今シーズン最初にして最高の眩しさを宣言するよ!
6人で迎える2度目の夏——2012年末に4人組でスタートし、2名が卒業した昨年7月のワンマンにて新メンバー4名が加入、ポジティヴな〈第二幕〉の始まりを宣言した乙女新党。そこから着実に力を蓄えて11月に現体制での初シングル“ビバ ! 乙女の大冒険っ!!”を堂々リリース、年末には新生後の初ワンマンも経験しました。さらに、今年に入ってからはParty Rocketsとのスプリットで〈乙女Rockets〉ツアーを敢行……と、めちゃくちゃ可愛く&逞しく成長した彼女たちに、いまふたたび眩しい陽射しが降り注ごうとしています。原宿で人気のカジュアル系ファッションブランド〈SPINNS〉とのコラボ展開も話題となるなか、待望のニュー・シングル“キミとピーカン☆NATSU宣言っ!!!”がいよいよ登場となったんです!
すでに人気バラエティー番組のEDテーマとしてお馴染みかもしれないタイトル曲は、晴れっぱなしの笑顔が弾けるサマー・チューン。作曲は成本智美（宮野真守、EXILE他）、編曲はPandaBoY（でんぱ組.inc、アップアップガールズ（仮）他）といずれも初顔合わせの布陣でフレッシュネスを見せていて、屈託のない歌声と祭りソカ系のダンサブルなサウンドで青空へブチ上がる雰囲気は、いままでの乙女新党にはなかったタイプです。対して、作詞は“サクラカウントダウン”など〈第一幕〉期の名曲や前シングル“ビバ ! 乙女の大冒険っ!!”に続いてNOBEが担当し、今回も〈やや中学生〉を標榜する彼女たちに相応しい賑やかな世界観で、〈光る汗と涙と笑顔はトモダチ〉という爽やかな青春をキャッチーに描いています（オーストラリアのケアンズで撮影されたMVも必見）。夏休みの前借りはできなくても、これは圧倒的にNATSUを先取りしてしまう大盛り上がりの一曲に違いありません。良い!
一方のカップリングは、すでに昨年末のワンマンで披露されて好評だったという“とりことりことりこ”。こちらは、たむらぱん名義で活動する傍ら私立恵比寿中学やトミタ栞らに楽曲を提供してきた田村歩美の手によるナンバーで、これまた乙女新党とは初の手合わせ。ジャクソン5“I Want You Back”を意識したイントロから軽やかにテンポアップして校内の日常を駆け巡る6人の姿はやはり新鮮で、たむらぱんらしいユニークな言語感覚も相まってうっかり口ずさんでしまいそうな楽しさがありますね。飛び道具のようでいて直球のラヴソングになっているのもキュートで良いんです。
こうしてみると、いずれの楽曲も〈2軍アイドル〉らしさから王道へと一歩踏み出してきたかのような出来映えで、ある種の頼りなさをも持ち味としていた以前の姿とはまた異なる、この6人ならではの魅力というものが着実に育まれてきた成果も窺えます。7月5日には赤坂BLITZでのワンマンを開催予定で、8月には3度目のTIF出演も控える乙女新党。その進行形の姿はこの夏をもっと熱くすることでしょう!
OTOME SHINTO - "Kimi to Pikan ☆ NATSU Sengen!!!"
The declaration of the first and best brilliance of this season!
Text by Koji Dejima
Second summer as a team of six -- OTOME SHINTO is a Japanese idol group formed at the end of 2012 as a foursome. After two members graduated from the group and four new members joined at the solo concert last July, it declared the start of their positive 'second chapter'. Having steadily accumulated experience and skills ever since, it proudly released, in November, the first single with the current members, "Viva! Otome no Daiboken!! (meaning Viva! The Girl’s Great Adventure!!)" and held the reborn group's first solo concert at the end of the year. Furthermore, they did the split tour with female idol group Party Rockets as a special unit 'Otome Rockets', earlier this year. In addition to these achievements which made them prettier and stronger, another ray of golden sunshine is about to fall on them. Amid the high-profile collaboration with the popular casual fashion brand 'SPINNS' in Harajuku, their eagerly-awaited new single "Kimi to Pikan ☆ NATSU Sengen!!!” has finally come out!
The title track, perhaps already well-known as the ending theme song for a popular variety TV program, is a summer tune bursting with sunny smiles. With a fresh touch brought by the creators who work with the group for the first time, composer Tomomi Narumoto (who writes for voice actor/actor/singer Mamoru Miyano, pop male dance & vocal group EXILE and others) and arranger PandaBoY (who works for female idol groups Dempagumi.inc and Up Up Girls (Kakko Kari), etc.), the carefree singing voice along with festive soca music-flavored danceable sound makes us feel like soaring into the sky, a type we've never heard before from OTOME SHINTO. Meanwhile, the lyrics were written by NOBE, who also wrote "Sakura Countdown", an excellent tune from the group's 'first chapter', as well as the last single "Viva! Otome no Daiboken!!". With the bustling atmosphere suitable for the group professing to be 'kind of middle school student', the lyrics describe their refreshing youth that exemplifies the notion 'shining sweat, tears and smiles are a friend of us' in a catchy way. (The MV shot in Cairns, Australia is also a must-watch). Although it is impossible to take summer holidays before summer starts, this must be a wildly exciting song that will surely make you feel as if summer has already come. A true gem!
Meanwhile, the coupling track is "Toriko Toriko Toriko" which was already premiered and received well at the solo concert at the end of last year. It was written by songwriter Tamura Ayumi who has been writing for other artists including Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku (Japanese girl idol group) and Shiori Tomita (Japanese female singer) while continuing her career as a singer under the name of Tamurapan, who also worked with OTOME SHINTO for the first time. Following the Jackson Five's "I Want You Back"-inspired intro, the song picks up the tempo, depicting the splendor of the six's everyday school life. Masterfully blended with Tamurapan's unique sense of lyrics, it is so vivid as to make you sing along before you know it. It seems like a surprise attack but in fact is a straightforward love song, a cute gimmick.
In light of this, each piece has a more mainstream appeal as if they have stepped out of 'the second-string idol' clan, showing that the six have steadily developed their own distinct charm, which is different from what they used to have, - a kind of frailty. OTOME SHINTO will be putting on a solo concert at the Akasaka Blitz on July 5 and make their third appearance at TIF in August. Their continuous growth will make this summer even hotter!
