Song Spotlight: NMB48's "Kore ga Ai na no ka?"

    NMB48 has always felt a little different compared to their sister groups. An NMB member never got to center an AKB48 A-side whilst SKE and HKT did. The closest we got was Yamamoto Sayaka centering "365 Nichi no Kamihikouki" which overshadowed "Kuchibiru ni Be My Baby" and became a big hit for AKB.

    Their style has always been AKB-adjacent. Which is fine to give the group their own identity. It probably was also a result of them being under Yoshimoto too.

    Their latest single, "Kore ga Ai na no ka?" sees them to continue pushing their sound in a direction away from other 48 groups. It feels more like a dance-group offering than an idol group. It's a good song though. Just more direct than what we're used to from a 48 group. Which isn't a bad thing. AKB has been in the game for almost 2 decades. Most of their sister groups for over 10 years. It's nice to see them still shaking things up while continuing to be addictive.

 

Rank: A Rank

Recommendation: when you want to do a cool dance.