In 2013, the group grossed the fourth highest total sales revenue by a music artist in Japan, with over¥5.2 billion.[3] During 2016, about 636,000 people attended their live concerts, the most ever for a Japanese female group.[4][5] MCZ was ranked as the most popular female Japanese group from 2013 to 2018, and 2020 to 2022.[6][7]
MCZ has collaborated with other performers, including a 2015 recording with American hard rock bandKISS, marking KISS's first collaborative recording.[8] In 2016, their first overseas tour titledTrans America Ultra Live was held inHawaii,Los Angeles, andNew York.[9] They sold more than 3 million physical copies in Japan.
On stage, Momoiro Clover Z members are easily distinguished by the colors of their clothes, similar to the characters fromSuper Sentai[10] orPower Rangers. In some songs and music videos, the group loosely parodies them.[11][12]
Before the group made its debut, other girls were in the lineup: Sumire Fujishiro, Manami Ikura,Yukina Kashiwa (later a member ofNogizaka46), Tsukina Takai (later became a member ofSKE48), Miyū Wagawa, and Runa Yumikawa.
The group was formed in the spring of 2008 as a 5-member unit, originally namedMomoiro Clover ("Pink Clover" or, literally, "Peach-Colored Clover"). The name was chosen to imply that the group was composed of innocent girls who wanted to bring happiness to people.[13] Ariyasu Momoka joined the group after their first single. Later in 2011, after the departure ofAkari Hayami from the group, management added the letter "Z" to the group's name. The group's slogan is "Idols you can meet right now" (いま、会えるアイドル,Ima, aeru aidoru).
Momoiro Clover began as a street act in 2008, performing for bystanders in Tokyo'sYoyogi Park.[11] As most members were students attending school on weekdays, the group was active mainly on weekends, leading them to be nicknamed "Weekend Heroines" (週末ヒロイン,Shūmatsu Hiroin).[14] In a one-year period, Momoiro Clover had a number of line-up changes. In March 2009, they became a five-member unit composed ofReni Takagi,Kanako Momota,Akari Hayami,Shiori Tamai, andAyaka Sasaki.[15]
To support and promote their firstindie single, "Momoiro Punch", Momoiro Clover took advantage of school holidays from May to August and went by minibus on a long tour across Japan. They gave a total of 104 concerts in 24 electronic stores of theYamada Denki network. The girls slept in the minivan, and group's managers drove.[11] In the middle of the tour,Momoka Ariyasu was added to the group as a sixth member.[16] The single was sold only at the group's live events and those sales were enough for it to place 11th in theOricon Daily Singles Chart and 23rd in the weekly chart.[17]
In March 2010, the girls stated their goals: to take first place onOricon, to participate inKōhaku Uta Gassen, to perform atBudokan.[note 1][18] They usually performed in a small club with live music or on a roof of a department store. They sometimes set a simulated stage ofNational Olympic Stadium, where notable musicians are allowed to perform.[19]
Their first major-label single "Ikuze! Kaitō Shōjo" was released in May.[20] The single debuted on Japan's Oricon Daily Singles Chart at the first position, and at number 3 for the week.[17][21] Momoiro Clover then moved toKing Records. The group's first single with King was "Pinky Jones", composed by Narasaki from the Japanese rock bandCoaltar of the Deepers with a "more chaotic" approach than previous songs. December 24 marked Momoiro Clover's first solo concert at a concert hall. Nihon Seinenkan, a venue with a capacity of 1,300 seats, was sold out in 30 minutes.[22]
In January 2011 at the release event for a new song, sub-leaderAkari Hayami stated that she had decided to withdraw from the group in April. Hayami explained that her character was not suited to being an idol and that her dream was to become an actress.[23] At the April 10 Akari Hayami "graduation" concert, the group's management announced the name change toMomoiro Clover Z after Hayami's departure.[24] In Japan,Z symbolizes ultimateness and this letter is often appended to a title (e.g.,Mazinger Z andDragon Ball Z).Z is officially pronounced as/zɛd/ (British pronunciation) when the name is used in spoken English.[25] The band has gone on record saying in an interview that the Z in the title is a reference to the famous anime series,Dragon Ball Z stating "The Z in our name is a very obvious reference toDragon Ball Z" and that "It's a awesome and very influential series".
Momoiro Clover Z's first single after Hayami's departure was "Z Densetsu: Owarinaki Kakumei", accompanied by a new group image and stage performance.[26] The girls wore outfits with helmets and so-called "transformation belts" reminiscent of Japanese superhero movies, and the music video also borrowed from such "Super Sentai" imagery.[26] In July, Momoiro Clover Z released their first album,Battle and Romance. Later in December,Hotexpress described the band as the number-one breakthrough idol artist of 2011 and stated that the album became a big turning point for them.[1] Next February,Battle and Romance won the Grand Prix at theCD Shop Awards as the best CD of the year selected by music shop employees from all over the country. Momoiro Clover Z was the first idol group to win the award.[27][28] On Christmas Day, 2011, Momoiro Clover Z gave a concert atSaitama Super Arena to their biggest audience to date: all 10,000 tickets were sold out.[29]
In May 2012, Momoiro Clover Z performed in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The former Prime Minister,Najib Razak, personally greeted the group. In June, Momoiro Clover Z opened a national tour, which closed with a sold-out show atSeibu Dome in August to a capacity crowd of 37,000 fans.[10][30][31] Both dates were broadcast live to selected cinemas across Japan, the latter also to Taiwan and Hong Kong.[32]
The group recorded an ending theme song forPokémon'sBest Wishes series (titled "Mite Mite Kocchichi" and included in the eighth single "Otome Sensō" as a coupling track).[33] In July, Momoiro Clover Z performed atJapan Expo 2012 in Paris.[34][35]
Momoiro Clover Z's ninth single "Saraba, Itoshiki Kanashimitachi yo", which appeared in November, topped theBillboard Japan Hot 100 chart, becoming their first single to do so.[36] They contributed to the animeJoshiraku with "Nippon Egao Hyakkei" as the ending theme which was released on 5 September with a prior early release in iTunes Japan on 22 August.[37]
On December 31, Momoiro Clover Z performed atKōhaku Uta Gassen, an annual New-Year-Eve music show hosted byNHK, for the first time.[38] Going to Kōhaku had been the group's goal for a long time.[39] During the January 1Ustream broadcast, Momoiro Clover Z made several announcements: that the band set a new goal for itself — to give a concert at theNational Olympic Stadium, an arena with 60–70,000 capacity, that they would release a new album in spring, and thatMomoka Ariyasu had to undergo a throat treatment and she would not sing or even talk until the end of January.[40] The treatment was subsequently prolonged for another month, until the end of February. During the group's live Ustream broadcasts, Momoka communicated by drawing and writing on amarkerboard. At live performances, other members took turns in singing her parts.[41]
Momoiro Clover Z's second full-length album5th Dimension was released in April. It sold 180,000 copies in the first week and debuted on top of theOricon charts, with the first albumBattle and Romance resurging to number two.[42] Finally, it won a platinum disk award.[43] In August, Momoiro Clover Z held a concert atNissan Stadium. It has the largest capacity in Japan.[44]
In March, the group held a solo concert atNational Olympic Stadium, realizing one of their dreams since the debut.[45] Such solo concerts had only been performed by six groups until then. Momoiro Clover Z was the first female group and also became the fastest group ever, which achieved that in six years.[46] As a two-day concert, a total of 150,000 people watched in the stadium and at live viewing venues.[47]
In August, the group performed atLady Gaga's concert as an opening act.[53] It was a part of Gaga's world tour named "ArtRave: The Artpop Ball" and held in Japan. Momoiro Clover Z was selected by Gaga herself.[53]
On January 28, 2015, Momoiro Clover Z released a collaboration single with the American hard rock bandKISS, titled "Yume no Ukiyo ni Saitemina". It was the first time for KISS to release a collaboration CD with another artist.[8] In Japan, it was released physically in two versions: Momoiro Clover Z edition (CD+Blu-ray) and KISS edition (CD only).[54][55] An alternate mix of the single's title song was also included as an opening track on the Japanese-only SHM-CD albumBest of KISS 40, released in Japan on the same day.[56][57]
In February 2015, a joint performance recorded by Momoiro Clover Z andRats & Star for theFuji TV showMusic Fair was removed from broadcast due to controversy over the appearance of both groups inblackface in the performance, a photo of which Rats & Star had tweeted before the broadcast date after recording.[58] AChange.org petition had been started after the tweet byJapan Times contributorBaye McNeil, who is African American, amid conversations overracism in Japan.[59] Amid the controversy, Momoiro Clover Z cancelled their appearance at a Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan film screening.[60]
Momoiro Clover Z provided the theme song, "Z no Chikai" which was released as their fifteenth single on April 29, 2015, for theDragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' theatrical anime film. The group also voiced the Angels at the end of the film.[61][62]
2016:Amaranthus/Hakkin no Yoake andTrans America Ultra Live
The group released their third studio albumAmaranthus and fourth studio albumHakkin no Yoake in a double release in Japan on February 17, 2016. The albums debuted at #1 and #2 in the Oricon weekly albums chart.[63] The group held a dome trek tour for the two albums.[64]
In early April 2016, the group announced[65] their first overseas tour titledTrans America Ultra Live and appeared inHawaii,Los Angeles andNew York[9]
On January 21,Momoka Ariyasu graduated from the group, leaving MCZ with only four members. In April, they released their 18th single, "Xiao yi Xiao". On May 23, they released a new best of album for their tenth anniversary calledMomo mo Juu, Bancha mo Debana.
On May 17, 2019, Momoiro Clover Z released their self-titled fifth studio album, their first studio album to not feature Momoka Ariyasu and their first as a four-member group. In 2021, they performed the theme song for theSailor Moon Eternal movie.
2020 to 2025 Timeline
2020-2021: Focused on virtual concerts and online fan engagement due to the pandemic, with special digital performances and releases.
2023:
Celebrated their 15th anniversary with a nationwide tour.
Released singles like "MONONOFU NIPPON" and "Chikai Mirai."
Collaborated with Hotei and Ken Matsudaira.
2024:
Released singles including "Brand New Day," "Heroes," and "Renacer Serenade."
Hosted the 8th annual song battle "Love’s New Year’s Eve."
2025:
Scheduled to headline the Kansai Collection 2025 Spring/Summer event.
Released "Event Horizon" as the theme song for a Gundam arcade game.
This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(March 2018)
The band's songs are intentionally ridiculous "hyperactive J-pop numbers".[66][67] Their live performances are heavily choreographed and feature acrobatic stunts.[10] The group is noted for their "anarchic energy" that is similar to that of punk bands.[68] The response from the audience has been characterised as "seismic".[69]
Some of Momoiro Clover's works are quite complex, switching from one musical style to another during one song and connecting "seemingly unconnected melodies".[67][68] The group has worked with many noted songwriters and musicians, belonging to different genres of music, from pop to punk and heavy metal.[68] Overall, the group and its music has been noted as progressive and forward-thinking.[67][68] Ian Martin fromThe Japan Times dubbed Momoiro Clover "a pop group who provoke squealing, teenage admiration from punks, indie kids, noise musicians and heavy-psychedelic longhairs throughout the Japanese underground music scene".[67] Momoiro Clover "is known for upbeat tunes, eccentric choreography and the members' costumes".[35] A music critic fromThe Japan Times cites Momoiro Clover as an example of "a seamless integration of personality, image, and music, with each element mutually complementary".[70]
In 2012, their first albumBattle and Romance won theCD Shop Award as the best CD of the previous year as voted by music shop salesclerks from all over Japan.[27] It was the first time anidol (group) got this prize.[28]
Horror film. During filming, the girls were reportedly led to believe they were participating in a documentary about an urban legend and that everything happening was genuine.[83]
^At the same ceremony, Momoiro Clover signed a contract withUniversal Records. The public contract signing ceremony featured the weighing of every member to determine if they passed the weight requirement set by the record label foridols. If the band passed the requirement, they would sign a permanent contract.Reni Takagi failed, resulting in a temporary contract.
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