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Saturday, April 27, 2019

Song of the Week! 27 April 2019


You may have never heard of this song's name before... or actually you may already have, considering that it's being shared with another playable song in the Taiko series!

 Synchronicity (シンクロニシティ)
Version
Allx2 (58)x3 (121)x5 (238)x7 (407)
 Taiko 0 B, Taiko Switch, Taiko PS4
 136
 none
 ???


Our second J-Pop pick for the year also comes from the blue-coated arcade firmware build's trails. Rest assured, however, that there's no relation between this track and the Synchronica theme song of the same name!

This flavor of Synchronicity comes from the Tokyo-based, all-female unit of Nogizaka46 (乃木坂), the first one under the Sony Records label's 'Sakamichi Series' associated acts. In activity since 2011, the act's main distinguishing point was its self-proclaimed raison d'etre behind its very creation: to become the first 'official rival' unit to the always-popular AKB48 act we've already heard plenty about in Taiko gaming. The name is based on the eponymous Tokyo station where the Sony Music Japan offices are located, as well as -you guessed it- the number of members in their main lineup. It also doubles up as an 'underdog-like' statement from its producer Yasushi Akimoto (秋元康), claiming how the are aiming to the top even with less members from their more direct rivals!

To this day, Nogizaka46 counts 5 album releases, over 20 singles and two Grand Prix victories at the Japan Record Awards contest, the latter of which was owed to this very song! Synchronicity made its launch rought one year ago from now, on April 25th 2018, as part of the maxi-single of the same name. Claiming over 1.1 million copies sold on its debut week, this is one of the act's many single hits to climb to the top ranking of both the Oricon Weekly and Billboard Hot 100 Japan charts at the same time! It was also played in a CM campaign for the tobacco pipe manufacturer Haruyama Shoji.

Geared with an Oni notechart that offers a wide range of 1/16 cluster formations and backbeat stanzas at an easily-approachable pace, this Synchronica-titled has made its Taiko-playable debut in both the arcade and console front (as a piece of DLC in the PS4 game) in the same day, joining the ranks of former dual-debut tracks such as the Naruto Shippuden song By My Side and the infamous PPAP song.