On August 15th, Morning Musume '24 celebrated the release of their latest single, Nandaka Sentimental na Toki no Uta / SaiKIYOU, with an event at Tokyo’s Shinagawa Intercity Hall. This single, marking their debut release under the new leadership of Erina Ikuta, secured the top spot on the Oricon Daily Single Ranking as of August 14th.

Erina Ikuta, who assumed the role of leader last November, expressed her enthusiasm for the single’s success. “We’re thrilled with this achievement and aim to maintain this momentum to secure the weekly number one spot. Our goal is to achieve gold status within Morning Musume,” she stated. Ikuta also shared her positive experiences as leader and her hopes for the future.

The event also revealed exciting news: the group will release a new album this autumn. Sub-leader Ayumi Ishida discussed the significance of the single and her upcoming departure. “This single represents our final release as the current lineup. However, we have an album coming out this autumn, which will be my final project with the group,” Ishida announced. She humorously likened the attention surrounding her graduation to a "closing sale," enjoying the increased focus on her departure. “I’m really enjoying the attention and the excitement surrounding my graduation,” she added.

In related news, Rio Kitagawa was unable to attend the event due to a fever.