Momoiro Clover Z Channel

Momoiro Clover Z (Japanese: ももいろクローバーZ, commonly abbreviated as MCZ or Momoclo is a Japanese girl group.
==Members==
===Kanako Momota===
Kanako Momota (Japanese: 百田夏菜子; born: ), is the leader of this group. She's known for her flexible body.
===Shiori Tamai===
Shiori Tamai (Japanese: 玉井 詩織; born: ), known as Shiorin, is a member of this group. She's known for gluttony; eating curry, eating 25 ice creams in one day, etc...
===Ayaka Sasaki===
Ayaka Sasaki (Japanese: 佐々木彩夏; born: ), known as Aarin, is a member of this group.
===Reni Takagi===
Reni Takagi (Japanese: 高城れに; born: ), is the former leader of this group. She was known for making funny faces.
==Former Members==
*Akari Hayami (Japanese: 早見あかり; born: ), withdrew/graduated on April 10, 2011.
*Momoka Ariyasu (Japanese: 有安杏果; born: ), withdrew/graduated on January 21, 2018.
Before the group made its debut, other girls were in the lineup: Sumire Fujishiro, Manami Ikura, Yukina Kashiwa (later a member of Nogizaka46 (2011-2013)), Tsukina Takai (later became a member of SKE48 (2008-2009)), Miyū Wagawa, and Runa Yumikawa.
==History==
===2008-2009: Conception and beginnings===
The group was formed in the spring of 2008 as a 5-member unit, originally named Momoiro Clover ("Pink Clover" or, literally, "Peach-Colored Clover"). The name was chosen to imply that the group was composed of innocent girls who wanted to bring happiness to people. Ariyasu Momoka joined the group after their first single. Later in 2011, after the departure of Akari Hayami from the group, management added the letter "Z" to the group's name. The group's slogan is "Idols you can meet right now".
Momoiro Clover began as a street act in 2008, performing for bystanders in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park. As most members were students attending school on weekdays, the group was active mainly on weekends, leading them to be nicknamed "Weekend Heroines". In a one-year period, Momoiro Clover had a number of line-up changes. In March 2009, they became a five-member unit composed of Reni Takagi, Kanako Momota, Akari Hayami, Shiori Tamai, and Ayaka Sasaki.
To support and promote their first independent label (indie) single, "Momoiro Punch", Momoiro Clover took advantage of school holidays from May to August and went by minibus on a long tour across Japan. They gave a total of 104 concerts in 24 electronic stores of the Yamada Denki network. The girls slept in the minivan, and group's managers drove. In the middle of the tour, Momoka Ariyasu was added to the group as a sixth member. The single was sold only at the group's live events and those sales were enough for it to place 11th in the Oricon Daily Singles Chart and 23rd in the weekly chart.
===2010: Major debut===
In March 2010, the girls stated their goals: to take first place on Oricon, to participate in Kōhaku Uta Gassen, to perform at Nippon Budokan.At the same ceremony, Momoiro Clover signed a contract with Universal Records. The public contract signing ceremony featured the weighing of every member to determine if they passed the weight requirement set by the record label for idols. If the band passed the requirement, they would sign a permanent contract. Reni Takagi failed, resulting in a temporary contract. They usually performed in a small club with live music or on a roof of a department store. They sometimes set a simulated stage of National Olympic Stadium (Tokyo)|National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, where notable musicians are allowed to perform.
Their first major-label single "Ikuze! Kaitō Shōjo" was released in May. The single debuted on Japan's Oricon Daily Singles Chart at the first position, and at number 3 for the week. Momoiro Clover then moved to King Records. The group's first single with King was "Pinky Jones", composed by Narasaki from the Japanese rock band Coaltar of the Deepers with a "more chaotic" approach than previous songs. December 24 marked Momoiro Clover's first solo concert at a concert hall. Nihon Seinenkan, a venue with a capacity of 1,300 seats, was sold out in 30 minutes.
===2011: Shift to Momoiro Clover "Z"===
In January 2011 at the release event for a new song, sub-leader Akari Hayami stated that she had decided to withdraw from the group in April. Hayami explained that her character was not suited to being an idol and that her dream was to become an actress. At the April 10 Akari Hayami "graduation" concert, the group's management announced the name change to Momoiro Clover Z after Hayami's departure. In Japan, Z symbolizes ultimateness and this letter is often appended to a title (e.g., Mazinger Z and Dragon Ball Z). The band has gone on record saying in an interview that the Z in the title is a reference to the famous anime series, Dragon Ball Z stating "The Z in our name is a very obvious reference to Dragon Ball Z" and that "It's a awesome and very influential series".
Momoiro Clover Z's first single after Hayami's departure was "Z Densetsu: Owarinaki Kakumei", accompanied by a new group image and stage performance. The girls wore outfits with helmets and so-called "transformation belts" reminiscent of Japanese superhero movies, and the music video also borrowed from such "Super Sentai" imagery. In July, Momoiro Clover Z released their first album, Battle and Romance. Later in December, Hotexpress described the band as the number-one breakthrough idol artist of 2011 and stated that the album became a big turning point for them. On Christmas Day, 2011, Momoiro Clover Z gave a concert at Saitama Super Arena to their biggest audience to date: all 10,000 tickets were sold out.
===2012: Rising popularity in Japan===
In May 2012, Momoiro Clover Z performed in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The former Prime Minister, Najib Razak, personally greeted the group. In June, Momoiro Clover Z opened a national tour, which closed with a sold-out show at Seibu Dome in August to a capacity crowd of 37,000 fans. Both dates were broadcast live to selected cinemas across Japan, the latter also to Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The group recorded an ending theme song for Pokémon's Best Wishes series (titled "Mite Mite Kocchichi" and included in the eighth single "Otome Sensō" as a coupling track). In July, Momoiro Clover Z performed at Japan Expo 2012 in Paris.
Momoiro Clover Z's ninth single "Saraba, Itoshiki Kanashimitachi yo", which appeared in November, topped the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, becoming their first single to do so.
On December 31, Momoiro Clover Z performed at Kōhaku Uta Gassen, an annual New-Year-Eve music show hosted by NHK, for the first time. Going to Kōhaku had been the group's goal for a long time. During the January 1 Ustream broadcast, Momoiro Clover Z made several announcements: that the band set a new goal for itself — to give a concert at the National Olympic Stadium, an arena with 60–70,000 capacity, that they would release a new album in spring, and that Momoka Ariyasu had to undergo a throat treatment and she would not sing or even talk until the end of January. The treatment was subsequently prolonged for another month, until the end of February. During the group's live Ustream broadcasts, Momoka communicated by drawing and writing on a markerboard. At live performances, other members took turns in singing her parts.
===2013: 5th Dimension===
Momoiro Clover Z's second full-length album 5th Dimension was released in April. It sold 180,000 copies in the first week and debuted on top of the Oricon charts, with the first album Battle and Romance resurging to number two. Finally, it won a platinum disk award. In August, Momoiro Clover Z held a concert at Nissan Stadium. It has the largest capacity in Japan.
===2014: Dream come true===
In March, the group held a solo concert at National Olympic Stadium, realizing one of their dreams since the debut. Such solo concerts had only been performed by six groups until then. Momoiro Clover Z was the first female group and also became the fastest group ever, which achieved that in six years. As a two-day concert, a total of 150,000 people watched in the stadium and at live viewing venues.
In May, the group released their 11th single "Naite mo Iin Da yo"; B-side "My Dear Fellow" made its debut at Yankee Stadium when it was used for 's warm up for his first game with the New York Yankees. The group also provided the theme music for the anime Sailor Moon Crystal. The title is "Moon Pride" (the group's 12th single released in July).
In August, the group performed at Lady Gaga's concert as an opening act. It was a part of Gaga's world tour named "ArtRave: The Artpop Ball" and held in Japan. Momoiro Clover Z was selected by Gaga herself.
===2015: Collaboration with KISS===
On January 28, 2015, Momoiro Clover Z released a collaboration single with the American hard rock band KISS, titled "Yume no Ukiyo ni Saitemina". It was the first time for KISS to release a collaboration CD with another artist. In Japan, it was released physically in two versions: Momoiro Clover Z edition (CD+Blu-ray) and KISS edition (CD only). An alternate mix of the single's title song was also included as an opening track on the Japanese-only SHM-CD album Best of KISS 40, released in Japan on the same day..
Momoiro Clover Z provided the theme song, "Z no Chikai" which was released as their fifteenth single on April 29, 2015, for the Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' theatrical anime film. The group also voiced the Angels at the end of the film.
===2016: Amaranthus/Hakkin no Yoake and Trans America Ultra Live===
The group released their third studio album Amaranthus and fourth studio album Hakkin no Yoake in a double release in Japan on February 17, 2016. The albums debuted at #1 and #2 in the Oricon weekly albums chart. The group held a dome trek tour for the two albums.
In early April 2016, the group announced their first overseas tour titled Trans America Ultra Live and appeared in Hawaii, Los Angeles and New York
===2017: MTV Unplugged and Momoiro Uta Gassen===
Momoiro Uta Gassen is a special music program, broadcast every December 31st in BS Nichi TV, and . But unlike NHK's Kōhaku Uta Gassen, it doesn't end at 23:45, it has a new year countdown by singing . Then all the Red/White team members go home while MCZ still singing their own singles.
===2018: 10th Anniversary Best Album===
On January 21, Momoka Ariyasu graduated from the group, leaving MCZ with only four members. In April, they released their 18th single, "Xiao yi Xiao". On May 23, they released a new best of album for their tenth anniversary called Momo mo Juu, Bancha mo Debana.
===2019-present: Self-Titled Album===
On May 17, 2019, Momoiro Clover Z released their self-titled fifth studio album, their first studio album to not feature Momoka Ariyasu and their first as a four-member group. In 2021, they performed the theme song for the Sailor Moon Eternal movie.
===2021: Olympic Torchbearer===
All members are in charge of the Tokyo Olympic torchbearer as a special supporter of the "Ganbare! Nippon! All-Unity Project" planned by the Japanese Olympic Committee.五輪聖火リレーに参加する芸能人／著名人ランナーを紹介｜あの人はどこを走る？ - Olympic Channel 2020年2月13日
==Music style==
The band's songs are intentionally ridiculous "hyperactive J-pop numbers". Their live performances are heavily choreographed and feature acrobatic stunts. The group is noted for their "anarchic energy" that is similar to that of punk bands. The response from the audience has been characterised as "seismic".
Some of Momoiro Clover's works are quite complex, switching from one musical style to another during one song and connecting "seemingly unconnected melodies". The group has worked with many noted songwriters and musicians, belonging to different genres of music, from pop to punk and heavy metal. Overall, the group and its music has been noted as progressive and forward-thinking. Ian Martin from The Japan Times dubbed Momoiro Clover "a pop group who provoke squealing, teenage admiration from punks, indie kids, noise musicians and heavy-psychedelic longhairs throughout the Japanese underground music scene". Momoiro Clover "is known for upbeat tunes, eccentric choreography and the members' costumes". A music critic from The Japan Times cites Momoiro Clover as an example of "a seamless integration of personality, image, and music, with each element mutually complementary".
==Vlogging==
Momoiro Clover Z has plenty of shows, such as vlog show "Go with MomoClo (Oct 2019-March 2021)", one of the member goes to a prefecture of Japan with some junior idols (Takoyaki Rainbow, Crown pop, etc...), finding some excellent gourmets.
==Controversy==
===Blackface===
In February 2015, Momoiro Clover Z were removed from a television performance due to controversy surrounding an appearance in blackface alongside Rats & Star.
==Trivia==
*Kanako is half cute and half idiot (As she doesn't read kanji).
*Shiorin is a fan of Crayon Shin-chan.
*One of their singles, Nippon Egao Hyakkei, became a meme in March 2021, with the side to side shake hip scene at the start and end of Joshiraku's ending credits roll out. This sudden popularity went so far that after 9 years, Momoiro Clover Z made a music video based on the song, resembling almost exactly the ending video from the anime originally came from.
==Discography==
===Indie===
#Momoiro Punch (2009)
#Mirai E Susume (2009)
===Major===
#Ikuze! Kaitō Shōjo (2010)
#Pinky Jones (2010)
#Mirai Bowl / Chai Maxx (2011)
#Z Densetsu: Owarinaki Kakumei (2011)
#D' no Junjō (2011)
#Rōdō Sanka (2011)
#Mōretsu Uchū Kōkyōkyoku. Dai Nana Gakushō “Mugen no Ai” (2012)
#Otome Sensō (2012)
#*Nippon Egao Hyakkei (2012) (released under the alias of "Momoclo Tei Ichimon" (桃黒亭一門))
#Saraba, Itoshiki Kanashimitachi yo (2012)
#GOUNN (2013)
#Naite mo Iin Da yo (2014)
#Moon Pride (2014)
#Yume no Ukiyo ni Saite Mi na (2015) (Ft. KISS)
#Seishunfu (2015)
#Z no Chikai (2015)
#The Golden History (2016)
#BLAST (2017)
#Xiao Yi Xiao (2018)
#Odoru Ponpokorin (2019)
#Stay Gold (2019)
#Tsukiiro Chainon (2021)
===Digital===
#Re:Story (2018)
#Anta Tobashi Sugi!! (2018)
#Tengoku no Detarame (2018)
#GODSPEED (2018)
#Sweet Wanderer (2018)
#Nightmare Before Catharsis (2019)
#PLAY! (2020)
#Hoero 2021 (2021) (Ft. )
==Album==
#Battle and Romance (2011)
#5th Dimension (2013)
#Amaranthus (2016)
#Hakkin no Yoake (2016)
#Momoiro Clover Z (2019)
==Subscriber milestones==
==References==
Category:Music YouTubers
Category:Vlogging YouTubers
Category:Japanese YouTubers
Category:Users who joined in 2014