Jpop Mix: Country Girls - Boogie Woogie Love, Koi wa Magnet, Ran Ra Run

I've had this post in the "drafting" stage since March. Oops. This is coming much later then I originally intended, but Country Girls has not released a new single, so it's not too late right? ;) Well, I've always had this sort of "I'm-not-so-sure" relationship with Country Girls. They were the group where I liked most of the members individually but in terms of the group itself - nah, I didn't care much for them. I did quite like Itooshikutte Gomen Ne, and while I originally thought I would soon tire of it, I still find myself listening to it. Haha, so if I could revise my original review, I would probably give their debut single 4/5, hehe. But! Their follow-up didn't really grab my attention at all and I sort of gave up on the group. 

Well, in the later half of 2015, two new members were added to the line-up, Hello!Project trainees Funaki Musubu and Yanagawa Nanami. This kept my interest only for a bit, but then I saw the new line-up perform their debut single and I was blown away. Like, these new girls had charisma and it's not that the previous line-up was bad, but with the additional two members, I felt like Country Girls as a whole just came alive. I waited patiently for a new single to be released and I was not disappointed. 

A triple A-side, this single is amazing in that it highlights a pair of girls in each song. The main A-side is Boogie Woogie Love which was a song that I immediately loved due to its retro style and jazz undertones. The music video looks like it was filmed in a diner and their outfits are so cute and definitely fit the era of the 50's. I felt like Funakki and Nanami were both featured in a way that wasn't overwhelming and I really liked their little solo dances in the middle. It's a fun song that I listen to often.

Jpop Mix: Tsubaki Factory, Seishun Manmannaka!

How long has it been since I've done one of these? Wow, a while. There have been a lot (and I mean A LOT) of releases among my favorite singers/groups in the last few months but I'm going to zero in on one and post my thoughts on their newest release. This time I will introduce a new group that just made their indies debut earlier this month: Tsubaki Factory. Hey, doesn't that sounds a lot like Kobushi Factory? Yes, yes it does and this is because the groups are meant to be "sister" groups of sorts, thus the "Factory" in both of their names.

I will be the first to admit that my initial impression of Tsubaki was not all that great. This is probably because the girls of Kobushi Factory are so polished. While not bad singers nor bad dancers, Tsubaki factory lacks the vocal prowess that their older sister group is consistently praised for. Further, the girls are still a bit awkward on stage. While I would normally find this endearing, it is a stark contrast when compared to Kobushi's confidence and obvious superior stage presence. While I know the two groups shouldn't be compared, I really can't help it. Since they were formed so close to each other and have the sister group tag, it's so hard not to compare them!

Jpop Mix: Kobushi Factory, Survivor/Nen Ni Wa Nen

Whoa. Hello Project! has been busy with these releases haven't they? In 2015, along with Country Girls, the agency has debuted another new unit, named Kobushi Factory. Unlike Country Girls however, this unit is debuting in the indies scene so we will have to make do with fan uploaded videos to review this release :)

Kobushi Factory (Magnolia Factory) is made up of 8 girls who are part of the Hello Project! Trainee program. All of the girls have trained extensively in singing, dancing and acting. Their years of experience shine through their live performances, where they deliver strong vocals and powerful dances, not unlike their seniors within the agency. Kobushi Factory has been largely praised for their high energy and spot on vocals. All of the members are pretty young, the youngest being 13 (Rei Inoue) and the oldest being 16 (Rio Fujii). I actually watched a video where the girls were told by the Hello Project! leader Maimi (from C-ute) that they would be forming a new group with the aim of obtaining their major debut. The girls who had been trainees for a while started crying. I felt so happy for them at that moment because you could tell how much they had wanted to debut and how happy they were with the news. Now, let's get to reviewing their first release!