[IDOL GROUP] AKB48

AKB48 (read "A.K.B. Forty-eight") is a Japanese girl group which has achieved such popularity in Japan^[1] that they've been characterized as a social phenomenon.^[2] The group has 64 members, ranging in age from early teens to mid-20s.^[3] Produced by Yasushi Akimoto, it is one of the highest-earning musical acts in the world, with 2011 record sales of over $200 million in Japan alone.^[4]

The group's thirteen latest consecutive singles topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart. In 2010, "Beginner" and "Heavy Rotation" placed, respectively, first and second in the list of Japan's best selling singles for the year,^[5] while in 2011 AKB48 occupied the whole top 5 of the Oricon Yearly Singles Chart.^[6]With 15,130,000 CD single sales by Jun 29, 2012 according to Music Station,^[7] AKB48 holds the record for most singles sold in Japan by a female group.^[8]

AKB48 is named after Akihabara (Akiba for short), the area in Tokyo where the group's own theater is located. The idea of AKB48's producer Yasushi Akimotowas to create a girl group that, unlike a regular pop group, which gives occasional concerts and that is mostly seen on TV, would have its own theater and perform there on a daily basis; the fans would always be able to go and see the girls live. Presently, AKB48 still performs at the theater every day, although, due to great demand, tickets are now distributed only via a lottery.^[9]

Contents   [hide]  1 Personnel 2 Concept 3 History 3.1 2005–2006: Creation and independent releases 3.2 2006–2008: Major debut and the DefStar Records period 3.3 2008–2009: Switch to King Records and the first Oricon number one 3.4 2010: Five number-one singles 3.5 2011: Another five number ones and overseas expansion 3.6 2012: Atsuko Maeda's graduation, Team reshuffling and transfers 4 Musical style 5 Reception 6 Other media work 7 Controversies 8 Philanthropy 9 Performances outside of Japan 10 Members 10.1 Current composition of the group 10.1.1 Team A 10.1.2 Team K 10.1.3 Team B 10.1.4 Team 4 10.1.5 Teams not assigned 10.1.6 Kenkyūsei 10.2 Future composition of the group 10.2.1 Team A 10.2.2 Team K 10.2.3 Team B 10.2.4 Concurrent positions 10.3 Former members 11 Discography 11.1 Singles 11.2 Albums 12 Filmography 13 Bibliography 14 Awards 15 Subgroups and collaborations 15.1 Stand-alone units 15.2 Single-B-side units 15.3 Other units 16 Sister groups 17 See also 18 References 19 External links

[edit]Personnel

AKB48 holds the Guinness World Record for being the world's "largest pop group".^[10][11] The group currently consists of a total of 68 girls, divided into three subgroups: Team A, presently with 22 members; Team K, with 23 members; and Team B, also with 23 members.^[12] The group also includes a number of aspiring members, who are called "kenkyūsei" ("trainees").^[13] The member lineup often changes; when girls get older, they "graduate" from the group, while new members are cast through regularly held auditions.^[1]Having several teams not only allows the group to reduce the load on its members, since a daily concert at the theater is given by only one team, but also gives AKB48 opportunity to perform in several places and even countries simultaneously.^[14]

Yasushi Akimoto is also expanding his theater-based idol group concept to other cities and, since recently, countries. He has formedSKE48 (based at a theater in the Sakae area of Nagoya), SDN48 (intended to have a more mature image), NMB48 (Namba, Osaka),^[13]HKT48 (Hakata, Fukuoka), JKT48 (Jakarta, Indonesia), TPE48 (Taipei, Taiwan), SNH48 (Shanghai, China). Another of his recent creations, Nogizaka46, was announced as an official rival for AKB48.^{[clarification needed][citation needed]}

Given the large number of members in the group, who couldn't appear on stage at the same time, AKB48 needed some sort of selection method to determine who will record a single and perform it on TV, for example.^{[citation needed]} So far, two big selection events are held annually. One member lineup is determined by fans who vote for their favorite members in so-called "general elections" ("sōsenkyo" in Japanese) by purchasing the group's latest single that includes a ticket that allows the buyer to register a vote for a particular member. The other is decided in a rock-paper-scissors tournament between the members themselves. The popularity of AKB48 had been so huge that, in the 2011 election, the number of votes cast exceeded 1 million, and the single "Everyday, Katyusha", that contained a voting ticket for the election, set a new Japanese all-time record for weekly sales of a CD single.^[15]

[edit]Concept

AKB48 Theater in Akihabara, Tokyo

AKB48 members are girls whose age ranges from 14 to 20-plus. They are recruited through auditions that are held regularly in Japan.^[9] Members of the group are not allowed to have boyfriends, and must be well-behaved.^[16] If they misbehave, they may be expelled from the group.^[17] When members get older, they "graduate" from the group and are replaced by new members.^[1]

AKB48 was founded based on the "idols you can meet" concept.^[18] The group's producerYasushi Akimoto decided to create an idol group that, unlike a regular idol group that gives occasional concerts and that is mostly seen on TV, would have its own theater and perform there on a daily basis; the fans would always be able to go and see the girls live.^[13][18]Presently, AKB48 still performs at the theater every day, although, due to great demand, tickets are now distributed only via a lottery.^[9] The AKB48 Theater is located in the Don Quijote store in Akihabara, Tokyo.^[9]

The group consists of four subgroups: Team A, Team K, Team B, and Team 4. Having several teams not only allows the group to reduce the load on its members, since a daily concert at the theater is given by only one team, but also gives AKB48 opportunity to perform in several places and even countries simultaneously.^[14] Each of the teams also has its own unique image.^[16] According to member Misaki Iwasa, Team A represents freedom, Team B is very idol-like with cutesy costumes, while Team K has a strong and powerful image.^[16] There is also a number of aspiring members (so-called trainees or "Kenkyūsei"), who learn the group's songs and are appointed as stand-ins for the main members, so that a replacement is always available. In addition to singing performances, members are heavily promoted throughout the Japanese mass media.^[9] The group regularly holds "handshake events", where fans get a chance to shake hands with the group's members.^[9]

In 2009, the concept of "senbatsu general elections" was introduced.^[13] In these elections, fans vote for their favourite members of AKB48 and its sister groups. Members who receive most votes get to participate in the recording of AKB48's next single,^[13] are more heavily promoted,^[9] and get to sing center stage during the group's performances. To obtain a ballot, voters have to buy the group's singles.^[19] Another new concept, AKB48's rock-paper-scissors tournaments, was introduced in 2010 for the group's 19th single "Chance no Junban".^[20] Members of AKB48 and its sister groups compete against each other in the knockout tournament for being on AKB48's next single.^[21]