Favorite J-Pop Songs: Morning Musume / Dance Suru No Da

Decided on a whim to take along an old Morning Musume collection I’d made awhile ago with me on my errands today, and I have to say that after all these years I still can’t believe how much those songs still hold up-I love those old tunes! And going through all the hits and singles, one song that REALLY hit home and took me back was the Girls’ superb “Dance Surunoda”. MAN, how I love this song- in fact, the last time (way, way back in the day) that my friends and I had done out favorite Morning Musume “Song Rankings”, that song was listed at Number ONE. and I’ll be darned if it doesn’t STILL have the impact if had on me all those years ago!

Originally appearing on Morning Musume’s third album “Third Love Paradise” with the Generation Three Line-Up, it wasn’t until the group was already onto their Fourth Generation that they released this wonderful PV (originally for an interactive video game where the viewer could use the controls and scroll back and forth to view the girls who were singing in a formed circle), its circular dance stage and split-screen visual was such an interesting and dynamic way to watch a video!

Scrolling Version (with Subtitles!):

Never mind that for the most part, this wasn’t even the real “line-up” who originally did the song they were lipsynching to, the sheer energy and HAPPINESS exuding from the performance of this catchy Jackson Five-ish funky tune with the sweet message of making the most of your life while you’re alive makes it as “Definitive” a version if there ever was one! It was this video’s unique innovation as well as the girls looking so doggone ADORABLE, singing and having fun that made me totally and utterly fall in love with the song! 

...and the wonderful Split-Screen Version:

Sure, there’ve been other singles that were stronger songs and there are older tunes from them that I’m more sentimentally attached to, but to me, “Dance Surunoda” captures everything that made Morning Musume special to me, the catchy melodies, the pretty outfits, the playful demeanor and of course the charisma of those Morning Musume Girls are just a few of the reasons why I loved them sooo, soooo much back then!
Ahhhn~, watching this video now and seeing all the familiar faces, it occurs to me that this was really my favorite line-up of MM, where we had the best of all worlds, faves from Gen1 like Yuko and Nattchi, Marippe from Gen2 and Gocchin of Gen3 mixed in with the innocence of Rika, Yossie, Aibon and Nonochan creating the perfect balance of youth and experience, cuteness and confidence! Maybe I’m waxing too philosophically, but I always get into this kind of mood when I listen to the classics, really!