Why Afterglow is my Favorite Band - An Analysis
So this is something random but personal I wanted to share because I normally joke around a lot, and also I’m typing differently from usual, to help this be... idk, easier to read.
I’ve liked hip hop since I was like... 8 or 9. Now that I’m 20, hip hop is just a part of my soul, or something to that effect. You can probably tell by the genuinely amazing and undisputed official nickname I gave Chisato, lmao. But I’m always fond of things that remind me of hip hop, and with Bang Dream, Aglow very quickly started to strike as quite hip hop-ish after I downloaded the game. So right off the bat, they became my favorite band. They were actually the reason I abandoned LLSIF, as I’m not particularly attached to the idol aesthetic or sound—I just happen to like the Pastels as characters (ilu chisato but ur really a thug wearing a cute outfit)
Afterglow’s Presentation
Something about Afterglow just resonates deeply in my soul. For starters, they don’t have a strong thematic band outfit, everyone just has the same necklace/choker/jacket. Other than that each girl just wears what she likes. Hip hop at its core really values individuality and I see that same value in Afterglow. Even the way they wear the jackets differently speaks to how they all rock out in their own free-spirited way.
Adding on to all of this is the hair colors they have, as you’ll see a lot of younger hip hop artists rocking some pretty unorthodox colors as well. Both Afterglow and these artists strike me as generally unconcerned with being conventional/what society deems standard, and it’s something I really identify with. Then there’s Tsugu who doesn’t care and just goes with her natural color, once again being unafraid to be her individual self amidst a group of rocker girls with actual anime hair.
Afterglow’s Sound
Secondly, it’s gotta be something about their music. I’ve seen people complain about their sound, either because the music gets too chaotic, or because Ran’s voice sounds a little off/strained/too loud. The most common complaint I’ve seen is towards that Azu No-something cover song, and that song actually exemplifies explicitly what I love about this group.
Ran’s voice is all over the place in that song, as she starts off a little quiet and too mumble-like, it’s actually hard to hear her what she’s saying lmao. But then she gets going and just explodes in the chorus, and gets crazy loud/rough on the ears maybe. But I can’t recall how many countless hip hop songs I’ve loved where the artist is literally mumbling, or shouting way too loud, rapping too fast, or their voice is cracking/generally doing something unrefined. Hip hop values technique, but it also values pure expression and passion.
Idk who the band members actually are, so I’m just going to refer to the fictional characters. Anyways, Aglow really strikes me as expressiveness and passion over technique. It’s in the way Tomoe gets really explosive and insanely fast on the drums, to how Tsugu brings a much more quiet, yet noticeable, and focused melody with her keyboard.
Meanwhile I struggle to actually discern Himari’s bass sometimes but I know she’s there, providing crucial rhythm support from the shadows. She doesn’t feel the need to be in the spotlight. Moca is absurdly flamboyant and generally just wails on her guitar with total abandon, stealing the show for entire sections of any given song. Ran is always at the raging enter of the musical storm, using everyone’s support to give a thrashing performance with her emotional voice.
Everyone literally does their own thing from a musical perspective and sometimes it really shows, I would probably say Hey-Day Capriccio and Y.O.L.O are good examples. Other times, as with Jamboree! Journey, everyone is super in sync and the sound feels surprisingly groovy/rhythmic. I see the same thing in hip hop, where sometimes everyone involved with the song is doing their own individual thing and the song sounds nice. Other times, they come together, making music that’s full of synergy while also feeling deep.
So that’s why Afterglow is solidly my favorite band in this game. I need to read about the actual characters more though because I don’t know much about them individually, but they really appeal to me with their punk-rock vibes, I’ve always thought that hip hop and punk were cousins for their rebellious attitudes and flamboyance that overlap a lot of times. Aglow’s characters might even end up surpassing the thugnificent Chisato one day. And thanks if you read all of this, hope you enjoyed <3
