Dempagumi.inc — Ne♡Ushi♡Tora♡U♡Tatsu♡Mi♡: visiting musical opposites before jumping into a new era
Follow-up to Ware Ware wa Dempagumi.inc da (released at the literal start of the year) and their first single since Nemu Yumemi’s graduation, Ne♡Ushi♡Tora♡U♡Tatsu♡Mi♡ is the exciting conclusion to a social media campaign that has seen the group’s members styled in ways that reference several of the publications and trends that have contributed to shaping up Shibuya’s fashion essence throughout recent decades. For this surprise single, which was released immediately after its first live performance, the girls team up with Ryujin Kiyoshi, whose songwriting takes them in two completely opposite extremes.
The title track plays up to all the elements longtime fans have come to expect from Dempagumi.inc’s music: fast-paced beats, dynamic vocals, and lyrics that playfully alternate between cheesy lines about everlasting bonds and stuff that goes from a myriad of animal noise onomatopeia (a reference to the song’s title, which goes through six of the twelve animals that make up the Chinese zodiac) to many other Japanese myths, like the red string of fate. This time, however, things seem to be taken to more extreme levels, with the live band instrumentation that has become a “go-to” for the group taking a backseat to the frenetic synth beats that originally made them a name in the idol scene, and with the delivery of some of the fastest and highest pitched lines the members have ever sung. The combination of all these elements results in a quirky, circus-like track that will undoubtedly stand out as one of the most lively numbers in all of Dempagumi.inc’s discography.
The single’s B-side, a delicate ballad titled Aki no Ha no Harappa de, can succinctly be described as the flipside to Ryujin’s more extravagant pop compositions: built upon a main piano melody and accompanying string sections, this song is by far the most traditional ballad Dempagumi.inc has ever released, also being particularly noteworthy because of the way it ends with the girls harmonizing without any kind of instrumental background. Even if I can’t say I will particularly find myself becoming a huge fan of this song, there’s still some merit to the way that it is not composed around the idea of incorporating any of the musical quirks associated with the act.
A fun balance between the familiar energy and new, more subdued sounds, Ne♡Ushi♡Tora♡U♡Tatsu♡Mi♡ is a great way to kick off the group’s new era, one that — at least for now — seems to have the potential of living up to the almost-fictionalized legacy built by both the group’s members (past and current) and by their dedicated fans.
