(Left to Right: Watanabe Rika, Suzumuto Miyu, Hirate Yurina, Imaizumi Yui and Kobayashi Yui from Silent Majority's music video)
All has started from a single post in Instagram (IG) featuring Nogizaka46 (Big Sisters of Keyakizaka46).
It was one of my typical days when spending my work day-off. I got nothing else to do than watching Japanese movies and series, doing Facebook, Instagram, reading some blogs, eat and sleep. One day, I happened to see this picture of Nagahama Neru (from one of her photo-book entries).
(I believe this was the one. Yeah, I do remember this was indeed the first picture I’ve encountered.)
It was then that I became curious as to who was this girl. Fortunately, her name was written in the caption. I quickly searched online and found out that she entered late in the group and became a Kennin (a group member of two different groups and teams at the same time). Then my curiosity has gone deep which led me to know more about the group.
I had manage to gather more information about the group. Keyakizaka46 is a Japanese Idol Group which is produced by Yasushi Akimoto and is a sister group of the Nogizaka46 (also produced by the same person) who was acclaimed as the official rival of AKB48. I started to listen their songs especially the singles and it was that time when I got hook up with their debut single – Silent Majority (サイレントマジョリティー). The song was pretty good and the lyrics hold some kind of message for the society especially to teenagers. The message of the song somehow encourages someone to speak and don’t leave any decision to others. Otherwise, they won’t be able to know whether you’re for YES or NO. Everyone has that freedom in us and to utilize it, you need to breakthrough from the world’s restrictions.
選べることが大事なんだ
人に任せるな
行動しなければ
Noと伝わらない
“Choosing is important
Don’t leave it to others
If you don’t take action,
they won’t hear your No”
誰かの後
ついて行けば
傷つかないけど
その群れが
総意だと
ひとまとめにされる
“If you’re just following someone
You won’t get hurt, but
That crowd is just one mind.
You’ll be made one of them.”
(I guess those words are enough to convey the message of the song.)
Aside from the lyrics and the catchy tune, their unusual choreography is so good and interesting. Almost every move holds a message. Takahiro who is a world-famous dancer did the choreography for the group. For someone to be able to come up with kind of choreography is simply a genius. With every stepping in accordance to the song, he wanted to convey the spirit of its words and music. However, coming up with those stepping weren’t enough. He needs to have someone who can properly imbibe its message. And it is here which Hirate Yurina enters. She was the selected center for the group’s debut single (up to their 6th Single, she is still the selected center). With Hirate’s intensity and incredible aura, she has managed to show Takahiro‘s intensity and drama for the song. As the man said,
“It (Silent Majority) has a really strong world view, and in that was each person’s own will. And in a world where everyone was lining up towards the right, there’s one person with her own will, one person with a different will. A world view contrasting the individual versus the group was what came to mind for me.”
Hirate Yurina (Center)
Takahiro
When I started to watch Silent Majority’s music video, it was love at first sight. I don’t know how to exactly express it but my feelings for the group has gone deeper everyday. From then on, I started to listen more of their songs, watch their music videos and even the variety shows where the group appears, I started collecting them. It’s still going on up until this very moment I wrote this line. In fact, I’m currently downloading the newly subbed PV (Promotional Video) and Selfie TV entries.
I'm planning to make some entries about their songs. I wish to study their songs and hoping I would be able to write and share more to others.
If you want to know more about the group, I suggest to watch and listen first the debut single – Silent Majority.
