My thoughts on BiSH - Kouhaku, the group, the disbandment

Happy New Year to all KKP collaborators and readers!

My fellow collaborators have shared their takes about this year's edition of Kouhaku Utagassen, along with other music writers I follow. From the opinions I could collect, it was unanimous that BiSH's performance was the most underwhelming. After an exchange of comments, J-Canuck has challenged me to expand on this matter.

I have been a BiSH fan since their 2017 song "My landscape." My boyfriend had introduced me to underground and alternative idols, however you want to call them; the types of groups that do not sound "traditional." While BiS was the precursor of that category, BiSH has been its most representative group, in my opinion. Launching Junnosuke Watanabe's WACK agency, they emerged from the ashes of BiS and turned the controversial group into a marketable formula that, as we have all seen, culminated in a Kouhaku invitation.

I am very familiar with WACK and idols in general, so it is obvious to me that BiSH's success is not derived from skill. I vividly remember watching one of their live performances around the "My landscape" period, on a boat in the middle of Osaka. The girls were struggling to maintain clear notes, even the most skilled singers of the group such as Cent Chihiro Chittii. Therefore, as I watched the Kouhaku performance, my thoughts were "this is a really good BiSH performance, they have come very far." I listened to it separately from the other performances, so it makes sense that within the Kouhaku context, people were expecting something else.

So, why were they invited? There are obvious answers. One is that they are disbanding, something that was announced only mere days before the Kouhaku performance. 2022 will be their last full year of activity. Other personal theory of mine is the close contact between WACK and AKB48 this year through longtime member Yuki Kashiwagi. Groups managed by Yasushi Akimoto have been a Kouhaku staple for years, so who knows if the connections may have played a part. But essentially, BiSH had become very popular, as well as the solo careers of members Aina the End and Ayuni D (under PEDRO).

Whatever the reason, I believe their invitation for Kouhaku was mainly symbolic, as many are. It was a way to certify WACK as a mainstream Japanese music force. It was a redemption of sorts for BiS, the first one, who never even hit Budokan (I believe a BiSH Budokan live might be in the plans for this year). And it was a way to show BiSH to people who had never seen them, whatever the reaction.

As for the choice of "Promise the Star," I think it was pretty obvious as it is BiSH's most representative song ("Orchestra" being a close second as it influenced heaps of idol songs). Words by JxSxK (Junnosuke Watanabe) and composition by Kenta Matsukuma, the creative brains behind most of WACK, it is the quintessential sound of its idol groups.

Some of you may have read my post concerning BiS' disbandment, the second one. This time, I am not feeling so passionate. I was actually expecting BiSH to disband ever since the solo careers started flying off. However, it was touching to see them climb to Kouhaku, and the impending end of a group that helped me discover a different section of the Japanese music and idols I loved and will continue to love.

Modern Idol Classics - My Selection

A few days ago, I was rewatching some music videos and it crossed me that one particular song would be one of my picks when it comes to the most representative songs of the late Heisei era in terms of idol music - it's catchy and prone to be liked by the general public. So, I decided to brainstorm a few others I would consider worthy of entering that category and joined them in one post. It is a top 6 of my Modern Idol Classics (from 2010 to 2019).

1. BiS - nerve

This one takes first place for me because it is personally one of my favorite idol songs ever, and I feel like it embodies what was the late Heisei for idol music. The traditional idol trope started to be defied by some groups such as BiS and now we have a pot-pourri of genres being presented by the kind of performer one would consider an idol. I also feel like, even though there is still one or two major groups ruling the idol scene, there is a larger number of "tiers" when it comes to popularity. No longer do we have the popular idols and the underground ones, there is more to that, and the idol scene in this moment is very diverse.

2. AKB48 - Koisuru Fortune Cookie (恋するフォーチュンクッキー)

To me, this was the absolute peak of AKB48, since which they have started losing momentum as the "national idol group" of Japan. So, it seemed like an obvious pick for this selection. To this day, this is the go-to song to present in all kinds of TV specials, and had a small revival when it propelled the Thai sister group BNK48 to national stardom. I like this song very much! It's catchy and retro sounding and I don't really get tired of listening to it. I think it is the true classic of AKB48 and showcases the very best this group has to offer.

3. Keyakizaka46 (欅46) - Silent Majority (サイレントマジョリティー)

I feel like it had been a long time since any group had such a strong debut single as Keyakizaka46 did. This song was the absolute hit of 2016 and made me hooked into the group for quite some time. Besides this A-side, "Saimajo" is a very solid single with really good songs (I feel like I still want to write about it someday). I haven't been following Keyaki closely, but it seems to me that the popularity they achieved at the time of their debut has vanished a bit. Still, Silent Majority is unforgettable.

4. Maneki Kecak (まねきケチャ) - Kimi Wazurai (きみわずらい)

This is actually the song I mentioned at the beginning of the article. I don't know if it is surprising, since this group is, let's say, at a different level of popularity as the other groups I mention in this article, at least in the West. But to me, this song is an absolute classic. I think it's the whole progression, starting slow and then building up to a quick succession of emotional lyrics. At first, I had to get used to the difference in sound and skill in the members' voices, but it definitely grew on me.

5. BiSH - Orchestra (オーケストラ)

Well, Orchestra comes in the same category as Kimi Wazurai - a slow progression that builds up quickly. I find it better executed technically in Orchestra, but there is something about the rawness of vocals and emotions in Kimi Wazurai that also pulls me into that song. But when it comes to whether they are classics, they both are. And Orchestra is one of the songs that brought BiSH into national fame, and they keep rising by the day, which has been amusing to see! Let's hope Reiwa brings a lot of success for these girls.

6. Nogizaka46 (乃木坂46) - Kimi no Na wa Kibou (君の名は希望)

I wanted to include a Nogizaka46 song because they are the current top idol group in Japan, and whenever I think about Kimi no Na wa Kibou being used as a jingle in the Nogizaka Station, the song stands out to me as a classic. The thing about this group is that they have several songs that stand out to the general public, but not one that one can pin-point as their true number one hit. When it comes to sales, I think Influencer takes the cake, but Kimi no Na wa Kibou is, in my opinion, the one tune that better appeals to the general public. It's a pop song without a doubt, but it sounds so warm and with lyrics so encouraging that I would recommend it to anyone.