Phantom Siita - Kimi to XXXX Shitai dake (キミと✕✕✕✕したいだけ)

As someone who has strayed away a bit from J-idols compared to the past, there are not that many songs from that genre on repeat for me these days. I find myself going back more to older idols like my usual Akina, Wink, Yuki Saito and Miporin fare. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule.

I still do sometimes venture into the "100 Latest Japanese Idol Songs" playlist on YouTube, which I have been following for years at this point, and each time add a couple songs into my playlist. One of these times, I stumbled upon this one music video from a group which I hadn't yet heard about, but I noticed it had a significant number of views.

It was this music video for "Kimi to XXXX Shitai dake" (キミと✕✕✕✕したいだけ) by idol group Phantom Siita (ファントムシータ), the second single release for the group. Anyone who is not familiar with this group probably has heard of producer Ado, one of the most influential Japanese artists of the last couple of years. A few seconds into this song, it's already noticeable how distinct the singing style is, very much resembling Ado's.

However, what really shines to me about this song is the instrumental. Phantom Siita's concept is "retro horror" and it sounds as retro as you can get, especially the intro, which hits you like crazy. My first thought was how much this sounds like Akina's "I MISSED THE SHOCK" with all the orchestra beats and strings. The following notes sound somewhat more modern, the short beats and repeating words, with the chorus tying everything together, being insanely catchy and leaning into the "horror" part of the concept with the wordplay around "chu" (kiss) and "chi" (blood). The song was composed and written by Kikuo (きくお), a well-known Vocaloid producer, and the group has been collaborating with different artists for each of their songs.

Phantom Siita, composed of members Mona, Miu, Rinka, Hisui and Moka, released their first single only June this year and is already very successful. They have been showing up on variety shows as a sort of "face" to Ado, whose appearance remains hidden in the shadows. They are lining up for their first album release later this month, as well as a Budokan concert.

This kind of "retro horror" concept has been a longtime preference of mine, as one of my favorite idol groups is the three-member group Wyenra (ゑんら). Being self-produced, they have unfortunately always remained in the more underground scene and I remember them having financial difficulties at points, which always had me wishing they could receive their big break or the kind of backing Phantom Siita has for a similar concept. Another underground group with this kind of vibe is Jyujyu (じゅじゅ), leaning more into a gothic visual, which "Kimi to XXXX Shitai dake" is very much about. I thought they had disbanded, but found out while researching for this post that the group restarted only one month after Phantom Siita's debut.

There is still a couple of months left until the end of 2024, but this song by Phantom Siita is probably my personal favorite of the year. It's just right up my alley, connecting the past and the present of Japanese music and visuals with the big wrapping bow of idols.