lol is a five-member co-ed singing and dance unit formed back in 2014 and signed under Avex Trax. Their name, not unexpectedly, comes from the internet-born acronym "LOL", which—for those unfamiliar with web culture—stands for "laugh out loud". It could be assumed, then, that the group enjoys making people smile as well as impressing them.
lol consists of three women and two men, the oldest member of the group being Naoto, a vocalist for the group. Naoto has some really sweet vocals with a wide range to boot. Yusuke, the other male member of the group, is also a vocalist but on occasion he will contribute with his under-utilized rapping skills. Honaka is the main rapper of the group but she also does a lot of standard vocal work for the group; most songs that lol performs are pop songs but many have a rap break in them—and that is when Honaka shines brightest. Hibiki and Moca, the last two members of the group, both serve as vocalists and are blessed with very beautiful vocals that cover a broad range.
lol’s very first single was “Fire!”, which was released August 12 of 2015. Since then, lol has gone on to release two albums and nine singles total with their latest being “Sayonara no Kisetsu” which was released this past March 20.
What sets lol apart from other idol groups is their ability to blend hip hop elements into most of their music while staying mostly pop. Take the aforementioned “Sayonara no Kisetsu”, for example, which is an amazing song that truly showcases their talent as a group. Its opening is fantastic and seeing Yusuke play the piano is really cool because we normally don’t see the members of the group playing instruments. Moca and Hibiki take up the mantle next and they trade lines back and forth, with Moca singing one line and Hibiki singing the next. As the song crescendos, Moca’s and Hibiki’s lines trade off faster and faster until they start singing together for the chorus. Once the chorus ends, Honaka comes in with her signature style of rapping and holds a wonderful rhythm that lets her lines flow with such ease. After she’s done, we hear Naoto come in with his lines. Naoto has a great voice which he used to great effect here.
Another amazing song done by lol is their web-exclusive song “with u”. Currently available on Spotify and Apple Music, “with u” is a beautiful love song talking about spending one’s life with another person. What makes thing track stand out for lol is that it’s a little different from their usual work in that there is no rapping in this one. The harmonization on display is done incredibly well and “with u” keeps up a pretty fast tempo but still manages to forge this incredible sound that’s so full of beauty.
“just go!!” is off of lol’s latest album lml and was an amazing surprise. It is one of lol’s more intense songs but the rhythm and beat is just plain fun to dance to. Honaka’s rap in “just go!!” is one of her better rap breaks and the vocal work on display really just stands out.
“trigger” was released as a promotional track for lml and honestly it is quintessential lol. This is a very dance-heavy song with a thumping bassline that persists throughout. Again, Honaka really just shines in this one with her amazing rapping skills but after her rap break it cuts to Naoto’s vocals which are just great. Yusuke takes over for the bridge and his vocals are really on point there. Also, if you watch the music video you can check out the pretty impressive dance choreography on display. There are two versions of the “trigger” music video which are the standard version and the “high school” version. Both music videos are very well done and fun to watch.
You can check out more of lol on their official website along with their Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
