Flying over the bubble era

Chapter 457
When making the band Heaven, it was Wanyumi Watanabe's U-MIZ and Yokichi Osato's AMUSE who worked together.However, when it came time to compete for places, the partners transformed into competitors.

This is true in the entertainment industry, or in other words, in all walks of life.

There are neither permanent friends nor permanent enemies.

Although BEGIN has a regional bonus and is the first champion of the band Paradise, DREAMS COME TRUE has set a double record for the band Paradise's ratings and scores, and is full of topics.

AMUSE and Tokuma Records wanted BEGIN to be on the stage of the Red and White Song Festival as the representative of the band Heaven, and Wanyumi Watanabe and CBS Sony also felt confident to compete with them.

Especially for Mayumi Watanabe, for a period of time, DREAMS COME TRUE will be an important source of income for her firm. If she wants to develop the actor business, it is inevitable to rely on the singer's income to subsidize the actors. Since the band is her food guy, she Will definitely do my best.

Competing for a spot on the stage should be handed over to the company. As for singers, they just need to wait for the result.It is best to be able to get in, but if you can't get in...then we can only eat hot pot together for the New Year, and then go back to our respective homes.

……

There is no need for Iwahashi Shinichi to think about the red and white appearance of DREAMS COME TRUE.

However, what he didn't expect was that he didn't care about whether his own band could appear on the stage. Instead, someone else found him and asked for advice on how to appear on the stage.

Moritaka Chisato and WINK belong to the same UP-FRONT AGENCY firm. Earlier, he was introduced by Watanabe Wanyumi as a producer for Moritaka Chisato, and then he was actively invited to be the producer of WINK.

I have produced two groups of idols for UP-FRONT AGENCY one after another, and I can say that I have a close cooperation with this agency.

When producing Chisato Moritaka, Shinichi Iwahashi had to do many things by himself. However, in the production of WINK, he was only responsible for selecting, arranging and recording, and providing some ideas. He did not participate in the direct operation work. He was responsible for the specifics. Portions are not many.

The first single "SEXY MUSIC" he chose for WINK, the original song itself was popular in Japan for a while, and now the lyrics are re-arranged. For the public, it is an extremely easy-to-enter song.

The next single after this single, the selection of music is not too outrageous. It still uses popular foreign dance music, and Oi Chuan Mianzi wrote the lyrics and re-arranged it.

Iwahashi Shinichi is not denying the possibility of them singing songs other than cover songs. In fact, it is necessary to rely on cover songs to gain fame. If they want to go to the next level, they can produce original new songs.

At the dawn of the TV era, pop music in Japan was just starting. Under such a background, many singers who became popular with covers of Western songs appeared.

However, with the development of local popular music and the increase of the public’s access to Western music, most of these cover singers have disappeared. The real names are the singers who transformed in time after cover singing and began to release their own music.

This kind of "own music" may imitate the style of Western music, but it must be completely localized.If the singer's representative work is a cover song, it is also a failure for the singer.

However, as far as WINK is concerned at this stage, it is not yet time to sing original songs.Now, compared to songs, shaping their image and making that "individual personality" their symbol is the most important thing.

……

The song "SEXY MUSIC" took advantage of the current dance music scene and the popularity of the original song itself in Japan. When it first debuted, it performed well, and it immediately won No.19 on the Oricon Chart.

Then, with the efforts of the record company and the office, according to the idea conceived by Shinichi Iwahashi, they spent a lot of money to prepare a gorgeous stage and a gorgeous MV to package and publicize them.

If you want to build up that dreamlike feeling, you must draw a clear line from the plain and simple, so spending money is the first.

Relying on strong publicity, this group has been appearing on TV continuously, and they dance together with songs that are already familiar to the public, like dolls in a music box, wearing gorgeous costumes that look like European court styles.

With snow-white skin, delicate but expressionless faces, and gorgeous costumes, these two girls stand on the stage, visually speaking, the impact on the audience is quite strong.

This strong sense of impact is reflected in the ratings.

Even when the single was just released and the results were not outstanding, the ratings of the programs with the two of them were very good.And the high ratings turned into promotion for the single, driving their single ranking up.

From No.19 in the debut, to No.4 on the list when it was the highest.

As a rookie, this result is impeccable.

However, due to the high investment in clothing and publicity, this single has only made the company slightly profitable so far.Whether they can make a lot of money in the future depends on whether WINK's popularity can be stabilized.

If you want to stay popular, you have to do everything you can.

Today's meeting about WINK is to discuss these aspects.

The ratings of programs featuring WINK will definitely increase, which also makes WINK receive performance invitations from various TV stations.

However, on the point of appearing in TV programs, Iwahashi Shinichi and UP-FRONT AGENCY reached a consensus that the exposure must be limited. It will consume the freshness of the public early.

To put it bluntly, at this stage, whether the TV station invites them or the audience likes to watch their performances, it is with the mentality of "watching the fun" rather than supporting them.

At this stage, when mentioning WINK, people probably think of two gorgeously dressed dolls.

However, as far as shaping the style is concerned, it has only just begun.Roughly speaking, only the outer shell has been carved out, and the inside has not been filled.

The profession of idol has a very distinctive feature, which is the spirit of service.Whether it's a smile, a wave to the audience, or a wink, all of these can be attributed to the service to the audience.

WINK, who decided to take the route of "personality without personality", neither smiles nor interacts with the audience.However, the bridge of interaction with the audience cannot be completely cut off. Before the real start of the rising period, it must be identified and a new communication bridge must be built.

According to Iwahashi Shinichi's idea, the grasp of WINK's style, on the one hand, is "individuality without personality", on the other hand, it is "grasp the contrast".

And grasping the contrast can be regarded as a supplement to the "personality without personality" at the same time.

The definition of an idol is an artist whose selling point is his own charm. At the beginning of the birth of an idol, its characteristics can be roughly summarized as charm, affinity, and a little sense of immaturity.

Or it can be said that it is a kind of "virginity".

However, one thing is that although they emphasize the pure beauty and "virginity" of idols, on the other hand, after entering the 80s, idols sang a lot of songs with "non-virginity".

This kind of "non-virgin feeling" actually does not refer to "Girl A", or even "Don't Covet My Old Lady's Sailor Suit", the little brother Huang who has a hint of first experience, but refers to the protagonist described in the lyrics. Her identity is different. No longer just a girl, but somewhere between a girl and a woman.

She can have the hesitation of stepping on two boats, she can have fantasies about a certain man, she can take the initiative to pursue him, she can also confess romantically, she can be jealous, and she can spend anniversaries together...

In short, after entering the 80s, the protagonists of idol songs can do more things, and when writing the lyrics of idol songs, their scope is wider.

However, on the one hand, the number of idol songs with "non-virginity" has increased, and on the other hand, the mainstream standard for idols is still Qing Masami's "virginity", such a split idea.

If you really want to say it, the audience who pursue idols expects and pursues something similar to "holy silver woman" or "unclean virgin", which sounds contradictory.

WINK's "personality without personality" naturally refers to their stage style like dolls dancing in a music box.

The mechanical and emotionless performance of the two girls, WINK, on ​​stage made them transcend mere "human beings" and become more dreamy, unlike real girls.

And this sense of unreality also blurs their "virginity" and "non-virginity" as idols.As a result, when they sang "SEXY MUSIC" without emotion, the performance and the song formed a wonderful contrast.

In terms of "personal design", such a personal design can also be called unique and full of characteristics.

……

In this meeting, while rejecting the overexposure on the TV station, it was decided to maintain WINK's mystery and exposure in another way - shooting and serializing in magazines.

"These two selected magazines "Up to Boy" will be serialized, and they will shoot photos according to their style on stage as a way of publicity."

"The selected photographer is..."

For UP-FRONT AGENCY, the co-photographer decided is Sasayama Kishin.The reason for choosing this one is naturally because he is very good at photographing beautiful girls.

The shooting of the magazine series was finalized, and this meeting also decided on WINK's next new single.It's still a cover, and Chuan Mianzi wrote the lyrics, this time I chose "Turn It Into Love" by Kylie Minogue.

After deciding on the tune, it was time to arrange the music and let the two enter the studio for recording.

From "Sexy Music" to "Turn It Into Love", there is a gap in between, WINK still needs to record the album.Same as when producing Chisato Moritaka, Shinichi Iwahashi is in charge of the single, and the production of the album is handed over to other producers. It is a very standard idol assembly line division of labor.

After the meeting, everything that should be decided was decided. After the meeting, Yanqiao Shinichi was about to leave, but was stopped by Yamauchi Kenichi.

"Yanqiao-san, long time no see." He took the initiative to come over to greet Yanqiao Shenyi.

Yanqiao Shinichi stopped in his tracks, "Long time no see, Yamauchi-san."

The production of WINK, preparations for the establishment of a record company, and the debut of ZARD coincided with each other. There are priorities, and Shinichi Iwahashi put the record company first.

WINK itself does not participate in specific matters, so every time I call in advance to make an appointment for recording, step on the spot, and leave immediately after recording.

The overly obedient WINK doesn't need Iwahashi Shinichi to adjust them like he did with Moritaka Chisato, and it saves him a lot of energy.

Otherwise, he was really worried about himself, what happened to him because of overwork in this busy time.

After saying a few polite words, Takeshi Yamauchi seemed hesitant to speak.

Yanqiao Shenyi knew it well, and motioned him to chat while walking.After walking out for a while, Yamauchi Kenichi finally opened his mouth and talked about his real purpose.

"It's about Sengo."

From the very beginning, Kenichi Yamauchi scoffed at Shinichi Iwahashi's idea, and then he was convinced by him and invited him to participate in the production of WINK. Now, when there is something uncertain, he naturally wants to discuss it with him .

At the beginning of the talk, after listening to two sentences, it was about letting Moritaka Chisato also strive for a place to appear in the Red and White Song Festival this time.

This year, Chisato Moritaka opened up her popularity with the song "17 Years Old", and her rising momentum is good. The firm also regards her as the most popular candidate at the moment, not only increasing the production fee, but also thinking of sending her Go to the red and white song party.

For ordinary audiences, the Red and White Song Festival is the Spring Festival Gala, but for the industry, this is indeed a large-scale music show.

However, the competition in the idol industry is fierce, and there have been a lot of aggressive new idols this year. Whether Chisato Moritaka can win the debut spot is still a [-]-[-] situation.

When Ken Yamauchi thought of Shinichi Iwabashi's ability to turn decay into magic, he wanted to hear his opinion.

After hearing his reason for coming, Yanqiao Shen laughed secretly in his heart.

Whether his own band can play or not depends on how the company strives for arrangements, and he picks it up himself.On the contrary, it is an idol from another family, and I want to learn from him to make an idea, and I want an idea of ​​how to appear on the stage.

"Although it is a bit embarrassing, but the list is still being finalized, and the final result is still uncertain. The firm still wants to do what it can." Taken Yamauchi said earnestly.

On this point, Iwahashi Shinichi naturally expressed his understanding.Wanyumi Watanabe and CBS Sony, who helped fight for the band behind him, also think so.

Fortunately, the idol's quota does not conflict with the band's quota. Even if they help out with an idea, it will not affect the competition between DREAMS COME TRUE and BEGIN for the quota.

Otherwise, when Kenichi Yamauchi asked, Shinichi Iwahashi might not be willing to use his brains for Chisato Moritaka.

As for now, Chisato Moritaka is the idol that he created and planned and became popular. Shinichi Iwahashi also hopes that she will become more popular.

In that way, his reputation in the industry will be even greater, and Moritaka Chisato will earn a considerable copyright fee for singing the songs he produced.

"Indeed, the competition on the idol side is quite fierce..."

Yanqiao Shinichi pondered for a while, lowered his head, and unconsciously flipped through the documents of the WINK meeting just now, until he stopped at one page.

"How about another chip?" He looked at the contents of the document and suggested.

　This UP-FRONT AGENCY is the home of Morning Musume

　　
　
(End of this chapter)