°C-ute Presents: 「Simply the BEST Multiple A-Side Single Release of the Idol Group Genre this Side of Memory。」

YES. Simply the BEST multiple A-side single release of the idol group genre. Set production, wardrobes, depth of musical genre, complexity of choreography, song writing, intricate vocal arrangements & of course lyrics and melodies which move the mind and soul~.

Often times we fall victim to what some my girl friends and I refer to as the “Amelie” syndrome. To explain briefly, for instance you’ve just walked out of the movie theater having just experienced cinema which crushed it as it absolutely hit on all cylinders of all things which makes a movie outstanding in your mind. You’re now in the “Amelie” danger zone where you possibly declare this newly minted into your brain of a movie “the greatest movie of all time!~! (like that time I watched “Amelie!!=D) However give it a few days or weeks when you’ve had the proper amount of time to digest and relate it all, you now return to reality and realize that while it was indeed a great movie…. in your long list of best movies ever, it actually isn’t dethroning your #1 after all. And in a nutshell that’s the “Amelie” syndrome/effect.

Now I did begin with “Simply the BEST multiple A-side single release of the idol group genre”, and to be certain, I let this entire single brew for a bit having it on multiple playlists with the very frequent repeat function working as well over the past few weeks or to precise ….for an entire month’s time less a couple of days. So I can state this with certainty as I’ve now safely avoided falling for the immediate euphoria reaction, aka: the “Amelie” syndrome. =)

And because I’m a long-time MV junkie @ heart! …here I went with all three LE single versions A ~ C in order to receive their accompanying DVDs which of course include those much needed music videos~♥. “Ingeniously”, they’re one MV per single version which entices or rather requires MV junkies like myself to indulge and spend a bit more to have all of the coupling visuals =P which are each a must have no brainer! First pressings included an exterior bonus post card, here I got three of “Jinsei wa STEP!” …not entirely sure if there were post cards available for the two other A-sides here …Hm?

~C-ute’s “Naze hito wa arasoundarou?/ Summer Wind/ Jinsei wa STEP!” single can be ordered @ Cdjapan~

~Cute “Naze hito wa arasoundarou?” (mv)~

Firstly I love how C-ute’s been doing these little intro and outro interludes of sorts for their mvs as of late and while I felt the need to rank A-sides here in a countdown style, @ #3 …. “Naze hito was arasoundarou” is no slouch!! Now for some time now, C-ute’s been produced in a much more contemporary fashion, sliding away from their idol roots making them as a whole feel like a sort of out of body existence when it comes to their fellow Hello! Project artists. And aside from the jazzy~brass groove and the underlying “why can’t we all get along” message which already has this treat of song @ catchy and meaningful ….take a few moments or longer to appreciate the girls’ intricate verse phrases and excellent harmonies which all lead up to it’s “walkin’ on sunshine’ of a chorus section ….and in more than a few mannerisms doesn’t this song have that sort of “Johnny’s/ SMAP” kinda vibe~* about it?! The set and wardrobe production here is top notch also as the glamorous aura of an evening’s jazz show is well represented ….lights, fashion & a quintet long on the rise~.

~C-ute “Jinsei was STEP!” (mv)~

@ #2 C-ute captures and modernizes perfectly~* a marriage of the roaring 20’s meets the “shimmy” with a fantastic touch of Glenn Miller class!~!!!!!!!! I can’t say enough about the heightened level of dance choreography happening here as it’s next level stuff!!!! And listen how the girls take an inspiration of jazz vocal performance into a modernized stratosphere  complete with nuance and sensual drawls to boot! Their phrasing paying complete tribute to those golden Big Band days of long ago as if they’d been hatched just yesteryear and talk about an advanced arrangement here which in a real sense sums up all that C-ute’s accomplished till now …as in only this stage of C-ute could stoutly produce such an advanced song this perfectly. Vocally this one’s off the charts as from start to finish the vocal arrangement intricacies are advanced as the genre itself! And now couple all of this along with the fact that the girls are all excellent top tier dancers each in their own right, and with sensuality being on this song’s choreography-calling-card ….it’s a match made in heaven~ ^^.

 

 

~C-ute “Summer Wind” (mv)~

And now we’ve reached #1!

Visually and emotionally mesmerizing from the outset with an unsettled touch of a haunting piano’s chiming all the while this MV’s editing has a sort of “David Lynch” appeal less those cryptic edges, “Summer Wind” is simply an epic song in every aspect and with this MV you just can’t take your eyes off of it! Mood-wise. Instrumentation-wise. And even choreography-wise you can feel and sense the precise mood and melodies of the song within each graceful to dynamic dance stroke. It’s really a performing arts advanced class as a whole if you take in and appreciate it as a whole. With a deeply layered melancholy within its verses to an inevitable climax within the BEST chorus I’ve heard this side of recent memory. This is C-ute at this stage of their careers, their pinnacle best. Really, the chorus will hit you all at once with a wall of emotion …just so beautifully written and harmonized, this song is like a best friend you never knew you had until now ^^*.

And with that this song without question receives:

..the “coveted” =P Maochan♥ Music Seal of Approval~!~! =)