In today’s installment, ℃-ute get experimental! Included in the four promotional videos today is a ethnic mix-up of sound and rhythm, a daring harmonized dual vocal, an intense layering of vocal worked put over a multi-camera video, and a return to form. ℃-ute appear confident in themselves, and are able to pull out these performances with great skill.
The Power
By most accounts, things get crazy for ℃-ute from this point onwards. At first glance, you might think “The Power” is going to be another intense song in the same vein as “Crazy Kanzen na Otona” with its belly button baring outfits. There are elements of that here, but Tsunku goes on a strange journey with “The Power” with an Indian influenced production. To this day, I’m not sure if it worked, but after a few listens I just went with it in the same way I went with Tsunku’s madness on “The Manpower”. At the same moment I will rock out and make that lip-snarling, head bopping face AND exclaim “WTF is Tsunku even thinking?!”
Kanashiki Heaven
Remember how “FOREVER LOVE” was a two-person show that I hoped would never return? Well, it did return with this Suzuki Airi / Okai Chisato duet. I think the fact that this is transparently done as a two-woman show made all the difference, though. Well, that and we’re always looking for ways to showcase Chisato. “Kaneshiki Heaven” features the warehouse shots, a gorgeously lit sunset at the docks (recalling Tokkaiko Junjou), and the pole dances from their 2014 Spring “~℃-ute no Honne~” tour. I love the song and the outfits – shout out to Mai’s houndstooth overalls.
I miss you
℃-ute get really fancy with “I miss you”. Vocals overlap like a fugue and the subtites become a mess of lyrics all over the screen. The PV looks like a one shot production where the dining table disappears from the room, but it’s probably more accurate to call this a multi-angle one-performance promotional video. It’s probably the most blatantly artistic performance in a promotional video from H!P that I’ve ever seen. The song leaves the realm of pop music, and the video doesn’t rely on fancy choreography or racy clothing to make its point. “I miss you” is real treasure.
THE FUTURE
Back to something a bit more familiar to ℃-ute fans, “THE FUTURE” uses up the scarce extra budget leftover from “I miss you”. So, yes we et a performance video again. We’re rewarded with more revealing outfits and tight choreography, but it really feels a little bit like a let down (to me) after the daring high-wire act of “I miss you”. Which isn’t to say that “THE FUTURE” is bad; the song burns buildings down with its sparking intensity. The smart rhythmic theme heard throughout the song plays mindtricks when you pay attention to it.
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