W (Double You)
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| W (Double You) | ||
|---|---|---|
 W (Double You), 2005: Ai Kago (L) and Nozomi Tsuji.
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| Background information | ||
| Also known as | Aibon and Nono | |
| Origin | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Genre(s) | Japanese pop | |
| Years active | 2004 - present | |
| Label(s) | Zetima Records | |
| Associated acts |
Morning Musume, Tanpopo, MiniMoni, Baka Tono-sama to MiniMoni Hime | |
| Website | Official Site | |
| Members | ||
| Ai Kago Nozomi Tsuji |
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W (Double You) (ダブルユー?) is a J-pop duo associated with the Hello! Project. Nozomi Tsuji and Ai Kago, former fourth generation members of Morning Musume, are in the group.
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[edit] Self-introduction of W
"Nozomi Tsuji, the leader, and Ai Kago, the sub leader -- putting the two of us together, we are W (Double U)!" (Japanese: リーダーの辻希美と、サブリーダーの加護亜依、二人合わせて、ダブル・ユーでーす!!)
[edit] History
W (Double You)'s formation was announced not long after the "graduation" of Kago and Tsuji from Morning Musume was announced in early 2004. At the time, the duo —longtime best friends since they met at the auditions that landed them in Morning Musume in 2000— were simultaneously in both Morning Musume and one of its most popular subgroups (or side projects), MiniMoni. The latter group was about to be disbanded with the inevitable departure of Mika Todd (see MiniMoni's entry for details); with Kago and Tsuji almost at a loose end, the decision to pair the two best friends and lifelong bandmates together in a new group was made almost immediately.
As they were winding down their MiniMoni and Morning Musume duties, W (Double You) released their debut three-song EP, Koi No Vacance, the title track being a rocked-up cover version of a 1960's hit by Showa period female duo The Peanuts. The EP was followed a few weeks later by their debut album as W (Double You), Duo U&U, which contained covers of other Showa period female duo songs exclusively. One of the other groups covered by W (Double You) on the first album was Pink Lady, a 70's-era duo that was becoming active again as a performing (if not recording unit). Since Kago and Tsuji had done two Pink Lady songs ("Southpaw" and "Nagisa No Sinbad") on Duo U&U, Pink Lady were invited to perform with W (Double You) on Japanese television as a one-time four-piece ensemble. Their joint performance of "Southpaw" became a trading favorite amongst American Hello! Project fans on VCD, DVD, and BitTorrent (Pink Lady also sat in with Kago, Tsuji, and their Morning Musume bandmates on "Nagisa No Sinbad" and a medley of the former act's "S.O.S." and the latter's "Love Machine" on the same show).
Kago and Tsuji performed their graduation concert (final performance as members of Morning Musume) in August of 2004; a week later, their second single "Aa Iina!" was released. Not only was it the duo's first release since they departed Morning Musume, it was also the first W (Double You) single to feature an original composition by "Hello! Project" founder/producer/songwriter Tsunku. A third single of original material, "Robo Kiss", followed three months later.
In December of 2004, W (Double You) joined their fellow Hello! Project stablemates on the 2004 shuffle unit single "ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL", credited to the H!P All-Stars. W (Double You) also began joining Morning Musume onstage at concerts during this period to perform Kago and Tsuji's final Morning Musume single, "Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari". together with their former bandmates. These appearances served to dispel unsubstantiated Internet rumors that Kago and Tsuji's departure from the band was due to personal differences.
Their second album, 2005's 2nd W, released not even ten months after their first album, contained an even balance of new W (Double You) originals and more Showa period classic J-pop cover songs, many of them topically centering around the end of the duo's teenage years (Kago turned 17 a month before the album's release; Tsuji would turn 18 that June). Their prolific pace continued when a new non-LP single, the Devo-influenced "Ai no Imi o Oshiete! (Teach Me the Meaning of Love)", followed a few months afterwards.
In the Spring of 2005 W (Double You) starred in their first concert musical, Cara & Mel, the Case of the Stolen Dangerous Violin, a stage show which was recently immortalized on DVD.
In September of 2005 the duo released their 6th single "Miss Love Tantei". The song and video feature a more mature Kago and Tsuji and actually earned them not only critical acclaim, but also some comparisons to Russian pop duo t.A.T.u. because of the song intro's unintentional resemblance to "Not Gonna Get Us". The video, which features Kago and Tsuji playing multiple roles (including a reprisal of their stage musical roles of Cara & Mei), raised even more eyebrows when the duo were depicted adopting the controversial ganguro look in one scene.
In addition to their musical career, W (Double You) continue to appear on Hello! Project's weekly TV show Hello! Morning, often in tandem with Morning Musume.
In videos and in concert appearances, W (Double You) sometimes perform or co-headline with Berryz Koubou. the eight-piece pre-teen girl group formed under "Hello! Project". Berryz Koubou have appeared as dancers on W (Double You)'s "Ai Iina!" and "Robo Kiss" videos.
On January 11, 2006, the release of a new single, "Dou ni mo Tomaranai" on February 22, followed by their third full-length album, W3: Faithful on March 15, was announced. The title of both releases became known on February 7, 2006 — coincidentally, Ai Kago's 18th birthday.
On February 9th, 2006 it was confirmed that the magazine Friday (the same one that provoked Mari Yaguchi's sudden departure from Morning Musume) would be publishing photos of Kago caught smoking. The legal age for smoking in Japan is 20, and Kago had just turned 18 two days prior. [1] On February 10, Hello! Project issued a press statement saying that the singer had been suspended "indefinitely"; speculation as of that date is that the punishment may be brief. [2] An alternate translation of the press release, however, suggests that it was an event scheduled for February 11th involving W that was suspended, and not the vocalist herself.[3] As of February 10 the forthcoming 7th single and 3rd album releases by W (Double You), scheduled for March 8 and 15 respectively, as well as the promotional appearances for them, have been postponed indefinitely due to the scandal, [4] [5].
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
| # | Title | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koi no Vacance (恋のバカンス?) | 2004.05.19 |
| 2 | Aa Iina! (あぁ いいな!?) | 2004.08.18 |
| 3 | Robo Kiss (ロボキッス?) | 2004.10.14 |
| 4 | Koi no Fuga (恋のフーガ?) | 2005.02.09 |
| 5 | Ai no Imi o Oshiete! (愛の意味を教えて!?) (theme song of the TV program, "Chuunen!" (っちゅ～ねん!?) |
2005.05.18 |
| 6 | Miss Love Tantei (Missラブ探偵?) | 2005.09.07 |
| 7 | Dou ni mo Tomaranai | postponed |
[edit] Albums
| # | Title | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duo U&U (デュオU&U?) | 2004.06.02 |
| 2 | 2nd W | 2005.03.02 |
| 3 | W3: Faithful | postponed |
[edit] DVDs
- W DVD Magazine vol.1
- W&Berryz DVD Magazine vol.2
[edit] Single V
- Single V, Koi no Vacance (シングルV・恋のバカンス?)
- W no Eizo no Sekai Vol. 1 (Wの映像の世界Vol. 1?)
- Single V, Robo Kiss (シングルV・ロボキッス?)
- Single V, Koi no Fuga (シングルV・恋のフーガ?)
- Single V, Ai no Imi o Oshiete! (シングルV・愛の意味を教えて!?)
- Single V, Miss Love Tantei (シングルV・Missラブ探偵?)
[edit] Concert
- 2004 Natsu First Concert Tour ~ W Standby! Double U & Berryz Kobo! (2004夏 ファーストコンサートツアー!~Wスタンバイ! ダブルユー&ベリーズ工房?)
- 2005 nen Natsu W & Berryz Koubou Concert Tour "HIGH SCORE" (2005年夏 W&Berryz工房 コンサートツアー『HIGH SCORE！』?)
[edit] Musical
- Cara & Mel, the Case of the Stolen Dangerous Violin (ふしぎ少女探偵 キャラ&メル 魔のヴァイオリン盗難事件?)
[edit] Photobook
- [2004.01.07] 50W
- U+U=W Essaybook
[edit] Appearances
[edit] TV
- Hello! Morning (ハロー!モーニング。?) - TV Tokyo, etc. (The Fighters W)
- Oha Star (おはスタ?) - TXN stations (TV Tokyo, TV Hokkaido, TV Aichi, TV Osaka, TV Setouchi, and TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting), Biwako Broadcasting, Nara TV, and TV Wakayama (CD releaces in 2004, from January 11, 2005 as Cara and Mel, from September 8 as Miss Love Tantei)
[edit] Musical
- Cara & Mel, the Case of the Stolen Dangerous Violin (ふしぎ少女探偵 キャラ&メル 魔のヴァイオリン盗難事件?) - at Yokohama BLITZ (Yokohama) and Ikebukuro Sun Shine Theater (Ikebukuro, Tokyo), from March 18, 2005 until April 10, 2005
