Country Girls
| Country Girls Country Musume |
|
|---|---|
| General information | |
| origin | Japan |
| Genre (s) | J-pop |
| founding | 1999, 2014 |
| resolution | 2019 |
| Current occupation | |
| Mai Satoda, Risa Yamaki, Chisaki Morito, Mai Ozeki, Musubu Funaki | |
| former members | |
| Hiromi Yanagihara, Azusa Kobayashi, Rinne Toda, Asami Kimura, Miuna Saito, Uta Shimamura, Manaka Inaba, Momoko Tsugunaga, Nanami Yanagawa | |
Country Girls ( Japanese カ ン ト リ ー ・ ガ ー ル ズ , Kantorī Garusu ) was a group of the Hello! Project . It was founded in 1999 as Country Musume and existed until the beginning of 2007 or thereafter as a solo act until March 2009. In 2014 new members and thus the continuation of the group were announced, in November of the same year the name was changed to Country Girls . The group's motto was "Country Girls from Hokkaidō ", as Hokkaidō is considered very rural in Japan (a lot of agriculture, wide open spaces, few cities).
The group's most successful single was Hajimete no Happy Birthday! which has been sold over 140,000 times.
history
The first formation of the group emerged from the winners Rinne Toda, Azusa Kobayashi and Hiromi Yanagihara after a week-long casting, which also included physical labor on a farm. On July 16, 1999, Hiromi died in a car accident and Azusa left the group a short time later, so that Rinna had to perform solo at first. In 2000, Asami Kimura joined the group.
In 2001 Tsunku , the manager of Hello! Project, on the idea of bringing members from the sister group Morning Musume into the band in turn. Rika Ishikawa was selected first to join the group, making the band name in Country Musume ni Ishikawa. was changed.
In 2002 Mai Satoda joined the group, and Rinne Toda left them to focus on an acting career.
In 2003, Miuna Saito was added to the group and Rika Ishikawa was replaced by two other Morning Musume members, Miki Fujimoto and Asami Konno. From now on the new formation was called Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto.
At the beginning of 2007, Miuna Saito and Asami Kimura finally got out of Country Musume and Hello! Project from. Miki and Asami Konno were also no longer part of the band, so Mai Satoda was left alone and from then on appeared as country musume Satoda Mai . She stayed at Hello! Until the Elder Club Graduation on March 31, 2009. Project and was then part of the band "Ongaku Gatas", in which Asami Konno also participated.
On January 2, 2014, Tsunku noted that he was considering restarting the group. On February 11th, during the winter concert of Hello! Projects announced through a video message that a new member casting would take place. Satoda, who follows her husband, baseball player Masahiro Tanaka, to the United States, shouldn't be part of the new cast. However, Up-Front announced on August 7th that no new members had emerged from the casting.
At the end of 2014, on November 5th, some newspapers stated that Country Musume would start over under the name Country Girls . Mai Satoda will take on the role of manager. Five girls were selected for the cast; two of them are the former Hello! Pro Kenshūsei Risa Yamaki and Manaka Inaba. The other three girls (Chisaki Morito, Uta Shimamura and Mai Ozeki) were discovered while casting for Morning Musume's 12th Generation. The group is also supported by Momoko Tsugunaga , who, like Mai Satoda, will hold a managerial position, but will also participate in performances. The group will make their first appearance at the Hello! Project Winter Concert 2014. On June 12, 2015, the official website of Hello! Projects announced that Uta Shimamura has left the group. The reason given was disagreement about their contract. Two new members were introduced to mark the one year anniversary of the new line-up. These are former members of Hello! Pro Kenshūsei , Nanami Yanagawa and Musubu Funaki.
On June 30, 2017, Momoko Tsugunaga's farewell concert will take place. After that, the group will limit their activities. It is planned that they only appear on public holidays and during the Japanese school holidays, as Risa Yamaki and Mai Ozeki want to take more care of their education. The other three members, Chisaki Morito, Nanami Yanagawa and Musubu Funaki, will join other groups of Hello! Join projects . In December 2019, all active members left the group. The Up-Front agency has announced plans to revive the group with new members. So far, however, there are no concrete plans.
Last occupation
(As of July 5, 2013)
| Surname | accession | Date of birth | Age | Member color | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risa Yamaki 山 木 梨 沙 |
5th November 2014 | October 14, 1997 | 22nd | lime | leader |
| Chisaki Morito 森 戸 知 沙希 |
5th November 2014 | February 19, 2000 | 20th | orange | |
| May ozeki 小 関 舞 |
5th November 2014 | February 10, 2002 | 18th | Medium blue | |
| Musubu Funaki 船 木 結 |
5th November 2015 | May 10, 2002 | 18th | yellow | |
| May Satoda 里 田 ま い |
January 2002 | March 29, 1984 | 36 | - | Manager |
Former
- Former full members
- Azusa Kobayashi (born January 30, 1977 in Hokkaido), also Azusa
- Hiromi Yanagihara (born September 19, 1981 in Chiba, † July 17, 1999), also Hiromi
- Rinne Toda (born June 2, 1981 in Hokkaido)
- Miuna Saito (born December 1, 1984), also Miuna
- Asami Kimura (born July 17, 1984 in Hokkaido), also Asami
- Momoko Tsugunaga (born March 6, 1992)
- Manaka Inaba (born December 27, 1997)
- Uta Shimamura (born June 24, 2002)
- Nanami Yanagawa (born January 6, 2002)
- Former surrogate members
- Rika Ishikawa (born January 19, 1985 in Kanagawa-ken), also Charmy, Rika-chan
- Miki Fujimoto (born February 26, 1986 in Hokkaido), also Mikitty
- Asami Konno (born May 7, 1987 in Hokkaido), also Asa, KonKon
Discography
Albums
| No. | title | Romaji / English | date | Sales 1st week |
Sales total |
Charts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | カ ン ト リ ー 娘。 大 全集 ① | Country Musume. Daizenshū 1 | December 12, 2001 | 20,620 | 24,850 | # 20 |
| 2 | カ ン ト リ ー 娘。 大 全集 ② | Country Musume. Daizenshū 2 | August 23, 2006 | 3,746 | 4,512 | # 39 |
| - | カ ン ト リ ー 娘。 メ ガ ベ ス ト | Country Musume. Mega Best | October 12, 2008 | 1,073 | 1,073 | # 171 |
| - | - | Seasons | March 6, 2019 | 1,162 | 1,428 | # 63 |
| - | ン ト リ ー ・ ガ ー ル ズ 大 全集 ① | Country Girls Daizenshuu ① | 4th December 2019 | 5,528 | 6,466 | # 22 |
Singles
| No. | title | transcription | date | Sales 1st week |
Sales total |
Charts | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 二人 の 北海道 | Futari no Hokkaido | July 23, 1999 | - | - | - | |
| 2 | 雪 景色 | Yukigeshiki | November 11, 1999 | - | - | - | with Rinne Toda as the only member |
| 3 | 北海道 シ ャ ラ ラ | Hokkaido Shalala | April 27, 2000 | - | - | - | with Rinne Toda as the only member |
| 4th | 恋 が ス テ キ な 季節 | Koi ga Suteki na Kisetsu | July 31, 2000 | - | - | - | first single with Asami Kimura |
| 5 | 初 め て の ハ ッ ピ ー バ ー ス デ ィ! | Hajimete no Happy Birthday! | April 18, 2001 | 89,200 | 142,340 | # 4 | first single as Country Musume ni Ishikawa. |
| 6th | 恋人 は 心 の 応 援 団 | Koibito wa Kokoro no Quendan | October 27, 2001 | 62,960 | 93,070 | # 6 | |
| 7th | 色 っ ぽ い 女 〜SEXY BABY〜 | Iroppoi Onna ~ SEXY BABY ~ | April 17, 2002 | 36,510 | 57,670 | # 4 | first single with Mai Satoda |
| 8th | BYE BYE 最後 の 夜 | BYE BYE Saigo no Yoru | November 13, 2002 | 21,670 | 30,018 | #8th | first single without Rinne Toda |
| 9 | 浮 気 な ハ ニ ー パ イ | Uwaki na honey pie | July 24, 2003 | 28,138 | 41,324 | # 7 | first single with Miuna Saito and as Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto. |
| 10 | 先輩 ～ LOVE AGAIN ～ | Senpai ~ LOVE AGAIN ~ | November 12, 2003 | 16,908 | 22,196 | # 15 | |
| 11 | シ ャ イ ニ ン グ 愛 し き 貴 方 | Shining Itoshiki Anata | August 4, 2004 | 12,496 | 16,450 | # 13 | |
| 1 | 愛 お し く っ て ご め ん ね ／ 恋 泥 棒 | Itooshikutte Gomen ne / Koi Dorobou | March 25, 2015 | 45.032 | 50.114 | # 3 | first single as Country Girls with a completely new line-up; last single with Uta Shimamura |
| 2 | わ か っ て い る の に ご め ん ね / た め ら い サ マ ー タ イ ム | Wakatteiru no ni Gomen ne / Tamerai Summer Time | 5th August 2015 | 30,087 | 35,913 | # 5 | |
| 3 | ブ ギ ウ ギ LOVE ／ 恋 は マ グ ネ ッ ト ／ ラ ン ラ ル ン 〜 〜 な た に 夢中 〜 | Boogie Woogie LOVE / Koi wa Magnet / Ranrarun ~ Anata ni Muchuu ~ | March 9, 2016 | 41,557 | 43,726 | # 2 | first single with the 2nd generation; last single with Manaka Inaba |
| 4th | ど ー だ っ て い い の ／ 涙 の リ ク エ ス ト | Dou Datte Ii no / Namida no Request | September 28, 2016 | 25,150 | 25,150 | # 4 | |
| 5 | Good Boy Bad Girl / ピ ー ナ ッ ツ バ タ ー ジ ェ リ ー ラ ブ | Good Boy Bad Girl / Peanut Butter Jelly Love | February 8, 2017 | 29,053 | 31,596 | # 5 | Last single with Momoko Tsugunaga |
| Digital | 書 い て は 消 し て の “I Love You” | Kaite wa Keshite no "I Love You" | February 24, 2018 | - | - | - | Last single as Country Girls |
Individual evidence
- ↑ Yanagihara Hiromi ( English ) Hell! Project. Archived from the original on March 8, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ↑ Country Musume Seeking New Members and Possible Reformation ( English ) nihongogo.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
- ↑ カ ン ト リ ー 娘。 新 メ ン バ ー オ ー デ ィ シ ョ ン に 関 す る お 知 ら せ ( Japanese ) Up Front Works. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ↑ カ ン ト リ ー 娘。 「カ ン ト リ ー ・ ガ ー ル ズ」 に 改名 で 再 始 動！ “も も ち” も 加入 ( Japanese ) alivem.net. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- ↑ カ ン ト リ ー ・ ガ ー ル ズ 島村 嬉 唄 に 関 す る お 知 ら せ ( Japanese ) Hello! Project. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ カ ン ト リ ー ・ ガ ー ル ズ 新 メ ン バ ー 加入 決定！ ( Japanese ) Hello! Project. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ↑ Concerning the future activities of Country Girls ( English ) UP-FRONT LINK. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ↑ カ ン ト リ ー ・ ガ ー ル ズ 活動 休止 の お 知 ら せ . Oricon. 18th October 2019.
- ↑ Chart placements CD singles from Country Musume in the Oricon charts.
Web links
- Website for the casting 2014 ( Memento from December 19, 2014 in the Internet Archive )