2017: What to expect?

With the end of a year, a new one is always around the corner.

2017 will start in just a few days, so let's have a look at what we can expect from this new year!

We will look at some information already given for the next year, but also to some things that might happen next year. 

Hello!Project Kids will all graduate

Hello!Project added their first big batch of young girls in 2002. Hello!Project Kids would later form Berryz Koubou and C-ute and would become a big and important part of Hello!Project. Berryz Koubou went on haitus in 2015, with only Tsugunaga Momoko staying in Hello!Project to become the playing manager of Country Girls. Last year (2016) all remaining Hello!Project Kids announced their graduation from Hello!Project. When July starts, there will be no members of Hello!Project kids left in Hello!Project. 

Hello!Project will get a new leader

When C-ute graduates, the leader of Hello!Project will also graduate. Yajima Maimi took over the role of Hello!Project leader when Michishige Sayumi graduated in 2014. It hasn't been announced who will be taking the role, but my bet is Wada Ayaka or Fukumura Mizuki. 

Morning Musume's 13th generation will debut

Morning Musume will debut their 13th generation in 2017. Kaga Kaede and Yokoyama Reina will officially join the group and start preforming with them. 

Morning Musume '16 will become Morning Musume '17

Since 2014 Morning Musume changes their name every year and this year they will change it to Morning Musume '17!

Tsubaki Factory will make their Major Debut

Tsubaki Factory will release their major debut single on the 22nd of febuary and will become a full group of Hello!Project. Their first single will have 3 a-sides and will feature newcomers Ono Mizuho, Onoda Saori and Akiyama Mao for the first time.

Morning Musume will release a song with Sashihara Rino

 

A unique happening in 2017 will be the collaboration song of Morning Musume and Sashihara Rino as Sashining Musume. The song will be on AKB48's upcoming album and it is called Get you! This collaboration is really special because the 48groups and Hello!Project are rivals, but Sashi made this happen! 

Morning Musume will celebrate their 20th anniversary

2017 will also mark the 20th anniversary of Morning Musume. The group was officially started in 1997, while their major debut was in 1998. I wonder what Morning Musume will be doing to celebrate this moment. The group still is the longest active girls group till date! We might see a single that celebrates their anniversary and maybe a tour with something in the title.

Graduations, auditions, additions, new groups

In my post of 2016 I already showed all the changes of 2016 group wise. I am a 100% sure that 2017 will bring as many changes. 2017 already is a heavy year graduation wise, but don't be suprised if someone leaves any of the other groups. There is honestly no group that would suprise me with a graduation. Same counts for auditions or sudden additions. We know the drill and it keeps Hello!Pro fresh and in the news. As for new groups, when Berryz left two groups were formed in their honour (Kobushi and Tsubaki), so it wouldn't suprise me if the same happend with C-ute. And I will tell you again Tsubaki is NOT the succesor of C-ute. Shimizu Saki helped with the name of the group and the members, so they would carry on the Berryz Spirit, Hell they even preformed Berryz' own musical. No I do see another group forming in 2017, but it might be a quite small group like first gen S/mileage. Maybe a member of a current group (or Riho/Manaka) will start their own group with kenshuusei and leave their current group, who knows. Anyway I can't wait to see what 2017 will bring member wise, although graduations do scare me a lot!

Singles, albums and other

Ofcourse 2017 will also bring us a lot of new music. Some singles are already announced (Country Girls, Tsubaki Factory), others will most likely happen (Kobushi Factory will probably release a song for their upcoming movie). This might also be the year that Morning Musume will finally release a new album. Their last album was from 2014, so it's about time. 12th gen has never been in an album, while Sakura has only been in 1! Country Girls and ANGERME are also highly likely to get an album this year. ANGERME only released a best of album, with some new songs, back when Fukuda was still a member of the group, while Country Girls never had a album. I think Country Girls is mostly likely of all groups, because they might wanna end Momochi's playing manager-ship with a big album with all their singles and unreleased songs.

What do you think 2017 will bring us?