15-year idol journey of vibrant music

We recently connected with the idol group Momoiro Clover Z to delve into its incredible journey as the group marks an impressive 15-year anniversary!

With such extensive journey in the music scene, captivating a devoted audience in Japan and globally, Momoiro Clover Z has become known for its infectious energy and unforgettable music.

Today, we’ll uncover Momoiro Clover Z’s recipe for enduring success, delve into the recent digital single MONONOFU NIPPON that features HOTEI (Hotei Tomoyasu, 布袋寅泰), and explore its journey through the ever-changing Japanese idol scene.

Congratulations on your 15th anniversary! Looking back, what do you believe has been the key to your enduring popularity and success?

Momota: Honestly, I don’t know. I feel like we’ve been blessed with a lot of luck.

Tamai: Thank you! I don’t really know what it is but we gave all we got to every single thing, which I think led us to where we are after the whole 15 fulfilling years.

Sasaki: Luck and timing [laughs]. The whole idol industry has a lot of momentum, and I think everyone poured their energy to keep the movement going.

Takagi: Being able to enjoy doing what we do and the huge support of Mononofu [our fans] along the way.

As you reflect on your 15-year journey, could you also share what personally motivates each of you to persevere, even in the face of ups and downs?

Momota: The smiles of our fans and everyone who supports us.

Tamai: Our fans’ support is always the driving force. And, of course, the other members, too. The time we spend together is always a lot of fun. Even the tough moments turn into wonderful memories when looking back.

Sasaki: It’s definitely Mononofu that always supports us. I want to spend more fun time with everyone, surprise everyone, and that’s what motivates me.

Takagi: Having live shows where we can share the same moments with Mononofu as well as sharing smiles and “Thank you”.

That’s wonderful! And many of your fans might also know you today because of the massively popular and peculiar song that you released about a decade ago, “Saraba, Itoshiki Kanashimi-tachi yo“, which currently boasts nearly 46 million views on YouTube. Even today, how do you continue to foster this spirit of surprise and creativity as an idol group?

Momota: We always pursue what we find interesting, search for things which are never done before, and value our strengths.

Tamai: We always look for what will surprise and delight our fans. Not all of us aimed to become idols in the first place, which I think was one of the reasons that has allowed us to challenge various things without limiting the potential of being idols.

Sasaki: Being idols help us challenge ourselves with many things even out of our comfort zone. I believe it’s important to have the desire to challenge ourselves.

Takagi: Idols don’t necessarily have to stay cute all the time. I would rather do things that others aren’t doing. Just having fun!

Speaking of having fun, your recent single and music video MONONOFU NIPPON featuring HOTEI seems incredibly fun! Can you tell us about the concept and inspiration behind this song?

Momota: The concept is four warriors fighting for love, peace, and people’s smiles. We landed on this concept because we, as idols, want to spread more smiles around the world.

Tamai: As a Japanese idol group, we all wanted to spread the beauty of Jpop culture to the world even further, which is why this song was written. Powerful and cool song for us to lead Japan as female warriors. There are also many parts for chants and singing to enjoy together at our shows.

Sasaki: The theme is Japan and samurai. It’s a fun, catchy, and silly yet grand song. Hope this song reaches not only Japanese fans but also people all around the world.

Takagi: HOTEI also produced the song Saraba, Itoshiki Kanashimi-tachi yo 10 years ago, and we are truly grateful that he kindly agreed to create another incredibly cool sound for us.

How did this collaboration come about, and what was it like working with him?

Momota: We stayed in touch with HOTEI since he first produced the song Saraba, Itoshiki Kanashimi-tachi yo for us. As we wanted this song to reach people around the world, we asked him, an international artist from Japan. The moment we heard his guitar, the level of excitement of everyone involved in this song skyrocketed. We are truly grateful.

Tamai: To celebrate our 15th-anniversary year, we really wanted to work with the artists we’ve worked with in the past again. Since we wanted to reach a global audience with this song, we asked HOTEI, one of the most renowned Japanese guitarists. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to collaborate with him once again!

Sasaki: When we had the re-collaboration idea with the artists we worked with before for our 15th anniversary, we immediately thought about HOTEI and Kenichi Maeyamada [also known as Hyadain] who produced the lyrics and music for this song. When the song had his guitar added, it significantly powered up and became even cooler!

Takagi: Such an international star. Yet, incredibly kind to us. It was like working with a superhero and was a truly inspiring experience.

So not only do you have a music video for MONONOFU NIPPON, but you also have a concert video for it which exudes amazing positive vibes. How do you generate such a lively atmosphere that energizes the audience?

Momota: We focused on creating a vibrant and powerful atmosphere. We had a lot of fun dancing with so many people at our show, which I think the video captures as it vibrantly is.

Tamai: Although we aim to deliver our energy to Mononofu at our shows, we always receive so much energy from them. It’s because our fans always give us such energetic power. We can’t appreciate it more.

Sasaki: I don’t really think about it too much. Our shows’ atmosphere are always quite relaxed, so I think it shows what we usually are.

Takagi: We developed various themes and ideas while discussing with Hyadain. I think they are reflected in the video.

The themes are certainly reflected in the music video. In general, your music generally includes themes of empowerment and positivity. Can you tell us more about why that is?

Momota: Because we want to bring smiles to many people, which lies at the core of our value.

Tamai: We have a lot of songs filled with positivity as we always intend to bring smiles to people regardless of ages, gender and generations.

Sasaki: As we are idols, not singers, I think our songs tend to be more energetic and joyful. I hope our shows can be the place for the audience to truly have a good time aside from their jobs and other things in life.

Takagi: I think it naturally turned out this way because our style has always been to give positivity. And miraculously, each member is also very positive. Moreover, even our fans, who receive our performance and songs, are also positive, which all contributes to this style.

As pioneers in the industry, could you provide your perspective on the transformation of the Japanese idol scene throughout the years?

Momota: I’m sure more and more idols are singing a lot of songs the international audience would love.

Tamai: The level of dance and singing is getting higher and higher.

Sasaki: There are really various concepts of idols emerging, and the range is expanding, too. I think all idols have become idols with their own strengths.

Takagi: It’s not just about being cute anymore; there are various forms of “idols”.

Interesting, was there anything in particular that has stood out to you?

Momota: A lot changed such as leaving groups or “graduating” groups, but all stand out to me as we all go through the same period of time.

Tamai: Recently, it seems to me that many idols and groups focus on dancing, which I think is due to the boom of TikTok, there’s a demand for high-level dance performances.

Sasaki: I’m really happy that idols are now invited a lot to perform at rock festivals.

Takagi: We’re trying to stay idols as we always have been to receive huge supports from our fans, even after getting married.

Beyond music, Momoiro Clover Z has been involved in various TV programs and films. What have been your favorite non-music projects?

Momota: All of them are important, so it’s very difficult to choose one.

Tamai: It’s acting. While we sometimes appear in movies or perform on stage as a group, acting different characters feels like a completely different thing compared to being Momoiro Clover Z. It’s quite refreshing.

Sasaki: Radio, TV, and modeling, all of them are so much fun.

Takagi: Other than music, it’s acting. It’s because of the various possibilities and ways for expression and the chance to become anything.

You’ve also provided theme music for iconic anime series like Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball. What role has anime played in your lives, and do you have any personal favorite series or characters?

Momota: Minako Aino from Sailor Moon is my favorite.

Tamai: I’ve loved the Sailor Moon series since I was a child. Recently, I also enjoy watching Demon Slayer and Attack on Titan.

Sasaki: When I was little, I admired characters from Sailor Moon and Ojamajo Doremi. I always liked pink characters, so I’m happy to take the pink in Momoiro Clover Z.

Takagi: Right now, I’m into [the character] Miku Nakano from The Quintessential Quintuplets and Hattori-kun from Ninja Hattori!

As you celebrate your 15th anniversary, what do you consider the most important or valuable lesson you’ve learned over the course of these 15 years?

Momota: It’s about firmly holding onto myself and knowing myself.

Tamai: Looking for ways to make it happen rather than looking for reasons why I can’t do it. We’ve gone through various challenging situations, such as performing in tough environments or not being able to perform shows due to the pandemic. Despite these circumstances, we’ve always tried to figure out how to bring joy to our fans.

Sasaki: We’ve learned that it’s really important to have fun. If you change your perspective, you might find joy even in challenging situations. So, we always think about how we can enjoy every situation. Our feelings of having fun are something that we believe can be delivered to our fans, and it can create a positive chain reaction.

Takagi: Never forget the feeling of gratitude and always find joy in everything!

Looking ahead, what are your goals and aspirations for the future of Momoiro Clover Z?

Momota: I want to perform live overseas again.

Tamai: I want to meet as many fans as possible through our shows. Due to the pandemic, we haven’t been able to perform shows overseas for a while, so it’d be wonderful to go abroad for shows again.

Sasaki: I hope we can perform shows overseas again in near the future!

Takagi: I want to perform abroad or at the New National Stadium in Tokyo.

Lastly, is there a message you would like to convey to your fans, both in Japan and internationally?

Momota: We’ve come this far and celebrated our 15th anniversary thanks to all of you! Thank you so much!

Tamai: Thank you for your continuous support. We’ve been what we are for 15 years, all thanks to the support from each and every one of you. We’ll keep working hard to bring smiles to all of you in the future!

Sasaki: We aim to broaden our endeavors to connect with our international fans even more. We hope to expand activities so that we can reach our international fans as well. I can’t wait to see you all and share the same moment of joy together. We’re looking forward to the day we can meet!

Takagi: Beyond language barriers, borders and even across the seas, we’ll do our best to come to your city to perform in front of you! We’re so thrilled to meet you all in the near future!

Momoiro Clover Z’s dedication to spreading joy and positivity to its fans and the world continues to shine brightly. Now with 15 years of energetic music and performances under its belt, we look forward to the next coming 15 years and beyond!

We want to thank Momota, Tamai, Sasaki, and Takagi for taking their time to share their thoughts and experiences with us.