Seven years ago today, May 22nd 2013, AKB48 released: The 31st Single - [さよならクロール] (Sayonara Crawl)

The single marks a turning point in 48G history as it symbolically marks the final stretch of the older generations stay in the group. It's simultaneously a search for a new center and an homage to the long reigning, established legends.

Sayonara Crawl was the penultimate AKB48 'Bikini Single', and like the ones before it, it was the single that would include the voting ballots for the 32nd Single's Senbatsu. Meaning the sales were projected to be sky high.

On April 26th 2013, the various cover arts for the seven versions of the single were announced.

Limited Edition's A, K, and B

Standard Editions A, K, B, and the Theater Edition (CD Only) Version

Two days later on April 28th 2013, the song was performed as part of the encore on the final day of their Budokan concert series; thus revealing the 32 member Senbatsu, or Member Selection.

The 32 member selection consisted of 17 AKB members, 5 HKT members, 4 SKE members, 4 NMB members, 1 JKT member, and 1 SNH member; in a four line formation with 4, 7, 9, and 12 girls per respective line.

This performance and formation simultaneously revealed the coveted Center Position which was for the first (and only) time ever made into a WW or Quadruple Center Position

The four Center Position members, Oshima Yuko (Yuko), Itano Tomomi (Tomochin), Watanabe Mayu (Mayuyu), and Shimazaki Haruka (Paruru) were a mix of two older members and two girls who were in line to become the next faces of the group.

On May 15th 2013, the Mika Ninagawa-directed PV, or music video, was released online. This would mark the second time she directed an AKB48 A-Side PV

For the 31st Single's costuming, the AKB designers brought visuals that complimented Mika Ninagawa's famous use of strikingly bright colors and flowers to their designs.

Fun fact: at-the-time HKT48 Team H member Sashihara Rino's Sayonara Crawl live performance dress was once on display at the AKB48 Cafe

A closer look at the costuming for this single taken from the AKB48 Costume Database, most notably the Music Station costumes and the four Center Position variations.

The 31st Single - [さよならクロール] (Sayonara Crawl), went on to sell 1,450,881 on its May 22nd 2013 release date. It debuted #1 on the Oricon June 3rd 2013 Chart and remained charting for 27 Weeks.

Sayonara Crawl was also AKB48's 18th #1 Single and their 13th consecutive 1,000,000+ selling single. But most importantly, it is a bookend in one of the shelves of 48 Group history -->

As detailed before, Sayonara Crawl had voting ballots for the 32nd Single - [恋するフォーチュンクッキー] (Koisuru Fortune Cookie) Senbatsu --->

With HKT48's Manager, Sashihara Rino winning the election in favor of the projected winner: AKB48's Team K Captain, Oshima Yuko, the picture was clear, AKB's golden era was over, and the picture that was painted at the 5th 48Group Election was one of Sister Group dominance -->

With the explosive success and cultural impact of Girls Generation's Gee proportions that Koisuru had, the future of the group was sealed: the flagship group singles would become 48Group All-Stars grounds. A decision, good or bad, that is just now, 7 years later, being undone.

With this, Sayonara Crawl becomes a literal goodbye to the golden era of AKB48 and flipped the page to it's 3rd chapter which itself has recently come to a close.. but lets save that for another day.

End Thread, さようなら