The Cute Rock Idols With Calming Voices - HAKUAKI - Now DIsbanded!! - New Age Idols Spotlight
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| Image Courtesy: Official Twitter |
The past few months I have written about some of my favorite groups. I had known of those groups for quite some time.
This month will be a little different.
I want to introduce a group that, just only a few months ago, came onto the music scene.
Since their debut, they have been on constant rotation in my playlists.
This dance and vocal group shouldn't be missed!
Shall we go on a journey and explore more about HAKUAKI?
Group Information
HAKUAKI made their debut on March 11, 2021 with a one-man live operation at Hatsudai DOORS.
The meaning of the name HAKUAKI confused me a little bit when I was doing research.
To be honest, I thought it meant something else in Japanese. I did some translation skills and it brought up the Kanji for Cretaceous. It was period around the dinosaur times. That didn't make any sense for the name to be that.
After perusing the group's Twitter, the meaning is actually Hack A Kingdom. It makes more sense when you try to put some of the phrase together.
The group consists of five members. One of the members is currently on a hiatus, so for live shows, they are performing with only four.
They also have released one EP and two singles, as of late June 2021. You will get a taste of their music in the video and for this specific article, audio review.
Would you like to meet the members?
Member Information
I will showcase all four members and also place in their SNS profiles for you to follow them. A couple of the members participate on various live streaming services. I will put in that information.
The profile pictures are nothing compared to their SNS pictures. If you want to see how cute and pretty they are, give them a like and follow.
Pococha and LINE LIVE can only be accessed in Japan. If you live overseas, you can download both apps via an APK.
A couple of the members don't put their birthday in their SNS profiles, so for those girls, I will put a N/A in that row.
You know what else is great? You guessed it! They are color coded.
Name: RAY (れい）
Birthdate: N/A
Color: White
Name: ENJ (えんじ）
Birthdate: June 12th, 2000
Color: Red
Name: Anzu (あんず）
Birthdate: October 25th
Color: Black
SNS: Twitter Twitcasting
Name: Miyavi (みやび）
Birthdate: N/A
Color: Purple
Former Members
Non (のん) - Withdrew August 18th, 2021...Announcement
Discography Information
As I earlier mentioned, they have released a few one EP and two singles. You can stream them on your favorite music distribution sites such as Spotify, Apple Music, etc.
1st EP - HAKUAKI - Released March 6th, 2021
1st Digital Single - Monokuro - Released April 30th, 2021
2nd Digital Single - 月に向日葵 (Tsuki ni himawari) - Released May 29th, 2021
3rd Digital Single - Milk Tea - Released October 24th, 2021
My favorite streaming platforms
Music Video / Audio Review
In this section, I will share some of my favorite songs and do a review of each. Per usual, these are my opinions.
The first song I want to share is called "Babel", from their first EP, HAKUAKI.
This song gets me pumped up to take on the day. I had this set as my alarm tone for quite some time. The first 15 seconds really sets the tone for the song. Do you want to go for a run? The vocals in this song is a nice contrast to the rock vibe and some slight electronics in the bridge. The chorus will get stuck in your head for various reasons. I like it because it is really catchy and sometimes at work, it will come into my mind and I will start jamming. There is a part towards the end after another crazy guitar solo that slows the song down. That one little section gives me the chills every single time I hear it. I thoroughly love this song and practically listen to it daily. This song would be cool to see performed in front of a live band.
The groups first EP is very rock centered throughout and it will give you a lot of energy or if you want to let off some steam or even some nice orthodox idol sounds. Give the whole EP a listen!
As for their first single, monokuro, their music takes a different tone. This single is more of a natural idols approach and has light rock compared to heavy rock.
The next song I want to introduce is "Canary", from their first single.
It sounds like a summer song. You turn this song up and you roll down your car windows and go on a long drive. The light rock with the up-tempo and happy singing is fun. The vocals are really nice and they mesh well. It is hard to put into words how much I enjoy listening to this song. I will keep this review short due to that fact. On Spotify, it is the most popular song on their list and I can believe that it is the case. It really blends well with the typical Japanese light rock scene.
The first single is different from their first EP because it has more of a light feeling. The only song that harkens back to the EP is "Media Mania". Overall, this is a nice single to listen to if you want to be happy or just out in nature.
The last song I want to share is their latest single, "Tsuki ni himawari" (Sunflower on the Moon).
This track matches the best of both worlds. It mixes the harder rock with light rock for a tune that is hard to beat. The hard rock and frantic piano at the beginning is a nice start that leads to the vocals and light rock. The tune picks up during the bridge and into a catchy chorus. The vocals are really nice in this song as they showcase their vocal range and even their speed. It would be a fun song to see live because there must be a fan chant intermixed. There is the goosebumps moment with the solo guitar and solo vocals that hit the spot. Much like a majority of their songs, this is a good driving song. Just imagine driving down a two-lane highway to your favorite spot outside of the city. I could listen to this song for a long time to come.
Overall Review
As I mentioned in the introduction, I became a fan of theirs shortly before debut. Yet there is more backstory to this then I imagined.
Also, in doing research for this article, there is no English information or practically any other information about HAKUAKI on the internet. It's kind of sad to be honest.
Like some of my past articles, there is some correlation between this group and my trip to Tokyo in 2019.
Back in 2019, I saw a group named Boy Meets Haru perform and in that group was Miyavi (みやびちゃん). She was under a different name at that time just so you know. She immediately drew my attention during the performance due to her purple hair that she sports currently. I wanted to talk to her at the merchandise sales but I was super nervous to speak to her, so I chose another member instead. I don't regret meeting Kigu-chan but I do regret not meeting Miyavi-chan.
Anyways, Boy Meets Haru disbanded last year and then re-debuted but with new members. I didn't learn of this until January 2021. I saw Miyavi-chan tweet out a particular thing involving a new group after some of her tweets resurfaced in my timeline. Of course, I became intrigued and wanted to see what this group was about. Following their Twitter and such to get to know them a little bit.
At first, I didn't choose anyone member as a favorite and will not do so in the future, even though it seems to be like I am supporting one member more than the others.
The group released their first EP and I was hooked from that moment on. I listened to that EP and their other music so many times that it is now routine.
At work, I sometimes put their music on repeat because I enjoy it so much. I do discuss the members with my coworkers and it probably drives them insane.
Anyways, I look forward to their future activities as a group and any new content that they will release. I hope to see them perform when I can return to Japan, but for now I will use livestreaming services to talk instead.
I will leave a message to the members for when they do read this.
To the members of HAKUAKI:
First and foremost, nice to meet you. I want you all to know that you are such hard workers. Seeing your schedule month in and month out shows how much work that you put in to perform on the stage in front of your adoring fans. You each are really good singers and I'm not sure about dancing, but I imagine that you all are good at that as well. All of you have unique personalities that it is really fun to listen to whenever I can attend your distributions. You have a very strong domestic fanbase that has been following some of you all for a very long time. Even as time goes along, your fanbase will grow and it will become a great sight to see. I hope that you will continue to grow not only as individuals but also as a group as well. You have a bright future and I wish that you will continue to shine on stage for everyone to see. Best of luck to you in your future endeavors. Always keep doing your best and never stop smiling.
Much love and support from Oklahoma USA!
I really hope you enjoyed this introduction about HAKUAKI and will give them a listen and a follow. If you read this far, thank you!
Official Links
You can follow me on Twitter or feel free to leave a comment down below. I don't mind whatsoever.
As always, no matter wherever you are or whatever situation you may be in, Have A Great Day!
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