Blue Journey
Blue Journey | |
|---|---|
Blue Journey performing at Tokyo Garden Theater on September 13, 2023 | |
| Background information | |
| Works | |
| Years active | 2023–2024 |
| Labels | |
| Past members | See § Members |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Subscribers | 81,800 |
| Views | 8.2 million |
| Last updated: March 31, 2024 | |
Blue Journey was a music group of 23 VTubers affiliated with Hololive Production. The group was announced in March 2023 and ended in March 2024. Blue Journey released one album, Yoake no Uta, one non-album single, "Mizutamari", both of which charted, and performed a concert at Tokyo Garden Theater.
Members
Blue Journey consisted of 23 female VTubers affiliated with Hololive Production:[1]
- Amane Kanata
- Hakui Koyori
- Himemori Luna
- Houshou Marine
- Inugami Korone
- Minato Aqua
- Nekomata Okayu
- Omaru Polka
- Ookami Mio
- Oozora Subaru
- Aki Rosenthal
- Sakamata Chloe
- Sakura Miko
- Shirakami Fubuki
- Shiranui Flare
- Shirogane Noel
- Shishiro Botan
- Takane Lui
- Tokoyami Towa
- Tsunomaki Watame
- Usada Pekora
- Yukihana Lamy
- Yuzuki Choco
History
Blue Journey was announced on March 19, 2023 – the second day of Hololive Super Expo 2023.[2] The announcement was accompanied by a teaser video. On April 13, the teaser was followed up with a video posted to the group's YouTube channel announcing its first three singles. They were released digitally and with accompanying music videos over the following three months. "I Am Alone", sung by Minato, Houshou, and Tsunomaki, released on April 17; "You ≠ Me", sung by Sakura, Houshou, and Omaru, released on May 15; and "Dear Youthful Days", sung by Minato, Amane, and Yukihana, released on June 19. They were also released under EMI Records, a label owned by Universal Music Group which had previously signed the Hololive-affiliated VTuber Mori Calliope in 2022.[1] On July 8, Hololive Production and EMI Records announced they had jointly established a record label, Holo-n. Blue Journey was the new label's inaugural undertaking and its later releases were under the label. Shirokuro of KAI-YOU concluded that the collaboration was an attempt by Hololive to solidify the artistic legitimacy and expand the audience of its VTubers, saying that a large number of people perceive them as unusual or foreign, a feeling he concluded could be lessened by collaborating with a Big Three label.[3]
Also on July 8, Blue Journey announced that their debut album, Yoake no Uta, would release on September 6 and that their debut concert of the same name would take place at Tokyo Garden Theater on September 13. At the time of the concert's announcement, Hololive had only previously hosted four large live concerts.[3] On July 18, the group's fourth single "Astro", sung by Amane, Nekomata, and Shirogane, was released digitally with an accompanying music video.[4] At the end of the concert, all 23 members of Blue Journey performed a previously unreleased single, "Mizutamari".[5] On March 20, 2024, a video posted to the group's YouTube channel announced that it had ended after one year.[6]
Artistry and reception
Prior to Blue Journey's debut, Hololive's previous musical project, "Hololive Idol Project", was known for producing bright and poppy songs befitting an idol.[3][5] Individual members of Hololive were also known for producing original songs that often function as character songs, displaying a member's personality.[3] Blue Journey's songs differ, instead expressing melancholic and negative emotions.[3] The group's stated aim was to bring happiness to people by expressing unwanted emotions.[5] Shirokuro argued that this change may have been part of an attempt to appeal to a wider audience and make the VTubers more relatable, saying that negative emotions are commonly felt by everyone and so more relatable than the bright songs Hololive was known for.[3] The concert featured spoken-word segments and the group's original songs. Takeshi Matsumoto of Real Sound felt that the stagecraft and spoken-word segments created a narrative distinct from the one on the album.[5]
Discography
Studio album
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [7] |
JPN Comb. [8] |
JPN Dig. [9] |
JPN Hot [10] | |||
| Yoake no Uta |
|
11 | 8 | 3 | 8 | JPN: 19,263[11] |
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [12] |
JPN Comb. [13] |
JPN Dig. [14] | |||
| "I Am Alone" (僕は独りだ) (Minato Aquo, Houshou Marine, and Tsunomaki Watame) |
2023 | — | — | — | Yoake no Uta |
| "You ≠ Me" (君になりたかった) (Sakura Miko, Houshou Marine, Omaru Polka) |
— | — | — | ||
| "Dear Youthful Days" (あの日の僕らへ) (Minato Aqua, Amane Kanata, Yukihana Lamy) |
— | — | — | ||
| "Astro" (Minato Aquo, Houshou Marine, and Tsunomaki Watame) |
— | — | — | ||
| "Mizutamari" (水たまり) (all members) |
2 | 44 | 35 | Non-album single | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||
References
- ^ a b Honda, Yuuki (April 13, 2023). "ホロライブ「Blue Journey」3ヶ月連続で楽曲リリース 宝鐘マリンら23人参加" [Hololive's "Blue Journey" to Release Songs for Three Consecutive Months; 23 Members Participating, Including Houshou Marine]. KAI-YOU (in Japanese). Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ^ Lada, Jenni (March 19, 2023). "Cover Teases Hololive Blue Journey Music Project and 'Summer is Coming'". Siliconera. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f Shirokuro (July 10, 2023). "ホロライブが共同メジャーレーベルを設立した意図「Blue Journey」から考える" [The Intent Behind Hololive's Joint Major Label: Insights from "Blue Journey"]. KAI-YOU (in Japanese). Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ^ Honda, Yuuki (July 18, 2023). "ホロライブ「Blue Journey」1stアルバム店舗特典解禁 所属VTuber23人が参加" [Hololive "Blue Journey" 1st Album Store Bonuses Revealed — 23 Affiliated VTubers Participate]. KAI-YOU (in Japanese). Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ^ a b c d Matsumoto, Takeshi (September 26, 2023). "湊あくあ、宝鐘マリン、角巻わため、常闇トワら擁するBlue Journey 1stワンマンで感じたホロライブ音楽企画の新基軸" [Blue Journey—Featuring Minato Aqua, Houshou Marine, Tsunomaki Watame, Tokoyami Towa, and Others—Reveals a New Direction for Hololive Music Projects at Their 1st Solo Concert]. Real Sound (in Japanese). Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ^ Blue Journey (March 20, 2024). Blue Journey - Disembark Movie [hololive]. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Blue Journeyのアルバム売上TOP1作品". Oricon News (in Japanese).
- ^ "Blue Journeyの合算アルバム売上TOP1作品". Oricon News (in Japanese).
- ^ "Blue Journeyのデジタルアルバム売上TOP1作品". Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ^ "Ｂｌｕｅ Ｊｏｕｒｎｅｙ | Artist". Billboard Japan (in Japanese).
- ^ Physical sales (17,196):
- "2023年09月04日～2023年09月10日 オリコン週間 アルバムランキング 11～20位". Oricon News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 15, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- "2023年09月11日～2023年09月17日 オリコン週間 アルバムランキング 11～20位". Oricon News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- "2023年09月18日～2023年09月24日 オリコン週間 アルバムランキング 41～50位". Oricon News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- "オリコン週間 デジタルアルバムランキング 2023年09月04日～2023年09月10日". Oricon News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- "オリコン週間 デジタルアルバムランキング 2023年09月11日～2023年09月17日". Oricon News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- "オリコン週間 デジタルアルバムランキング 2023年09月18日～2023年09月24日 41～50位". Oricon News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ^ "Mizutamari". Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ "Mizutamari". Oricon News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 17, 2025. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ "Mizutamari". Oricon News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 15, 2026. Retrieved April 16, 2025.