The 54th Japan Record Awards – AKB48 wins for the 2nd consecutive year with “Manatsu no Sound good!”

The 54th Japan Record Awards was held at the New National Theater of Tokyo on December 30th, 2012. For the second straight year AKB48 took home the Japanese Grammy equivalent with their massive summer hit Manatsu no Sounds good! while solo female newcomer Ieiri Leo won the Best New Artist Award.

The 54th Japan Record Award nominees:

 「Arigatou」　JUJU
「Kaze wa Fuite Iru」　Ikimonogakari
「GO FOR IT!!」　Nishino Kana
「Sakura」　Hikawa Kiyoshi
「Sake no Yado」　Kaori Kozai
「777 ～We can sing a song!～」　AAA
「Hanabi」　Sandaime J Soul Brothers
「White Angel」　Fairies
「Manatsu no Sounds good!」　AKB48
「Yasashiku Naritai」　Saito Kazuyoshi

More than half of these nominees were also in the running last year including AAA, JUJU, Ikimonogakari, Nishino Kana, Hikawa Kiyoshi, and of course AKB48. One very interesting thing I learned is that the winner of both the Japan Record Award and Best New Artist Award is decided during the live airing! A 21-man committee made up of four reps from Japan News Network (JNN) stations, twelve newspaper reporters, and five music critics/producers deliberated at length in a conference room within the venue as the show aired.

Goodies galore pt.27

eBay package arrived in bad shape but bubbly wrap kept CDs safe :).

 

"GIVE ME FIVE" Type A CD+DVD limited edition.

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"GIVE ME FIVE" Type B CD+DVD limited edition.

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"GIVE ME FIVE" CD only theater edition.

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AKB48’s new single “GIVE ME FIVE!” becomes record 6th consecutive million-seller among female artists

AKB48 continued their chart dominance with the release of GIVE ME FIVE! exactly two weeks ago. The new single achieved the fourth highest first week sales in Oricon history with 1,287,217 copies sold. Needless to say GIVE ME FIVE! took the #1 spot quite uncontested, becoming the group’s 6th consecutive million-selling single and 12th consecutive #1 single. They surpass fellow idol units Pink Lady for most consecutive million-selling singles and Morning Musume for most chart-topping singles.

GIVE ME FIVE! is also AKB’s record 5th consecutive single to sell over a million copies in the first week alone. They now have a grand total of 7 million-selling singles, another record for female artists.

The top 20 highest first week single sales:

1. FLYING GET (2011) – AKB48 – 1,354,492
2. Everyday, Kachuusha (2011) – AKB48 – 1,333,969
3. Kaze wa Fuite Iru (2011) – AKB48 – 1,300,482
4. GIVE ME FIVE (2012) – AKB48 – 1,287,217
5. Namonaki Uta (1996) – Mr.Children – 1,208,230
6. Ue Kara Mariko (2011) – AKB48 – 1,198,864
7. Addicted to You (1999) – Utada Hikaru – 1,067,510
8. Dango 3 Kyoudai (1999) – Hayami Kentaro, Shigemori Ayumi, Himawari Kids & Dango Gasshoudan – 1,025,740
9. Winter, again (1999) – GLAY – 955,780
10. LOVE PHANTOM (1995) – B’z – 951,14
11. Sakura no Ki ni Narou (2011) – AKB48 – 942,479
12. Kimi ga Iru Dake de / Aishiteru (1992) – Kome Kome Club – 924,780
13. Yuuwaku (1998) – GLAY – 841,280
14. Can You Celebrate? (1997) – Amuro Namie – 828,480
15. Beginner (2010) – AKB48 – 826,989
16. Wait & See ~ Risk ~ (2000) – Utada Hikaru – 804,570
17. Don’t Leave Me (1994) – B’z – 791,310
18. Can You Keep A Secret? (2001) – Utada Hikaru – 783,620
19. Hadashi no Megami (1993) – B’z – 778,330
20. YAH YAH YAH (1993) – CHAGE and ASKA – 754,040

For over 15 years Namonaki Uta remained an unreachable plateau. AKB48 is making it look like a walk in the park right now. As a matter of fact this whole list will belong to them soon enough xD.

Compared to 2011 the girls are definitely off to an even better start. For one thing their 966,529 copies of GIVE ME FIVE! sold on the first day already surpasses Sakura no Ki ni Narou‘s first week figure, not to mention the million sold in the first week. The group’s extraordinary selling power and popularity haven’t waned either; if anything they’ve increased.

Last year the five best-selling singles belonged to AKB48. 2012 is certainly looking to be a repeat of that…I’m looking forward to it!

 
Source: Oricon

Goodies galore pt.26

The familiar EMS package from HMS.

 

“GIVE ME FIVE” Type A CD+DVD regular edition.

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“GIVE ME FIVE” Type B CD+DVD regular edition.

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First press HMV bonus photos x2: the percussionists XD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

W00t! This year’s CD release purchases have officially begun. I was only able to procure the regular editions of AKB48‘s newest single, but rest assured my limited + theater editions are coming from eBay soon :). Once again it seems like HMV delivered with the awesome first press bonus photo. Anything with Tomochin in it is gold :D.

AKB48 – New single “GIVE ME FIVE!” PV, release on 2/15

Here’s AKB48‘s new music video for GIVE ME FIVE!. Download the PV here.

We finally get to see the formal unveiling of Baby Blossom. I didn’t know how to feel about the whole concept at first, but now I’m totally sold. It’s bloody brilliant @_@!!! This whole performance looks legit, even though we know how it sounds live from Request Hour XD. It was a good idea to have each member learn the basics of the instruments. The fruits of their labor can clearly be seen :).

Acchan and Yuko look stunning in this; I love their cool oufits. Yukirin is sporting one cute hairstyle ^^. Judging by some of the scenes that appear there is probably a longer version of this music video, similar to Sakura no Ki ni Narou or the FLYING GET edition war movie. The “audience” features some group members in addition to adults. I wonder if these adults are actually parents of the members…?

GIVE ME FIVE! sounds excellent. The song is mostly guitar-backed with the trombone/trumpet forming the main riff. There is a nice guitar solo though; it is my wish Takamina can one day play it fluently enough so it sounds exactly like the MP3 version LOL. The chorus of GMF is not too catchy for me, but the overall flow of the track is very good, especially during the verses.

Once again, this group has hit gold.

Pre-order:

GIVE ME FIVE! Type A CD+DVD regular edition.

GIVE ME FIVE! Type B CD+DVD regular edition.

AKB48 – New 25th single “GIVE ME FIVE!”, release on 2/15

Type A CD+DVD limited edition.

Type B CD+DVD limited edition.

 

Type A CD+DVD regular edition.

Type B CD+DVD regular edition.

 

CD only theater edition.

GIVE ME FIVE!
AKB48

Release date: February 15th, 2012

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Type A CD tracklist: 
01.  GIVE ME FIVE!
02.  SWEET & BITTER
03.  NEW SHIP
04.  GIVE ME FIVE! off vocal ver.
05.  SWEET & BITTER off vocal ver.
06.  NEW SHIP off vocal ver.

Type A DVD tracklist:
01.  GIVE ME FIVE! Music Video
02.  SWEET & BITTER Music Video
03.  NEW SHIP Music Video
04.  GIVE ME FIVE! Making Part 1
05.  Utsukushii MIX Kouza (Beautiful Mix Course)

Type B CD tracklist: 
01.  GIVE ME FIVE!
02.  SWEET & BITTER
03.  Hitsujikai no Tabi (Shepherd’s Adventure)
04.  GIVE ME FIVE! off vocal ver.
05.  SWEET & BITTER off vocal ver.
06.  Hitsujikai no Tabi off vocal ver.

Type B DVD tracklist:
01.  GIVE ME FIVE! Music Video
02.  SWEET & BITTER Music Video
03.  Hitsujikai no Tabi Music Video
04.  GIVE ME FIVE! Making Part 2
05.  Utsukushii overture & ENCORE Kouza (Beautiful Overture & Encore Course)

Theater edition CD tracklist: 
01.  GIVE ME FIVE!
02.  SWEET & BITTER
03.  JUNG ya FREUD no Baai (Jung and Freud’s Situation)
04.  GIVE ME FIVE! off vocal ver.
05.  SWEET & BITTER off vocal ver.
06.  JUNG ya FREUD no Baai off vocal ver.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

It’s that time again as AKB48 continues their tradition of releasing a sakura single in the month of February. This year’s release is titled GIVE ME FIVE! and will come in three editions: CD+DVD limited (Type A & B), CD+DVD regular (Type A & B), and CD only theater.

The limited edition will include a handshake event ticket while the regular edition will contain a randomly enclosed photo. First press copies of these two editions come with a retailer-exclusive bonus photo as well. The theater edition will have both a randomly enclosed photo and a large handshake event ticket.

For the concept of GIVE ME FIVE! AKB48 has formed a rock band called Baby Blossom. This idea was actually conceived last August and all the girls have been secretly practicing with instruments since.

Here’s a rundown of the role each girl will play in the band:

Lead guitar – Takahashi Minami
Rhythm guitar – Maeda Atsuko
Bass – Oshima Yuko
Drummer – Kashiwagi Yuki
Keyboard – Watanabe Mayu
Synthesizer – Kojima Haruna
Trumpet – Matsui Rena, Minegishi Minami
Trombone – Sashihara Rino, Yokoyama Yui
Percussion – Shinoda Mariko (tambourine), Itano Tomomi (shaker), Matsui Jurina (cymbal)
Backing vocals – Miyazawa Sae, Takajo Aki, Kasai Tomomi, Kitahara Rie, Yamamoto Sayaka

Once again I think the ingenuity of Aki-P has pulled through XD. This whole band concept is such an excellent and original idea. Baby Blossom has a nice ring to it too. It’s a great name for an all-female band, or any band in general. I’m just wondering why the hell backing vocals counts as a part LOL. All the girls are already singing XD.

Needless to say, the covers are gorgeous. I love the outfits and poses; they give off a cool mature image of the group. Acchan and Yuko look so sexy @_@. On the Type B regular edition, Tomochin looks like she’s about to kick someone’s ass with her shakers LOL. Only she can make something as mundane as holding shakers look so sassy XD.

It looks like they’ve gone back to exclusive jacket art for each edition. I let my guard down in assuming they’d be the same and didn’t place my pre-order for the limited edition because of this :(. It doesn’t matter anyway because they sold out in a flash -_-.

GIVE ME FIVE! has already been performed live at AKB48‘s annual REQUEST HOUR SET LIST BEST 100. Fans in attendance were treated to a very special, albeit messy band performance of the song. I’m pretty confident the actual mp3 will sound just fine though =). Their TV promo appearances should be very interesting for this single…

Pre-order:

GIVE ME FIVE! Type A CD+DVD regular edition.

GIVE ME FIVE! Type B CD+DVD regular edition.

Source: AKB48 official website