Real Sound: Former popular idols resume music activities, creating new success stories after turning solo

 

Yurina Hirate, Riho Sayashi: Former popular idols resume music activities, creating new success stories after turning solo

No matter how popular an idol is, not all activities after graduation from the group go smoothly. Many former idols are successful as variety personalities or actresses, making use of their characters from their idol days, but it is difficult to gain more popularity and recognition in the music industry than when they were in a group. The demographics of music listeners and the way listeners perceive them change between working in an idol group and working as a solo artist. It is not easy to bridge this gap.

　Two former idols who were particularly charismatic and popular during their time in the group have become more active in music since the latter half of 2020. They are Yurina Hirate, formerly of Keyakizaka 46, and Riho Sayashi, formerly of Morning Musume. The reaction of fans and the public to their solo activities at this point is the same as it was when they were in the group. I have a feeling that they will set a new success story after their transition from idol to solo.

　After announcing her departure from Keyakizaka 46 in January 2020, Hirate had not been active in the public eye for a while, although there were some announcements of her appearance in movies. In August last year, she appeared on TV for the first time in a while at the "2020 FNS Uta Festival Summer" and collaborated with Naotaro Moriyama. While singing Moriyama's famous song "Ikite koto ga nakaminara" (If it's hard to live), Hirate danced a contemporary dance that matched the image of the song. Her delicate movements and uncanny performance shocked many people. It became a trending topic on Twitter.

And when she appeared on TV again in December at the "2020 FNS Uta Festival 2nd Night", she performed her solo song "Dance No Riyuu (Reason for Dance)", which received an even better response. Hirate was involved in the production of this song from the very beginning, and it was the first song she composed. Her sharp dance to the cool sound and her high level of expression fascinated the audience. The song was later released as a digital single and made its first appearance at No. 1 on the Oricon Daily Digital Single Ranking. This is proof that her popularity and reputation have not faded away. When she becomes more active in the future, she may gain more popularity and recognition than when she was in the group.

Former Morning Musume member Riho Sayashi also resumed her activities after a long wait. She became the ace right after joining the group and contributed greatly to the re-birth of Morning Musume, when they switched to an EDM style. After graduating from the group in 2015, she went abroad to study and stayed away from the stage for a while.

　She made her return to the stage in 2019 with a guest appearance at Hina Fes at Makuhari Messe, appearing in front of fans for the first time in a while. After that, she announced her affiliation with Japan Music Entertainment and resumed her activities in earnest. She opened her official website and fan club. She gradually expanded her activities to include stage performances, appearances in TV dramas, variety shows, and radio shows, and recently performed her new song "I made a promise that day" at an online live concert held on January 11. It was the first ballad song that she wrote lyrics for.

In an interview before the performance, she said, "I wrote this song with the hope that it would convey both the feelings that came from my experiences, and the feelings that I want to share.” She emphasized the importance of singing her own lyrics, as she dared to express herself only through singing and not dancing. This may have been a different direction from when she was in the group, but her straightforward voice filled with her thoughts and feelings touched our hearts.

After graduating from their careers as idols, some have gone on to become successful solo musicians. Sayaka Yamamoto, a former NMB48 member, has become a singer-songwriter and is enjoying success by making use of her high level singing ability, which she has always been known for. She seems to be gaining new fans by appearing at more rock festivals.

Airi Suzuki, a former member of °C-ute, has been performing as a solo artist at large venues such as Nippon Budokan, and in 2020, she did a duet with Masayuki Suzuki titled "DADDY! DADDY! DO!”, which became a hot topic. With her cute and cheerful character and clear voice, she is expanding her range of activities.

I feel that, what all former idols who are successful as solo artists have in common is that they have pursued what they want to do, and have expanded their activities by utilizing their own strengths. With this in mind, I can say that Yurina Hirate and Riho Sayashi have what it takes to succeed in their solo careers. They have only just resumed their activities. I have a feeling that they will be able to further develop their musicality and abilities to gain even more success.

https://realsound.jp/2021/01/post-689782.html