J-Pop Write-Up

AAA’s latest single,  逢いたい理由 (Aitai Riyuu – The Reason for Wanting to See You), is the group’s second Oricon no. 1 single.  The Japanese pop group AAA (トリプル・エー  “Triple A” (no relation to the American Motor Club of the same name)) was formed in 2005 by Avex, made up of a motley group of back-up dancers for more established artists. There are currently seven, youthful members in the group: two girls and five guys. Among them, Misako Uno and Takahiro Nijima are also notable for their roles in Japanese dramas and films.  Uno also co-starred in the American film, Grudge 2. Group  member Mitsuhiro Hidaka raps and writes his own lyrics. And, I’m not really sure what Shinjiro Atae does, but he looks cool either way.

What can I say about “Aitai Riyuu”? When I first heard it, I instantly thought of the early hits of Tetsuya Komuro, a somewhat mysterious figure in the Japanese pop music scene with forty-one no. 1 Oricon singles under his belt.  A quick googling revealed that the song was indeed written by Komuro (やっぱりそうだったね〜). I thought he was still in jail*! It seems that he has been working hard to return to his former glory, writing over sixty demos since August 2009, of which Avex selected two for AAA.

The song itself is pure formula. Komuro certainly has covered his bases. But, I have a hunch that this song, if not the group itself, won’t age very well (despite enka-esque hand gestures and facial expressions). Indeed, the song sounds as if it’s just waiting to be dated. But, for now, we can enjoy it for what it is: pure pop. As I may have stated before, I openly adore Komuro’s “slice-of-chorus” intros, which seem to be doing well for Lady Gaga here in the States (“Bad Romance”, anyone?). In terms of compositional style, the verses aren’t too exciting (typical of Komuro), but there’s always a hook, and the hook of “Aitai Riyuu” is golden. The passing V chord, which Komuro makes a little juicier with descending motion in bass, takes full advantage of Komuro’s knack for voicing. I miss the instant modulations up by half-step though. All-in-all, the song is a catchy throw-back to the superstar Komuro hits of the early 90’s, like Amuro Namie’s “Body Feels Exit.”

This song has it all: the sampled drum kit, the sparkly chordal outlines in synth, the catchy, syncopated filler synth (very Gaga), the brassy solo synth, throw in some rhythm guitar, throw in a little solo electric guitar, and a few pretty faces while we’re at it. What more could you ask for? Or, should I say, what more could you possibly fit in? Avex has another number one hit, the members of AAA have secured their reputation among the J-Pop elite (for the time being) and Tetsuya Komuro has shown us all that he is very much back in his element.

*Komuro was arrested and charged with fraud in 2008 

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