In the first part of this list, I covered the newer groups of Stardust Planet. Now it's time for the Stardust Sisters: Momoiro Clover Z, Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku, and Team Shachi.
*It's probably obvious, but the Stardust Sisters are named as such because the three of them are sister groups to each other.
*It's probably obvious, but the Stardust Sisters are named as such because the three of them are sister groups to each other.
☆ Best of Stardust Planet 2019 - Part 2 ☆
Team Shachi
"Rose Fighter" and "Rocket Queen"
This was the year Team Syachihoko carved out their own identity. The little sister group of Momoiro Clover Z and Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku, they've pretty much been Mini Momoclo since their debut. After Ito Chiyuri graduated from the group in Oct. 2018, the remaining 4 members rebranded as Team Shachi. They began dressing in monochrome costumes with their member colors acting mainly as highlights. They also added a horn section, the Brass Min, which changed the group's sound.
This year, they acheived a career first. Their MV for "Rocket Queen" featuring gameplay of a video game collaboration with Mega Man surpassed 1M views. 2019 was definitely the year that Team Shachi stepped out of their older Sister's shadow. From this point on, they will be charting their own destiny.
Rose Fighter was a special release used as the re-debut of the group under the new name and formation. It's a great example of the new direction Team Shachi has taken.
A collaboration with Megaman, this is the official video featuring the group, guest rapper MCU, and the 87 member strong Chuetsu High School marching band!
Momoiro Clover Z
"The Diamond Four", "Road Show", and "Stay Gold"
In their 11th year, Momoiro Clover Z show no sign of slowing down. They released their self titled 5th studio album, their first since 2016, starred in their first stage play, and take the lead in a brand new Variety Show featuring various Stardust groups traveling all over Japan.
After the graduation of long time member Ariyasu Momoka in Jan. 2018, Momoclo started referring to themselves as the Diamond Four. This is the lead track for the 5th album and features a hefty amount of rapping. The lyrics refer to the members themselves and include allot of references to Momoclo's history, inside jokes, and other things that long time fans will be familiar with.
Momoclo finished off the year with this epic release on their 20th single. Stay Gold is arguably the strongest single release of all the Stardust Planet groups. It's another departure for Momoclo and has a wistful melody that leaves a lasting impression.
Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku
"Trendy Girl", "Pandora", and "Jump"
While Momoclo may have had the strongest single release, 2019 was definitely Ebichu's year. They released the most material of any Stardust Planet group including two studio albums. They also celebrated their 10th Anniversary, so it was a big year all around for them. It's really hard to choose between releases, but I think these four do a good job of representing their range.
Trendy Girl is Ebichu's 13th Single. It's deceiving when you first listen to it. At first, it sounds like so many other song, but the melody and arrangement go a long way toward establishing it's own identity. It's great for repeated listens.
Pandora was a special pre-release for Ebichu's 6th studio album, "playlist". It's a return to the Heavy Metal side of the group.
Wrapping things up is Jump, the lead promotional track from "playlist". It's a bit of a departure from what Ebichu have done recently. It's a powerful song with an anthem like quality featuring a rather unconventional MV even by Ebichu's standards.
And that brings the Best of Stardust Planet 2019 list to a close. I hope this gives a good idea of what the division has to offer and helps as a starting point for anyone interested in exploring these groups further.Overall, 2019 was a very strong year for releases. Here's hoping 2020 is just as great!
