Japanese girl group f5ve (pronounced fi-vee) define themselves as “inter-dimensional dream agents from Tokyo” on a mission to “eradicate self-doubt and bad vibes.” It’s an ambitious goal for the quintet, who have just released the first single, ‘Magic Clock’, from their debut album SEQUENCE 1, which drops on May 5. But they are more than ready for the challenge.
First, all five of them have over a decade of experience making music. Members Kaede, Sayaka, Miyuu, and Ruri, all between 28 and 29 years old, were previously part of well-known groups E-girls and Happiness. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Rui was a member of DELUXE COLORS!, Kizzy, iScream, and released a decent body of solo work before joining f5ve.
Second, they have a robust production team behind them. SEQUENCE 1 was executive produced by GRAMMY winner and Japanese culture aficionado BloodPop, known for his work with Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Justin Bieber. The album also features additional production from A.G. Cook (Charli XCX, Utada Hikaru), Hudson Mohawke, and others. Together, they craft a powerhouse collection that merges electronic beats, infectious hooks, and intricate sonic textures, pushing J-pop into daring new territory.
And lastly, f5ve have the guts to do what others don’t. Their first single, the sharp-witted “Lettuce,” came out in May 2024, and calls out a cute but lousy boy with the iconic line: “You eat a lot of lettuce, but you’re toxic.” Follow-ups “Underground” and “UFO” cemented their reputation for creating genre-blending sound and making a real cultural impact, with the group supporting the LGBTQ+ community in their videos and reigniting Japan’s Gyaru subculture. In a time of rising conservatism, f5ve embrace their individuality and their right to express it.
Ahead of the album’s release, f5ve joined DAZED in a video call from Tokyo to talk about SEQUENCE 1, the evolution of J-pop, and smashing stereotypes about Japan.
Your music is fronted by American hitmaker BloodPop. What was it like working with him and selecting the tracks for this album?
Kaede: It was so fresh for us, so different from how Japanese people create music. Great experience. It was my first time recording in the studio, and he is very, very kind. I feel nervous whenever I record, but he talked to us [in a] friendly way and I could enjoy the music more.
What were the inspirations behind f5ve’s music? Did you discuss with BloodPop what kind of things you liked and disliked?
Kaede: For me, I love Western music. I love Justin Bieber.
Rui: I really love Japanese anime, and he loves it, too. We talked about [that] and he said, ‘let’s make music for anime and video games.’ I was so happy.
Do you have any favorite tracks on the album?
Miyuu: My favorite song is ‘Jump’. The melody is very dreamy, I feel like I’m in a fantasy world listening to it, and [it reminds me that], when things get hard, your friends are always there for you. It makes me feel encouraged.
Rui: Mine is ‘Magic Clock’. When I listen to it, it makes me happy and reminds me of the members, bringing back fond memories. I feel my heart beating fast.
Sayaka: My favorite is ‘Sugar Free Venom’. It reminds me of Habushu, a traditional sake from Okinawa that has a [real] snake inside the bottle. When I listen to it, I feel empowered and strong.
Kaede: I love this song, too. Also, ‘Sugar Free Venom’ will have a big feature later this year…
Rui: I have a little hint. It reminds me of the 2020s music scene.
Kaede: [singing] ‘Don’t stop, make it pop, DJ, blow my speakers up…’ [laughs].
Alright, your PR told me not to mention who the featured artist is yet, but since you gave such a big hint, I’ll keep it that way. What are some new things you learned while making this album? Or new things that you discovered about yourselves?
Rui: We had a chance to decide on our own [singing] parts. It was the first time this happened to us, and we grew a lot from this experience. I also appreciate that the whole team and BloodPop helped us decide on these things.
Miyuu: During recording, keeping up with the speed of creating new songs every minute, every hour, every day was very challenging. But at the same time, the biggest takeaway for me was understanding both the strengths and weaknesses of my voice.
Kaede: It was my first time singing, and Sayaka and Miyuu as well. In our previous group [Happiness], we were performers, so we just had to focus on dancing. This time, all the experiences were fresh and challenging for us. I didn’t know about my strengths, for example, but during the recording, staff members and the girls complimented my airy voice. It made me realise a new side of myself.
Since social media has gotten way bigger, a lot of people from foreign countries have a chance to listen to our music now
Since Kaede mentioned Happiness, what are the biggest differences between working with your previous groups E-girls, Happiness, and iScream, and now with f5ve? What did you learn from that time that you still use today?
Rui: With f5ve, we can cross borders and reach different countries. I just have fun performing and I do my best all the time.
Ruri: I feel like everything is so much fun because we have been together for a long time.
Kaede: We [have been] together for over ten years, so we learned how close we are. We are like sisters.
Do you ever fight?
Kaede: Yes, sometimes [laughs]. We had big fights when we were teenagers. No one said that, I think, but everyone thought, ‘Oh, I want to be the centre. I want to be the main person in the group,’ so there were fights like this when we were young.
Nowadays, I guess you have resolved that.
Kaede: Yes. Everyone can be a centre. Respect!
Since you have been in the field for over a decade, what changes have you noticed in J-pop and its global perception?
Miyuu: So far, J-pop and K-pop have both been seen as ‘just Asian music’. So, J-pop didn’t get much global recognition, especially since Japan has focused on the domestic market. With social media, it’s way easier to access music worldwide, and more people started noticing the difference between J-pop and K-pop. This culture has really changed how we discover and appreciate music.
Ruri: I didn’t know that international fans knew Japanese music, but now with f5ve, I know that many of them love Japanese culture and J-pop.
Kaede: We got so many comments in different languages, like English, Korean, Spanish, Chinese. Since social media has gotten way bigger, a lot of people from foreign countries have a chance to listen to our music now. Seeing international comments is refreshing to us.
And how do you think f5ve is being received in Japan?
Kaede: Many Japanese groups try to go global, and they often switch to English lyrics or make their sound more like Western music. But f5ve has a totally different approach. We have all Japanese lyrics. We embrace our culture. We represent Japan.
We focus more on f5ve’s sound and world than a traditional J-pop sound, but since we are Japanese, any music we create will be called J-pop. But that also means we can try on a lot of music genres and challenge those perceptions.
You are already challenging a lot in J-pop by approaching themes like LGBTQ+ support and breaking beauty stereotypes. Do you think it’s important nowadays to focus on that?
Kaede: Of course! We have friends that come from the LGBTQ+ community, and we love them. We want to support them.
Rui: Yes, we want to take away any negative feelings related to them around the world.
How do you balance bringing humour to your songs while wanting to be taken seriously as a group?
Rui: I think everyone has their own image of f5ve, and we’re happy with that. Being ourselves and embracing each member’s unique personality is what makes f5ve special. Our social media is full of humor, so when we perform, it may look cool and confident, but offstage, we are very natural and always laughing. We play around with each other a lot.
If f5ve was a game, what game would it be?
Kaede: I would say RPG, because it’s a game where you clear each quest and grow. And since we just started our new journey, it’s similar to us.
Rui: I want to make Tamagotchis of f5ve.
Sayaka: I want to collaborate with Apple Music or Spotify and make a rhythm game with f5ve songs.
When you look into the future, like ten years from now, what personal achievements or milestones would make you proud of yourselves?
Kaede: My ideal is to become a unique and one-of-a-kind artist. I want to keep going and stay [beside] my fans. I want to give positive energy to them.
Miyuu: I want to be someone who stays true to my expression, and to become my own biggest fan. Then, I want to show my fans that loving yourself is something wonderful.
Kaede: We want to go on tour and meet hi-5 [f5ve fans] all over the world, too. We want to be big pop stars. Hopefully.
