entertainment

Morning Musume to change their name from Jan 1

23 Comments

Idol group Morning Musume will get a new name from Jan 1. Tsunku, the 45-year-old singer-songwriter turned record producer, who formed the group in 1997 as the lead act of Hello! Project, made the announcement Friday on his blog.

Tsunku said the group's new name would be Morning Musume '14.

Explaining the reasons for the name change, Tsunku said that questions about the group such as "When was that particular song released? "or "Which generation of Morning Musume was that one girl from?" will now be instantly discernible as each year and all corresponding songs will belong to specific future generations of the band.

Thus, under these new naming guidelines, the year after next will have the band changing its name to Morning Musume '15, and so on.

Tsunku assured fans that "we will try the new naming system for a time, but if it ever becomes too confusing, we may drop it altogether."

Morning '14 is scheduled to release their 55th single and the first single under their new name on Jan 29.

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23 Comments
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Mindblowingly creative. It's a good job they announce it in advance so everyone has time to notice.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I wonder how many advertising agencies they contacted to propose the new name? They must have been working overtime to come up with such a dramatically different and attention gathering name…

The concurrent free publicity as people on forums discuss the remarkable change must translate into a number of new CDs, mp3 downloads or extra concert tickets...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yes! now I can know who's who and whens what.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Pikapika: "I surprised at this news. I thought "14" is the number of people like AKB48. I'm wondering why Tsunku decike to change name now."

Because Morning Musume is dead and this is the latest attempt to flog the horse. Oh, and because next year is 2014, hence the '14. It's kind of like using an AED on a patient that's been dead for nearly a decade. It'll cause a very brief shock, then flatline until the next attempt.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I surprised at this news. I thought "14" is the number of people like AKB48. I'm wondering why Tsunku decike to change name now. I want not to change their name. It makes me confusing! But I hope them more popular.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I was big fan when I was elementary school student. I was collecting Moning Musume’s trading card and CDs.

I was very surprise and shocked. I don’t understand why they change their name. If you are big fan of Moning Musume, you can determine “when was that particular song released” just to look face of members. And then, if they change their name, people who became fan recently, will not listen the song was released untill now.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How about Mourning Musume' '14 from Morning Musume?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I didn't know they were still a band.

To me they never were band because they are nothing but vocalists if that even. I'm sorry but if you call yourself a band and you don't play any musical instruments yourself you can't call yourself a band.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Harajuku no Eki Mae 6jikan de! Those are the only lyrics from any song of theirs I can remember.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Tsunku said the group’s new name would be Morning Musume ‘14.

I can only imagine the torturous hours he spent wracking his brains before coming up with this most unique and unusual of names.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I'm surprised Tsunku didn't put an exclamation mark between Morning and Musume, or capitalize all the letters.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

The heck? What's up with the apostophe? No letters are missing...Seriously, I do not get this name.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I didn't know they were still a band. Changing the name won't change the fact that they are practically dead.

hoserfella: "im glad they're waiting until January 1st. Im just too busy this month to properly prepare for the change."

I often love your sarcasm. And seeing it beside the thumbnail of Napoleon Dynamite makes it all the better.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Mourning Youthaway

3 ( +3 / -0 )

^^^ah, but that's the most uninspiring thing. Read it again.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

so what's the new name?

Morning Musume '14 unfortunately

We could go all day making crazy names for this irrelevant group

1 ( +2 / -1 )

so what's the new name? Night's Obachan? Morning Granddaughter? Morning Dinosaurs? No idea....

0 ( +1 / -1 )

we will try the new naming system for a time, but if it ever becomes too confusing, we may drop it altogether

Well, changing the clocks forwards and backwards an hour every year is deemed too "confusing" for the Japanese, as is having a lower consumption tax rate on food. Similarly, changing the name of a band every year will also confuse too many people and Tsunku should rethink his plan.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Hoserfella Hilarious quip. Made me burst out laughing.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The most amazing thing about this article is that I found out Tsunku is only 45. I thought he was older than that.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

im glad they're waiting until January 1st. Im just too busy this month to properly prepare for the change.

16 ( +20 / -4 )

I never knew there was an option to view besides AKB-48. Morning Musume group members look very enticiing. Too bad I am in my 30s and too old to be part of one of their lives.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

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