SCANDAL



SCANDAL is a Japanese girl band formed in Osaka in 2006 consisting of four friends who met at a vocal/dance school. Originally training to be dancers and singers, the girls took up musical instruments on recommendations from teachers. One thing led to another and...

Due to their songs being featured on the various endings of animes and videos games, the band has achieved a somewhat international fanbase and has performed at SXSW, Sakura-Con and AM 2 in the USA, Ani-com in Hong Kong and Japan Expo in France. They have also recently concluded a very successful Asia Tour.

SCANDAL are:


 * Haruna Ono (vocals, guitar)
 * Tomomi Ogawa (bass, vocals)
 * Mami Sasazaki (guitar, vocals)
 * Rina Suzuki (drums, vocals)

This band provides examples of:

 * A Good Name for A Rock Band - SCANDAL are named after a sex shop in Osaka which occupied the same building as a jamming studio where they rehearsed in their early days.
 * All Drummers Are Animals - Averted with prejudice. Suzuki Rina is the youngest, girliest and arguably the cutest member of the band. Mileage does not vary. Suzuki has however, named Keith Moon as one of her favourite drummers.
 * Anime Theme Song - Shojou S (Bleach), Shunkan Sentimental (Full Metal Alchemist), Koshi Tantan, Midnight Television (Loups Garous), PRIDE (Star Driver), Harukaze (Bleach)
 * Answer Song - Yumemiru Tsubasa is the answer song to Hillbilly Bopp's Yumemiru Korowo Sugite Mo.
 * Audience Participation Song - Occasionally during shows, Ono will let the crowd sing the last verse of SCANDAL Baby.
 * Black Sheep Hit - "Namida no Regret", the band's first ballad and significantly slower and less upbeat than their other singles, peaked at #14 on the Oricon charts
 * Cherry Blossoms - In the song Sakura Goodbye. Before signing for a label this song was simply titled Sakura and had slightly different lyrics.
 * Cover Album - R Girls' Rock. A 7 track EP consisting of covers of songs by all-female and female-fronted bands.
 * Darker and Edgier - "Scandal Nanka Buttobase" had surprisingly edgy lyrics compared to some of their earlier songs and a very hard guitar opening.
 * Also Roppongi Suicide and Rock & Roll Widow from the R Girls' Rock EP. Arrangement wise, the heaviest songs SCANDAL has ever recorded up to this point.
 * Double Entendre - Ogawa's lyrics in Houkagou 1H is ostensibly about playing or writing music after school. However, Teacher Student Romance is quite heavily implied.
 * Epic Riff - SCANDAL Baby, Shunkan Sentimental.
 * Face of the Band - Averted. There is no single dominant member and the band tries to spread attention amongst all four members as equally as possible.
 * Fan Service - Midway in Taiyou to Kimi ga Egaku STORY's video clip.
 * Genki Girl - Tomomi Ogawa. Enthusiastic, has boundless energy and a very offbeat sense of humor. Often provides comic relief, sometimes unintentionally.
 * Gratuitous English - Wide usage. Being Japanese and playing J-Pop/Rock, the girls are not immune to this cultural phenomenon. Unlike many of their compatriots however apart from the usual problems with pronounciation, SCANDAL's English usage is usually done correctly. One song, SCANDAL no Theme is done entirely in grammatically correct English.
 * Hidden Depths - Ono and Ogawa dance! The girls met at a renowned vocal and dance school in Osaka and thus are trained singers and dancers. Ono and Ogawa are the best two dancers amongst the girls.
 * Idol Singer - Averted. They may occasional look, act and even sound like idols but the band does not conduct their business in that fashion. Guitarist Sasazaki once said,"We are a serious band."
 * Japanese Pop Music
 * Kansai Regional Accent - Ogawa and Suzuki grew up in Osaka and predictably have very strong Kansai accents. Ono and Sasazaki grew up in Nagoya and thus have a more neutral sounding Kanto-ish accent.
 * Lead Bassist - Tomomi Ogawa. Being the second vocalist and having a unique sounding voice ensures that no one will forget Ogawa when they see her.
 * Lighter and Softer - One of the criticisms by fans for "CUTE!" the B-side to "Pride". But what do you expect when your songs is called "CUTE!" and has an adorable wittle plushy named Cinnamoroll?
 * One of Us - Mami Sasazaki is a big fan of manga and anime and has mentioned her interest in operating a Maid Cafe. She is also an avid Gamer Chick.
 * Mohs Scale of Rock and Metal Hardness - Ranging between 3 to 5.
 * Non Appearing Title - SL Magic. The title does not appear in the song's lyrics. Some of their other songs are like this as well, for example Shunkan Sentimental, Houkago 1H and a few others.
 * Paying Their Dues - Before getting known, the girls used to play at Shiroten, a weekly event at the Osaka Castle grounds. Initially, nobody came to watch them...
 * Power Walk: In the Music Video for "Shojo S"
 * School Uniforms Are the New Black - Their signature look. The members almost always wear uniforms in concerts and music videos, invoking some Fetish Fuel for the fans. With the release of their 3rd album and the coming of age of their youngest member, the uniforms have changed into something more "mature" but the uniforms are still a part of their image.
 * Signature Song - SCANDAL Baby, Shojou S, Shunkan Sentimental, DOLL.
 * Spelling Song - "S-C-A-N-D-A-L!" - SCANDAL no Theme. Also, "P-L-A-Y-B-O-Y say! Playboy!" - Playboy
 * Spoken Word in Music - Phone conversation in SWITCH.
 * Stop and Go - SL Magic. During live performances, the band adds a significant pause in the middle of the song.
 * Train Song - SL Magic is about a magical train ride.
 * Vocal Tag Team - Haruna Ono is the band's lead vocalist. However, bassist Ogawa and guitarist Sasazaki sing lead vocals in large portions of many songs and in their second album, both have their own songs where they sing lead all the way.
 * Zettai Ryouiki - A lot of their "uniforms"...