Morning Musume

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Morning Musume promoting 10 MY ME (2010)
Back: Junjun, Mitsui Aika, Linlin; Middle: Niigaki Risa, Michishige Sayumi, Kamei Eri; Front: Takahashi Ai, Tanaka Reina

Morning Musume (モーニング娘。), sometimes referred to as Momusu (モームス。), and since their expansion into the Chinese market in 2007, the group officially adopted the name Jou An Sao Nu Jou (Zao An Shao Nu Zu, Traditional Chinese:早安少女組。), is a Japanese pop girl group produced by Up-Front Agency and part of Hello! Project as its flagship group. Beginning back in 1997 on a talent show called ASAYAN, it quickly became, and still remains one of Japan's top all girl groups with a number of hit records and albums. They have sold over 16,342,303, copies in Japan alone. They were masterminded and managed by their producer Tsunku who is responsible for the composition of the majority of their songs and lyrics, production of their CD-sleeve covers, designing of their costumes and make-up and their live shows. Currently, they hold the record of having the highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon charts.

Contents

History

In 1997, Sharam Q held a series of auditions on ASAYAN to find a female vocalist. The number of people who auditioned were eventually whittled down to 11, and Heike Michiyo was chosen as the winner. The five runners up were challenged by Tsunku to form a group and release a single, with the incentive that if they could sell 50,000 records in five days they would receive a record deal. Given the name Morning Musume, they recorded Ai no Tane and successfully completed his challenge.

After releasing their first official single, Morning Coffee, another audition was held and three more members were added to the group. This began a series of additions and 'graduations' which have seen members come and go, some remaining in Hello! Project as solo artists or in other units, and some retiring from the music business. In past years, members also took part in subgroups, such as Sakuragumi and Otomegumi; Tanpopo, Petitmoni, and Minimoni, which released their own singles and albums.

In April 2000, the group began hosting a television variety show called Hello! Morning which further increased its popularity. They also star in a number of their own musicals, which are usually done also every year in the summertime. A massive amount of Morning Musume merchandise has been released such as calendars, photobooks, posters, etc. They have even starred in their own Playstation 2 game called Space Venus.

The group has gone through many changes in recent years with the graduation of the long-time leader and last remaining original member Iida Kaori in January 2005, the sudden resignation of then-leader Yaguchi Mari on April 14, 2005, and the addition of Kusumi Koharu and graduation of Ishikawa Rika in May 2005.

2006 was no different, with the graduations of Konno Asami on July 23, 2006 and Ogawa Makoto on August 27, 2006, as well as the addition of Mitsui Aika on December 10, 2006.

On March 15th, 2007, Tsunku announced that Junjun and Linlin, two "exchange students" from China, will join as members of the 8th generation. Leader Yoshizawa Hitomi graduated from Morning Musume on May 6th, 2007, and Fujimoto Miki became the new leader with Takahashi Ai the sub-leader. However, on June 1st, 2007, it was reported that Fujimoto Miki had left Morning Musume on her own accord, and that Takahashi Ai became the leader and Niigaki Risa took Takahashi's place as sub-leader. Takahashi Ai and Niigaki Risa have now become the longest members to stay in Morning Musume.

On October 24, 2007, an album containing all 34 singles of the group to date was released followed by a DVD Collection of Promotional Videos.

Their 35th single, Mikan, was released on November 21, 2007. It became, and remains, the group's worst-selling single, with a total of fewer than 40,000 copies sold.

Morning Musume, along with Berryz Koubou and °C-ute, perfomed at NHK network's 58th Kouhaku Uta Gassen on New Year's. It is the most-watched show each year in Japan. It is their tenth appearance on the show.

The girls appeared live at Anime Expo in Los Angeles in July of 2009, performing in the US for the very first time (excluding their fanclub tours in Hawaii). They were there as Guests of Honour and their song 3,2,1, BREAKIN' OUT! was used as the convention's theme song. On August 12, 2009 they released their Commemorative 40th single, Nanchatte Renai.

The group is particularly well-known for its ever fluctuating line-up, with "graduations" and auditions occurring nearly each year. 2008 was the only year so far in which no line-up changes occurred and the 9 member line-up had been the longest unchanging line-up so far going over 2 years with no graduations or new members. This was to give the Japanese fans a chance to recognize the names and faces of the current Morning Musume members (past street surveys had suggested that much of the Japanese population could not list a single member in the group, when in earlier years Morning Musume and all of its members had become household names). Kusumi Koharu's graduation from Hello! Project on December 6, 2009 ended the tenure of Morning Musume's most stable line-up. Their single Kimagure Princess, released on October 28, was her last.

2010 will see the release of the group's 42nd single, Onna ga Medatte Naze Ikenai. It will be their first single released as an 8-member group since 2006's Aruiteru. This will also be both Takahashi and Niigaki's 30th single with the group.

Members

Current Members

First Generation (1997)

Second Generation (1998)

Third Generation (1999)

Fourth Generation (2000)

Fifth Generation (2001)

Sixth Generation (2003)

Seventh Generation (2005)

Eighth Generation (2006/2007)

Discography

Albums

Best Albums

Other Albums

Singles

Compilations / Other

DVDs

Filmography

Auditions

Auditions are held periodically to find and add new members to Morning Musume. Follow the links for more details.

For other Hello! Project auditions see Hello! Project#Auditions.

Timeline

File:6660bfa7745add51d467b32b53bf26ed.png

See also: Morning Musume Events Timeline and Morning Musume Member Count Timeline

1996

1997 (ASAYAN Sharan Q Auditions)

Morning Musume. (1997)

1998

Morning Musume. (1998)

1999

Morning Musume. (1999)

2000

Morning Musume (2000)

2001

Morning Musume (2001)

2002

Morning Musume (2002)

2003

Morning Musume (2003)

2004

Morning Musume (2004)

2005

Morning Musume (2005)

2006

Morning Musume. (post-August 2006)

2007

Morning Musume in Kanashimi Twilight outfits
Takahashi, Niigaki and Kusumi in Korea
Morning Musume in Taiwan

2008

Junjun and Linlin in Shangai

2009

2010

External links

v • d • e
Hello! Project: Morning Musume
Songs · Images
Current Members Morningmusume.jpg
Graduated Members
Singles
00 · 01 · 02 · 03 · 04 · 05 · 06 · 07 · 08 · 09 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 19 · 20 · 21 · 22 · 23 · 24 · EARLY SINGLE BOX · 25 · 26 · 27 · 28 · 29 · 30 · 31 · 32 · 33 · 34 · 35 · 36 · 37 · 38 · 39 · 40 · 41 · 42
Albums
Concert DVDs
01 · 02 · 03 · 04 · 05 · 06 · 07 · 08 · 09 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 19 · 20 · 21 · 22
Official Website
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