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C-ute (Cute) is a Japanese girl group, currently consisting of five teenage girls. The pop group is part of Hello! Project, produced by Tsunku, who also writes its songs.

C-ute made its major debut in 2007 and that year won the Japan Record Award for Best New Artist. All of the group's major-label singles have reached the Top 10 of the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.*

The name of the band is the English word Cute (Japanese pronunciation: Kyūto), stylized as °C-ute (℃-ute).

* not including two special singles that were intended for limited distribution only

History

2005–2006: Formation of C-ute

C-ute was formed in the year 2005, consisting of seven girls from Hello! Project Kids who had not been chosen to form the group Berryz Kobo. Prior to the band's creation, some members worked with members of Morning Musume in such side projects as Aa! and ZYX, as well as the Mini Moni movie Okashi na Daibōken. The group was officially announced on June 11, 2005, though its formation had been rumored for several months prior.

In January 2006, at the start of the Hello! Project Winter 2006 tour, Kanna Arihara, a Hello! Pro Egg, was added as part of the Wonderful Hearts team.

On October 31, 2006, Megumi Murakami left the group, officially to concentrate on her studies.

2007: Major label debut

On February 21, 2007, C-ute's first official single "Sakura Chirari" was released. On the first day it ranked third on the Oricon charts, a feat not even accomplished by Morning Musume (who had ranked 6th on their debut single). With their debut single, they became the youngest group (with the average age of 13) to rank in the top 10.

On December 30, 2007, C-ute received the Japan Record Award for Best New Artist.

The year ended with the group's debut at the 58th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, an annual music show broadcast on December 31. They performed a number together with Morning Musume and Berryz Kobo.

2008

At the end of 2008, C-ute was nominated for the main Japan Record Award, the Grand Prix, for the song "Edo no Temari Uta II", which was chosen as one of the best works of the year, but lost to Exile and had to be contented with a Gold Award.

2009: Line-up changes

On February 26, 2009, Hello! Project announced that Kanna Arihara was having difficulty performing on stage due to hallux valgus, or bunion deformity, and would not be able to attend Hello! Project 10th Anniversary fan club event that week. She would also be absent from Hello! Project's activities, including activities in C-ute, while receiving treatment. Finally, in July 2009, Hello! Project informed that Arihara had decided to leave C-ute and Hello! Project and return to the life of a normal girl.

On August 1, 2009, Hello! Project posted Erika Umeda's official announcement that at the end of the upcoming C-ute's 2009 fall concert tour she would be graduating from C-ute and Hello! Project to pursue her dream of becoming a fashion model. Her graduation was held on October 25 in Osaka, at the last concert of the tour.

The last single to feature Erika Umeda, "EVERYDAY Zekkōchō!!", released on September 19, 2009, topped at number 1 in the Oricon daily singles chart and at number 2 in Oricon Weekly to become the C-ute's highest-ranking single to date.

In November 2009, the official group member colours changed to: Maimi Yajima – red, Saki Nakajima – blue, Suzuki Airi – pink, Chisato Okai – green, and Mai Hagiwara – yellow.

2010

On November 27, 2010, Chisato Okai released a solo single on iTunes, and is currently the only member in the group to have done so. The single closely followed the success of Chisato's dance videos on YouTube, the first of which, “Dance de Bakōn!”, had been viewed more than a million times by the end of January, 2011.

2011

On February 23 C-ute released their 15th single, "Kiss Me Aishiteru".

C-ute's 16th single, "Momoiro Sparkling", debuted in the 4th place of the Oricon daily singles chart for May 24. It spent two consecutive weeks in the Top 30 of the Oricon Weekly, ranking 6th and 17th.

On June 18, 2011, C-ute's spring concert entitled Chō Wonderful! was broadcast live on the group's YouTube channel. The live stream was a big success. As it was later confirmed by the band's leader Maimi Yajima in her blog and by the management of the Up-Front Agency on Twitter, there were 93,144 YouTube viewers who watched the broadcast.

Discography

Videography

Music videos

Awards

Best Hit Kayōsai

* Lost to RSP.

See also

• Best Hit Kayōsai 2007

Japan Cable Awards

The Japan Cable Awards (日本有線大賞, Nihon Yūsen Taishō) are sponsored by the National Cable Music Broadcasters Association (全国有線音楽放送協会).

See also

• 40th Japan Cable Awards

Japan Record Awards

The Japan Record Awards is a major music awards show held annually in Japan by the Japan Composer's Association.

See also

• 49th Japan Record Awards
• 50th Japan Record Awards

See also

• Hello! Project Kids
• Berryz Kobo
• Gatas Brilhantes H.P.

References

1. Information for C-ute Nandesu! Zen Single Atsumechaimashita! ① Pony Canyon Korea
2. つんく♂から「℃- ute（キュート）」に関してコメント
3. 『℃-ute　村上 愛』について皆様へ大事なお知らせ
4. "Oricon Style" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-01-22.
5. "MTV Chinese article" (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2007-03-22. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
6. ^ "Kobukuro wins Japan Record Award". Tokyograph. 2007-12-30. Retrieved 2011-02-10.
7. "レコード大賞はコブクロ、新人賞は℃-uteが受賞". Natalie (in Japanese). Natalie (Natasha, Inc.). 2007-12-30. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
8. "第58回紅白歌合戦" (in Japanese). NHK. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
9. "モー娘。＋Berryz工房＋℃-uteが着うた限定曲を発表". Natalie (in Japanese). Natalie (Natasha, Inc.). 2007-12-26. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
10. "℃-uteが紅白で披露の話題曲をシングル化". Natalie (in Japanese). Natalie (Natasha, Inc.). 2008-01-16. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
11. ^ "50th Japan Record Awards". Tokyograph. 2008-12-02. Retrieved 2011-02-10.
12. ^ "EXILE, Jero win Japan Record Awards". Tokyograph. 2008-12-31. Retrieved 2011-02-10.
13. "℃-uteが4枚目のアルバム「憧れ My STAR」発売". Natalie (in Japanese). Natalie (Natasha, Inc.). 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
14. "『℃-ute 有原栞菜』に関するお知らせ" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2009-02-26. Archived from the original on 2009-04-25.
15. "C-ute" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. Archived from the original on 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2009-04-30. 有原栞菜: ※現在休養中
16. "℃-ute有原栞菜、外反母趾治療でグループ離脱". Natalie (in Japanese). Natalie (Natasha, Inc.). 2009-02-26. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
17. "『℃-ute 有原栞菜』に関する大事なお知らせ" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2009-07-11.
18. ""C-ute Erika Umeda" Important Information" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2009-08-01.
19. "Chisato Okai "LOVE Namida Iro" live". C-ute official YouTube channel.
20. "LOVE Namida Iro - Okai Chisato (C-ute)" (in Japanese).
21. "Chisato Okai dances "Dance de Bakōn!"". C-ute official YouTube channel.
22. "Okai Chisato's "Dance de Bakoon" YouTube video has reached 1 million views"". Hello! Online twitter. January 20, 2011.
23. "シングル週間ランキング-ORICON STYLE ランキング" (in Japanese). Oricon Inc. 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
24. ^ "C-ute - Hello! Project official site" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2012-03-09.
25. "49th Japan Record Award winners announced". Tokyograph. 2007-11-29. Retrieved 2011-02-08.

External links

• C-ute's channel on YouTube
• C-ute on Facebook
• Cute on Twitter
• C-ute's official blog Template:Ja icon
• C-ute profile at the Hello! Project official web site Template:Ja icon

• C-ute
• Musical groups established in 2005
• Sony Music Japan artists
• Japanese musical groups
• Japanese pop music groups
• Japanese girl groups
• Japanese idol groups
• Hello! Project groups
• Musical groups from Tokyo