It is no brainer to say the least that Hololive, the VTuber agency under Cover Corp., remains a prime figure among the VTubing community. Part of what makes the Hololive talents so appealing and popular is their ability to musically perform. And that talent truly shone this year, with many of the original songs.
In this feature, we take a look at the most-streamed songs from the Hololive English division. This list features mostly releases from the first generation. Oh, spoiler alert: it’s the resident ‘grim reaper’ Mori Calliope who takes an impressive number of spots on this list.
#10: IJIMEKKO BULLY – Calliope Mori
Released as part of Mori Calliope’s second EP ‘Your Mori’, Ijimekko Bully was released on YouTube on August 26, 2021. Even though the track contains Mori’s famous ‘banger’ rap verses, fans noted the track stands out from the rest of her discography.
Set on an almost jazzy/rock tune, it alludes to Mori’s lore as a grim reaper, in search of a companion. The lyrics may sound grim, with lines such as ‘Loving you, killing you, isn’t it thrilling?’ and “I’ll use and abuse you and never feel bad”, but still allude to a strong feeling that the person Mori met makes ‘Death wanna die’.
#9: THE GRIM REAPER IS A LIVE-STREAMER – Calliope Mori
This track is the first from Mori’s second EP ‘Your Mori’ and it premiered on YouTube on August 2, 2021. While it seems a pun regarding her lore and status, what’s interesting are the MV’s Easter eggs.
Since ‘Your Mori’ was released during Mori’s birth month, the MV was full of greetings from Hololive members. Various pop-up messages in the MV appear, coming from members Takanashi Kiara, Gawr Gura, and Amelia Watson. Fans have also speculated that various motifs in the video depict other Hololive members. Some of them include a zombie hand reflecting Hololive Indonesia’s Kureiji Ollie. Meanwhile, a hand holding a scythe is suspected to depict Hoshimachi Suisei.
Either way, the track itself contains your typical Mori rap verses, encapsulated with your old hip-hop beat instrumental. Oh that MV pretty much looks like a trailer for the ‘Persona’ series.
#8: CURSED NIGHT – Calliope Mori
This recent song, released by Mori on 1 November this year, is not your typical hard-hitting rap verse track. This one gives you a ‘reality check’ on the state of content creation. This is especially directed to creators who release content just to stay ‘relevant’.
Mori notes that the song ‘exists’ in the way that she feels great about it. She also added that she vented out her personal feelings about music creators.
“Content with my music, content with my existence, grateful for my fans and ready to continue producing music. With that being said, I know some will still worry about me. But, I can’t sing happy songs every day, as no being, human or no, can do! Let’s enjoy a world full of many different emotions.”
If anything, ‘Cursed Night’ is reminiscent of the track ‘agoraphobic’ by American musician/YouTuber Corpse Husband. This track is a reminder for all the creatives out there to strive to follow their own path.
#7: END OF A LIFE – Calliope Mori
If ‘Cursed Night’ was a reality check about Mori’s fellow content creators, then ‘End Of A Life’ is a call to all of us out there to give thanks to the people that have inspired us. In addition, it is a track of sparking the enthusiasm within us, and encouraging us to do what truly inspires us.
Released on 1 October this year, ‘End Of A Life’ is one of the few tracks from Mori that take a more mellow and serious turn. Fans have said publicly that the track has inspired them to pursue their passion and build up their enthusiasm for it. Meanwhile, other fans have noted that the music can be interpreted as a track to which Mori dedicates to someone that has helped her in the past.
Overall, the song contains a meaningful message of checking on what things actually matter to us, and further drives our passion forward.
#6: OFF WITH THEIR HEADS – Calliope Mori
The second official single from Mori, the track’s music video was released on 1 February this year and is one of the VTuber’s most hard-hitting tracks centered around motivation to do content.
Hidden within the folds of the track’s dubstep-like instrumentals are lyrics that are indirectly targeted at content creators that have yet to begin with their actual content making. This track hits the target on this so-called ‘tough love motivation’ and snaps back at naysayers for dismissing her achievement as someone from a ‘Little Miss Company Hire’.
With tough lines such as ‘You want a balanced following? Then start creating, stop tweeting’, this track remains one of Mori’s straightforward tracks.
Check out the Top 5 Music Videos on the next page.
