After two consecutive years of no audience and changing venues, on the last day of 2022, the Red and White Song Club, known as the "Japanese Spring Festival Gala", returned to the familiar NHK hall with the audience, showing a long-awaited "normal" attitude.

Poster of the 73rd Hongbai Song Festival

However, according to the calculations, as a New Year's program, the Red and White Song Festival has been held for the 73rd time. In recent years, it is an indisputable fact that its ratings have gone from bad to worse. As the organizer, NHK, what means can it come up with to turn the tide?

The 73rd Red and White Song Festival

"Star effect" probably counts as one. "Fly High" sung by singer milet, coupled with the very popular figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu's game, can be called an astonishing stroke of genius. Another answer is probably easy to think of, "substitution". The so-called iron-clad soldiers have a different lineup of performances at the Red and White Song Concert every year. Almost every time there are about 10 groups of singers who are "first appearances".

In this year's "New Faces", the female singer Aimer, who has debuted for ten years, made her debut with the theme song "Reverberation Sange" of the hit anime "Ghost Slayer: Blade Yu Guo Chapter". In contrast, the 7-member men's music group BE: FIRST has only been selected for the red and white songs for more than a year since its debut, which seems extremely efficient. But the latter also has its own capital: as of November 2022, the total number of views of its official YouTube channel has exceeded 300 million times... As for another "first appearance" Meiyin is actually "One Piece Movie: Red Hair Song" The virtual character that appeared in "Ji". This is also the first time that a virtual singer has appeared in the Red and White Song Festival. Perhaps one day, the audience will be able to see Hatsune Miku at the Red and White Song Concert?

"Fly High" by singer milet

But what is more eye-catching may be the "Korean wave" on the stage. Among the newly debuted singers this year, there are no less than 3 groups related to South Korea. Among them are the boy group JO1 who debuted through the talent show "PRODUCE 101 JAPAN", and the "pure" Korean girl group LE SSERAFIM and IVE. In addition to TWICE and NiziU who have appeared many times, four Korean girl groups appeared in this Red and White Song Festival for the first time—reminiscent of the past (2014) AKB48 and three sister groups (HKT48 SKE48 NMB48) appeared together grand occasion. In any case, the influence of K-pop is something the organizers of the Red and White Song Festival must face up to.

The "Korean wave" is blowing vigorously, and the traditional enka is becoming more and more sluggish under the ebb and flow. Originally, Kiyoshi Hikawa, the backbone of the enka industry, "jumped ship" and crossed over a long time ago. This time he simply became a "special project" that does not belong to the red and white groups, and went to sing "Boundary Breakthrough" that has no taste of enka. As a result, the surviving enka at the Hongbai Song Festival can only continue the past trend, relying more and more on various sound and light visual effects (such as "fox dance" or even Scrabble) to "overwhelm the host" and retain the audience in front of the TV. audience.

Incidentally, enka singer Hiroshi Miyama once again challenged Kendama's Guinness World Record when he sang the song ("Dream Chaser"). At first glance, this is really eye-catching, but it is the sixth time he has replayed the old trick on the red and white stage, which makes people feel a little visually tired-although it is successful again.

Enka, which relies more and more on sound and light effects

Looking back at the beginning of the century, enge still accounted for half of the total repertoire of the Hongbai Song Festival. Looking back at the past, it may also remind people of what Du Fu said in "The Beautiful Lady", "When you see the newcomers laugh, you hear the old ones cry". Of course, this is not the case with singing alone. For the first time ever, Hashimoto Kanna, who has never acted in an NHK TV drama, was used as the hostess of this year's Red and White Song Concert. Looking at the entire performance of this "beautiful girl once in a millennium", it can only be called quite satisfactory, and perhaps Yuina Kuroshima, who has just performed the morning drama "Surging Heart", will not make any difference.

Yuna Kuroshima appeared as a guest

At the same time, Saito Asuka, who was actually only half a year older than Hashimoto Kanna, ushered in his farewell. She represented the female idol group Nogizaka46 for the last time in the Red and White Song Club. The relaxed and cheerful "Barefoot Summer" is Saito Asuka's first track as the center, and it was already in 2016, which can't help but make people feel a little sad.

Saito Asuka of idol "graduation"

Having said that, the Red and White Song Concert to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new is a festive program after all—Japanese football player Nagatomo Yuto, who just returned from the World Cup in Qatar, even served as a guest performer—naturally, it should not be full of parting worries. In addition to many newcomers, there are also many old faces on the stage. In this regard, Shizuka Kudo, who had disappeared from the Red and White Song Festival for many years and returned, and her daughter Shinmi Kimura, who accompanied her on the flute, naturally became the focus of the audience's attention.

Kudo Shizuka mother and daughter co-star

In addition, although veteran singers Yoshisuke Kuwata and Koji Tamaki have also appeared on the red and white song conferences in recent years (Koji Tamaki recorded off-site in 2020), but the former's five-member band "special project" is the first time , and Tamaki Koji's band group "Safety Zone" appeared for the second time with a special plan after 37 years. Their singing also brought the audience back to the golden age of the Japanese music industry and even the entertainment industry.

Compared with these singers (groups) who have reappeared after many years, Sayuri Ishikawa can be regarded as an evergreen tree of the Red and White Song Festival. This is her 45th appearance at the Red and White Song Concert. It is no exaggeration to say that singers such as Aimyon (あいみょん) (born in 1995) grew up watching Sayuri Ishikawa's performance at the Hongbai Song Festival.

Continuing the practice since 2007, Sayuri Ishikawa’s singing repertoire is an endless cycle of "Crossing the Mountain" and "Crossing the Sea" ("Tsugaru Strait·Winter Scenery"). ". This also makes this enge the most sung song (13 times) in the history of the Hongbai Song Festival. Needless to say, "Crossing Amagi" is very difficult to sing, and Sayuri Ishikawa is getting older and seems unable to do what she wants. But for many viewers, as long as they hear the familiar lyrics of "I want to cross the Tiancheng (mountain) with you" in Hongbaige, they are already satisfied.

Aimyon sings "You Don't Listen to Rock"

The existence of these well-known singers and repertoires also endows the Red and White Song Club with a different meaning. It is held as scheduled at the end of each year, as if to declare to the audience that life will continue as usual. The Red and White Song Club (formerly known as "Red and White Song Hezhan" in Japanese) itself has become less and less competitive (although the white team won this time), and it has become a symbol of the New Year (Gregorian calendar) in Japanese society. The reason is also is here.