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Difference between revisions of "Country Musume"

(Created page with 'カントリー娘。 ('''Country Musume''') is a part of Hello! Project. The theme of the group is "country girls from Hokkaido". ==History== Country Musume was formed in...')
 
 
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カントリー娘。 ('''Country Musume''') is a part of [[Hello! Project]]. The theme of the group is "country girls from Hokkaido".
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[[Image:CountryMusume2008.jpg|thumb|250px|Satoda Mai was the only member of Country Musume between 2007 and 2009]]
 
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[[Image:CountryMusumeniKonnotoFujimoto.jpg|thumb|200px|Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto (L to R): Kimura Asami, Saitou Miuna, Fujimoto Miki, Satoda Mai, Konno Asami]]
 
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[[Image:Countrymusume 2001.jpg|thumb|200px|Initial Country Musume ni Ishikawa line-up (L to R): Kimura Asami, Ishikawa Rika, Toda Rinne]]
==History==
+
[[Image:Countrymusume 1999.jpg|thumb|200px|Country Musume original line-up (L to R): Yanagihara Hiromi, Toda Rinna, Kobayashi Azusa]]
 
+
'''Country Musume''' (カントリー娘。) is a former [[Hello! Project]] unit with a theme of country girls from Hokkaido. The group was revived under the name [[Country Girls]] in 2014.
Country Musume was formed in 1999, by Tsunku and Japanese talent and fellow Up-Front Agency artist, Tanaka Yoshitake (Tanaka was the group's original producer). The 4-week audition cycle was unusual since it didn't only consist of the traditional voice and dance lessons, but also a physical challenge: consisting of working at the Hanabatake farm in southern Hokkaido. The purpose of the physical challenge was to show how responsible the girls were and how well they work as a team to fit the "country girls from Hokkaido" image, since Hokkaido is seen as the countryside of Japan--and the audition was open to all of Japan, not just Hokkaido. Thus, producer Tanaka called for the physical challenge to see who can live up to a "Hokkaido" image.
 
 
 
At the end of the audition, three members were selected: Toda Rinne (from Hokkaido), Kobayashi Azusa (from Tokyo), and Yanagihara Hiromi (from Chiba). Following the trend of their sister group, Morning Musume, Kobayashi, as the oldest member, was given the title as leader of the group. After working on their debut single with plenty of support from other singers such as Moritaka Chisato and Nakazawa Yuko, they were able to successfully record and complete the promotion video. However, tragedy would strike the group soon after their work seemed to be finished. On July 17, 1999, Hiromi died in an automobile accident, just days before their first single was released, at the age of 19. Hiromi's family was given the decision to whether Country Musume should continue their work and release their single as scheduled, to which they approved. A month later, Azusa decided to leave the group for personal reasons. After a two-month hiatus, Rinne started performing as a solo act, but under the Country Musume name. After two singles, she went from being a solo artist to a group leader, as she was joined by a new member, Kimura Asami in 2000.
 
 
 
However, by the end of the year, producer Tanaka decided to give Tsunku the producer's position of the group, due to his difficulty in finding more members to join Rinne and Asami. The first change that Tsunku made was to "lend" members of Morning Musume into the group. In April 2001, Ishikawa Rika was added and the group became known as Country Musume ni Ishikawa Rika. This was to be a temporary change at first (the plan was to cycle Morning Musume members), but soon decided to keep Ishikawa in the group due to the group's sudden rise in popularity. Early in 2002, Tsunku made yet another change by adding Satoda Mai, a finalist from the Morning Musume 4th generation audition (who was from Hokkaido). Later that same year, Rinne graduated from the group and Hello! Project to pursue a career within Up-Front Agency as a stage actress. Asami became the new leader of the group.
 
 
 
In summer 2003, Saitou Miuna (of Shizuoka) joined Country Musume, and Rika's time in the group was over. Tsunku revived the idea of cycling Morning Musume members through the group. This time, Hokkaido-natives Konno Asami and Fujimoto Miki were selected. The group was then called Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto.
 
 
 
In 2005, Country Musume performed in the Hello! Project 2005 Winter ~A HAPPY NEW POWER!~ concert tour as a part of Hello! Project Akagumi. Country Musume also toured with v-u-den and Inaba Atsuko in 2005.
 
 
 
On November 25, 2006, it was announced that Asami and Miuna would be graduating from Country Musume and Hello! Project together on January 28, 2007, at the final performance of Hello! Project 2007 Winter ~Shuuketsu! 10th Anniversary~. Since Konno and Fujimoto have also since graduated from Morning Musume, they are no longer "lent" to Country Musume. Thus, Satoda Mai is currently the only member, and continues to work under the Country Musume name. This is the second time that Country Musume consists of only one member.
 
  
 
==Members==
 
==Members==
 +
Original members (1999)
 +
* [[Toda Rinne]] (戸田鈴音, second leader, graduated in 2002)
 +
* [[Kobayashi Azusa]] (小林梓, first leader, left in 1999)
 +
* [[Yanagihara Hiromi]] (柳原尋美, died July 1999)
  
===Country Musume===
+
Joined 2000
 +
* [[Kimura Asami]] (木村麻美, third leader, graduated 2007)
  
Original members (1999):
+
Joined 2002
 +
* [[Satoda Mai]] (里田まい, fourth leader)
  
* Toda Rinne (戸田鈴音, second leader, graduated in 2002)
+
Joined 2003
* Kobayashi Azusa (小林梓, first leader, left in 1999)
+
* [[Saitou Miuna]] (斉藤美海, graduated 2007)
* Yanagihara Hiromi (柳原尋美, died July 1999)  
 
  
Joined 2000:
+
[[Morning Musume]]
 +
* [[Ishikawa Rika]] (石川梨華, 2001–2003)
 +
* [[Konno Asami]] (紺野あさ美, 2003–2006)
 +
* [[Fujimoto Miki]] (藤本美貴, 2003–2006)
  
* Kimura Asami (木村麻美, third leader, graduated 2007)
+
==History==
 
+
Country Musume was formed in 1999 by [[Tsunku]] and the group's original producer [[Tanaka Yoshitake]]. The four-week-long audition cycle included not only voice and dance lessons but a physical challenge: working on the Hanabatake farm in souther Hokkaido. The purpose of the physical challenge was to determine how responsible the girls were and how well they worked as a team to fit the image of country girls from Hokkaido, although the auditions were open to girls from all of Japan, not just Hokkaido.
Joined 2002:
 
  
* Satoda Mai (里田まい, current leader)
+
At the end of the audition, three members were selected: Toda Rinne (from Hokkaido), Kobayashi Azusa (from Tokyo), and Yanagihara Hiromi (from Chiba). Following the trend of their sister group, Morning Musume, Kobayashi, as the oldest member, was given the title as leader of the group. After working on their debut single with plenty of support from other singers such as [[Moritaka Chisato]] and [[Nakazawa Yuko]], they were able to successfully record and complete the [[PV|promotional video]]. However, tragedy struck the group soon after their work seemed to be finished. On July 17, 1999, Hiromi died in an automobile accident, just days before their first single was released, at the age of 19. Hiromi's family was given the decision to whether Country Musume should continue their work and release their single as scheduled, and they approved. A month later, Azusa decided to leave the group for personal reasons. After a two-month hiatus, Rinne started performing as a solo act, but under the Country Musume name. After two singles, she went from being a solo artist to a group leader, as she was joined by a new member, Kimura Asami in 2000.
  
Joined 2003:
+
However, by the end of the year, producer Tanaka decided to give Tsunku the producer's position of the group, due to his difficulty in finding more members to join Rinne and Asami. The first change that Tsunku made was to "lend" a member of Morning Musume into the group. In April 2001, Ishikawa Rika was added and the group became known as Country Musume ni Ishikawa Rika. This was to be a temporary change at first (the plan was to cycle Morning Musume members), but soon decided to keep Ishikawa in the group due to the group's sudden rise in popularity. Early in 2002, Tsunku made yet another change by adding Hokkaido native Satoda Mai, a finalist from the Morning Musume 4th-generation audition. Later that same year Rinne graduated from the group and Hello! Project to pursue a career within Up-Front Agency as a stage actress. Asami became the new leader of the group.
  
* Saitou Miuna (斉藤美海, graduated 2007)
+
In summer 2003, Saitou Miuna (of Shizuoka) joined Country Musume, and Rika's time in the group was over. Tsunku revived the idea of cycling Morning Musume members through the group. This time, Hokkaido natives Konno Asami and Fujimoto Miki were selected. The group was then called Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto.
  
===Morning Musume===
+
In 2005, Country Musume performed in the [[Hello! Project 2005 Winter All Stars Dairanbu ~A Happy New Power! Iida Kaori Sotsugyou Special~|Hello! Project 2005 Winter ~A HAPPY NEW POWER!~]] concert tour as a part of [[Hello! Project Akagumi]]. Country Musume also toured with [[v-u-den]] and [[Inaba Atsuko]] the [[v-u-den First Concert Tour 2005 Haru ~v-u-densetsu~|2005 Haru ~v-u-densetsu~]] tour.
  
2001 - 2003 (Country Musume ni Ishikawa Rika / 1st Generation):
+
On November 25, 2006, it was announced that Asami and Miuna would be graduating from Country Musume and Hello! Project together on January 28, 2007, at the final performance of [[Hello! Project 2007 Winter ~Shuuketsu! 10th Anniversary~]]. For the second time Country Musume became a one-member unit; Satoda continued performing as Satoda Mai (Country Musume) until the [[Hello! Project 2009 Winter Kettei! Hello Pro Award '09 ~Elder Club Sotsugyou Kinen Special~|Elder Club graduation]] on February 1, 2009. The group was previously inactive.
 
 
* Ishikawa Rika (石川梨華)
 
 
 
2003 - 2006 (Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto / 2nd Generation):
 
 
 
* Konno Asami (紺野あさ美)
 
* Fujimoto Miki (藤本美貴)  
 
  
 +
An audition for new members was announced at the [[Hello! Project]] concert and through Up-Front's official YouTube channel by former member [[Satoda Mai]], on February 12, 2014, to take place until March 31, 2014. The audition was open to girls ages 10-17 across the country. However on August 7th, it was announced that there was no winners from this audition. Later on November 4, 2014 it was announced that the group was being revived with a new name, [[Country Girls]], and would feature Satoda Mai as a Supervisor.
  
 
==Discography==
 
==Discography==
 +
===Albums===
 +
* [2001.12.12] [[Country Musume Daizenshuu 1|Country Musume Daizenshuu ①]] (カントリー娘。大全集①)
 +
* [2006.08.23] [[Country Musume Daizenshuu 2|Country Musume Daizenshuu ②]] (カントリー娘。大全集②)
 +
* [2008.12.10] [[Country Musume Mega Best]] (カントリー娘。 メガベスト) (best album)
  
 
===Singles===
 
===Singles===
 
+
* [1999.07.23] [[Futari no Hokkaido]] (二人の北海道)
# Title Release date First Week Total Sales Members
+
* [1999.11.30] [[Yukigeshiki]] (雪景色)
Country Musume
+
* [2000.04.27] [[Hokkaido Shalala]] (北海道シャララ)
*1 二人の北海道 (Futari no Hokkaido) 1999.07.23 ? ? Yanagihara, Kobayashi and Toda
+
* [2000.07.31] [[Koi ga Suteki na Kisetsu]] (恋がステキな季節)
*2 雪景色 (Yukigeshiki) 1999.11.30 ? ? Toda
+
* [2001.04.18] [[Hajimete no Happy Birthday!]] (初めてのハッピーバースディ!)*
*3 北海道シャララ (Hokkaido Shalala) 2000.04.27 ? ?
+
* [2001.10.17] [[Koibito wa Kokoro no Ouendan]] (恋人は心の応援団)*
*4 恋がステキな季節 (Koi ga Suteki na Kisetsu) 2000.07.31 ? ? Toda and Kimura
+
* [2002.04.17] [[Iroppoi Onna ~Sexy Baby~|Iroppoi Onna ~SEXY BABY~]] (色っぽい女 ~SEXY BABY~)*
Country Musume ni Ishikawa Rika
+
* [2002.11.13] [[Bye Bye Saigo no Yoru|BYE BYE Saigo no Yoru]] (BYE BYE 最後の夜)*
*5 初めてのハッピーバースディ! (Hajimete no Happy Birthday!) 2001.04.18 89,200 142,340 Toda, Kimura and Ishikawa
+
* [2003.07.24] [[Uwaki na Honey Pie]] (浮気なハニーパイ)**
*6 恋人は心の応援団 (Koibito wa Kokoro no Ouendan) 2001.10.17 62,960 93,070
+
* [2003.12.05] [[Senpai ~Love Again~|Senpai ~LOVE AGAIN~]] (先輩 ~LOVE AGAIN~)**
*7 色っぽい女 ~SEXY BABY~ (Iroppoi Onna ~SEXY BABY~) 2002.04.17 32,510 57,620 Toda, Kimura, Satoda and Ishikawa
+
* [2004.08.04] [[Shining Itoshiki Anata]] (シャイニング 愛しき貴方)**
*8 BYE BYE 最後の夜 (BYE BYE Saigo no Yoru) 2002.11.13 21,670 30,018 Kimura, Satoda and Ishikawa
+
<small>* credited to Country Musume ni Ishikawa (Morning Musume)</small><br>
Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto
+
<small>** credited to Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto (Morning Musume)</small>
*9 浮気なハニーパイ (Uwaki na Honey Pie) 2003.07.24 28,138 41,324 Kimura, Satoda, Saitou,
 
Konno and Fujimoto
 
*10 先輩 ~LOVE AGAIN~ (Senpai ~LOVE AGAIN~) 2003.12.05 16,908 22,196
 
*11 シャイニング 愛しき貴方 (Shining Itoshiki Anata) 2004.08.04 12,496 16,450
 
 
 
===Albums===
 
 
 
* [2001.12.12] カントリー娘。大全集1 (Country Musume Daizenshuu 1)
 
* [2006.08.23] カントリー娘。大全集2 (Country Musume Daizenshuu 2)  
 
 
 
===Other songs===
 
 
 
* Atarashii Koi no Hatsu Date
 
  
 
===DVDs===
 
===DVDs===
 
+
* [2003.11.27] [[Country Musume Single V Clips 1]] (カントリー娘。シングルVクリップス①)
* [2003.11.27] カントリー娘。シングルVクリップス① (Country Musume Single V Clips 1)  
+
* [2007.02.??] [[Country Musume Live2006 ~Shibuya des Date~|Country Musume LIVE2006 ~Shibuya des Date~]] (カントリー娘。LIVE2006 ~Shibuya des Date~ ) <small>Fanclub only release</small>
 
 
===Concert DVDs===
 
 
 
* [2007.02.??] カントリー娘。LIVE2006 ~Shibuya des Date~ (Country Musume LIVE2006 ~Shibuya des Date~) - Fanclub only release  
 
  
 
===Photobooks===
 
===Photobooks===
 
+
* [2004.03.13] Minimoni. & Country Musume. ni Konno to Fujimoto (Morning Musume.) in Hello! Project 2004 Winter (ミニモニ。&カントリー娘。に紺野と藤本(モーニング娘。) in Hello! Project 2004 Winter) <small>(with [[Minimoni]]) [http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4812415942 amazon.co.jp]</small>
* [2004.03.13] ミニモニ。&カントリー娘。に紺野と藤本(モーニング娘。) in Hello! Project 2004 Winter (Minimoni. & Country Musume. ni Konno to Fujimoto (Morning Musume.) in Hello! Project 2004 Winter) (With Minimoni) amazon.co.jp
+
* [2005.10.??] AYA MATSUURA & COUNTRY MUSUME. - Hello! Project 2005 Natsu no Kayou Show '05 Selection! Collection! (AYA MATSUURA & COUNTRY MUSUME。―Hello!Project2005夏の歌謡ショー 05’セレクション!コレクション!) <small>(with [[Matsuura Aya]]) [http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4902577038 amazon.co.jp]</small>
* [2005.10.??] AYA MATSUURA & COUNTRY MUSUME。―Hello!Project2005夏の歌謡ショー 05’セレクション!コレクション! (AYA MATSUURA & COUNTRY MUSUME. - Hello! Project 2005 Natsu no Kayou Show '05 Selection! Collection!) (With Matsuura Aya) amazon.co.jp  
 
  
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
  
* Official Website
+
* [http://www.up-front-works.jp/discography/zetima/40/list.html UP-FRONT WORKS Country Musume Discography]
* UP-FRONT WORKS Country Musume Discography
+
* [http://www.projecthello.com/country/ projecthello.com Country Musume lyrics]
* projecthello.com Country Musume lyrics
+
* [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/カントリー娘。 Japanese wikipedia: カントリー娘。]
* Japanese wikipedia: カントリー娘。
 
  
[[Category:Artists]]
+
{{Country Musume}}
 +
[[Category:Japanese Girl Groups]] [[Category:J-Pop]] [[Category:Hello! Project]]
 +
[[Category:1999 Debut]]

Latest revision as of 18:09, 6 July 2016

Satoda Mai was the only member of Country Musume between 2007 and 2009
Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto (L to R): Kimura Asami, Saitou Miuna, Fujimoto Miki, Satoda Mai, Konno Asami
Initial Country Musume ni Ishikawa line-up (L to R): Kimura Asami, Ishikawa Rika, Toda Rinne
Country Musume original line-up (L to R): Yanagihara Hiromi, Toda Rinna, Kobayashi Azusa

Country Musume (カントリー娘。) is a former Hello! Project unit with a theme of country girls from Hokkaido. The group was revived under the name Country Girls in 2014.

Members

Original members (1999)

Joined 2000

Joined 2002

Joined 2003

Morning Musume

History

Country Musume was formed in 1999 by Tsunku and the group's original producer Tanaka Yoshitake. The four-week-long audition cycle included not only voice and dance lessons but a physical challenge: working on the Hanabatake farm in souther Hokkaido. The purpose of the physical challenge was to determine how responsible the girls were and how well they worked as a team to fit the image of country girls from Hokkaido, although the auditions were open to girls from all of Japan, not just Hokkaido.

At the end of the audition, three members were selected: Toda Rinne (from Hokkaido), Kobayashi Azusa (from Tokyo), and Yanagihara Hiromi (from Chiba). Following the trend of their sister group, Morning Musume, Kobayashi, as the oldest member, was given the title as leader of the group. After working on their debut single with plenty of support from other singers such as Moritaka Chisato and Nakazawa Yuko, they were able to successfully record and complete the promotional video. However, tragedy struck the group soon after their work seemed to be finished. On July 17, 1999, Hiromi died in an automobile accident, just days before their first single was released, at the age of 19. Hiromi's family was given the decision to whether Country Musume should continue their work and release their single as scheduled, and they approved. A month later, Azusa decided to leave the group for personal reasons. After a two-month hiatus, Rinne started performing as a solo act, but under the Country Musume name. After two singles, she went from being a solo artist to a group leader, as she was joined by a new member, Kimura Asami in 2000.

However, by the end of the year, producer Tanaka decided to give Tsunku the producer's position of the group, due to his difficulty in finding more members to join Rinne and Asami. The first change that Tsunku made was to "lend" a member of Morning Musume into the group. In April 2001, Ishikawa Rika was added and the group became known as Country Musume ni Ishikawa Rika. This was to be a temporary change at first (the plan was to cycle Morning Musume members), but soon decided to keep Ishikawa in the group due to the group's sudden rise in popularity. Early in 2002, Tsunku made yet another change by adding Hokkaido native Satoda Mai, a finalist from the Morning Musume 4th-generation audition. Later that same year Rinne graduated from the group and Hello! Project to pursue a career within Up-Front Agency as a stage actress. Asami became the new leader of the group.

In summer 2003, Saitou Miuna (of Shizuoka) joined Country Musume, and Rika's time in the group was over. Tsunku revived the idea of cycling Morning Musume members through the group. This time, Hokkaido natives Konno Asami and Fujimoto Miki were selected. The group was then called Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto.

In 2005, Country Musume performed in the Hello! Project 2005 Winter ~A HAPPY NEW POWER!~ concert tour as a part of Hello! Project Akagumi. Country Musume also toured with v-u-den and Inaba Atsuko the 2005 Haru ~v-u-densetsu~ tour.

On November 25, 2006, it was announced that Asami and Miuna would be graduating from Country Musume and Hello! Project together on January 28, 2007, at the final performance of Hello! Project 2007 Winter ~Shuuketsu! 10th Anniversary~. For the second time Country Musume became a one-member unit; Satoda continued performing as Satoda Mai (Country Musume) until the Elder Club graduation on February 1, 2009. The group was previously inactive.

An audition for new members was announced at the Hello! Project concert and through Up-Front's official YouTube channel by former member Satoda Mai, on February 12, 2014, to take place until March 31, 2014. The audition was open to girls ages 10-17 across the country. However on August 7th, it was announced that there was no winners from this audition. Later on November 4, 2014 it was announced that the group was being revived with a new name, Country Girls, and would feature Satoda Mai as a Supervisor.

Discography

Albums

Singles

* credited to Country Musume ni Ishikawa (Morning Musume)
** credited to Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto (Morning Musume)

DVDs

Photobooks

  • [2004.03.13] Minimoni. & Country Musume. ni Konno to Fujimoto (Morning Musume.) in Hello! Project 2004 Winter (ミニモニ。&カントリー娘。に紺野と藤本(モーニング娘。) in Hello! Project 2004 Winter) (with Minimoni) amazon.co.jp
  • [2005.10.??] AYA MATSUURA & COUNTRY MUSUME. - Hello! Project 2005 Natsu no Kayou Show '05 Selection! Collection! (AYA MATSUURA & COUNTRY MUSUME。―Hello!Project2005夏の歌謡ショー 05’セレクション!コレクション!) (with Matsuura Aya) amazon.co.jp

External Links