was talking about.
How right she was!
No matter how many times Shiorin failed at this song in rehearsals
Or the countless hours she spent trying to capture the feelings of the writer
In the end, she succeeded in making it 「A song of her own」
To be able to have this kind of expression, with this kind of voice
It really seems that whether as a student, as a singer, or as a person
In every sense, Shiorin has truly「graduated」
Momoclo Plaza 