f5ve

Discography

f5ve (ファイビー; pronounced fi • vee), formerly known as SG5 (short for Sailor Guardians 5), is a Japanese girl group co-managed by LDH JAPAN and global management firm Three Six Zero, signed to the record label Three Six Zero Recordings, and represented globally by WME.

It is a special project unit based in the United States and consisting of selected members from the girl groups Happiness and iScream.

The unit was announced in May 2022. Its executive producer and co-creative director is American musician BloodPop®.

Members[]

Main article: f5ve/Members

KAEDE
Vocal, performer
Jan. 11, 1996 (29)
Kanagawa

SAYAKA
Vocal, performer
Sep. 20, 1995 (29)
Miyazaki

RURI
Vocal, performer
Apr. 12, 1996 (28)
Osaka

MIYUU
Vocal, performer
Aug. 16, 1996 (28)
Kanagawa

RUI
Vocal, performer
Nov. 4, 2003 (21)
Aichi

History[]

2022[]

On May 18, it was announced that Happiness and iScream would collaborate for a new CL program titled Happiness×iScream "Joshi-kai" (Happiness×iScream『LDH女子会』; Happiness×iScream "Girls-only Gathering). During the first broadcast of the program on the same day, it was also announced that selected members of both groups would participate in a new project based overseas. Those members were revealed to be Happiness members MIYUU, SAYAKA, Kaede and Kawamoto Ruri and iScream member RUI.

On May 21, the unit made a surprise appearance at the "Anime Central" convention in Chicago, USA, performing as the opening act for the artist DEMONDICE. For the announcement of their performance, the official "Anime Central" Twitter account referred to them as "SG5", even though no official information on the unit's name had been released yet by LDH itself.^[1]^[2]^[3] One the same day, the new project was officially announced by LDH, however no group name and no details were given, except that the members would have a concurrent position in the unit and their original group.^[4]^[5]

On June 4 and 5, the unit appeared and performed at "A-Kon" in Irving, Texas. On the official website of the convention, SG5 was introduced as "the first-ever music group produced in collaboration with Sailor Moon".^[6]

On June 27, it was announced that SG5 would perform at "Anime Expo" in Los Angeles, California, at the Opening Ceremony on July 1 and Halftime at "AX Masquerade" on July 3. These performances would serve as their official debut stage. In the announcement, it was also revealed that the name "SG5" would be an abbrevation for "Sailor Guardians 5".^[7]^[8]

On June 28, an exclusive article published by Rolling Stone revealed information on the unit's background, debut, production, etc., and included an interview with the members themselves. According to the article, plans for SG5 first began taking shape in 2020, with the final lineup and debut concept solidified in early 2022. To use the Sailor Moon IP, the unit had to put together a performance and presentation for Sailor Moon creator Takeuchi Naoko, who approved of them to make it an official collaboration. Additionally, American producer BloodPop® would serve as Executive Producer and co-Creative Director of their debut album, which would be expected to be a mix of futuristic pop and uptempo dance tracks, with the members singing in both Japanese and English.^[9]^[10]^[11]

On July 5, LDH JAPAN officially announced the unit, their name and their concept.^[12] On the same day, Japanese news outlets revealed that the original songs the group had performed at the anime conventions in the USA were titled "LETTUCE", "FIRE TRUCK" and "TOO MUCH".^[13]^[14]^[15]^[16]

On September 29, it was announced that the group has signed a contract with WME for global representation and that they would be represented by Ben Totis and David Bradley.^[17]

2023[]

In February, the official Twitter account of SG5 started teasing the group's upcoming musical debut, including releasing a series of promotional pictures of the members and group. At the same time, the group's profile was added to the individual artist roster on LDH JAPAN's and Three Six Zero's websites.

On February 27, it was announced that they would release their debut digital single "Firetruck", produced by BloodPop® and Hudson Mohawke, on March 1.^[18]

2024[]

On April 26, the group announced a rebrand on their SNS accounts, introducing a new concept and the group being renamed to f5ve. With this new concept, the members would be inter-dimensional dream agents from Tokyo, Japan, and their mission would be to infiltrate the subconscious mind in order to eradicate self-doubt and negative energy.^[19] "Utilizing their arsenal of optimism, confidence, fantasy, intelligence and female empowerment, these five women create surreal aural landscapes in which fear can’t exist." It was also revealed that KAEDE was appointed as leader of the group.^[20]

On May 3, the group released their second digital single, first as f5ve, titled "Lettuce".^[21]^[22]^[23] On the same day, UK-based global PR agency SATELLITE414 announced that f5ve had been added to the agency's roster.^[24]

On July 12, they released their third digital single titled "Underground".^[25]^[26]

On July 20, the group held a release party titled r4ve an underground party at studio FREEDOM in Tokyo to commemorate the release of the new song. At this event, f5ve performed, and special guests such as Okamoto Reiji (OKAMOTO'S), MANON, SUNNYONLY1, etc. appeared as DJs.^[25]^[26]^[27]

On October 17, the released their fourth digital single titled "UFO".^[28]

On October 19 and 20, they will perform at the music event ~SHIBUYA109 L♡VE MUSIC FES ~Dress up for art and music~ at MAG's PARK, an event space on the rooftop of MAGNET by SHIBUYA109 in Tokyo, to commemorate SHIBUYA109's 45th anniversary.^[29]

Discography[]

Main article: f5ve/Discography

Singles

Digital Singles

[2023.03.01] Firetruck (as SG5)
[2024.05.03] Lettuce
[2024.07.12] Underground
[2024.10.17] UFO

Other Singles

[2023.05.05] Firetruck (umru Remix) (as SG5)
[2024.08.07] Underground (DOSS Remix)
[2024.09.10] Underground Remixes

Concerts/Tours[]

Events

[2024.07.20] r4ve an underground party

Trivia[]

The members call themselves an "intergalactic pop supergroup that protects the universe from evil, injustice and negativity".^[9]
To use the Sailor Moon IP, the unit had to put together a performance and presentation for Sailor Moon creator Takeuchi Naoko, who approved of them to make it an official collaboration.^[9]
The members aren't meant to represent a specific scout. Instead, the group is meant to simply "exist in the Sailor Moon universe together" while "heavily referencing the main protagonists of the series."^[30]
According to the members, their goal is to help "export Japanese music overseas".^[9] Additionally, they don't want to express Sailor Moon "as it is or in cosplay", but rather want to be able to express "their own take on it as SG5 by taking inspiration from it".^[31]
The live-action Sailor Moon series and musicals in Japan called Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon serve as the inspiration for the unit.^[9]^[11]
Even though all members have debuted in other J-Pop groups before, it is the first time for members SAYAKA, KAEDE and MIYUU to hold a microphone and sing as they are solely performers/dancers in the other groups they are part of.^[31]
The pre-debut teaser images of the group and members were shot and designed by Bryan Huynh & Willem Stapel with creative direction by Crystal Lockhart.^[32]^[33]
The logo design for "f5ve" was created by Timothy Luke.
On May 24, 2024, it was announced that the group's fandom name had been selected to be "hi−5" as a result of a voting across all of f5ve's social media.^[34]
On August 19, 2024, it was announced that the group's vlogs would be called "f5vlog" as a result of a voting across all of f5ve's social media.^[35]

References[]

External Links[]

[1] ttps://twitter.com/animecentral/status/1527783737626398720

[2] ttps://twitter.com/animecentral/status/1527830137164681217

[3] ttps://twitter.com/animecentral/status/1527778703903756289

[4] ttps://m.ldhgirls-m.jp/news/detail?news_id=38175

[5] ttps://www.ldh.co.jp/eng/news/detail.php?lang=eng&site=Egirls&newsid=0000038175

[6] ttps://a-kon.com/talent/sg5

[7] ttps://www.anime-expo.org/guest/sg5/

[8] ttps://hypebae.com/2022/6/sg5-japanese-girl-group-sailor-moon-collaboration-sayaka-ruri-rui-miyuu-kaede-debut-info

[:0-9] 9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 ^9.3 ^9.4 https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/j-pop-group-sg5-members-sailor-moon-1372829/

[10] ttps://www.justjared.com/2022/07/08/get-to-know-sailor-moon-affiliated-girl-group-sg5-with-these-10-fun-facts-exclusive/

[:1-11] 11.0 ^11.1 https://rollingstonejapan.com/articles/detail/38028

[12] ttps://www.ldh.co.jp/news/detail.php?lang=eng&site=Egirls&newsid=0000038894

[13] ttps://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000221761

[14] ttps://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/202207050000868.html

[15] ttps://www.tokyoheadline.com/634361/

[16] ttps://realsound.jp/2022/07/post-1072857_2.html

[17] ttps://findyoursounds.com/intergalactic-pop-supergroup-sg5-sign-to-wme-for-global-representation/

[18] ttps://www.tokyoheadline.com/680768/

[19] ttps://twitter.com/f5ve_official/status/1783936146944434290

[20] ttps://twitter.com/f5ve_official/status/1783939578950521205

[21] 【f5ve】2024/5/3(金・祝)デビューシングル『Lettuce』Digital Release!!

[22] ttps://realsound.jp/2024/05/post-1652656.html

[23] ttps://www.tokyoheadline.com/749600/

[24] ttps://www.instagram.com/p/C6g8K7pt1dU/

[:3-25] 25.0 ^25.1 https://natalie.mu/music/news/582524

[:4-26] 26.0 ^26.1 https://www.ldh.co.jp/news/detail.php?lang=jpn&site=Egirls&newsid=0000047812

[27] ttps://www.tokyoheadline.com/761052/

[28] ttps://x.com/f5ve_official/status/1843999857813454879

[29] ttps://natalie.mu/music/news/591740

[30] ttps://www.nylon.com/entertainment/who-are-the-members-in-sg5-sailor-moon-j-pop-group

[:2-31] 31.0 ^31.1 https://www.bandwagon.asia/articles/sg5-interview-sayaka-miyuu-ruri-rui-kaede-sailor-moon-j-pop-group-interview-august-2022

[32] ttps://www.instagram.com/p/CfYD7_0I-RW/

[33] ttps://www.instagram.com/p/CfZwpUMojZF/

[34] ttps://x.com/f5ve_official/status/1794080932053254559

[35] ttps://x.com/f5ve_official/status/1825590189093528041

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