Morning Musume - Pyoko Pyoko Ultra (or Pyocopyoco Ultra)
1. Pyocopyoco Ultra
2. Kanashiki Koi no Melody
3. Pyocopyoco Ultra (Instrumental)
Source
The chicken suit song. Love it or not, it certainly is attention grabbing. See, Morning Musume's previous single contained the completely cracked out "Kare to Issho ni Omise ga Shitai!," earning them more views on their YouTube channel at a faster pace than any previous video. They even caught the attention of totally random people seeing what was going on, which drove the views even higher. On the ADD Wasteland of the Internet, crazy wins, and noticing that, it's no surprise Hello!Project went to work on another "what the... cluck" song.
And that was exactly what I thought when I first saw the costumes. After coming to terms with the fact it was real, I then found it hilarious. Chicken suits?! Chicken suits!!? Never would have thought that would happen. My only gripe is that the girls don't look their best (except Sayu, whose gorgeousness even outshines the terribly bright yellow.) But the costumes are cute and funny, and I just don't take idols so seriously to be upset. They can't be cool all the time (how inhuman and boring.) I really looked forward to the song. And then... well..
It really shouldn't have followed "Kono Chikyuu no Heiwa o Honki de Negatterun da yo!/ Kare to Issho ni Omise ga Shitai!" That previous single was too perfect. I was afraid that Pyoko Pyoko Ultra wouldn't live up to my new, higher standards, and I was right. But it's not a bad song at all. It's catchy, it's cute, it brings back hyper H!P trademarks like the surreal background man's voice, while creating a new sound that can't be compared to anything else in their discography. "Guru Guru Jump" comes close, but only because they are both hyper and outrageously cute (and have ridiculous dances, oh gosh.) But Pyoko Pyoko Ultra is definitely not a take-two of anything, and I don't want to take it for granted. We might not be so lucky with the next single.
The b-side, Kanashiki Koi no Melody balances the single with a cool dance-style song. The beginning of the song sounds like it could come from a modern K-Pop or American dance song. All girls get individual lines, which brings it back to the world of idol music and its various voices and skill levels. Masaki's voice in particular really shines here. It's crystal clear and adorable. But from there the novelty wears off. The verses are robotic and the chorus gets a little better, but it's nothing listeners of Morning Musume haven't heard in the past five years. It's an all right song to listen to, not painful. It's just not exciting. If new fans were gained from all the recent H!P news and promotions, and those new fans like this song best on the single, then they're in luck when they check out Morning Musume's recent discography, though!
Rating: Fond Memories. It's not going to appeal to a wide variety of listeners, so it's not going to be a classic. But when Morning Musume moves on in a less "foul" direction, listeners might still come back to it for a laugh or chicken dance.
Buy the single on:
iTunes - Hasn't been added yet. Stalk their page.
YesAsia
CD Japan
Amazon Japan
* I listed the regular version only. The limited versions come with DVDs (like interviews with the new tenth generation members) and different cover photographs.
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