[12/21] Morning Musume. '22 72nd Single "Swing Swing Paradise / Happy birthday to Me!" : Billboard #1, Oricon #1

[Nayoko-Kihara]

Guaranteed to be certified their 23rd consecutive Gold single!~

Comparing to Platinum gets old, but I can't help thinking about what the reaction to a statement similar to this would've been back then.

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Promotion on TV

BUZZ RHYTHM 02 12.23.22 - Morning Musume. '22 "Happy birthday to Me!" performance

https://youtu.be/1O0GY8sGhfY?t=3527


https://twitter.com/MorningMusumeMg/sta ... 1031767040

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4th day : #10
https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/d/2022-12-23/

5th day : #5
https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/d/2022-12-24/

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Tsunku's notes on writing "Happy birthday to Me!"

Spoiler: show

As the producer Tsunku
I thought of a melody that Morning Musume should sing now.

The characteristics should be appealing to me.
It is a melody that lingers in the ear.
A melody that seems easy to sing.
But in reality, it is a melody with a difficult rhythm that is challenging to sing.

I took these factors into consideration while creating this.

I've been thinking about this since I was making it.
A timeless, universal presence.

If you chase after a trendy sound, it quickly becomes old, and if you chase after something nostalgic of the past, it becomes more of a project.

"Happy birthday to Me!" I made it with just the right sense of the times in mind.

When you think about it, the R&B and disco sounds of the 70's and 80's sound old, but not old enough to be listened today.

In the 80's, the number of beat-up sounds and sampled rhythms increased, but the guitars and basses were played by humans, so there was a human touch and a thrill that I felt from that, which was very exciting.

After all, even in 2022, the technical capabilities of humans playing for real is both impressive and thrilling.
What? How is it possible for a human being to do this? There are many such "techniques" not only in musical performances, but also in architecture, cooking, and many other areas, aren't there?

"Artisan" skills are important, but in terms of individuality, a passionate soul that is selfless and the fruit of one's utmost efforts also moves people, don't you think?

For example, the Japanese summer tradition of high school baseball games, or my own child's dazzling performance in kindergarten.

It's the one and only.

I digress.
When creating the melody, I was very conscious of the "timeless and universal presence," which is also the theme of this project.

In creating pop music, I think the most important point to demonstrate human power is the "voice = singing" part.

We recorded with new member "Sakurai," and the changing voices of the group are very important to the creation of the piece.

For me, it is like having a new "voice" instrument in my hands, and the final impression will change considerably depending on how I combine them.

The fruits of her hard work and passionate excitement will be reflected in the sound of the finished product.

I believe that the result is a unique work of art.

I don't want to talk behind your back, I don't want to post anonymously on some social networking site, I want to raise my hand and blurt out what's going through my mind right now, naming who it's coming from.

I'm sure everyone feels the need to vent their frustrations, partly because they've been forced to live in a really stifling environment for the past few years.

It's really sad that we spend such an important time of our youth online, but that's the way it is, isn't it?

For Morning Musume and their fans who have not been able to attend their concerts as much as they would have liked, I'm sure there is a lot of frustration for the fans who always come to support us.

It's not for anyone else, it's for me! I have always said that each member of Morning Musume is a member of Morning Musume, and it is certainly prohibited to disturb the team circle, but before that, there is the identity of "I".

This is the story.

In the first verse, "I want to let it all go"
but in the second verse, it also says, "You don't have to say what you don't want to say."

I think that's all that matters in the end (laughs).

Happy birthday to me

It's the kind of song that celebrates the birth of the new me, myself.
As is the case with every new group that welcomes a new member, it is always the birthday of the new Morning Musume group.

This is another new start for Morning Musume.
Please continue to support us!

https://note.tsunku.net/n/nbba60539b302

Tsunku's notes on writing "Swing Swing Paradise"


I want them to be professional entertainers.
This song was written with that wish in mind.

What kind of songs would the girls be comfortable directing themselves to...

By the time they were done with the last single and heard how they are promoting it, I was thinking about the next song to write.

There are many girl groups in Japan
and many stimulating groups in Korea.

What Morning Musume needs now is individuality.

How to showcase how different their appeal is from others.

I think it is important to express that in the songs.

This song allows the girls to show off their entertainment skills, not just their dance skills.

With this in mind, I began composing the music.

The image I had in my mind was a female singer with bright red lipstick singing at the top of her lungs into a microphone.

Of course, this is just an image, so it didn't turn out that way, but I had that image in mind. I started to compose the song from a scene like that.

But instead of continuing with that nuance to the end, this song seems to break off the beginning of the song and move on to the next scene.

I switched to a swinging rhythm song to completely change the impression.

I was very confused about the melody of the part called the A melody.
I was tempted to have the singer sing it with more notes.
But when I thought about the dance and performance, I felt that it would be better to have as few notes as possible.

It is the part of the song that is called the "A melody," but when I listened to the final product again, I realized, "Oh, that's the part I wanted to make.
That's why I decided to end with this melody.
In fact, I think this part is the chorus.

The B melody creates the world of this song.
It is a night scene.
The fact that it is outside.
I suggested to the director of the video that the theme of the video should be "Broadway in Space".
I hope this night scene will be connected to the universe.

The part of the chorus that begins with "paradise" is very important.
What this lyric conveys is that the main character wants to do everything for the person they love, even if it means giving up everything. They want to fight with all their might.
However, unless they know what "you" want, they don't know how to give to them.

Do you want me to take you for a drive?
Do you want me to cook a delicious meal?
Do you want expensive gifts?
Do you just want them to be with you?
Do you just want to be left alone for now?

And if you don't tell me that.
Why are "you" in a bad mood?
Are "you" troubled right now?
Why are you not having fun?

So we don't know anything about it.

I would like Morning Musume members to be proactive in promoting themselves, rather than remaining humble.

When the song ends and enters the ending, the melody of the beginning of the song is interrupted once more.
I thought about going back to the beginning melody as a normal arrangement, but it would have been too boring and ordinary.

I thought it would be better to have the suddenness of a singer interrupting the beginning of the song when the TV channel is turned in a Showa-style. In fact, I had the singer interrupt the beginning of the song with a tuning sound like a radio.

And then at the end, like we talked about earlier.
I come back to the most important melody, the A melody, and fade out.
The song ends with an atmosphere as if there is no end to the song.

I guess I didn't want to give a clear ending to this song.


https://note.tsunku.net/n/ne245000288f2

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Billboard Japan First 3 day singles sales report (12/19~12/21)

#1 with 119,100 copies sold

Morning Musume. '22's 72nd single "Swing Swing Paradise / Happy birthday to Me!" is the first single for new member Sakurai Rio and the last single for Kaga Kaede, who graduated in the Fall of 2022. This single sold 119,100 copies in its first three days and is currently in the top spot, about 86,000 copies ahead of No. 2.

https://www.billboard-japan.com/d_news/detail/120263/2
https://twitter.com/Billboard_JAPAN/sta ... 3478502401

First 3 day comparison :
"Chu Chu Chu Bokura no Mirai / Dai・Jinsei Never Been Better!" (110,528)

Billboard JAPAN Weekly Top Singles Sales (12/19~12/25)

Morning Musume. '22 "Swing Swing Paradise / Happy birthday to Me!"

1st Week
Weekly Rank #1
Total Sold 121,814

https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/ ... =01&day=02

Sold 119,100 in the first three days, and sold an additional 2,714 the rest of the week.

Just a few short of their previous single "Chu Chu Chu Bokura no Mirai / Dai・Jinsei Never Been Better!" (123,471)

https://www.billboard-japan.com/d_news/detail/120380/2

~~~~~

Daily #8 on Oricon to end the week
https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/d/2022-12-25/

[Zunu]

What kind of a crazy drop-off is that? Fortunately the #2 song only sold 40k for the week so Morning Musume already had the win on lock on day 1.

[Stereo]

Thank you so much for the translation of Tsunku's note. I love this single, it's nice to have something different even if i adore EDM. Happy birthday is very very cool ! Looks like a nice trio of songs with Da jinsei never been better.

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Oricon Weekly #1 and 98k sold

This is Morning Musume's first #1 single in four years and six months since "Are you Happy? / A gonna" (6/25/18). This is Morning Musume's 20th "single" to reach #1. This is Morning Musume's 72nd consecutive top 10 single and continuing to hold the record they own.

This is the latest single from Morning Musume, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in September, and the first participation by new member Sakurai Rio since joining the group. The double A-side single includes "Swing Swing Paradise," a fun dance number, and "Happy birthday to Me!" This is the last single for Kaga Kaede, who graduated on December 10th.

Number of singles in the Top 10 : #1: Morning Musume. (72 singles), #2: AKB48 (59 singles), #3: Arashi (58 singles)
https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2262303/full/

They had a streak of four consecutive weekly #2 singles, but they all reached 100k in the first week. This single broke the streak.

"Chu Chu Chu Bokura no Mirai / Dai・Jinsei Never Been Better!" (100,381 Weekly #2)
"Teenage Solution / Yoshi Yoshi Shite Hoshii no / Beat no Wakusei" (120,435 Weekly #2)
"Junjou Evidence / Gyuusaretai Dake na no ni" (112,278 Weekly #2)
"KOKORO & KARADA / LOVEPedia / Ningen Kankei No way way" (126,884 Weekly #2)

Oricon Weekly Single Sales (12/19~12/25)

Morning Musume. '22 "Swing Swing Paradise / Happy birthday to Me!"
1st Week
Weekly Rank : #1
Total Sold : 97,762

*1 *1 *5 *10 *5 *8 **1

https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/w/2023-01-02/

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daily #15 to start the 2nd week
https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/d/2022-12-26/p/2/

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numbers are out early because Oricon will be on break.

Oricon Weekly Combined Sales Singles chart (12/19~12/25)

Morning Musume. '22 "Swing Swing Paradise / Happy birthday to Me!"

1st Week
Weekly Rank #1
Total points : 100,246 pts (CD Sales + DLs)

https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/cos/w/2023-01-02/

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Oricon Weekly Digital Single sales ranking (12/19~12/25)

1st Week

"Happy birthday to Me!"
Weekly Rank : #32
No. of Downloads : 2,600

"Swing Swing Paradise"
Weekly Rank : #35
No. of Downloads : 2,547

https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/dis/w/2023-01-02/p/4/

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Billboard Japan HOT 100

1st Week
"Swing Swing Paradise"
Weekly Rank : #3
Total Points : 6,843

https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/ ... =01&day=02

Billboard Japan Top Download Songs

1st Week
"Swing Swing Paradise" @ #24
"Happy birthday to Me!" @ #31

https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/ ... =01&day=02

~~~~~

daily #23 with new releases out
https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/d/2022-12-27/p/3/