Yumi's JPOP Series - 4: My Favorite Female Group Songs

For my last post in C31's ENGLCOM blog, I decided to talk about three of my favorite japanese songs which were released this month or next month.


1] ℃-ute – Danceでバコーン! (Dance de Bakoon!) [Release Date: 2010.08.25]





℃-ute is an all girl idol group by Hello! Project, a company who trains young girls to become idols. This is their 13th single, and so far, my most favorite ℃-ute song since their single last January. My first impression was that the song is quite weird. On the first verse, (pardon me for saying this) they sound like drunk girls~~and then on the chorus part, the song became weirdly cheerful and bubbly. But after listening to it for three times, I came to love it <3!!!! I still don't like the first part that much, but the chorus is sooooooooooooo nice and addictive!!!! If the composer just change a bit of the tone, then the song will be a hundred times better!!! Music-Video wise, I think their sparkly black offshoulder top is a bit too old fashioned for them. They're still sixteen to eighteen year old teens!!! All in all,-I rate this song a 4/5


2]  AKB48 - Heavy Rotation  [Release Date: 2010.08.18]







OMG THIS SONG ROCKS! Yes, at first I thought that it's just a simple cute Japanese song, with quite a "sexy" music video (which is totally not related to the song at all), but when I understood the meaning, I loved the song immediately! It talks about loving someone very much, to the point that the person always pops in your mind everytime. It's a sweet, truthful, and innocent song. Moreover, it's sung by my most favorite girl group ever!!! AKB48! Yay! I was also glad that my favorite member was part of the ones who have solos, even though I do not like the center girl. She was voted as the most popular one so the company placed her in the middle. The album cover girl is also her. I don't have anything against her, but I really think that the girl with the short hair who sang one part together with the center girl should be placed in the middle. Actually, she was the number one girl before, but unfortunately, she was overtaken by her very close friend.......Anyway, I rate this song a 4.5/5!! 


*The video of the Heavy Rotation is their “live” performance, not the “sexy” one >.<”


3] Perfume -  VOICE [Release Date: 2010.08.11]





Yay! I LOVE ELECTROPOP! Perfume is also a girl group which makes electro pop music. What caught me was the very interesting dance steps Perfume does on every single they release. This one is also great :)! Although the english part, which is the "Everything you need to know the voice", does not make sense~~~the song's still nice! Also, the video has the part wherein the three members pose and a big cardboard passes through them. That, for me, was very cool! I rate this song a 4/5


4] Watari Rouka Hashiri Tai - Gyu [Release Date: 2010.09.01]





Gyu~Gyu~Gyu!! >0<3 I loved the innocent message it projects, saying "to embrace or to hug me" right now. Gyu means "hug" by the way :)). I was entertained by the music video because they used a balloon-like thing to represent the guy >U< It was just too cute! Especially the part where Harugon suddenly ran and hugged the balloon person~! and also the part where she kissed it~!!!...or him...hahahahaha! This one is my most favorite song yet! Therefore, I rate this a 5/5~! Perfect 5!

Climbing up the thorny vines of College

Know how my highschool life ended....

They say, highschool life is the best time of our life. Treasure it and enjoy it while you're still in it. But now, I have surpassed all the trials that highschool gave me. Although leaving it was a sad fact, I can proudly say that I had no regrets.... why? For I have accomplished all my missions and did my best.

I am just starting college and so far, my conclusion is that highschool was more pressuring than college. Seriously :) Although this may be in contrast with others that say that college is harder, based on my experience, college was easier than highschool.


 

 

One thing that gives pressure to students in star sections is the competition between the four corners of the room. If you're not competent enough, you're out of the section. We have this so called "setting the standards" in our room. For instance, if someone starts to set the standards in a portfolio such as putting more design, later on other students will start to innovate another design that will beat the standard setter. This is because we are fighting for a few position with only one person that can have that certain position. In highschool, you can only have one recipient of the valedictorian and salutatorian position.

'

Everyday we spend almost 12 hours in school excluding the 1 to 2 hours of cheerleading training. Highschool is so stressful for me because I got to sleep only 3 or 4 hours per night and even worst, I don't sleep at all just to finish all the paperworks, study for quizzes and meet deadlines. I was often regarded as the "zombie" in our room because of my eyebugs and my stressful face. hahaha:)

 

<>

ME with ALENN STARSTRUCKED AT ME. HAHA!:)

I have put all my efforts to finish highschool the best way and ever since, I have aimed to bring my parents to the stage for them to give me my diploma and medals as the product of my labor. I aimed to be one of the 12 honorable mention including the valedictorian and salutatorian. During the 3rd quarter of my senior year, I was one of the top ten students of my batch. So as the finals exam was fast approaching, I did the best I can.....

And there it goes.... during a departmental assembly... COMES THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE GRADUATION AWARDEES. My body was really.. really trembling because I was so nervous of the result. And as they announced the awardees, it was a heartbreaking moment of revelation, as our academic coordinator announced that I was just a recipient of the special recognition in sports cheerdance and a recipient of Gold eagle certificate (for those students having a final grade of (95.5% and above). I felt inferior and depressed... Knowing the fact that I will not be able to walk with my parents in the center isle (because the 12 honorable mention students get to march with their parents in teh center isle). I feel like useless, because they have worked hard for me to graduate and this is all they get?.... I felt worthless. Later on, my classmates excitingly informed me that I was top 14 out of the 300 graduates. I FELT MORE WORTHLESS THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE TOP 12.

And so, I told this to my parents and guess what, they were so proud of me! I was shocked, how could you be proud of me?! hahaha! Soon, I realized that being sad and depressed because of something I didn't get served as a big hindrance in seeing my potentials and my blessings from God. Later on, I realized how proud I can be and how my parents can be. I started to appreciate the so many blessings God has given me. As the captain of the squad, receiving the special recognition in cheerdance is such an honor for me. Getting a final grade of higher than 95% is an unexpectable surprise that some normal students can't have and lastly, being the top 14 among the 300 graduates is such a blessing for me.

"I still can't believe I'm about to graduate na.:("

And now, because I was trained to handle the pressure, I can easily manage my time in college especially that we have shorter time to spend in school and we get to have long breaks. Cheerleading practice is not anymore in my schedule and so, I get to enjoy my major accounting subject!:) We get to have subjects that is scheduled one day after and not everyday (OF COURSE EXCEPT ENGLCOM HAHA!). This gives me more time to study, eat, party:) and most of all,

SLEEP!!!:)

Melissa Angelyn R. Pascual

C31 Englcom