"Kimi wa Honeydew" (Japanese: 君はハニーデュー, Hepburn: Kimi wa Hanīdyū, lit.'You Are Honeydew') is the eleventh single by Japanese girl group Hinatazaka46, released on May 8, 2024, by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. It features the first appearance of Yōko Shōgenji as the lead performer of a title song. The title song is the first by the group to utilize a senbatsu (選抜, lit.'selection') system for its lineup and to feature selected fourth generation members of the group. The single debuted atop the weekly Oricon Singles Chart with over 448,000 sales.
Production and release
Costumes worn in the "Kimi wa Honeydew" music video
On February 23, 2024, Hinatazaka46 announced that it would release its eleventh single on April 10.[1] The title song formation was announced on the February 26 broadcast of the group's variety show, Hinatazaka de Aimashō, with fourth generation member Yōko Shōgenji appointed center (lead performer) for the first time.[2] The title, "Kimi wa Honeydew", was announced on March 20.[3]
"Kimi wa Honeydew" is the first Hinatazaka46 single to implement a senbatsu (選抜, lit.'selection') system, where only selected members from the group's four generations perform the title song. This is in contrast to the group's previous releases, where all active first to third-generation members participated in the title songs, while the fourth-generation members, whose first music release is on the eighth single, only performed their generation's B-sides. With this new system, Yōko Shōgenji became the first title song center from her generation. Apart from Shōgenji, all members on the front row of the song's choreography (Mirei Sasaki, Nao Kosaka, Miku Kanemura, and Shiho Katō) had also been centers for previous title songs. Members who were not selected are referred to as Hiragana Hinatazaka46 (ひなた坂46), similar to Hinatazaka46's former name Hiragana Keyakizaka46 (けやき坂46),[4] and would perform their own B-side song.[5][6]
The single is the first to be released after the departures of Sarina Ushio and Honoka Kishi in December 2023. Kyōko Saitō also did not participate in the title song, as she was scheduled to leave the group before its release, and was instead appointed the center of the B-side "Boku ni Tsuzuke", the first Hinatazaka46 song performed by all first to fourth generation members.[7]
The release date of "Kimi wa Honeydew" was postponed to May 8, 2024,[a] due to unspecified production issues. The title song was released on streaming services on March 22 (Japan time).[1] The title song was first performed live on the first day of the 5th Hinatansai anniversary concert at the Yokohama Stadium on April 6.[9]
