Album Review: E-Girls' "E.G. TIME"

Now that there are a whole slew of Johnny's Entertainment and 48 Project groups repping each agency, it's a rare week when one or the other isn't topping Japan's Oricon chart. I don't have too much of a problem with this set-up: both agencies are excellent at what they do, and Johnny's at least has a decent amount of variety among their line-up. On the downside, competing agencies with equally talented groups don't have much of a shot in the spotlight in comparison as far as taking a huge cut of physical sales for singles goes.

LDH, a co-ed performance geared agency, has been shaking things up by making a credible dent in the charts this year with their stronger-than-ever line-up of performers: their top group EXILE, EXILE's sub-unit J Soul Brothers, GENERATIONS, E-Girls and its many sub-units (Dream, Flower, Happiness), and the all-encompassing EXILE TRIBE. The massive female idol collective E-Girls has yet to reach the sales level of any 48 project group-- unfortunately, in my book, since they bring a fresh EDM flair and vocal talent that I think rivals several of the 48 groups-- but they've had a solid year with several excellent singles both within E-Girls and within their sub-units, particularly Flower, capped off by the release of their third album, E.G. TIME.

Did they bring the beats with their latest release? Let's check it out!

-Introduction-: Though it's one of the shortest intros I've ever heard, this one still manages to get the listener into a concert mind-set with the pumped up cheering and "E.G!" chants from the audience. Of course, you expect a good anthem to follow, so thankfully, the next track is...

E.G. Anthem -We Are Venus-: This single came out early this summer as a sort of character song for the different divisions of E-Girls to celebrate their girl power and many charms, from their fierce electro-pop vibes to their flowery girl group sweetness. This song also saw increased international attention for the group among J-Fans, and for a good reason, too: even if you can't see the visuals and breath taking dancing present in the MV, it also happens to be a powerful, feel good listen, which brings out the best in the lead singers' vocals while still delivering a fun, poppy tune. I think a common misconception is that all female J-Pop is of the school-girl-and-bathing-suits variety, but E-Girls brings something new to the table by presenting a sound that's a little more edgy and self-empowering. "We are Venus" is the perfect kind of anthem to broaden J-Pop's horizons and kick off the album on the right note.

Mr. Snowman: The album's second track is also a familiar single, one we've heard more recently as their holiday release this November. It's a more upbeat number compared to Flower's seasonal offerings-- Koibito ga Santa Clause and Shirayukihime-- but better suits the happy spirit of E-Girls, even though it doesn't sound particularly Christmasy other than the snowman-themed chorus and occasional sparkly snowflake sound effects. Aya in particular gets plenty of time to shine on this track, so it's vocally on-point, and is all-in-all a much better danceable winter song than some of the classics. Why not take "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" off rotation and put this on instead?

Music Flyer: This track was one of my favorites from the new numbers on this album, namely because it takes what I love from J-Pop artists such as Perfume and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu including the electro-beats and dance-ready sound and peels off most of the electronic vocal frills we generally get from that brand of J-Performer in order to let the vocals do as much as work as the instrumentation. I honestly don't mind the vocoders, autotune, and Vocoloid-esque quirks in that branch of mainstream J-Pop since it's used in a way which makes it fun to listen to, but I also appreciate how E-Girls leaves most of their electronic tricks to their backing track and EDM breaks, since as Happiness, Dream, and Flower have all shown us, there's real vocal talent in their ranks. "Music Flyer" is an overall appealing electro-pop track, and I just can't help but love how LDH groups boost these kinds of tracks with their vocal power as well.


Move It! -Dream & E-Girls TIME-: Since Dream was the center unit for this song, I was almost expecting a "Darling"-esque slow number, up until I saw the E-Girls was also mentioned in the title, as well as the dance single indicator of "Move It!" And move it they do! Dream showcases their dance vibe as adeptly as they perform their ballads, and "Move It" makes for yet another dance track you'll want to jam along with. E-Girls' energy levels have taken a huge step up even from their Lesson 1 and Colorful Pop days-- though singles like "Gomenasai no Kissing You" and "Follow Me" had infectious beats, the vocal powers in tracks like this one have also been amped up to their max.

Rock and Roll Widow: The cover of E.G. TIME features a girl wearing a 50s style Varsity jacket, and the classic rock and roll vibe of the era is echoed in this track, a cover of Japanese vocalist Ryudo Uzaki, which kicks off a "Revolution" reminiscent guitar opening and continues on with several throwback features including some Motown-esques harmonized "ooh oohs" and hookyness that could give "Let's Twist Again" a run for its money. All the same, there's still a very modern vibe to the song to keep it from sounding campy, and it instead comes across as a fun nod to the era while still keeping E-Girls true to their trademark contemporary style, and not borrowing too much from how Uzaki originally performed it.


High School Love: This summer single is one of E-Girls' most relatable numbers since it tackles remembering young love, old friends from school, and having a blast reuniting with all the people who used to take up such a big part of your life. I hit my own five year reunion this year, and while I never considered high school to be the best years of my life as many say, I think you have a new appreciation for the people you met and time you spent there with a little maturity. This song managed to speak to me in that way, so I really enjoyed that it was slower paced and less dance-y than their previous tracks. It's great for nostalgia, and very well sung to boot.

Odoru Ponpokorin: This cover of B.B. Queens' hit from the 90s children's anime Chibi Maruko-chan is a love it or hate it type song. On one hand, it's super catchy, fun, and spirited, which is what appealed it to many Japanese fans when the original was first released. On the other hand, it's a bit repetitive and kind of kitschy for a group with a more mature sound than other female idol groups. I am actually in the love it camp on this one. I loved the B.B. Queens' version, and since the song has remained beloved through the years, I'm not at all surprised that there was a revival. E-Girls' did a great job of keeping its original cute style while bringing a few modern touches, and while I do prefer their EDM style, this kind of track also fits into their catalog for me.

Jiyuu no Megami ~Yuvuraia~: This song was used as a commercial background track, and like many songs written specifically for commercials, it- um- has lyrics that call to mind the plot of a commercial. The girls sing it well and it has a nice beat, but it didn't interest me as much as their earlier tracks, other than wondering what the heck "Yuvuraia" meant. Any ideas?

Ureshii! Tanoshii! Daisuki!: The girls move back into cover territory with their updated version of Dreams Come True's classic B-Side from their "Ureshii Hazukashi Asagaeri" single release. There's a reason why this song is consistently chosen for their greatest hits collections: it's as great of a feel good falling in love hit as they come. E-Girls does a good job of bringing the classic appeal of the song (and the divine sax solos) to a modern audience and giving it a more feminine sound. It's not exactly a song as suited for such a quick revival as "Odoru Ponpokorin," but since it's a good cover, there's little reason to complain.

Again: "Again" is a more relaxed number that would be right at home on any of the sub-units' albums, but having all three unit's main vocalists working on it polishes it just right. It's not as exciting as the E-Girls' dance tracks or as breathtaking as some of the ballads that have come from these singers, but it makes for a relaxing listen and falls at just the right place on the album.

Chocolat: I won't lie, I'm a sucker for these kinds of songs about longing for a lost love, so this was completely up my alley. Comparing such a feeling to chocolate sounds a bit weird, but the lyrics make it work, so I'll share some bits of it that I liked the most:

"The feeling of being in love is exactly like chocolate
Though it is a little bittersweet, it melts
Sweet and painful, missin' you...

Our meeting and our separation is just like chocolate
A flavour which never disappears,even if we cannot meet
Sweet and painful, missin' you"

Kibou no Hikari ~Mirai wo Shinjite~ (Dream and E-Girls Version): This track is the album's closer and the one pure ballad of the album, so it makes sense to put the Dream unit at the center (not to say that Flower and Happiness don't also slay their ballads, but this track in particular is well suited to the foursome's vocal style. It's a beautiful track, and it's nice and long so you get a lot out of it. Once again, this is what I love about E-Girls and their units: their singing is always on-point, and they're not just young pretty faces in uniforms. Their talent is strong, and their emotional delivery on songs like these are just as amazing as their electro-pop numbers.

E.G. TIME also includes newly arranged versions of "Gomenasai no Kissing You" and "Follow Me". They aren't huge shake-ups from the originals, but are still worth a listen if you like those singles, since there are a few nicely done new twists to them.

Overall, E.G. TIME is a worth a high B+ ranking, the downsides being that they released so many songs this year that almost the entire tracklist was already familiar, and what wasn't a pre-release single typically fell into cover territory if it wasn't a re-arrange of an earlier song. That being said, all of their singles this year were excellent and held up for multiple listens, and the energy of their dance songs have definitely taken a step up from their previous releases, and their sound is better than it has ever been. It's one of their best albums to-date, and once again, these girls deserve major props for bringing new freshness to the female idol genre and absolutely killing it with their dancing and vocals.