“Memory Seishun No Hikari”
Release date: Feb. 10, 1999
Oricon Weekly placement: 2nd
B-side: “Happy Night,” “Never Forget”
Members: Asuka Fukuda, Aya Ishiguro, Kaori Iida, Kei Yasuda, Mari Yaguchi, Natsumi Abe, Sayaka Ichii, Yuko Nakazawa
The reason I question Morning Musume’s intentions in “Daite Hold on Me!” is because they follow that single up with “Memory Seishun No Hikari.” If their previous release had any suggestions of irony or pure silliness, they dispel that outright with a straight-faced take on R&B, a then-emergent genre on the charts.
Hip hop and rap had been a part of Japan’s public consciousness since the earlier parts of the ‘90s, and R&B had been also starting to become a popular style for producers to utilize as a platform to introduce artists by 1999. A big indication of the latter style as a go-to route is the solo debuts for two SPEED members, Hiroko Shimabukuro and Hitoe Arakaki. Not to mention, Utada Hikaru debuted that same year.
So the turntable scratches, that rappity-rap verse, and the post-New Jack Swing production all feels right on time for a 1999 single. Even considering Morning Musume’s own timeline of stylistic shifts, a move to disco to hip-hop doesn’t feel too drastic. The stylistic cues of “Memory” are executed airtight, faithfully following the template to the point it doesn’t allow much room for playing around. The narrative, too, deals with more delicate matters, calling for a precise performance – not too light or too dramatic. The impression-as-performance approach introduced in “Summer Night Town” doesn’t cut it for this song.
Morning Musume do their best to meet the standards of this demanding single. The ad libs that played up “Daite Hold on Me!” fluffs up “Memory” a bit too over the top, but the sighing back vocal provides a nice touch to a group who has yet to explore a side of sophistication. Frankly, the raps and the outdated stylistic tics bog down the quality of this song more than the members themselves.
If you’re familiar with what this original line-up will soon release, the serious, melodramatic tone of “Memory” feels like a failed pursuit in hindsight. They will leave this behind in favor of a blindly optimistic attitude residing at practically the other end of the spectrum. The massive success they’ve achieved with this tonal shift may give an impression that presenting Morning Musume in this form wasn’t an entirely right move.
“Memory” better suits the current line-up. The group make-up during the latter half of its two-decade lifespan has the benefit of its appeal backed by one of skill. A song that demands from its performers like “Memory” feels rather standard as part of their repertoire. It may not quite suit Morning Musume in 1999, but the single has actually aged quite well as it fits in the evolution of the group as a whole.