The Power of C-ute

Five bucks says that The Power refers to C-ute's power to stick around longer than Berryz Koubou.

So what has C-ute been up to since Berryz Koubou dropped the disbandment hiatus bomb? Well, they released a single and... that's all I can think of. Actually, that's pretty much all they've been doing. That and Japan Expo but yeah. Traveling and releasing singles. And not the best singles I might add. Their one other single this year was Kokoro no Sakebi wo Uta ni Shitemita/Love take it all, and neither one of those A-sides was that great. The former as a decent song but nowhere near the top of my favorite idol songs this year. And Love take it all sounded like a generic dance song; the music video didn't help either. Honestly, I'd rather Tsunku/UFP lay off the double A-sides for awhile. The first few singles, it was cool, but now it's getting very formulaic. Yet here we are. So while the double A-sides are in full swing, I'll keep on sticking to just the more write-able of the two A-sides. For C-ute's The Power/Kanashiki Heaven (Single Version), that would be The Power. But before we get to The Power, a quick look at Kanashiki Heaven (Single Version):

• There is literally nothing different about the single version of Kanashiki Heaven. However, Kanashiki Heaven still stands as one of my favorite C-ute songs. I'm not sure why UFP felt the need to re-release it for a third time, but I can't complain much. As for the music video, the only thing you really need to know about it is this: pole dancing. That is all.

Now onto to The Power! Not That's the Power just The Power. Yep. So The Power... it has a very strong-sounding song title! It's the kind of song that brings to mind pounding drums and loud voices, with a rousing chorus tying it all together! Or at least in my head, that's what The Power sounds like. In actuality, The Power is a funky sounding song with the same Middle Eastern sound of Perfume's Handy Man. I still prefer Handy Man over The Power. I am totally for experimenting with the sounds of other cultures; hell, I even encourage it. But... okay, I'm cutting right to the chase: The Power sounds like a Berryz Koubou reject. The arrangement has that same weird structure that I've heard in Berryz songs like Cha Cha Sing or Madayade or Munasawagi Scarlet. The girls of C-ute even sound like Berryz Koubou when they're singing together. It's weird! Despite the Berryz-esque arrangement, The Power still sounds weird and harmonically dissonant. That can work sometimes, but here The Power just sounds disjointed with none of the verses flowing together. I know I complained about Love take it all and C-ute's string of dance songs, but I'd take any of those over The Power.

Also, the vocals for The Power are poorly done. The girls' singing isn't off-key or anything, but everyone sings with the emotion of ⊿-era Perfume. I don't know what it is about that stilted, choppy style of singing, but it either sounds really cool or really bad. And I haven't even gotten to Mai's solos yet. Might as well now! So when Mai sings her first solo in each of the verses, it's Autotuned. Like really Autotuned. In comparison, the rest of the song has about as much song editing as you'd expect from a pop song. I think maybe it was a stylistic choice, but it's a god-awful stylistic choice. Mai already sounds like a chipmunk; Autotune does not help that. And that's literally the only time said Autotune is used, and it sounds painfully out-of-place in The Power. I know it's just two little solos that take up a few seconds of The Power, but those few seconds really bother me. And sometimes it's the little things that eat away at you. Maybe those two little lines wouldn't irritate me so much if the rest of The Power had more to offer, but there's just not much to the song.

Okay, I'm lying, there is something to The Power. I'm just not sure what it is. We do have Tsunku's "I recorded this grunt while I was pelvic thrusting," vocal samples in the song. Oh yeah, those are annoying too. Tsunku's voice has always been hit-or-miss with me, and his constant presence in The Power is annoying. Honestly, I'm not sure what type of sound Tsunku was going for here. I mentioned The Power having a Mideastern vibe earlier, but that's not anywhere near elaborated on as it could have been. The Power overall just has this blah sound with nowhere near the energy or zest it needs. It's like the poor man's Cha Cha Sing. I do appreciate C-ute getting something a little different from the generic dance sound they've been using for their past A-sides. But whatever The Power is, it's too lackluster to be a standout song. Maybe if it were a fantastic mess of a song, but it's not even messy enough to be that. The verses drag, the vocals are weird, the sound is aimless, and I am just about out of words to describe The Power. My advice? Stick to That's the Power. I'll hold out for C-ute to releasing something more high-quality.

Well, the one thing C-ute's been doing well recently are nice-looking music videos! Okay, maybe they're not as high-budget as AKB48's, but not all of us have a swimming pool of budget money to work with. Nonetheless, let's take a look at what the PV for The Power offers! I'm hoping it offers immense amounts of power. Maybe some pyrotechnics too.

So the PV takes place in the same area every J-pop Mideastern-themed song does!

Something about those vests remind me of those terry cloth robes they give you at those really nice gyms...

C-ute descends upon their fans in the form of birds! Caw! Caw!

And now for the sexual tension portion of the dance!

The hair and makeup for this PV are actually pretty nice... pity the outfits suck.

Whoa, what's this!? A decent-looking transition effect!? Do my eyes deceive me!?

Oh look, it's the direction Suzuki Ami's career went!

I think the girls are trying, but these outfits really don't work.

What are they even going for with the heels and the sweatbands and the weird vests? Are they supposed to be going to the beach or the gym?

Hello, transition effects from Gounn, my old friend.

I keep bringing back these Gounn screencaps a lot more than I expected.

If only this PV ripped off the outfits from Gounn as well...

There is a difference between these effects and Gounn's! They're slower. Much slower.

Damn, Maimi is on point during her close-ups.

Hell, everyone is. I need whatever shade of lipstick they're wearing.

The dance could be better. I feel like I've seen a lot of these moves in C-ute's past choreographies.

I think I just got screencapper's deja vu.

God, these effects look messy whenever I pause on them.

Maybe if the color scheme was brighter? The colors all look so drab. The black and white doesn't help.

To the light we go!!!

Just kidding, we just went back to the dance shot.

Okay, you can't do the leg-flapping thing from Dance de Bakoon! and not expect me to notice.

See?

Look at all the mini suns in this shot! They're so oversaturated!!

...I've nothing of substance to add but Airi just looks really good in this screenshot.

Hold the phone, isn't that move from... Fushizen na Girl!?

That does it! C-ute's on double secret probation!

...was that fire always burning behind Maimai or are we just in hell now?

I don't know what choreography this move rips off but it must rip off something!

This all reminds me I need to get cracking on my rip-offs editorial...

Chissa

How can I forget the iconic airplane choreography?

You know, the one they used in Heart Electric's choreography!

And that's The Power! No, not That's the Power just... nevermind.

Well... I think the PV for The Power had more of a budget than Berryz Koubou's last music videos! Of course on the Hello! Project budget scale, The Power is around the low end of the middle area. And unfortunately, there's not much with The Power I want to talk about. Let's go over the elephant in the room first: the transition effects! You know, the ones from Gounn! Okay, I know that idols rip off other idols all the time. It's bound to happen, and coming to terms with that fact will make your life so much easier. But... look, it's freaking Gounn. I'm gonna notice, and I'm certain other idol fans have noticed too. If they'd had some of the same Buddhist imagery that Gounn did, then maybe I'd be more critical. So the effects rip off Gounn; I hope we're all good and clear on that. But are they a good rip-off? Eh... for Hello! Project, yes. C-ute has gotten some scant music videos, and the extra effects on The Power do add a nice touch to the video. They bring some variety to the dance shot/close up formula that the rest of music video adheres to. But as nice as that is, visually, these effects aren't that pretty. The colors look dull and muted, and I don't like the decision to have the girls shown in black-and-white during these parts.

Still, I'll give the production team behind this video an E for effort, because those special effects are pretty much the only thing to talk about with this music video. Okay, yeah, the set is decent (and I think that other dance shot was filmed at an actual locations). The decorations are practically a splurge for Hello! Project. But like with the song, there's nothing to this music video. Everything has a vaguely exotic vibe, but nothing is taken advantage of. Everything ends up looking kind of blah. Again, like the song! I guess the one highlight is that the girls look really pretty in their close-up shots. The hair and makeup were all very well-done for this music video. But I have no idea what the hell is going on with those outfits. All I know is that I don't like them. They look like cheap swimsuits and terry cloth robes you can find at Walmart. Same goes for the jewelry. Again, maybe they were supposed to add to that exotic look, but the styling overall is just as befuddled as everything else about this PV. At least Aitte Motto Zanshin was shot in a really cool location. The music video for The Power can't even have that. Although I will say this PV's better than Love take it all.

Overall, I don't know what to tell you. The Power was already working with a drab and kind of irritating song. The music video doesn't amplify those qualities, but it doesn't smooth them over either. There's about as much energy in the music video as there is in the song. Even in the dance shot the girls look only half into it. Oh yeah, how about that dance? I'm not an expert, but I saw about 10 recycled dance moves in this PV, some from C-ute's choreography and others from other idol groups. Again, I understand that idols rip off idols all the time, but when it's noticeable I can't help but point it out. Besides, that's pretty much the last thing I can really talk about with this music video. Everything else you've seen in H!P music videos. The set-dressing is decent, the costumes suck, the lighting ranges from good to blinding, and the special effects were done brighter and better in Gounn. Did I miss anything? If you're a diehard C-ute fan, maybe you'll like this better than I did. As I said, the makeup was very nice. Other than that, I don't have anything else to add to The Power. Oh, expect that I hope for better from C-ute in the future, especially in the wake of Berryz disbandment "hiatus."

Yeah, I gotta go with 2.5 apples for The Power. I think someone made an effort at some point, but the song is a dull mess. The music video tries to give some power to The Power, but even then, that's done through ripping off Gounn and other various dances. The PV's not unbearably terrible, but if you don't watch it, you're not going to miss anything.

If I Could Build My Own Senbatsu...

So the preliminary results are out for AKB48's 5th Senbatsu Election. As you have probably seen by now, there are a variety of ups and downs with these first-day results. As there are still a few weeks to go until voting time ends, I'll just briefly go over my own opinions- You know what? I really don't care.

Yeah, do you guys wanna talk about something else? Like Perfume? BiS disbanding? The state of the economy and how it will effect graduating students? Do any of you guys actually care about the Senbatsu election this year? Because I really don't. I don't know what it is about this year. Maybe it's the fact that most of the members I liked have jumped ship graduated by now. Maybe it's because AKB48's music has gotten so unoriginal that there's no point in getting excited now. Or maybe it's because I know that the same people who got it last year are going to get it this year with little to no surprises. And those surprises will probably be dull ones. Sasshi's gonna get center, Mayu and Jurina won't be far behind, and the members that AKS pushed for Senbatsu will get in the Senbatsu. I'm sorry, it's just boring now. I don't feel that same nervous anticipation from elections past. I think it's just because I don't really care about any of the members now. Most of them are from different groups anyways, so the Senbatsu's probably gonna end up with like five of sixteen girls actually being in AKB48. Gosh, I don't see why AKS just doesn't go ahead and shuffle all the members together since they like cherry-picking their favorites from other groups so... much... wait a a minute...

What if... what if AKS could take other members from other idol groups?

I'm not talking about just the sisters groups, I'm talking about any idol group. From Morning Musume to Team Syachihoko to Brand-new Idol Society, it doesn't matter. Any group. Obviously, this can't ever happen due to conflicts between agencies, but abstractly speaking, it's a cool idea. I always love seeing idols interact with each other on music and variety shows, even if it's just for a little bit. And one of my favorite concepts is the shuffle groups from Hello! Project. It's a shame they don't do that anymore. Seeing other H!P idols out of their usual groups is such a cool, kind of surreal thing to watch. Thinking about this got me thinking about what members I would choose if I could make my own Senbatsu. I'd definitely get different idols from vastly different groups into one group. I think to do this I'll stick to the 16-member format that the current AKB48 Senbatsu election has. Everything else though is fair game. I am sticking to idols that are still around, so no idols from the 80s or 90s or early 2000s. Besides, I don't follow enough of those older idols to even make a full Senbatsu of them. So not only would I build my own Senbatsu, but I'd also be in control of who produced the songs on my Senbatsu single.

I think I'd have the leading song be produced by Togawa Jun, former idol herself. Togawa Jun is known for her weird, usually morbid and grotesque music and lyrics, but she has a very theatric style. I always remember what her songs sound like after the first or second listen. I think it would be cool seeing the former ero-guro idol produce a song for an idol group, especially a Senbatsu along the lines of AKB48. It would probably be weird and may even turn people off from it, but it would be so interesting. But I'd also want a song produced by Shiina Ringo, and definitely Hyadain, and maybe even Nakata Yasutaka or Usagi Disco. I think what I'd do is split my Senbatsu into little subunits, and each producer would create a song for each subunit. So Nakata would do an electronic song, Ringo would do alternative, and Hyadain would do... whatever you call his stuff. Those would all be the B-sides of the single, and the Togawa Jun-produced song would serve as the A-side. The overall single would be a collage of different styles of music from pop to techno alternative. Most importantly though, there would be any bland, generic AKB48-style songs on them.

There's also the matter of a music video... I love reviewing music videos, so mine definitely wouldn't be the generic dance shot/close-ups idol music video. I think I'd want a story in mine. Nothing deep or mind screw-y, just a clear storyline. Maybe it would involve saving the world from a government agency set to destroy idol groups. And all these idols in my Senbatsu are survivors from their own groups, so they all band together to release a song so epic that it destroys the powers trying to suppress idols. It wouldn't be a long PV, but I think I'd have it at around 10-15 minutes. It would be mostly action, taking performance with fight scenes and mashing them together. I would either have that as the music video or this: an homage to idols. It would include re-enactments of famous idol music videos and performances, from Matsuda Seiko to Morning Musume. I've always liked it when idols reference other idols, but it never happens that much. This music video would be kind of like Togawa Jun's music video for Suki Suki Daisuki but not satirical.

Then there's the most important aspect of my Senbatsu: the members. Since I have free reign in my own little imaginary world, I'd want as many members from different groups as possible. There would also be this melting pot of different personalities! Like some would have dancing as their strong point or vocals or personality! And a lot of these idols are just personal favorites of mine. So let's take a look at Nia's Senbatsu and see how impossible it would be!

16. Masui Mio (Passpo) - At the bottom of my Senbatsu, I'd go with Mio from Passpo. Her and Negishi Ai are my favorite members of Passpo, but between the two, I'd go with Mio in my own Build-a-Senbatsu. Not that Ai would be a bad choice either, but I think Mio has a stronger personality that would shine better amongst fifteen other girls. In such a big group, it's easy for certain idols to get drown out by more prominent personalities and voices. While Mio may not have the greatest voice, she's got just enough charisma and charm to hold her own in my Senbatsu! And besides, she's such a cutie; how can you not love that mischievous little grin?

15. Kanazawa Tomoko (Juice=Juice) - I like all the members of Juice=Juice, but I think the member that would fit the best with different idols is Tomoko. She has this poise and confidence in her singing and dancing that some of the younger members of Juice=Juice lack. And since most of the members of my Senbatsu would be older, Tomoko would fit nicely among them. But she isn't only a fitting member visually; Tomoko also has the pipes to back that up! Sure, her voice isn't the strongest, but it's still a nice balance between low and high. Which is good considering the two members behind and ahead of her in this Senbatsu...

14. Momota Kanako (Momoiro Clover Z) - Of course, a good Senbatsu isn't a good Senbatsu without some different flavors in it! And Kanako of the zany and crazy (or at least they used to be) Momoiro Clover Z could bring some real zest to the Senbatsu! I wouldn't want her to be leading vocals of this Senbatsu though, so she'd be at a lower position. That way she still has presence, and I don't have to hear her shriek! Maybe at their live performances, Kanako could performance her signature "shrimp jump" at the end of one of the songs! She may come off as a bit creepy in some of the group singles, but Kanako would still provide a lot of entertainment!

13. Nishiwaki Sayaka (9nine) - As A-chan's little sister has already proved with 9nine's joint concert with Perfume, she's capable of fitting in with another group nearly seamlessly. I thought about putting A-chan herself in this Senbatsu, but I think she fits better with Perfume. Sayaka on the other hand has got just as good of a voice as A-chan and just as great of a smile! And she's more seasoned to being an idol rather than a performer! Sayaka could do the MCs at my Senbatu's concerts and provide the waterworks! I wonder if emotional, passionate crying is a genetic trait in the Nishiwaki family...

12. Tentenko (BiS) - There's nothing like an idol who isn't afraid to do weird things for the sake of entertainment, and every member of BiS could basically qualify for that. But to me, the member of BiS that seems the most okay with doing anything weird is Tentenko. Seeing some of her antics on music shows, I firmly believe that Tentenko is up for anything, even a Senbatsu with fifteen other girls. Tentenko could be the more risque, unconventional representative of this Senbatsu, doing strange, sometimes grotesque things on and off stage. But still being freaking adorable. And with BiS disbanding, that would give Tentenko an outlet to something else idol-related!

11. Yamamoto Sayaka (NMB48) - The only thing that tops a cute idol is a cool idol, and Yamamoto Sayaka is just about as radical as mainstream idols get. She plays the guitar, she's the badass and understanding leader of NMB48, and she has a nice voice to boot! Should my Senbatsu ever do a single in which they decided to play as a band, my management would be sane and allow Sayanee to play the guitar. Should my #1 Senbatsu member not be around for a performance, Sayanee could easily take up her heels and lead the rest of the Senbatsu to a great performance. Other than that, Sayanee's just cool. Can she be in all the idol groups?

10. Ishida Ayumi (Morning Musume) - Why did I pick Ayumi out of all the Morning Musume members? Well, because she's one of the groups best dancers and doesn't shriek the same way Riho does. Speaking of which, in my Senbatsu, all the girls will hit notes that are comfortable to their ranges, Ayumi included. Speaking of which, there's a position in K-pop groups called the "lead dancer" that I wish J-pop groups would utilize more. Because Ayumi, along with one other girl on this Senbatsu would definitely take up that position, with kickass dance solos in my Senbatsu's songs and special dance numbers in concert performances!

9/8. Rena & Risa (Vanilla Beans) - I don't follow Vanilla Beans very closely, but from the songs I've listened to and PVs I've watched, the two members of the duo come off as very classy. Like refined, stylish robots from a retro-style future. I don't know much about the members' personalities, so I've no idea how either one of them would mesh personality-wise with the rest of my Senbatsu. But visually, I think they would contribute both finesse and style to my Senbatsu, giving a veneer of effortless class. Kind of like GAM did except with more style and slightly less sexual tension. Like GAM though, the legs of the Vanilla Beans girls go on for miles.

7. Nakajima Saki (C-ute) - Here we are now in the Kami 7 of my Senbatsu, those holy seven idols who make up the top tier. Filling that first Kami 7 spot along with the other position of leader dance in my Senbatsu would be the lovely Nakky. Not only is Nakky one of my favorite H!P members, but she's also one of the best dancers. Nakky can pull off both adorable and sensual dance, sometimes at the same time. Not only that she can look cute and sweet or sexy and badass. She's kind of like a chameleon! In my Senbatsu, she and Ayumi would have dance solos, and maybe even a dance battle like the ones Ayumi partakes with Riho in Momusu!

6. Nakamoto Suzuka (Babymetal) - While I'm not a fan of Babymetal, I do love the voice of the main singer, Suzuka or Su-Metal as she goes by in Babymetal. Her voice has such great power and resonance, along with a very distinct sound. I love strong voices, so I would definitely have her in my Senbatsu. That's why I have her in one of the higher positions, so she could sing more prominently than in any of those lower positions. And her experience in a metal idol group should give her a different perspective than the other Senbatsu members. But she still also has experience in traditional idol group Sakura Gakuin. It's the best of both worlds!

5. Minegishi Minami (AKB48) - I guess I'm kind of cheating by including a member of AKB48 on a Senbatsu that's kind of not supposed to be solely AKB48 members... But Miichan is just awesome! She's adorable and kooky and sweet, and she went through so much crap last year. And from the looks of it, she's probably not gonna make it onto this year's election Senbatsu either. And if she does, it won't be a high position. So on my Senbatsu, Miichan would have a high position in the Kami 7! The only reason she's not higher is because I have a few more idols that I like just a teensy bit better. But still, I'd definitely want Miichan up high for her bubbling personality!

4. Terashima Yufu - I've always missed Yufu ever since she left BiS, but it does make me happy that she's started solo activities again. I think Yufu's got one of the most distinct idol voices on the market right now, and it really makes her stand out. So I'd want her to be at the top of the Senbatsu, where the more solos/duets/trios would be. Also like Tentenko, she has a past with BiS, along with being an idol on her own. So she's been both a member and a soloist, with two very different images for each! And Yufu's such a photogenic member. Even in BiS she always looked very pretty, whether she was swinging a baseball bat or covered in fake blood!

3. Konishi Ayano (Tokyo Girls' Style) - Even though her voice has been struggling these past two years, I'd still like Ayano in my Senbatsu. She has such a distinctive voice, and her performance skills are pretty high too! I'd want Ayano in my top 3 because again, she has a strong voice and I think she'd carry herself well in the top 3 of my Senbatsu. She also comes from the mature Tokyo Girls' Style, so I think she'd be up for doing a more mature concept despite her young age. I mean, have you guys seen the PV for Juujika? She totally rocks it! And so does Hitomi, but when it comes down to those two, I'd still have to go with Ayano. She's got the pipes for my Senbatsu!

2. Curumi Chronicle - Much like Suzuka, Curumi Chronicle offers a different angle of idol music than many of the other idols on this list. As the only purely technopop idol, Curumi might enjoy performing more traditional music. And I think it would help her to participate in a group! She seems a little nervous and hesitant when it comes to performing. So singing with a big group of girls might help Curumi come out of her shell and allow her to grow more comfortable with performing alone. I thought about making her #1, but I figured she wouldn't be up to centering a single. Besides, I had one person as #1 from the very beginning I thought of this idea...

1. Akimoto Sayaka - I don't care if Sayaka's graduated from being an idol, I'd still want her to be the center of my Senbatsu! Sure, she's 25, but so what? If Shinoda Mariko stayed an idol until she was 27, I'm sure Sayaka could too! Something that always pained me was that Sayaka never got a really high spot during the Senbatsu elections, only making it so far as #12. Personally, I think she deserved better, even after that scandal that wasn't really a scandal. Sayaka has a great voice, vibrant personality, commanding stage presence, she was probably so cool that AKS got blinded by her coolness and were afraid to promote her!

There you have it! Now this would just be my Senbatsu. As for what B-sides would go on each single and who would produce them, I think I've figured that out:

• Shiina Ringo: Akimoto Sayaka, Konishi Ayano, Terashima Yufu, Nakamoto Suzuka, Yamamoto Sayaka, Tentenko

Ringo could definitely do something weird and experimental, and these six idols have the vocals to pull off some weird stuff. I don't know if Ringo would go the more jazz or rock route, but either one would work! I'm thinking maybe a little bit more jazz though, something mature and sensual like Meisai. And she could add some percussion in too! This would be kind of bombastic and scattered song, with smooth, sexy vocals to carry it through.

• Nakata: Curumi Chronicle, Rena & Risa, and Nishiwaki Sayaka

For the electronic number, I think I'd want something more on the pop side for Nakata's work. Not like straight-up idol pop, but maybe something that combines a futuristic sound with the peppy sound of J-pop. I'm thinking along the lines of Aira Mitsuki's works or even Perfume's Computer City or Electro World. And if there was a music video, it could be similar to Spring of Life! That would be so cool... I just love technopop that sounds like it comes from The Jetsons-style future...

• Hyadain: Minegishi Minami, Momota Kanako, Kanazawa Tomoko, Masui Mio

The crazy ones, all in one group together. Okay, Tomoko's not that crazy, but it would do her good to be around Kanako and Miichan! The Hyadain single would be totally all over the place, with a variety of random sounds kind like what he did in Wani to Shampoo. This would definitely be a pop song, maybe with elements of ska or punk in it. I'm thinking something very fast-paced, that doesn't require strong vocals but is still really catchy!

• Nakata (again): Nakajima Saki and Ishida Ayumi

What? I really like Nakata's work... In contrast to the other group, this duo of Nakky and Ayumi would have a dance song. Something like Party Maker or The music or maybe even Jumper, with minimal vocals and an emphasis on the dance aspect. In fact, wouldn't be cool if Mikiko could choreograph it? I would love to see Mikiko choreograph a duo, I think she could really work off that dynamic! It would be a long song too, five minutes at least, mostly instrumental.

Admittedly, my ideal Senbatsu and single would be a mess. But it would be a wonderful mess. I noticed from doing this that I either like cool idols with strong voices or idols with outgoing personalities. And that I like music that isn't boring, but I already knew that. My ideal Senbatsu will never happen. It isn't feasible in any way possible, but it's still really fun to imagine this kind of Senbatsu in lieu of the usual one that we're gonna get at AKB48's Senbatsu election this year. So I want to extend this question to you guys: who would you have in your Senbatsu. You can pick anyone, retired or not retired, old or young, as long as they have been an idol at some point. You also get total creative control over what they release. They can be a concert-based idol group, more commercial, street-performers, etc. They can release any genre of music bland or unconventional, same for music videos. You are in control, which is something that none of us will probably ever get to be when it comes to idol groups. I'm sure some of you guys have fantasized what it would be like creating your own idol group. And if you haven't, you should try it! It's really fun! And it may even reflect your own personal taste in idols and even music!