On June 25th, idol group Morning Musume '25 held a release event for their 75th double A-side single "Kinai ni Sono Ki no Uta/Akarui Yoiko" at Sunshine City Fountain Square in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. This single will be the last single for 10th leader Ikuta Erina, who will graduate from the group and Hello! Project on July 8th. Ikuta joined Morning Musume in January 2011 and is the longest-serving member of the group, having been with the group for about 14 years. In a press conference held before the event, she said, "It's very emotional to be participating in the 75th single, which is my last time. I've been able to participate in the 45th to 30th singles, so I think life with Morning Musume has been fun and I have no regrets."
The latest singles, "Kininaru Sono Ki no Uta/Akarui Yoiko," to be released on July 2, were both written and composed by music producer Tsunku♂. Ikuta said, "Kininaru Sono Ki no Uta is full of Tsunku♂ elements, and is a song that will get everyone excited. Akarui Yoiko is rock, but the lyrics get to the heart of a girl. They're two polar opposites, and I think you'll enjoy both."
At the press conference, each member talked about their memories with Ikuta. Ikebukuro Sunshine City Fountain Square is also a memorable place where many events have been held in the past, and Ikuta said, "The first time we stood there was for our 49th single, "Renai Hunter," when I was still in middle school, and at that time all I could do was give it my all. This time, I hope we can have fun, make it the last event, and have everyone go home with a smile on their face."
Finally, Ikuta said to the fans, "I've always wanted to accomplish many things with Morning Musume, and I'd like to work hard to make our 75th double A-side single number one on the Oricon Weekly Chart. Please support us!", which elicited thunderous applause from the audience.
At the event, in addition to songs from the new single, they also performed "Wake-up Call~When You Awaken~" and "Romantic ~MY DEAR BOY~ (23 Ver.)."
