"Seeing yourself at 30"
--In March, Momoclo made a surprise appearance at "S ★ Spicy Last Live", an event for Stardust's Older Sister Unit. At the event, Kanako told Kurita Moe "It's cool to be an Idol at 30 yrs. old" (*There's a link to the article covering this event). This year, the oldest member, Reni, will be 26, so Momoclo could realistically reach that age.
(*S ★ Spicy is a stardust Idol Group representing the "Charm of Older Women" and treated as the Older Sister Unit for all Stardust Idols. They've never been part of 3Bjunior or Stardust Planet, but were active as a general Section 3 music artist. The group debuted in 2009 and there have been 4 Generations in total which they call Phases. The event was S ★ Spicy's 10th Anniversary and final performance before disbanding. Kurita Moe was one of two remaining members in the group and 30 at the time)
Reni: Because 2 out of 4 of us are "around 30".
Kanako: Iya! I'm still 25 this year.
Shiori: Isn't "Around 30" after 26? I still have 6 yrs left until I'm 30.
(*I put "around 30" in quotation because Reni uses the abbreviation "Arasa (アラサー)" which means around 30. It's become a popular way to convey a general age without being specific. There are versions for all other milestone ages like "around 40", "around 50", etc. The model Gisele popularized it mid last decade)
Reni: That's so convenient for everyone. They won't admit it, but we're all essentially "around 30".
Arin: That's not it! (laughs)
--I think your sense of time will become faster from now on. In all honesty, are you worried about getting older?
Kanako: My 20's turned out differently than I imagined, but I'm looking forward to growing older.
--Did you think your 20's would be more adult?
Arin: I heard the rumors. "Even when I'm in my 20's, things don't change much". When I was a child, I thought "I want my 20's to come as soon as possible". But once I got there, I thought "Nothing really did change".
Reni: That rumor is true.
--I don't think you'll change that much at 30. This goes especially for the 4 of you.
Arin: I want 40 to come as soon as possible.
--Why is that?
Arin: 30 is too real (laughs). I want to be like a Mother who has overcome their obstacles.
(*I'm not exactly sure what Arin means here. She uses the term "ひと波越えた". I got confirmation that it means “to overcome or go through ones problem/obstacle”, but I'm still unsure of the context. Maybe because 40 is a milestone and by that point you've overcome allot of obstacles. If you had children young, they'd almost be adults by then)
Kanako: I recently asked a friend who's the same age as me "why isn't it completely different?"
Reni: I want to hear this one.
Kanako: "Why don't I feel like an adult at all?", "Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing?". My friend said it's because the image of the old Momoclo is strong in people's minds. I'm not aware that I haven't changed, but together we can stay this way. I'm scared it will continue like this into my 30's and 40's.
Reni: It would be really scary if I was still like this at 40 (laughs).
Shiori: I think Reni-chan will be.
Reni: Iya, I don't think any of us will change (laughs).
Arin: I think if we were living separately, the 3 of us would be more like adults, but Reni-chan would still be like this.
Reni: What an image! (laughs) I might be like a madam!
(*I think Reni's saying she would be like a refined lady)
"The Diamond Four" had the same impact as "Kaitou Shojo"
--Please tell us about the songs included on the 5th album "Momoiro Clover Z". "The Diamond Four" was used in the title for the performance at the Tokyo Dome. Now, it's also being used for the lead single which was composed around rap as it's core and finished as a pop tune. When I watched the video, I expected a more aggressive song, but it's very bright.
Reni: Did it defy your expectations in a good way? I thought we were going to do a much more mature song. It was a different melody than I imagined, but it's a really good song.
Kanako: Some of us have the feeling that the lead single from an album is a song that runs ahead (*I think Kanako just means that the lead single gives an impression of the upcoming album and sets the tone). I think I've been able to enjoy making this song as the lead single because of all the various experiences I've had growing into adulthood. Up till now, it was like a strong call to "Follow Me!", but "The Diamond Four" has a more relaxed atmosphere, so now it's more like "Let's get allot of people involved and dance together happily". That's our new color, so I want to get our fans involved at the lives.
Shiori: When I first heard it, I though it was similar to when we released "Ikuzze! Kaitou Shojo". When we made our major debut with Ikuzze!, I hadn't listened to it much. However, gradually it became a song I couldn't get out of my head. The Diamond Four had a similar impact. Through practicing, recording, and shooting the Music Video, it has a melody that can't be forgotten.
--I see.
Shiori: Also, with "Kaitou Shojo", the history of Momoclo has been shaped by the lyrics little by little almost like a pun, and "Mononofu" has casually been added to the lyrics. Various aspects of ourselves are included in the Rap because it's something that's rare for us to do, so I think it's fun to listen to while looking for something that feels like a Hidden Mickey.
(*A Hidden Mickey is a representation of Mickey Mouse that has been inserted subtly into the design of a ride, attraction, or other location in a Disney theme park, Disney properties, animated film, feature-length movie, TV series, or other Disney product)
--There have been several Momoclo Rap songs. How was it recording this one?
Reni: I struggled a bit. The first recording just wouldn't end. Because of my personal struggle, it deepened my love for this song. If we had recorded this song 5 yrs after we formed, I don't think we could have finished it. With the exception of The Diamond Four, we can sing all our other songs because we've been preforming them for 10 yrs. We can firmly send out our new color in this song.
"The joy of working with the same generation"
In addition to "The Diamond Four" you recorded a variety of song for the album. Do you have any favorites or ones that impressed you?
Reni: Yes, there's allot of good songs. However, I'd especialy like you to listen to the 13th song, "The Show". It's the first time I've tried to cover an Enlgish song translated into Japanese. It changes the way we sing, and I think it's a song that shows the unique flavor of Momoclo.
Shirori: For me it's 2 songs, "Revival" and "More We Do". Both songs were composed by people from our generation. It makes me realize that we're getting older.
--"More We Do" is a number that was composed by CHAI, right?
Shiori: Up to this point, most of the people who've written songs for us were older, so it feels fresh. Being close to our age, there's allot of things that come through in that song. The staff and co-stars around us, the people we work with have gotten closer to our age, and I have the pleasure of creating things with people from the same generation.
(*When Shiori says co-stars, I believe she means other talent that they work with, like on Variety Shows. It's also possible she means people who appear as extras in MVs and other projects)
--There used to be some conflict between the members who were children and the staff who were adults. Your Producer, Kawakami Akira, shook things up in many ways. But all 4 children have disappeared. From now on, I think there will be more opportunities to work with younger people.
Reni: It's scary.
Arin: It's surprising that, starting this Spring, people the same age as me will become new members of society.
(*I assume Arin's referring to College Graduates)
Reni: When I hear Arin talk about people who are younger, I wonder "Is she okay not having gone to school?".
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