FRUITS ZIPPER's NEW KAWAII – An Album Full of Sweetness (Review)
Taking a look at the Harajuku-based idol group's first full-length release
Hello and welcome to another… solo album review???
If you’ve followed the blog for a good while, you’re probably more familiar with when I talk about albums for the J-Music Exchange/Rate. As much as I’ve enjoyed talking about full-length albums through that segment, there are (super rare) instances where I want to give my own thoughts on certain albums that I myself have come across (the most recent example being when I discussed the shuffle album from seiyuu unit TrySail, back in March 2022), so that’s what we’re dealing with today. And while the format for these solo reviews will be the exact same as the Exchange/Rate ones, I help differentiate the two by changing up the logo I use on the cover image a bit… it’s a minuscule distinction but I think it’s enough (lol).
That being said, I got a fun one for you all today so let’s just jump right into it!
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FRUITS ZIPPER is a Japanese pop idol group, based out of Harajuku. Consisting of seven members in Tsukiashi Amane, Chinzei Suzuka, Sakurai Yui, Nakagawa Luna, Manaka Mana, Matsumoto Karen and Hayase Noel, the unit was created in February 2022 by the ASOBISYSTEM-led project called ‘KAWAII LAB’. With model/TV personality/former idol Kimura Misa at the producing helm, the idea of FRUITS ZIPPER’s conception was to spread the charms of the cutesy, fashion-heavy Harajuku district to more and more people, more particularly to those around the world. The group debuted in April of that year with the release of their first single, titled Kimi no Akarui Mirai wo Oikakete.
However, the group would gain a jolt of popularity and exposure through their second digital single, Watashi no Ichiban Kawaiitokoro, as it became an instant hit (currently has over 20 million views on YouTube), especially through the thousands of TikToks that have been created using that sound source. FRUITS ZIPPER would go on to release viral bop after viral bop, including the Valentines-themed “Happy Chocolate” and “ChouMedetai Song” with its upbeat nature; with them eventually becoming one of the hottest Japanese idol groups as of recent. In September 2023, they embarked on their first national tour and a few months later, the group would go onto win the ‘Best New Artist’ award at the annual Japan Record Awards show.
As of this post’s publish date, FRUITS ZIPPER has released fourteen singles and one album.
(info sources: ASOBISYSTEM, J-Pop Wikia)
Tracklist
Overture ~NEW KAWAII~
Welcome to the FRUITS ZIPPER! / うぇるかむとぅ~ざ ふるっぱー!
Kimi no Akarui Mirai wo Oikakete / 君の明るい未来を追いかけて
Happy Chocolate / ハピチョコ
Watashi no Ichiban Kawaiitokoro / わたしの一番かわいいところ
RADIO GALAXY
Going!
Heart no Rollercoaster / ハートのローラーコースター
CO-Kosei / CO-個性
NEW KAWAII
Pure in the world / ぴゅあいんざわーるど
Fure-Furu Summer! / ふれふるサマー!
Zutto, Zutto, Zutto! / ずっと、ずっと、ずっと!
Kimikoi / キミコイ
BABY I LOVED
Choumedetai Song ~Konnani Shiawasede Iinokana?~ / 超めでたいソング ~こんなに幸せでいいのかな?~
Released: 2024.04.10
1 ▸ the astounding rise of furuppa
I think FRUITS ZIPPER is a pretty fascinating idol group. Despite the fact that I don’t actually follow them on a regular basis (as I’ve got my hands full with a few other units lol), I’ve always been fond of them and the music they’ve put out throughout their on-going tenure. Similar to another group that I talked about earlier this year (Cho Tokimeki Sendenbu), Furuppa just knows how to make fun, catchy and viral-worthy songs. And even though I think the track they’re most known for, “Watashi no Ichiban Kawaiitokoro”, is kiiiinda mid (in my honest opinion) compared to some of the other songs on this album, there is no arguing that it became popular because of its cutesy atmosphere, the instantly recognizable opening hook where Karen goes ‘ne-ne-ne’, and last but certainly not least, the overall catchiness of the chorus.
Sure, you can also credit the accompanying and fun TikTok dance but I feel like everything was executed so well with the release of this song; whether it be showcasing all the ladies’ charms and cuteness within their vocals and music video, or the fact that they got someone like composer/lyricist Yamamoto Sho on this track (who has had a strong presence around the idol music scene for a bit now, as shown in this great post by Ryo from This Side of Japan). I feel like it’s yet another ideal expression and example of what idol music is known to be and sound like, with its adorable, easily likable melodies and appealing female vocals. And what makes this group and song release even better is that FRUITS ZIPPER certainly achieved their initial goal of reaching people outside of the usual demographic of Japanese wotas. This track definitely caught the attention of foreigners who happened to browse TikTok in the spring of 2022 (myself included), and for better or for worse, the fact that they were able to do that with essentially their second ever release is quite impressive (they’ve performed overseas a couple times already, and recently announced their first appearance in the United States later this year at a convention in Florida).
2 ▸ exemplifying idol culture in a great way
That being said, I do believe that NEW KAWAII serves as a great way to be introduced to this group. Which makes sense, obviously. Similar to the releases of many other artists/idol groups, it’s got nearly every song that Furuppa has released in their now two years of existing, and because of that, you’re able to get the best possible taste/experience of what this one group is all about and the hype surrounding them.
Not only that but one interesting way that I’ve personally viewed this album is very reminiscent to a set list of an idol concert. As in, the order and overall nature + length of this set of songs feels like something I would realistically see if I went to a full-on FRUITS ZIPPER live in person. If this is all confusing to you or if you don’t follow idols/idol culture, hopefully I can explain it:
The album starts off with an overture, and similar to how these types of songs are used within opera performances and even music albums in general, they’re usually played at the beginning of a show before the members come out onto stage, in order to hype up the crowd, get the energy pumping and ultimately set the mood of what you’re about to get into. Additionally, the following track in “Welcome to the FRUITS ZIPPER!”, essentially serves as an ‘introduction’ song where all of the members take turns to sing about themselves (or in this song’s case, each other), show off their charms and qualities, and can also be a way to learn everyone’s names. Only recently have I learned about these ‘intro songs’ from idol groups (wrote a whole post about my complicated thoughts on =LOVE’s take on it; also thought that the one from Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku’s latest album was so fire), but this actually is a pretty neat thing whenever this comes up. Especially with a group that I don’t follow too closely, being able to learn a little bit about everyone in FRUITS ZIPPER through an amusing and mostly consistent-sounding track helped me become more familiar with these ladies, whether it was finding out that Yui has been in the entertainment industry for ten years now or Noel coming from a German-Japanese background. Plus, it does give us the opportunity to kinda differentiate everyone’s voice a bit and get a better idea on who’s who, vocal-wise.
From there, I do believe that the rest of this album is pretty well spaced out, meaning that there (mostly) wasn’t a moment throughout NEW KAWAII where it got too, TOO same-y or dull. Sure, the fact that they decided to throw in a few of their hits at the beginning of the album can make it a bit top-heavy in a way but even towards the latter half, I think they provided us with a neat variety of songs that convey slightly different styles and paces, all while still maintaining that cutesy, Harajuku-like energy. Obviously, you’ve got the incredibly lively, horn-heavy and sparkly tracks like “Happy Chocolate”, “Watashi no Ichiban Kawaiitokoro” and (more later on) “NEW KAWAII”; all of which, not only have genuinely been fun to listen to but they’ve also done a great job at defining the type of infectious vibe/sound that this group has been widely known for.
What’s interesting though as we look towards the middle of the album, FRUITS ZIPPER really switches gears a bit and emphasizes a more electronic-based sound with a good handful of tracks. “RADIO GALAXY”, which was produced/composed by well-known trackmaker & DJ YUC’e, initially has a pretty standard, clubby Japanese EDM sound but as you progress through it, you get to hear some oddly cool instrument combinations and sudden shifts in pace. One part you’re listening to a familiar dance pop track, another part you’re shot into this fast-paced section with deeeeep bass and even some rapping, then they take things slow with some beautiful harmonizations from the ladies; all while sprinkling some high-pitched synths, dubstep wubs and even whistling from an actual whistle throughout.
It does feel fitting that Furuppa exerts a significant EDM vibe here, given how prominent the electronica genre has been within the Japanese pop landscape, as well as more and more idol groups taking on that style within the past few years (such as ones Leap and I talked about earlier this year in SANDAL TELEPHONE and ExWHYZ). And whether it’s more on the energetic side like with “CO-Kosei” or taking it down a notch in “Heart no Rollercoaster”, the ladies do a good job performing these tracks while still giving off those usual wholesome and cute characteristics.
Amongst the last few tracks, the group goes on a bit of an emotional route where it gets slower, the piano becomes the main star within the overall instrument composition, and you can hear the members sing in a pretty sentimental fashion. Songs like “Zutto, Zutto, Zutto!” having that classic warmhearted atmosphere you hear in a lot of idol songs or “Kimikoi” being a track that’s about an affectionate relationship and how ‘destiny’ made it come to be; both show off a beautiful combination of pianos and violins, in order to really strengthen the feelings they’re trying to convey here.
And to my surprise, they even throw in a super chill city pop-esque track in the mix, with “BABY I LOVED”. And honestly, out of all the *new* songs on this album, I immediately fell in love with this one in particular. Obviously city pop is always sick to listen to but I don’t think I’ve heard a ton of idol groups take on that genre that often, so to hear them absolutely kill it here… definitely one of my personal highlights within NEW KAWAII.
To tie everything together and reiterate my earlier point, each of these aforementioned ‘sections’ certainly feel like a natural progression through an actual live concert set list. At the beginning, you have more traditional poppy songs that are supposed to ease in/hype up the crowd and get the energy pumping for a really fun night. Towards the middle, the overall tones change a bit in order to keep things fresh, as we get to hear FRUITS ZIPPER perform these cool, electro-based songs that you may not have expected from their past hits or them being a group with a cutesy-focused image (especially with a song like “CO-Kosei”). And lastly as this theoretical concert winds down, having slower and more sentimental songs to finish off an event like this does feel quite satisfying (also, I have to commend them for putting “ChouMedetai Song” at the end; it really does serve as a perfect, incredibly fun final bang to the album).
I do understand that not everyone has seen an idol live in full-length so you may be missing out on what I’m trying to say here but I honestly feel like what the group did here with this album serves as a really good example of my point. Despite my ‘theory’ potentially being somewhat of a reach, it really is structured in a way that represents how an idol live would smoothly and effectively progress, and I think it’s a neat way of illustrating this other important aspect of Japanese idol culture. Especially when you hear some of the funny ad-libs in certain tracks like “Pure in the world”, where those genuinely feel like impromptu stuff you’d hear the ladies just blurt out while performing on stage. And while I’m sure other idol groups have done this sort of idea with their albums, NEW KAWAII is probably the best attempt at doing so, at least based on other releases I’ve heard.
However, something like this does comes with a bit of downside. This album is sixteen tracks long and clocks in at a little over an hour. Of course, album length isn’t THAT big of a deal and especially in the scenario I’m trying to get across here, it makes sense that NEW KAWAII is more on the lengthier side (*IF* that’s the concept they were going for). But looking at this purely from an ‘album listening experience’, I can see why this might be too long for some folk. I noticed that some tracks kinda dragged on and could’ve been shortened, and I even entertained the idea of cutting a couple songs (as much as I like “Fure-Furu Summer”, I think what comes after are better examples of showing off a ‘wistful/contemplative’ mood). Again, not a huge flaw but I can imagine some people zoning out at certain points of the record.
3 ▸ an a-peel-ing variety of vocals
Get it? Cause fruits have peels… okay, moving on.
One of the things that I always look forward to whenever I listen to idol music are the vocals from the idols themselves. As I have said on a few occasions, I do get that the ‘singing aspect’ of Japanese idols may not be something a lot of fans prioritize or care that much about. But for me, I always enjoy being able to appreciate the vocal abilities of these performers; not only in regards to being exposed to new talent but it also having the purpose of identifying them better.
And while I’ve listened to a handful of groups that don’t have the most impressive vocals or end up sounding same-ish between most members, there have been many cases where I get to hear a genuinely unique set of voices which, in my opinion, makes the album and the group more fun to experience. That being said, I would confidently say that FRUITS ZIPPER is one of those units.
In fact, I do feel like what pops out the most within their songs are the members’ voices. The fun, sparkly, electronic and touching compositions are great and add a lot to the whole ‘Harajuku idol’ concept but I appreciate how the producers did a really good job of showcasing everyone’s vocals in this album. You can tell that this group has a pretty wide range of vocal pitches and cadences, which makes it fairly easy to get a sense of who’s who and individualize each member. Especially in a song like “Kimi no Akarui Mirai wo Oikakete” where you’re able to clearly separate the deeper vocals of Noel and Luna, from Karen and Yui’s peppier intonations; it creates this interesting mixture of voices that doesn’t really make these songs sound stale, while also showing off each member’s own personality very nicely (think this was highlighted even further in their recent performance on the famed 'THE FIRST TAKE' project). And with idol culture having a big emphasis on picking out an oshi/favorite within a group, FRUITS ZIPPER gives you a great opportunity to do so through their vocal performances, apart from the obvious visual side of it all.
Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve always loved listening to FRUITS ZIPPER’s music. Ever since they put their names on the map with “Watashi no Ichiban Kawaiitokoro”, I looked forward to hearing whatever they came out with next, especially since a few of their viral hits from 2023 became some of my favorite idol tracks of that year. While it’s been known that I enjoy cutesy and upbeat idol music a lot, it’s pretty wild that this group managed to become a significant favorite of mine within such a short span.
To that point, I think what’s shown on NEW KAWAII is a fantastic and clear-cut example of the idol-related music that is popping right now. It expresses the iconic wholesome sound of Japanese idol songs, while putting a slight modern taste to it with the emphasis on the electronica genre and usage of cool instrument combinations. Because of that, I really do believe this is an ideal album to suggest to someone who’s interested in tapping into the latest mainstream idol scene; not only because FRUITS ZIPPER is one of the top/up-and-coming names in the industry right now but NEW KAWAII seems like it exerts an ‘approachable’ feeling and an album that a good amount of pop fans would find enjoyable. I would say that the song selection is quite varied and a bit more sophisticated compared to a lot of other cutesy idol music out there, so I can imagine most people being able to find a track that they favor a lot. Add on the captivating vocals of each member and I really do think this is a fun J-Pop album to listen to, as it became one of my favorite idol releases of the year so far.
Rating: 9/10
Aaaand that’s all I got for you today!
Hope you found this review to be interesting (lol). Again, while I don’t follow Furuppa that closely, I really do love the stuff they’ve put out in the past couple years; heck, I even bought this album when I was Japan a month or so ago. They most certainly deserve all the success they’ve been experiencing and I’m really looking forward to their next release!!! Also, in regards to oshi-isms, I’ve always been a Sakurai Yui fan (not sure if it’s because her image color is green or the fact that she’s incredibly pretty or both). Matsumoto Karen’s another member that has caught my eye; I love her goofy/cute personality.
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On a related note, I would also suggest checking out another idol group under the ASOBISYSTEM/KAWAII LAB brand, called ‘CANDY TUNE’. They debuted a year or so after FRUITS ZIPPER, and while they’ve only started their activities, I think they’re just as talented and lovable as their senpai group. I’ve personally taken a big interest in them, mainly because one of the members (Kirihara Mizuki) was previously a part of rirunede which, as you may know, is a unit that has held a really special place in my heart. They’re set the release their first single in August, so definitely go listen to their stuff! (interestingly enough, CANDY TUNE was featured in the official MV for “Laid Back Journey”, also known as the opening theme for Yuru Camp Season 3!)
I think that’s all! If you've listened to this album yourself, or are a fan of FRUITS ZIPPER, definitely let me know your thoughts in the comments! I’d love to hear them!
Other than that, I really appreciate it if you got to this point, it means a lot!!!
-al