The moment I have been waiting for all year has finally arrived. At long last, Q’ulle is back! For those unaware, Q’ulle is my favorite thing in the Japanese music world right now. Right up there with BAND-MAID, this group has released hit after hit as far as my ears are concerned. It’s crazy to think they rose from the ashes of the DANCEROID into something so incredible, but that’s what happened. Despite swapping genres entirely to fit in with what’s in with the kids these days, this group manages to take the currently popular club hits sound and take it to Q’ulle-tier heights.
This PV follows a fairly light story with a “unity through Q’ulle’s music” theme. We see a random girl start off the PV by watching this very PV. Meanwhile, a Japanese schoolgirl ponders life as she listens to Q’ulle while walking. Also mixed in are some shots of a Japanese girl and her gaijin friend meeting up and doing the most Japanese things ever with karaoke, a meeting at Sensoji Temple, and other landmarks. We also check out an office lady taking a break from her mundane OL life to get down with these mad club beats.
It may not sound like much, but all of these story clips are beautifully shot and the theme really ties into the feel of the song well. Everything leads up to a live house performance with the girl from the first apartment shot in attendance. Normally, I don’t really care for story PV’s, but the elements in this one work really nicely. Although, it would have been a much more awesome climax if all of these side story characters ended up at the live house. I don’t really get why they didn’t show them all there.
The PV features some dance shots which are absolutely great. I mean, we’re talking about DANCEROID girls here, right? All of the shots with the girls are real eye candy. I don’t know about you, but all of these girls strike me as quite gorgeous in a girl next door kind of way. Their outfits are these nice enough black on green dance outfits. Some girls have skirts, some have shorts, and a few have those weird hybrid things. In any case, everyone looks really nice.
The PV also features numerous set pieces including the aforementioned random landmarks, a live house, a gorgeous rooftop night shot for the dance shots, and more. It’s all very well lit and shot. I really have no major complaints about this PV. Everything in it is just wonderfully executed.
As for the song, I’m a total fanboy for it. Q’ulle has been fairly consistent with their pop-rock sound, but that’s all out the window for this blend of club music that sounds like an epic Up Up Girls (Kari) Loves Q’ulle collab. Any old school avex fans in the house to get that reference? Heh. But yeah, despite it being a complete departure from Q’ulle’s norm, I think it’s a wonderful song. The instrumentals feature some fantastically done synthesizers and a constantly high-tempo, super energetic theme. Yakko’s rap at the beginning feeds into the instrumentals perfectly, and the following singing vocals integrate perfectly.
I’m also a big fan of everyone getting some solo lines in this song. If there’s one thing I think could improve with Q’ulle, it’s line distribution for some of the less utilized members. This song did it and the results are wonderful. They all have surprisingly pleasant voices, and getting to hear them on a one-by-one basis is pretty awesome. It’s just such a fun, high energy song. I say this a lot with Q’ulle’s songs, but I really do mean it: I can’t get enough of it. It’s just so much fun to listen to. If it can make me dance in the kitchen as I put up dishes, imagine what it might do for you.
Q’ulle’s 5th single drops May 18th.
Watch: YouTube (Official)
Buy on Amazon JP: Regular Edition
| Limited Edition
Buy on CDJapan: Regular Edition | Limited Edition
