icpmat wrote:on a somewhat related note - what's the average staying power of japanese boybands?
Of course it would be great to have w-inds around for a long time, but their 'kawaii' factor seems to be one of the main draws for their (mostly female) fans, and you can only be kawaii for so long.
Uhhhh... it's difficult to answer :sweat:
I think the music scene in Japan has been changed very much, and there has never been a group like w-inds. (Singing in beautiful high tone voice, cool dance and raps, 'kawaii' or 'kirei' looks, and sometimes funny talk!)
Though w-inds. are kinds of junior (or successor) of DA PUMP, they have different colours. w-inds.' are mixture of 'kawaii' and 'kakkoii', I think.
It's true that if an artist has only 'kawaii' factor, its popularity doesn't stay for so long. But one who can appeal some factors, or shift from 'kawaii' to 'kakkoii' smoothly, the one can achieve a success and stay for long.
w-inds. wouldn't have achieved present popularity with only 'kawaii' factors, without their abilities of singing and dancing (or without GOOD SONGS to perform!). So, I think they can go well if they continue to make efforts of growing such abilities, and perhaps increase 'kakkoii' factors year by year.
(Keita seems to have been able to keep his 5 octave voice after his voice changing (breaking), that's good! ;) )
They will release their new maxi single "Pieces" on 10th March in Japan.