is the fourth studio album from the

J-pop J-pop (often stylized in all caps; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in trad ...

idol group

Morning Musume , formerly and commonly known as and colloquially referred to as , is a Japanese girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon, Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most to ...

and was released on March 27, 2002.

Release

The song was released July 25, 2001. It sold a total of 682,320 copies and reached number one on the Oricon Charts. This song is also a personal favorite of ex-

member,

Rika Ishikawa , is a Japanese actress and model associated with Hello! Project and best known as a former member of the pop group Morning Musume. She was the leader of the Japanese pop idol trio V-u-den until June 2008. She has performed as a solo singer, a ...

, as the monologue spoken by her towards the end of the song became one of her favorite moments of being in

. The single version (later preserved on the '' Best! Morning Musume 2'' anthology) contains a fade-out, suggesting to the listener that the song's multiple false endings continued infinitely. The version heard on the album '' 4th Ikimashoi!'' is billed as the "Complete Version" and does not fade out, instead coming to a stop several seconds beyond the single version's fadeout. The next single, , was released October 31, 2001. It sold a total of 513,340 copies and reached number one on the Oricon Charts. This single also marked the debut of the fifth generation members Ai Takahashi, Risa Niigaki, Makoto Ogawa, and Asami Konno. The song exhibits heavy swing-style music influence, and the video featured the group dressed in outfits reminiscent of swing's peak era. Lead vocals are Hitomi Yoshizawa,

Maki Goto is a Japanese singer, lyricist, and former actress. Born and raised in Edogawa, Tokyo, Goto began her musical career in 1999 when she joined Morning Musume as the only third generation member. Her first single with the group, "Love Machine (Mo ...

, and

Natsumi Abe is a Japanese singer and actress, a former member of Morning Musume, and a member of Dream Morning Musume. Biography She was born in Muroran, Hokkaidō, Japan. Career On August 13, 2003, she released her first single, "22 Sai no Watash ...

. Inspiration for the cross-dressing costumes, theatrical style, and trademark staircase dancing appears to have been taken from Japan's Takarazuka Revue, an all-female musical theater troupe famous for its gender-bending performances. In 2002, an English-language cover ("Mr. Moonlight") was recorded by Elisa Fiorillo for the album ''Cover Morning Musume Hello! Project!''.

Overview

It is currently their second highest selling album, with a total of 515,400 copies sold. Since their last album (with new material) 3rd: Love Paradise, two more generations of members had joined, which might have contributed to the album's overall success. The album contained such popular singles as "The Peace!" and " Ren'ai Revolution 21." The first pressing edition of the album came in special packaging, with a B3-sized folded poster. This album has received a platinum award for 250,000 copies sold.

Track listing

Members at the time of Album

*1st generation: Kaori Iida,

*2nd generation: Kei Yasuda, Mari Yaguchi *3rd generation:

*4th generation:

, Hitomi Yoshizawa, Nozomi Tsuji,

Ai Kago is a Japanese actress and singer. In 2000, Kago debuted as a 4th generation member of the idol girl group Morning Musume. During her time in the group, she was also part of Mini-Moni and other Hello! Project sub-groups. In 2004, Kago depart ...

*5th generation: Ai Takahashi, Asami Konno, Makoto Ogawa, Risa Niigaki

References

External links

4th Ikimasshoi!
entry on the Up-Front Works official website Morning Musume albums Zetima albums 2002 albums {{Hello!Project-stub