The alternative title for this post is: Who is responsible for this MONSTROSITY?

And by monstrosity, I mean this:

I am the type of fan who will speak out what I really think but it does not make me like them less. This album cover is more amusing than annoying. And it brings to mind a joke I saw on tumblr that went like this:

As Arashi was brainstorming for what to call their next album and concert tour…

Jun: I want to do a pop concert for the fans.

Aiba: Then… popcorn?

Of course it’s not true but Arashi fans would surely laugh especially on the Aiba part. Aiba, who was responsible for the Ara-Fes goods that had the blurb: “the festival with our BIG LOVE and THANK YOU”.

I wanted to get that hood but those words just stopped me.

Somehow, when I first heard that they were going to call their new album and concert “Popcorn”, I knew someone was bound to go literal. I mean, this is the group that brandished vegetables in one of their songs early in their career. I even joked that I already see them popping out of a microwave stage in popcorn costumes at the opening of their concert tour. I wouldn’t be surprised, really, especially after seeing that… monstrosity of a cover.

But then, that’s the charm of Arashi. They are not an idol group that tries mightily to stick to an idol image. Their career history is enough proof of that so I don’t think they’ll have second thoughts if their management tells them to wear popcorn head costumes. But for sure they’d be the first to laugh at themselves and make a joke out of it. That’s Arashi.

Album cover aside, Popcorn looks like a typical Arashi album — full of fun, verve and as Tom Hanks said in That Thing You Do… poppy.

The first track, Welcome to Our Party, is a catchy tune that will surely ring in your ears (as it has in mine) after you hear it.

 

I ♥ ♥ ♥ it. Let’s sing!

♬ Say yeah! Oh! 声のかぎり ♬ Say yeah! Oh!　一つになろう ♬ Make you happy, happy, happy, happy　君を待っていたんだよ ♬ 幸せになるための it’s a party time ♬

The full track list:

1. Welcome to our party
2. Kakenukero
3. Wild At Heart
4. Face Down
5. We wanna funk, we need a funk (Vocal: Jun Matsumoto)
6. two (Vocal: Satoshi Ohno)
7. Waiting for you
8. Rakuen (Vocal: Masaki Aiba)
9. Tabi wa tsudzuku yo
10. Sore wa yappari kimideshita (Vocal: Kazunari Ninomiya)
11. Meikyuu Love Song
12. Your Eyes
13. Fly on Friday (Vocal: Sho Sakurai)
14. Cosmos
15. Akashi
16. Up to you

MatsuJun’s track has a catchy vibe as usual. Some people misread it at first. Some of the songs had been released earlier as themes for their dramas.

The album will be released on October 31. The limited edition has been sold out at CD Japan but you can still order the regular edition here.

Meanwhile, the Popcorn concert tour will begin on November 16. The tour dates are as follows:

• Kyocera Dome: Nov 16, 17, 18
• Sapporo Dome: Nov 30, Dec 1 and 2
• Fukuoka Dome: Dec 7, 8 and 9
• Tokyo Dome: Dec 13, 14, 15 and 16
• Nagoya Dome:  Jan 11, 12 and 13, 2013

Don’t forget to bring the popcorn!

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