Morning Musume looks set to close out 2026 with zero albums and just one single — a first in the group’s history. Juice=Juice is also on track to end the year with zero singles, reportedly the first time that’s happened in Hello! Project since the “MoBeKiMaSu” era (the early-2010s heyday when Morning Musume, Berryz Kobo, °C-ute, and S/mileage were the core lineup). On the thread, opinions were split over why releases have dried up, with posters pointing to member graduation timing, the agency’s management structure, and comparisons to the Tsunku♂ era.
Morning Musume.
Through 2018: always had at least 2 singles
2019: 1 album, 1 single
Through 2018: always had at least 2 singles
2019: 1 album, 1 single
Morning Musume '26 has solo/unit shows running through November tied to this single, so there's probably nothing else coming this year.
>>7
They could still drop one in December though
They could still drop one in December though
Why didn't they put out a single to coincide with Maria's graduation?
>>9
Because there wasn't one scheduled
Because there wasn't one scheduled
>>9
She can barely sing anyway
She can barely sing anyway
Because the 18th-gen members weren't ready in time
>>11
What does whether the new members are ready have to do with releasing a single?
What does whether the new members are ready have to do with releasing a single?
>>16
Look at BEYOOOOONDS' "High Tension" — the new members weren't on that one either
Look at BEYOOOOONDS' "High Tension" — the new members weren't on that one either
Juice=Juice simply doesn't have time to prep new songs — apparently even the EP had to be thrown together in a rush
>>14
Maybe there's a heartfelt winter song from Kohmi Hirose in the works — something like "Ge-Dan" (the Morning Musume hit she wrote back in the day)
Maybe there's a heartfelt winter song from Kohmi Hirose in the works — something like "Ge-Dan" (the Morning Musume hit she wrote back in the day)
Oda's doing the lottery-draw WithLIVE event on this single — the usual thing Morning Musume does for departing members — so this will be the last CD she's ever on
>>15
After that it's probably just a photobook release — no more CDs for her
After that it's probably just a photobook release — no more CDs for her
BEYOOOOONDS gave Kojima a solo bit on "Shoshi Sengan" — a shame Morning Musume couldn't do a little more for her on "Yes ka No ka Watashika"
>>25
Otsubo and Sugiyama should get one too
Otsubo and Sugiyama should get one too
Back when Tsunku was running the show solo, every group put out 4 singles and 1 album a year. Now it's just "Hashi Pro" (a jab at Hello! Project's current management) — they keep adding groups while release counts keep shrinking
>>26
And Up-Front is the one who stepped in and stopped things from nearly dying back then — pretty ungrateful to turn around and complain
And Up-Front is the one who stepped in and stopped things from nearly dying back then — pretty ungrateful to turn around and complain
>>29
He was cranking out great songs in 2013 right when he got told he was being cut loose — then on the New Year's "Young Town" radio show his voice was completely shot, and soon after that his cancer was found. That's obviously stress from getting fired
He was cranking out great songs in 2013 right when he got told he was being cut loose — then on the New Year's "Young Town" radio show his voice was completely shot, and soon after that his cancer was found. That's obviously stress from getting fired
>>29
Releases dropped because they moved to multiple songwriters — that's got nothing to do with Tsunku
Releases dropped because they moved to multiple songwriters — that's got nothing to do with Tsunku
They're playing a music-box version of "Wonderful World" in the hotel lounge — didn't know that arrangement existed
>>27
Maybe it's the same one they play in hospitals
Maybe it's the same one they play in hospitals
If they put out a new song and it flops hard, they won't get invited to Kohaku lol
>>32
Stardust fires off new songs back-to-back whenever something looks like it's about to hit — that's exactly what Up-Front can't do
Stardust fires off new songs back-to-back whenever something looks like it's about to hit — that's exactly what Up-Front can't do
>>32
That's got nothing to do with it. "Burabare" flopped, sure, but they're all over TV thanks to "Moremi" and "Kurakura." Not putting out new music right now is just dumb
That's got nothing to do with it. "Burabare" flopped, sure, but they're all over TV thanks to "Moremi" and "Kurakura." Not putting out new music right now is just dumb
They keep saying live shows are H!P's main business, but outside of Morning Musume, which has a deep back catalog to draw on, it's basically the same setlist every time. They can't even release albums, so the song pool never grows
>>41
"The setlist's gone stale" is a complaint only "omaitsu" (regulars who show up to literally every date) would even notice. For Juice=Juice it's a fight just to get people to one show at all, and everyone already has their one must-hear song, so there's no real need to shake up the setlist
"The setlist's gone stale" is a complaint only "omaitsu" (regulars who show up to literally every date) would even notice. For Juice=Juice it's a fight just to get people to one show at all, and everyone already has their one must-hear song, so there's no real need to shake up the setlist
Even at roughly one show per tour, a similar setlist every time still gets old
>>43
That's just because you've already been a fan for years — it's just gotten harder for new people to get into Juice=Juice, that's all
That's just because you've already been a fan for years — it's just gotten harder for new people to get into Juice=Juice, that's all
>>48
"Lonely…But not Alone"'s MV isn't even outperforming "BLOODY BULLET," the one that supposedly flopped
"Lonely…But not Alone"'s MV isn't even outperforming "BLOODY BULLET," the one that supposedly flopped
>>51
It's doing fine, by Morning Musume standards
It's doing fine, by Morning Musume standards
Things went haywire because of the person who transferred over to TV Tokyo
>>52
That's got nothing to do with 2026 lol
That's got nothing to do with 2026 lol
If they'd started prepping for Makino's graduation last year, they probably could've managed two releases — Makino in June, Oda in December. Instead they got dazzled by September 9th looking like great 30th-anniversary promo timing and ended up with just one release for the whole year
>>54
It was obvious this graduation-milking excuse of an agency hadn't prepped for Makino's graduation at all
It was obvious this graduation-milking excuse of an agency hadn't prepped for Makino's graduation at all
>>54
In the end nothing was ready in time anyway and it slipped to September 30 — you can only call that inept
In the end nothing was ready in time anyway and it slipped to September 30 — you can only call that inept
"Kurakura" went out with high hopes and flopped badly, so they've got nothing left but to keep riding on "Moremi" into next year
>>59
↓ "Moremi"
↓ Juice=Juice's crushing flop
↓ Juice=Juice's massive flop
↓ A release doing even worse than Juice=Juice's massive flop
↓ "Moremi"
↓ Juice=Juice's crushing flop
↓ Juice=Juice's massive flop
↓ A release doing even worse than Juice=Juice's massive flop
>>63
"Kurakura" isn't even going viral
"Kurakura" isn't even going viral
>>64
At the very least, people from Ookami (a separate idol-fan forum, not 5ch) have no right to say that — go ahead and say it on X though
At the very least, people from Ookami (a separate idol-fan forum, not 5ch) have no right to say that — go ahead and say it on X though
>>66
Don't look away from reality
Don't look away from reality
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Morning Musume ending the year with zero albums and one single is unprecedented; Juice=Juice ending the year with zero singles is a first for Hello! Project since the MoBeKiMaSu era.”
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