generasia:Featured article for 2019 week 12
Morning Musume
Morning Musume (モーニング娘。) is a Japanese pop girl group produced by Tsunku, managed by Up-Front Promotion, and part of Hello! Project as its flagship group. They are also known as "Momusu" (モー娘。) for short, and have adopted the name "Jou An Sao Nu Jou" (pinyin: Zǎo Ān Shào Nǚ Zǔ; traditional Chinese: 早安少女組。) for the Chinese market. Formed in 1997 on the talent show ASAYAN, Morning Musume quickly became, and still remains, one of Japan's top all-girl groups with a number of hit records and albums. They have sold over 17,746,446 copies in Japan alone. They were masterminded and managed by their producer Tsunku who is responsible for the composition of the majority of their songs and lyrics, production of their CD-sleeve covers, designing of their costumes and make-up and their live shows.
The group has been known for its ever-changing line-ups, with auditions and graduations creating different styles and dynamics to their music and performances. Beginning in 2014, Morning Musume's name was changed to reflect the present year as a way to help audiences identify member rosters over its seventeen-year history. Currently, the group is identified as Morning Musume '19 (pronounced One-Nine).
Their fourth best album Best! Morning Musume 20th Anniversary is released this week on March 20th.
