Help me!!

Help me!! is Morning Musume's 52nd single. It was released on January 23, 2013 in 8 editions: two regular edition, both with different coupling tracks, and 6 limited editions. This single is the debut of 11th generation member, Oda Sakura.

It is the first Morning Musume single to debut at #1 for a generation debut since the 5th generation, as well as the group's first number one weekly single in 3 years and 8 months. On February 8th, the single was certified gold by the RIAJ.

The single ranked #1 in the weekly charts and charted for 6 weeks, with a total of 103,936 copies sold. The single ranked #68 on the Oricon yearly chart for 2013.

Regular Edition A

 * 1) Help me!!
 * 2) Daisuki Dakara Zettai ni Yurusanai (大好きだから絶対に許さない; I Absolutely Won't Forgive Because I Love You) - Sayashi Riho & Oda Sakura
 * 3) Help me!! (Instrumental)

Regular Edition B

 * 1) Help me!!
 * 2) Happy Daisakusen (Happy大作戦; The Big Happy Mission)
 * 3) Help me!! (Instrumental)

Limited Edition A
CD DVD
 * 1) Help me!!
 * 2) Happy Daisakusen
 * 3) Help me!! (Instrumental)
 * 1) Help me!! (Music Video)
 * 2) Help me!! (Dance Shot Ver.)

Limited Edition B
CD DVD
 * 1) Help me!!
 * 2) Happy Daisakusen
 * 3) Help me!! (Instrumental)
 * 1) Help me!! (Music Video)
 * 2) Help me!! (Close-Up Ver.)

Limited Edition C
CD DVD
 * 1) Help me!!
 * 2) Happy Daisakusen
 * 3) Help me!! (Instrumental)
 * 1) Help me!! (Music Video)
 * 2) Wakuteka Take a chance (Oda Sakura Ver.)
 * 3) Help me!! (Making of)

Limited Edition D

 * 1) Help me!!
 * 2) Aishuu no Romantic (哀愁のロマンティック; Romantic Sorrow) - Michishige Sayumi & Fukumura Mizuki
 * 3) Help me!! (Instrumental)

Limited Edition E

 * 1) Help me!!
 * 2) Watashi no Dekkai Hana (私のでっかい花; My Great Flower) - Tanaka Reina, Iikubo Haruna, and Ishida Ayumi
 * 3) Help me!! (Instrumental)

Limited Edition F

 * 1) Help me!!
 * 2) Nani wa Tomo Are! (なには友あれ！; What Will There Be Friend!) - Ikuta Erina, Suzuki Kanon, Sato Masaki, and Kudo Haruka
 * 3) Help me!! (Instrumental)

Event V
[[File:Helpmev.jpg|thumb|Event V]
 * 1) Help me!! (Michishige Sayumi Solo Ver.)
 * 2) Help me!! (Tanaka Reina Solo Ver.)
 * 3) Help me!! (Fukumura Mizuki Solo Ver.)
 * 4) Help me!! (Ikuta Erina Solo Ver.)
 * 5) Help me!! (Sayashi Riho Solo Ver.)
 * 6) Help me!! (Suzuki Kanon Solo Ver.)
 * 7) Help me!! (Iikubo Haruna Solo Ver.)
 * 8) Help me!! (Ishida Ayumi Solo Ver.)
 * 9) Help me!! (Sato Masaki Solo Ver.)
 * 10) Help me!! (Kudo Haruka Solo Ver.)
 * 11) Help me!! (Oda Sakura Solo Ver.)

Featured Members

 * 6th Gen: Michishige Sayumi, Tanaka Reina
 * 9th Gen: Fukumura Mizuki, Ikuta Erina, Sayashi Riho, Suzuki Kanon
 * 10th Gen: Iikubo Haruna, Ishida Ayumi, Sato Masaki, Kudo Haruka
 * 11th Gen: Oda Sakura (Debut)

TV Performances

 * [2013.01.02] NHK Osaka Women's Association New Years Concert
 * [2013.01.25] Happy Music
 * [2013.01.27] Music Japan
 * [2013.02.05] Konya Kurabete Mimashita
 * [2013.07.03] Sakigake Ongaku Banzuke Eight SP
 * [2013.07.31] FNS Uta no Natsu Matsuri 2013
 * [2013.09.10] Odaiba Gasshuukoku Mezamashi Live 2013
 * [2013.12.14] Billboard JAPAN Music Awards

Concert Performances

 * 1) Help me!!
 * 2) *Hello! Project Tanjou 15 Shuunen Kinen Live 2013 Fuyu ~Viva!~
 * 3) *Hello! Project Tanjou 15 Shuunen Kinen Live 2013 Fuyu ~Bravo!~
 * 4) *Hello! Project Haru no Dai Kansha Hinamatsuri Festival 2013 ~Zen'yasai~
 * 5) *Hello! Project Haru no Dai Kansha Hinamatsuri Festival 2013 ~Thank You For Your Love!~
 * 6) *Hello! Project Yaon Premium Live ~Soto Fest~
 * 7) *Morning Musume Concert Tour 2013 Haru Michishige☆Eleven SOUL ~Tanaka Reina Sotsugyou Kinen Special~
 * 8) *Hello! Project 2013 SUMMER COOL HELLO! ~Sorezore!~
 * 9) *Hello! Project COUNTDOWN PARTY 2013 ~GOOD BYE & HELLO!~
 * 10) Daisuki Dakara Zettai Yurusanai
 * 11) *Morning Musume Concert Tour 2013 Haru Michishige☆Eleven SOUL ~Tanaka Reina Sotsugyou Kinen Special~
 * 12) Happy Daisakusen
 * 13) *Morning Musume Concert Tour 2013 Haru Michishige☆Eleven SOUL ~Tanaka Reina Sotsugyou Kinen Special~
 * 14) Aishuu no Romantic
 * 15) *Morning Musume Concert Tour 2013 Haru Michishige☆Eleven SOUL ~Tanaka Reina Sotsugyou Kinen Special~
 * 16) Watashi no Dekkai Hana
 * 17) *Morning Musume Concert Tour 2013 Haru Michishige☆Eleven SOUL ~Tanaka Reina Sotsugyou Kinen Special~
 * 18) Nani mo Tomo Are!
 * 19) *Morning Musume Concert Tour 2013 Haru Michishige☆Eleven SOUL ~Tanaka Reina Sotsugyou Kinen Special~

Single Information

 * Help me!!
 * Lyrics & Composition: Tsunku
 * Arrangement, Keyboard, Programming: Okubo Kaoru
 * Chorus: Michishige Sayumi, Sayashi Riho, CHINO
 * Vocals:
 * Main Vocals: Tanaka Reina & Sayashi Riho
 * Sub Vocals: Fukumura Mizuki & Oda Sakura
 * Minor Vocals: Michishige Sayumi, Sato Masaki, Ishida Ayumi
 * Daisuki Dakara Zettai ni Yurusanai
 * Lyrics and Composition: Tsunku
 * Arrangement, Programming, Keyboards: Okubo Kaoru
 * Chorus: CHINO
 * Vocals:
 * Main Vocals: Sayashi Riho & Oda Sakura
 * Happy Daisakusen
 * Lyrics and Composition: Tsunku
 * Arrangement, Keyboards, Programming: Okubo Kaoru
 * Acoustic Guitar: Kamada Koji
 * Chorus: CHINO
 * Vocals:
 * Main Vocals: Tanaka Reina, Sayashi Riho
 * Sub Vocals: Michishige Sayumi, Sato Masaki, Ishida Ayumi
 * Minor Vocals: Ikuta Erina, Kudo Haruka
 * Aishuu no Romantic
 * Lyrics and Composition: Tsunku
 * Arrangement, Programming, Keyboards: Okubo Kaoru
 * Chorus: Tsunku, Michishige Sayumi
 * Vocals:
 * Main Vocals: Michishige Sayumi & Fukumura Mizuki
 * Watashi no Dekkai Hana
 * Lyrics and Composition: Tsunku
 * Arrangement & Programming:​ AKIRA
 * Chorus: AKIRA, Ishida Ayumi
 * Rap: U.M.E.D.Y.
 * Vocals:
 * Main Vocals: Tanaka Reina & Ishida Ayumi
 * Sub Vocals: Iikubo Haruna
 * Nani wa Tomo Are!
 * Lyrics and Composition: Tsunku
 * Arrangement & Programming: Hirata Shoichiro
 * Guitar: Kamada Koji
 * Chorus: CHINO
 * Vocals:
 * Main Vocals: Ikuta Erina, Sato Masaki
 * Sub Vocals: Suzuki Kanon, Kudo Haruka

Song Comments by Tsunku

 * "Happy Daisakusen" is a very happy song, which will fit very well in a concert.
 * "Aishuu no Romantic" is part two to "Suki da na Kimi ga" but with a dose of melancholy and solitude.
 * "Watashi no Dekkai Hana" include some rap parts by Ishida Ayumi. This song is made for bringing out the personality of each member of the trio. It is very rhythmic.
 * "Nani wa Tomo are!" speaks of friendship between women. Tsunku said it would be a sequel to Suki na Senpai, He also mentioned 12th generation when he commented about Kudo Haruka.
 * "Daisuki Dakara Zettai Yurusanai" reminds the melody of "Kanashiki Heaven" from °C-ute. This is a difficult song to sing with vibrato and many held notes which requires a strong voice.

Trivia

 * The single was announced via YouTube. The song title and release date was originally leaked by an anonymous person from 2ch on November 28th.
 * This is Oda Sakura's debut single, and Michishige Sayumi's third single as a leader.
 * The music video was directed by Kitajima, the same man who directed The Bawdies' music video "Hot Dog". He commented: "It is is very elaborate. Its theme is 'the feeling of loneliness that we can meet in the city and positive energy'".  The MV was released on January 15th 2013 at 12:01 AM Japan time.
 * The b-side for Limited Edition D, "Aishuu no Romantic", is the second duet by the pink duo Michishige Sayumi and Fukumura Mizuki. Their first duet was Suki da na Kimi ga from the album 12, Smart.
 * It is the second single in a row in which Fukumura Mizuki sings a duet.
 * The song begins with a monologue done by Fukumura Mizuki, Iikubo Haruna and Ishida Ayumi. It is the first time a single has featured a monologue intro since Iroppoi Jirettai's intro was done by Kamei Eri and Kusumi Koharu in 2005.
 * This is the third Morning Musume single with an 11 members line-up (the others being Happy Summer Wedding and Osaka Koi no Uta).
 * This is the 12th Morning Musume single that has a full English title.
 * Some fans believe the title of the song is a tribute to Michishige Sayumi's line in Resonant Blue in which she shouts "Help me!".
 * Tsunku has chosen to highlight Tanaka Reina because it is one of her last singles and Oda Sakura to show her capabilities.
 * Everyone wears the same pattern and color in the singles outfit, however each outfit has an unique design. Michishige Sayumi stated that she thinks Oda Sakura's outfit is the coolest.
 * The same day the single was released, Michishige Sayumi, Fukumura Mizuki, Ishida Ayumi and Oda Sakura appeared in Junon magazine, and Ishida Ayumi appeared in UTB+.
 * The dance-shot version earned 2,000,000 YouTube views in the third week of being uploaded, making it the fastest two million views on a Morning Musume music video.
 * The dance-shot version has more than 5,000,000 views, it's the second video to have more than 5,000,000 views (the other video is the dance-shot version of One•Two•Three)
 * It is the third single in a row to be gold certified.
 * This single has the best first day sales since 2003.
 * It is the first time since 2010 with Seishun Collection that a single has reached #1 on the Oricon Charts on the day of its release.
 * This is the first Hello! Project single to reach #1 on Oricon Weekly Charts since 2009's Shouganai Yume Oibito.
 * Surpassed all singles' first week since 2003's Shabondama, the only exception being One•Two•Three/The Matenrou Show.
 * It is the third #1 song to be lead by a leader not in the 1st Gen, the other two being Aruiteru and Shouganai Yume Oibito.
 * It was reported that some stores sold out on the first day and it has been noted that because of the insufficiency in stocks, the single didn't sell as well as it could have, and it in fact would have sold many more copies.
 * Third Morning Musume single to get an Official Website.
 * The single placed #32 on the Oricon Half Year Sales Ranking 2013.
 * It is one of 19 music videos for a single that has over 1,000,000 views on Morning Musume's official YouTube channel.
 * An updated version of Help me!! was featured on The Best! ~Updated Morning Musume~

Oricon Chart Positions
Total Reported Sales: 103,936*

E xternal Links

 * Official Website
 * Discography: Hello! Project. UP-FRONT WORKS, Tsunku.net
 * Wikipedia: Japanese, English
 * Tsunku's official comments
 * YouTube playlist
 * Lyrics: Help me!!, Daisuki Dakara Zettai no Yurusanai, Happy Daisakusen, Aishuu Romantic, Watashi no Dekkai Hana, Nani wa Tomo are!