Help me!!

Imzususjage.jpg from album TBA'''

Release Date January 23, 2013

Genre J-Pop

Format CD Single, CD+DVD

Recorded 2012

Label zetima

Producer Tsunku

Morning Musume Singles Chronology

Previous: Wakuteka Take a chance 51st Single (2012)

Next: Brain Kakumei or Buresuto 53rd Single (2013) ]] Help me!! is the 52nd single of Morning Musume, released on January 23rd, 2013. There are 8 editions: two regular edition, both with different b-sides, and there are 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.

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; Happy Great Strategy)
 * 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; Sorrow's Romantic) - 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)

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

Concert Performances

 * Hello! Project Tanjou 15th Anniversary Live Winter 2013 ~Viva!~
 * Hello! Project Tanjou 15th Anniversary Live Winter 2013 ~Bravo!~

Song Information

 * 1) Help me!!
 * 2) *Lyrics & Composition: Tsunku
 * 3) *Arrangement: Okubo Kaoru
 * 4) *Vocals:
 * 5) **Tanaka Reina & Sayashi Riho (Main Vocals)
 * 6) **Michishige Sayumi, Ishida Ayumi, and Sato Masaki (Center Vocals)
 * 7) **Fukumura Mizuki & Oda Sakura (Minor Vocals)
 * 8) Daisuki Dakara Zettai ni Yurusanai
 * 9) *Lyrics and Composition: Tsunku
 * 10) *Arrangement: Okubo Kaoru
 * 11) *Vocals:
 * 12) **Sayashi Riho & Oda Sakura (Main Vocals)
 * 13) Happy Daisakusen
 * 14) *Lyrics and Composition: Tsunku
 * 15) *Arrangement: Okubo Kaoru
 * 16) *Vocals:
 * 17) **Tanaka Reina and Sayashi Riho (Center Vocals)
 * 18) Aishuu no Romantic
 * 19) *Lyrics and Composition: Tsunku
 * 20) *Arrangement: Okubo Kaoru
 * 21) *Vocals:
 * 22) **Michishige Sayumi & Fukumura Mizuki (Main Vocals)
 * 23) Watashi no Dekkai Hana
 * 24) *Lyrics and Composition: Tsunku
 * 25) *Arrangement:​ AKIRA
 * 26) *Vocals:
 * 27) **Tanaka Reina and Ishida Ayumi (Main Vocals)
 * 28) **Iikubo Haruna (Minor Vocal)
 * 29) Nani wa Tomo Are!
 * 30) *Lyrics and Composition: Tsunku
 * 31) *Arrangement: Hirata Shoichiro
 * 32) *Vocals:
 * 33) **Ikuta Erina, Sato Masaki (Main Vocal)
 * 34) **Suzuki Kanon, Kudo Haruka (Minor Vocal)

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, Michishige Sayumi's third single as a leader and Tanaka Reina's penultimate single as a member of Morning Musume.
 * 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. The b-side for Regular Edition A, "Suki Dakara Zettai ni Yurusanai", is the first official duet for Sayashi Riho and Oda Sakura.
 * 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 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 lines 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.
 * It is the third single in a row to be gold certified.
 * This single has the best first day selling since 2003.
 * It is the first time since 2010 with Seishun Collection 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.
 * First 1-nin Gen debut single to reach #1 since Goto Maki's debut single in 1999.
 * 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.

Oricon Chart Positions
Total Reported Sales: 101,770*


 * Official Website
 * Tsunku's comment on this song
 * Hello! Project discography entry
 * YouTube playlist
 * Help me!! Lyrics
 * Daisuki Dakara Zettai no Yurusanai Lyrics
 * Happy Daisakusen Lyrics
 * Aishuu Romantic Lyrics
 * Watashi no Dekkai Hana Lyrics
 * Nani wa Tomo are! Lyrics