48Group Summer Bikini Singles! (Part 1)

Since the groups’ inception until very recently, AKB48 has religiously released multiple summer-themed bikini singles. It became something that the group was known for, the practice being adopted by their sister groups NMB48, SKE48 and even SNH48 (no longer a member of 48Group). Due to growing concerns from international voices over the age of the members involved, 48Group has slowed their summer bikini release pattern to a stop, and we haven’t been given a bikini single in a few years. Below we present to you some of these songs.

Durian Shounen (ドリアン少年) (2015) by NMB48 Senbatsu

Durian Shounen served as NMB48’s 12th single. Called “Durian Boy” in English, the song speaks of a girl who has fallen in love with a peculiar boy who’s style and looks are laughed at by her friends. She goes on to compare him to Durian, a fruit that is famed for being purely for those with a unique palette. Watch the full version of the music video by clicking here! Below you can find the dance version!

In Thumbnail: Front Row: Shiroma Miru, Yamamoto Sayaka (Grad), Center Suto Ririka (Grad), Watanabe Miyuki (Grad), Yaguura Fuuko (Grad)

Treat yourself to the full version of the dance video by clicking here as well! Or you can watch NMB48 perform the song live below!

Everyday, Kachuusha (Everyday、カチューシャ) (2011) by AKB48 Senbatsu

Centered by Atsuko Maeda (Grad)

A staple, classic, and continuously popular song in the 48Group franchise, Everyday Kachuusha is AKB48’s 21’s Single. The lineup of the song was filled to the brim, showcasing almost 30 Senbatsu members! The song, like many other “bikini songs” also has a full dance version, that you can see by clicking this link! Watch AKB48 perform the song more recently below!

In Thumbnail: Team B Captain Iwatate Saho, Team K’s Ichikawa Manami, Team A’s Chiba Erii, Team B’s Sasaki Yukari, Team A’s Shinozaki Ayana, Team K’s Shinobu Mogi, Team A’s Kato Rena, and Team B’s Nakanishi Chiyori

To say that Everyday Kachuusha is a song that screams AKB48 is an understatement. The song has been sung countless times in countless ways by countless members and subunits and groups of AKB48 franchise. Feel free to share some of your favorite performances of the song in the comments below!

The song was rereleased as JKT48’s 19th single in 2018 as well! Watch the music video below!

Centered by Team T’s Adhisty Zara

Igai Ni Mango (意外にマンゴー) (2017) by SKE48 Senbatsu

SKE48’s 21st single Igai no Mango speaks of going to the beach and realizing that your other half has matured before your very eyes, without you noticing. Comparing your love to a ripe mango, the song reeks of fun summer vibes, making any listener want to jump and dance. Watch SKE48 perform the song at AKB48’s Kouhaku Utagassen in 2017, centered by now graduated member Obata Yuna:

In Thumnail: Kitagawa Ryoha (Grad), and Team E Captain Suda Akari

Now graduated HKT48 front girl Sashihara Rino chose to perform the song at her solo concert “Idol to wa Nanka?” in all it’s bikini-clad glory in early 2018. Watch the spectacle below!

In Thumbnail: Sashihara Rino (Grad)

Like Everyday Kachuusha, Igai no Mango was rereleased as an overseas 48Group promotional song a few years later. Watch below as MNL48’s Team L performs the song with center Sela.

Manatsu no Sounds Good! (真夏のSounds good!) (2012) by AKB48 Senbatsu

In Thumbnail: Atsuko Maeda (Grad) and SKE48’s Matsui Jurina

To some fans, Manatsu no Sounds Good represents the finality of an era of AKB48. Serving as Maeda Atsuko’s last A-side Center, the song speaks of longing for the beach atmosphere, and comparing the atmosphere to summer love. Having an even bigger senbatsu than Everyday Kachuusha, the song saw no less than 36 girls take their spot in the A-side. Watch the FULL DRAMA VERSION of the music video by clicking here, and watch the group perform the song recently below:

In Thumbnail: Team A & Team 8’s Oguri Yui, with STU48 & Team 4’s Okada Nana on the left and Team B Captain Iwatate Saho on the right.

Like many songs mentioned in this article, Manatsu no Sounds Good was later adapted and rereleased for an international audience. Below, you’ll see JKT48’s 2013 take on the song, which served as their 4th single.

Boku wa Inai (僕はいない) (2016) by NMB48 Senbatsu

In Thumbnail; Center Watanabe Miyuki (Grad) with Yamamoto Sayaka (Grad) on the left and Shiroma Miru on the right.

Much like Manatsu no Sounds Good, Boku wa Inai marked a moment in time for the frontgirls of NMB48. Serving as the send-off to their long time Center, Watanabe Miyuki, Boku wa Inai was also released with two music video versions. Watch the full dance version here! Below you can see the full official music video:

In Thumnail: Watanabe Miyuki (Center)

(The full version can be viewed here!)

Reunions have always been some of the most rewarding moments of 48Group concerts, and Miyuki coming back to sing the song along with NMB48 Leader Yamamoto Sayaka at Sayaka’s graduation concert in 2018 was a moment every NMB48 fan wish they could relive. Watch the event below!

In Thumbnail: Watanabe Miyuki (Grad), Yamamoto Sayaka (Grad), Shiroma Miru, Yoshida Akari

Bokura no Eureka (僕らのユリイカ) (2013) by NMB48 Senbatsu

In Thumbnail: Yamamoto Sayaka (Grad)

NMB48’s 4th single Bokura no Eureka is yet another, and not the last, NMB48 song to fall under the Summer Bikini theme category. You can watch the full version of the dance video here!

It is also yet another bikini song to have another official version of the music video, which you can watch by Clicking Here. Watch the group perform the song below!

The song has since become another favorite in the 48Group fandom, inciting many special performances and encores that feature it. Watch Team M’s Shiroma Miru sing the song along with HKT48 frontgirl Tanaka Miku.

Baby! Baby! Baby! (2008) by AKB48 Senbatsu

In Thumbnail: Atsuko Maeda (Grad) as Center with Watanabe Mayu (Grad) to the left of her and Kojima Haruna (Grad) to the right.

In what may be 48Group’s first “bikini song,” Baby! Baby! Baby! adopts a very American retro concept to marry the theme. Watch the music video in high definition by clicking here! Although fans have to wait long periods between performances of the song, the song has been faithfully revived every few years by many of the different 48 Groups. Watch HKT48 perform the song below!

AKB48 performed the song a few times fairly recently as well, as exhibited by their performance from 2019 in the following fancam!

Ibiza Girl (イビサガール) (2014) by NMB48 Senbatsu

Accompanied by one of 48 Group West’s favorite story music videos, Ibiza Girl is yet another NMB48 song to fall under the bikini clad category. Also released with two versions, you can watch the full story version of the music video here!

And while you’re at it, just bless yourself with the bikini rich dance version here!

Watching NMB48 during this time may show some familiar faces that you wouldn’t normally see in their music videos, AKB48’s Kashiwagi Yuki and HKT48’s Murashige Anna, who were both serving Kennin terms with the group!

In Thumbnail: Yamamoto Sayaka (Grad)

Ibiza Girl has steadily grown to be a fan favorite across 48Group. You’d be hard pressed to find a special NMB48 performance that does not showcase it, due to it’s catchy and crowd pleasing chorus and bridge. Watch the NMB48 subunit, Queentet, perform the song at their concert below.