AKB48 has long been known to show many different faces, and not just in the sheer amount of members they have. They are cute and adorable in one video until they are beating each other bloody in a tv series. Both of which topics will be the subject of future articles on 48Group West. For now, we’ll slow it down and just vibe. It’s been raining nonstop for days here at headquarters, and it’s time to listen to some jamz.
~~Vote for your favorite song at the end of the article!~~
Romance Kakurenbo (ロマンスかくれんぼ) by Omori Miyu (2010)
Romance Kakurenbo is a emotional roller coaster of a song, originally performed by Omori Miyuu as a Zenza Girl before Team B’s 5th Stage. Zenza Girls are normally a small select group of kenkyuusei that would perform as an opening act before a stage or concert. Miyu is now in Team 4. The song is slow and in a rather painful tone, speaks of a love that has not yet been admitted. The singer is sad that they have so many feelings that they are keeping secret. Below, you can watch Shimada Haruka (grad), former captain of Team K perform the song as well.
Aisuru Hito (愛する人) by Senbatsu (2020)
Aisuru Hito is a very recent AKB48 song, released as a B-side to their 57th single. STU48/Team 4’s Okada Nana serves as the center for this song. The song, accompanied by a beautiful performance, is about the immense sorrow one feels when they are lonely. To date, the song has been performed only three times by the group. Please correct us in the comments if we are wrong. We’d love to see more performances!
Omoidasu Tabi ni Tsuraku Naru (思い出す度につらくなる) by Kojima Haruna and Atsuko Maeda (2012)
Watch the full music video by clicking here! A special release by Team Surprise, Omoidasu Tabi Ni Tsuraku naru was one of many songs released as a promotional tie in with Pachinko, a gambling game very popular in Japan. This is one of the many songs in the AKB48 discography with strong R&B roots. In the song, a girl feels immense guilt as she knows that she is the wrongdoer in the relationship. She wishes her partner would get mad, or retaliate, however he forgives her. Watch the making of the music video below!
Mayonaka no Tsuyogari (真夜中の強がり) by NMB48 Senbatsu (2017)
Click here to watch the full music video! Centered by Team M’s Shiroma Miru, Mayonaka no Tsuyogari is in a league of its own among 48Group songs. You’d be hard-pressed to find another song in the franchise that sounds anything remotely like it. A very progressive rock-ballad, the song (whose name means “Hiding My Pain at Midnight” in english) speaks the mind of a very emotionally guarded girl who refuses to be swayed or swooned by the sentimental words of a man. The song compares midnight to a garbage can in which you can throw your sadness. What a message.
There are dozens and dozens of ballads across the 15 years of the 48Group song registry! Name some of your favorites in the comments below!
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