E-girls (sometimes stylized as E-Girls or e-girls; stands for Exile Girls) was a Japanese collective
girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...
created and managed by
LDH while signed to music label
Rhythm Zone
(RZN) is a record label in the Avex Group that releases urban contemporary Japanese music.
History
The label was founded in 1999 by Max Matsuura with a focus on urban music, signing M-Flo as its first artist, then followed by Exile.
In 2000, ...
from
Avex
is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate led by founder Max Matsuura and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1988, the company manages J-pop talents like Ayumi Hamasaki and internet sensation PikoTaro. It has also shifted into other busi ...
. As of 2017, the band consisted of 11 members; 8 of which featured members of groups
Happiness
Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...
and
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
. Created as a sister act to
boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform Love song, love songs marketed towards girls and young ...
Exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
, E-girls debuted in 2011 with their single "Celebration". After a string of promotional recordings, E-girls released their debut record ''
Lesson 1'' two years later. In 2013, their single "
Gomennasai no Kissing You
is a song by the Japanese girl group E-girls. It was released on October 2, 2013, as the group's sixth single and it was released a week earlier digitally as their fifth digital single.
Background
The single release was announced on August 12, 2 ...
" catapulted the girls into commercial success, selling over 100,000 units, and its parent album ''
Colorful Pop
''Colorful Pop'' is the second studio album of the Japanese super girl group E-girls. It was released on March 19, 2014 in two different editions.
Background
E-girls announced their second album before the release of "Diamond Only". The album's c ...
'' (2014), was met with positive reviews and high performance on the
Oricon Albums Chart
The Oricon Albums Chart is the Japanese music industry standard albums popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Oricon originally published LP, CT, Cartridge and CD charts prior to the establishment of the Oricon Albu ...
.
With several members departing from the group, E-girls released their third album ''
E.G. Time
''E.G. Time'' is the third studio album by Japanese collective unit E-girls, released digitally on December 24, 2014, and physically on January 1, 2015 (New Year's Day) by Rhythm Zone and Avex Music Creative Inc. The record was produced by Exile H ...
'' (2015), which saw a change in their music and vocal deliveries. That same year, LDH announced changes to their line-up, which resulted in absence with some members for their singles "
Anniversary!!" and "
Dance Dance Dance". Beginning the year with their greatest hits album ''E.G. Smile: E-girls Best'' (2016), the group announced their E.G. Pop and E.G. Cool themes with the singles "
E.G. Summer Rider
"E.G. Summer Rider" (stylized as "E.G. summer RIDER"; stands for "E-girls Summer Rider") is a song recorded and performed by Japanese collective unit E-girls, taken as a single from their fourth studio record ''E.G. Crazy'' (2017). The track was r ...
", "
Pink Champagne
Pink Champagne (first named Kasern 9) was a Swedish feminist punk band in the 1980s. It consisted of four women, Stina Berge (drums), Ann Carlberger (vocals), Karin Jansson (guitar) and Gunilla Welin (bass). Kajsa Grytt was briefly a member. They ...
" and "
Go! Go! Let's Go!
"Go! Go! Let's Go!" is a song recorded and performed by Japanese collective unit E-girls, taken as a single from their fourth studio record ''E.G. Crazy'' (2017). The track was released on November 30, 2016 through Rhythm Zone and Avex Music Creat ...
". Their fourth album, ''
E.G. Crazy'', was released in January 2017.
Beginning as a
Japanese idol
An is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in acting, dancing, and modeling. Idols are commercialized through merchandise and endorsements b ...
group, E-girls have branched out and conceive a variety of different appeals and cultures as their career progressed, and have become one of the most prominent girl groups in Japanese music. Additionally, their musical style, starting off as soft
J-pop
J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...
and
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
music, began to expand as following albums were released. Since their debut, three sub-units have been formed by selected members from E-girls, and have explored both music and
fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
endeavours. The group disbanded at the end of 2020.
History
2011–2012: Debut and single releases
In 2011, Japanese boy band
Exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
held a nationwide audition event for young female artists. Originally, the event was to find members for the dance group named
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
, which was conducted by
LDH and already featured four members, but they decided to also scope for a new dance and vocal group titled Bunny. After recruiting dancers
Nozomi Bando and
Harumi Sato
is a Japanese dancer, model and actress. She is a former member of J-Pop group E-girls and Flower and exclusive model for the Japanese fashion magazine ''Ray''.
Sato is represented with LDH.
Early life
Harumi Sato was born on June 8, 1995 i ...
, and three vocalists
Reina Washio
Reina Washio (鷲尾伶菜; ''Washio Reina'', born January 20, 1994) is a Japanese singer, performer and model. She is a former member of J-pop, J-Pop group E-girls and former member of Flower (Japanese group), Flower.
For her solo activities she ...
, Kyoka Ichiki, and
Chiharu Muto, Exile's
Hiro—the head producer and CEO of LDH—announced the "Girls Entertainment Project", which was later changed to E-Girls; he confirmed that it would consist of all members from
Dream
A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
,
Happiness
Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...
, and Flower. Bunny were not originally formed as part of E-Girls, and were to debut separately in 2013, but they never carried out any activities. Following their formation, E-girls consisted of 21 members. On 28 December 2011, the group debuted with their single "Celebration", which peaked inside the top ten on the
Oricon Singles Chart
The Oricon Singles Chart is the Japanese music industry-standard singles popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Chart rankings are based on physical singles' sales. Until 2017, Oricon did not track download sales. In J ...
. Sayaka Yamamoto became the first member of E-girls to leave the group, and subsequently her band Dream; her promise commenced in March 2012.
The following year, they released their second single "One Two Three" in April, which performed moderately on the charts than their former recording. For the release, two new members were added into the band: Reina Kizu and
Anna Suda
, better known by her nickname Sudanna, is a Japanese dancer, rapper, model, actress and fashion designer. She is a former member of the J-Pop groups E-girls, Happiness and SudannaYuzuYully.
As an actress, she appeared in several dramas such as t ...
, both coming from EGD (EXPG Girls Dancers), a dance group formed at the Exile Professional Gym Academy. On 25 April, E-girls were invited to perform their new single at ''MCountdown Hello Japan ~MCountdown One Asia Tour 2012~'', a live event at
Saitama Super Arena
is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It opened preliminarily on May 5, 2000, and then was officially opened on September 1 of the same year. Its maximum spectator capacity is 36,500, making i ...
hosted by the Korean music program
''MCountdown''. Before the preparation of their follow-up number "Follow Me", Happiness member Mayu Sugieda went on hiatus in August to undergo medical treatment after being diagnosed with
infectious mononucleosis
Infectious mononucleosis (IM, mono), also known as glandular fever, is an infection usually caused by the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Most people are infected by the virus as children, when the disease produces few or no symptoms. In young adult ...
. Furthermore, LDH added several more members into E-girls, including the girls from the un-debuted Bunny group and EGD dancers. In total, E-girls consisted of 31 members, with Dream's Sayaka Yamamato, and Happiness' Mimu Hioki and Sugeida on hiatus. Having said this, LDH announced new regulations to have each member train to each following single release in order to feature in the line-up; for example, only 16 of the 31 members appeared on the jacket covers for "Follow Me".
The single was released on in October 2012, and was a commercial success in Japan, shifting 500,000 digital units.
Not long after, Happiness member Mimu Hioki left the group in October.
2013: ''Lesson 1'' and rise of popularity
In early 2013, three members from Bunny left E-Girls. Additionally, EGD member Ruri Kawamoto and an original performer named Momoka Nakajima joined E-Girls and made their first performing appearance in their single "The Never Ending Story", which the band's name de-capitalized to E-girls.
It was a commercial success, reaching number two on the Oricon chart, and became their first feature to included all 29-members on the jacket covers. The following hit, "Candy Smile", performed moderately on the charts but earned a Gold certification by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969.
The RIAJ's activities include pr ...
(RIAJ). Additionally, Kawamoto was promoted as a vocalist and sung the
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
"Love Letter", marking her the first E-girls member to change positions. On 17 April, the girls promoted their debut record ''
Lesson 1'', which sold numerous units on the
Oricon Albums Chart
The Oricon Albums Chart is the Japanese music industry standard albums popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Oricon originally published LP, CT, Cartridge and CD charts prior to the establishment of the Oricon Albu ...
, debuting at number one and charted over 70 non-consecutive weeks. This was the final effort by EGD member Reina Kizu, whom left the group some months later; her position was replaced officially by Nakajima.
Happiness' member Mayu Sugieda returned to the group after recovering from her illness, and joined all 29 members for the single's jacket covers and visual for "
Gomennasai no Kissing You
is a song by the Japanese girl group E-girls. It was released on October 2, 2013, as the group's sixth single and it was released a week earlier digitally as their fifth digital single.
Background
The single release was announced on August 12, 2 ...
". This was the final single with Flower member
Elina Mizuno Elina may refer to:
*Elina (Epirus) an ancient Greek fortified town in the region of Epirus
*'' Elina: As If I Wasn't There'', a 2002 Swedish film
*Elina, protagonist of the '' Barbie: Fairytopia'' series of animated films
* ''Elina'' (butterfly), ...
, the first release with Anna Suda and Kawamoto as members of Happiness, and the first visual to feature Nakajima since replacing Kizu. A commercial success, it became the girls first physical track to ship over 100,000 copies, and won the
Japanese MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography, alongside a nomination for Best Japanese act at the 2014
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an al ...
. In October that year, EGD member Marina Watanabe joined the girl group as a stand-in performer. However, her position was allocated as a primary performer when member Mizuno signed off from E-girls, and Watanabe was featured in the promotional shoot for the groups following number, "Kurukuru". The single became the group's highest first week sales, shifting approximately 69,087 units. At the end of 2013, the group were given the opportunity to appear on several year-end shows in Japan, and were subsequently invited to ''
Kōhaku Uta Gassen
, more commonly known simply as ''Kōhaku'', is an annual New Year's Eve television special produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. It is broadcast live simultaneously on television and radio, nationally and internationally by the NHK net ...
''. There, they performed a special medley of their songs.
2014–2015: Individual activities, ''Colorful Pop'', ''E.G. Time'', line-up changes and further work
In early 2014, Dream's Aya Takamoto was appointed as the leader of E-girls. Subsequently, each member started to endure on several separate endeavours from the group; 10 of the group's members:
Shizuka,
Kaede,
Karen Fujii
is a Japanese singer, dancer, model and actress. She is a member of J-Pop group Happiness, and a former member E-girls, and ShuuKaRen, and an exclusive model for the magazines '' JJ'' and '' Nicola''.
Karen is represented by LDH.
Early life
Kar ...
,
Anna Suda
, better known by her nickname Sudanna, is a Japanese dancer, rapper, model, actress and fashion designer. She is a former member of the J-Pop groups E-girls, Happiness and SudannaYuzuYully.
As an actress, she appeared in several dramas such as t ...
,
Shuuka Fujii
is a former Japanese dancer, fashion model, actress, and singer. She performed as a member of the music groups E-girls, Flower, and ShuuKaRen, and was a former exclusive model for '' JJ'' and ''Love Berry''.
Fujii announced her retirement from th ...
,
Nozomi Bando, Harumi Sato, Kyoka Takeda,
Anna Ishii
is a Japanese dancer, actress and model. She is a former member of E-girls and represented by LDH.
Early life
Ishii was born on July 11, 1998, in Tokyo, Japan. She has an elder brother, a younger brother, and a younger sister named Chino Ishi ...
, and
Nonoka Yamaguchi
Nonoka Yamaguchi (山口乃々華, ''Yamaguchi Nonoka'', born March 8, 1998) is a Japanese dancer, actress and model. She is a former member of J-Pop group E-girls and represented with LDH.
Early life
Yamaguchi was born on March 8, 1998 in Sai ...
, each starred in one episode of the drama ''
A Perfect Day for Love Letters
is a Japanese manga short story series written and illustrated by George Asakura. Each story depicts a relationship that revolves around the use of love letters. The stories were originally published by Kodansha in the '' shōjo'' (aimed at ...
''. The opening number to the show was the E-girls single "Diamond Only", which experienced success on the Oricon charts. Despite previous commercial endorsements, it brought the girls more endorsement deals with fashion and lifestyle products. Released as their final single to their second album ''
Colorful Pop
''Colorful Pop'' is the second studio album of the Japanese super girl group E-girls. It was released on March 19, 2014 in two different editions.
Background
E-girls announced their second album before the release of "Diamond Only". The album's c ...
'', which was released on 19 March, the latter format garnered success on the Oricon Albums Chart and became their second consecutive album to debut at number one. In order to promote the record, E-girls commenced their first national tour between July and August, titled "Colorful Land".
In April that year, Mayu Sugeida and Kyoka Takeda left their respective groups Happiness and Bunny, alongside their departure from E-girls; this made Sugeida the second vocalist after Dream's Sayaka Yamamoto to leave E-girls. From June that year, E-girls released three singles consecutively, one per month; the first was "E.G. Anthem: We Are Venus", which included all members and vocalists on the jacket covers and accompanying music video. The following number was "
Odoru Ponpokorin", which premiered on 30 July and experienced moderate sales in the charts and featured 14-elected members for the cover art.
It used as the opening theme song to the TV anime ''
Chibi Maruko Chan''.
The third single from their album ''
E.G. Time
''E.G. Time'' is the third studio album by Japanese collective unit E-girls, released digitally on December 24, 2014, and physically on January 1, 2015 (New Year's Day) by Rhythm Zone and Avex Music Creative Inc. The record was produced by Exile H ...
'' (2015) was "Highschool Love", which was released on 10 September. Like "Odoru Ponpokorin", the single was featured in the Fuji TV drama ''
"Great Teacher Onizuka"''. While preparing for promotion to their single "Mr. Snowman", Flower member and vocalist Chiharu Muto left E-girls to study abroad but ended up launching her own fashion line; she left in November, the same month that the single was released. At the end of the year, E-girls were invited to ''
Kōhaku Uta Gassen
, more commonly known simply as ''Kōhaku'', is an annual New Year's Eve television special produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. It is broadcast live simultaneously on television and radio, nationally and internationally by the NHK net ...
'' for the second time where they performed their song "Highschool Love". They were also part of the line-up for the performers at the ''
FNS Song Festival''.
![MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2014 E-Girls](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/MTV_Video_Music_Awards_Japan_2014_E-Girls.jpg)
On 1 January 2015 (
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
), the band released the physical editions of ''E.G. Time''.
The record was commercially success, becoming their third number one on the Oricon charts. However, on 27 January, the staff at LDH announced a new line-up system titled the E-girls Pyramid, which showed each member in the band and their respective sub-groups. With that said, six of the then-remaining 26-members were moved out of E-girls and into either the yet-to-debut groups Rabbits and Bunnies for further training; Yuzuna Takebe, the youngest singer in E-girls, was removed from the line-up and placed in Rabbits. After this, the girls held their second nationwide tour titled "Colorful World" between February and March. With the new line-up set, E-girls started recording new material for their new album by promoting the single "Anniversary!!". Dream member
Ami
AMI or Ami may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
*AMI-tv, a Canadian TV channel
**AMI-télé, the French-language version
* AMI-audio, a Canadian audio broadcast TV service
*''Ami Magazine'', an Orthodox Jewish news magazine
Businesses ...
announced her solo debut, con-curring with the activities in E-girls and Dream. In October that year, it was confirmed via LDH that Dream member Erie Abe would graduate from being a performer and singer to become a
disc jockey
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...
for some of the group's future releases and live performances. That same month, Flower member Kyoka Ichiki announced her leave from both groups; this made Flower a six-member unit, and left Reina Washio the only remaining vocalist in the group.
Because of Ichiki's departure, LDH re-added ex-Rabbits' member Yuzuna Takebe to E-girls, but only attributed as a performer until the following year. Once again, the group was invited to their third appearance at ''
Kōhaku
Kōhaku is a Japanese word that can mean one of several things depending on the Kanji used.
Examples:
*紅白: means "red and white."
*黄白: means "gold and silver" or "yellow and white."
Kōhaku (紅白) may refer to:
* Kōhaku maku, a red an ...
'', where they performed their single "
Dance Dance Dance" as well as another year-end special on Japan's
CDTV
The CDTV (from Commodore Dynamic Total Vision, later treated as a backronym for Compact Disc Television) is a home multimedia entertainment and video game console – convertible into a full-fledged personal computer by the addition of optional ...
where they revealed a new song from their then-upcoming
greatest hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
album ''E.G. Smile: E-girls Best'', titled "
Dance With Me Now!". The single premiered as a promotional recording and achieved success on the
Japan Hot 100
The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and '' Hanshin Contents Link'' since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thur ...
chart. It was their last release within 2015.
2016: ''E.G. Smile: E-girls Best'' and ''E.G. Crazy''
To start the new year 2016, E-girls released their greatest hits
compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
''E.G. Smile: E-girls BEST'' on 10 February 2016. The album consisted of all their singles up to "Dance With Me Now!", and an additional recording titled "Shukko Sa! (Sail Out For Someone)". Released in several different formats, the record became their best-selling album, with over 250,000 units sold and was certified Platinum by the RIAJ. To commemorate its release, E-girls engaged in their third national tour titled ''E-girls LIVE TOUR 2016 "E.G. SMILE"''. During the concert tour, the group made several announcements related to their sub-groups' activities; Happiness' second studio album and upcoming tours for both Flower and Happiness. This is the first time Flower and Happiness have been conducted concert tours themselves. Additionally, LDH confirmed the debut of the E-girls side-project
ShuuKaRen, which consists of sisters
Karen
Karen may refer to:
* Karen (name), a given name and surname
* Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors
People
* Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand
** Karen languages or Karenic l ...
and
Shuuka Fujii
is a former Japanese dancer, fashion model, actress, and singer. She performed as a member of the music groups E-girls, Flower, and ShuuKaRen, and was a former exclusive model for '' JJ'' and ''Love Berry''.
Fujii announced her retirement from th ...
.
In late April 2016, E-girls confirmed via their website that they would release two new singles, both being part of a ''Summer Single Concept''. The first of these two and their 16th single was "
E.G. Summer Rider
"E.G. Summer Rider" (stylized as "E.G. summer RIDER"; stands for "E-girls Summer Rider") is a song recorded and performed by Japanese collective unit E-girls, taken as a single from their fourth studio record ''E.G. Crazy'' (2017). The track was r ...
", which was released on 20 July 2016 with an "E.G. POP" concept. The single debuted at number two on the Oricon chart, and was success with digital sales. The following month, "
Pink Champagne
Pink Champagne (first named Kasern 9) was a Swedish feminist punk band in the 1980s. It consisted of four women, Stina Berge (drums), Ann Carlberger (vocals), Karin Jansson (guitar) and Gunilla Welin (bass). Kajsa Grytt was briefly a member. They ...
" was released on 10 August as their 17th single with an "E.G. COOL" concept and was a critical success. Commercially, it gained their highest-selling first week sales since "Kurukuru" with 66,028 copies.
On 28 October 2016, member Erie Abe announced her intention to retire from the entertainment business at the end of the year, making her the first Dream member to departure since Sayaka Yamamoto's in 2011.
On 30 November, E-girls released their 18th single "Go! Go! Let's Go!". This was yet another change in concept, having embraced a new style called "Japanese Neo Tokyo"; for example, the accompanying visual promoted the girls in various Japanese-influenced fashion. Commercially however, it under-performed and became one of their lowest-selling releases since their debut. The following month, E-girls announced the release of their fourth studio album ''E.G. Crazy'' (2017). The record is packaged as a
double album
A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...
; one disc features material for E.G. POP, whilst the second disc deals with an E.G. COOL concept. Additionally, several music videos were featured on the album, including the promotional recordings of "Strawberry Sadistic"—which appeared in the original LDH film ''
High & Low: The Movie''—and two new album tracks titled "All Day Long Lady"/"Harajuku Time Bomb".
On 31 December, that year, E-girls performed their song "DANCE WITH ME NOW!" at the ''
67th Kohaku Uta Gassen'' after getting invited for the 4th consecutive year. On the same day, Abe committed to her promise and retired from Dream and E-girls.
2017: Reformulation of the group and E.G.family
On 3 January 2017, ''
E.G. Crazy'' premiered on AWA streaming services through Japan, and was subsequently issued with various physical editions on 18 January. On 10 March, dancer and Happiness member/leader Miyuu announced a brief hiatus due to a knee injury that occurred through January that same year. She confirmed that she was in the process of surgery and rehabilitation.
In late May 2017, LDH announced a new campaign titled E.G. Evolution, consisting of a 7-day countdown. After the seven subsequent days, on 5 June, LDH revealed several changes to E-girls. The first was the disbandment of corresponding band
Dream
A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
, which consisted of members Shizuka, Aya and Ami. All three members confirmed their graduation from E-girls, whilst Aya effectively retired from being a musician and performer indefinitely, in order to serve as the chief creative manager towards the group and the newly established girl entertainment franchise within LDH,
E.G.family.
Shizuka and Ami would continue with their solo projects as a member of
Dance Earth Party
Dance Earth Party (Japanese: ダンス・アース・パーティー, also stylized as DANCE EARTH PARTY or known by their acronym DEP) is a Japanese Dance-pop coed group created and managed by LDH since 2013. They are a dance-vocal unit which is ...
and as a soloist respectively. Additionally, members Miyuu, Ruri Kawamoto, Shuuka Fujii, Manami Shigetome and Mio Nakajima removed themselves from the E-girls too, focusing on their activities within their groups Happiness and Flower.
According to the girls' website, members Karen Fujii, Reina Washio and Yuzuna Takebe would serve as the band's primary vocalists, and would have no assisting group leader. With the announcement, it was also revealed that the group would be doing a 2-day live concert titled ''E-girls LIVE 2017 ~E.G.EVOLUTION~''. The concerts would be their last as a 19-member lineup since E-girls would promote as 11 members after the reformulation.
On 26 July, the group released their 19th single "Love ☆ Queen", their first official work as an 11-member group. In October, it was announced that Harumi Sato was chosen as the new leader of the group. Later that month, E-girls performed at the ''
TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Compan ...
Dream Festival 2017'' at Saitama Super Arena. On 6 December, the group released their 20th single "Kitakaze to Taiyou". In the same month, on 28 December, the group released the ''E-girls LIVE 2017 ~E.G.EVOLUTION~'' concert on DVD/Blu-ray.
At the end of 2017, E-girls were invited to perform at ''
Kōhaku
Kōhaku is a Japanese word that can mean one of several things depending on the Kanji used.
Examples:
*紅白: means "red and white."
*黄白: means "gold and silver" or "yellow and white."
Kōhaku (紅白) may refer to:
* Kōhaku maku, a red an ...
'' for the 5th time. There, they performed their song "Love ☆ Queen".
2018: ''E.G. 11''
On 31 January, the group released their 21st single "Aishiteru to Itte Yokatta". Shortly after, they released their 22nd single "Pain, pain" on 28 February.
On 23 May 2018, E-girls released their fifth studio album, ''E.G.11'', their first album as an 11-member group. Additionally, they embarked on their fourth national tour ''E-girls LIVE TOUR 2018 ~E.G. 11~'', that went from 2 June to 5 August. It was the first tour since the group's reformulation.
On 8 August, they released their 5th digital single "My Way", accompanied by a music video for the title song and another music video for the b-side track "Let's Feel High". Both songs feature Mighty Crown and PKCZ®.
On 3 October, E-girls were invited to perform at the
''Asia Song Festival 2018'' in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. On the same day, they released their 6th digital single "Perfect World". The song was used as theme song for the movie ''
Perfect World Kimi to Iru Kiseki'', starring
Sandaime J Soul Brothers
, formerly simply J Soul Brothers and stylized as Sandaime J Soul Brothers from Exile Tribe, are a J-pop vocal and dance group formed by Exile ex-leader and producer Hiroyuki Igarashi in Japan in 1991. Sandaime J Soul Brothers are managed by Hiroy ...
/
EXILE
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
member
Takanori Iwata
is a Japanese dancer and actor. He performs with the J-pop, J-Pop groups Sandaime J Soul Brothers and Exile (Japanese band), Exile. As a member of Sandaime J Soul Brothers, he has received the Japan Record Awards twice. He earned his first lead ...
.
On 6 October, the Internet program ''Zenryoku Bukatsu! E-kou (全力部活!E高; All-Out Club Activity! E-high)'' started airing on
AbemaTV
Abema (, stylized as ABEMA) is a Japanese live TV streaming website owned by the entertainment company, AbemaTV, Inc. that provides over-the-top media services to customers in Japan. The website primarily acts as an online television network, ...
. This has been the first regular show focused on E-girls since 2016 and each episode includes new challenges for the group to master.
On 19 December, the group released their 7th digital single "EG-ENERGY". The song was used to promote LDH martial arts' ''ENERGY PROJECT'', alongside
Generations from Exile Tribe
Generations from Exile Tribe (Japanese: ジェネレーションズ・フロム・エグザイル・トライブ, stylized as GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE and formerly known as Generations) is a seven-member Japanese dance and vocal group formed ...
.
2019–2020: ''E.G.POWER to the DOME'', 3-month release project and final tour
On 16 January, the group released the footage of the ''E-girls LIVE TOUR 2018 ~E.G. 11~'' concert at
Saitama Super Arena
is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It opened preliminarily on May 5, 2000, and then was officially opened on September 1 of the same year. Its maximum spectator capacity is 36,500, making i ...
on DVD and Blu-ray.
In the first half of the year, E-girls participated in
E.G.family's first tour ''E.G.POWER 2019 ~POWER to the DOME~'' that went from 22 February to 25 May. This tour included performances from all artists belonging to
E.G.family: E-girls,
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
,
Happiness
Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...
,
SudannaYuzuYully
SudannaYuzuYully ( Japanese: スダンナユズユリー, also known as SYY or Sudannayuzuyully) is a Japanese dance-pop and hip-hop trio formed and managed by LDH since 2017. They are a sub-unit of supergroup E-girls and signed to the record la ...
,
Dream Ami
, known as Ami or Dream Ami, is a Japanese singer, model and television personality. She is a former member of the Japanese girl groups Dream and E-girls.
She debuted as a member of the eight-member group Dream in 2002 at the age of 14, and she ...
,
Dream Shizuka and E.G.family all together.
On 24 July, they released their 23rd single "CINDERELLA FIT" and the DVD/Blu-ray for 28 March ''E.G.POWER 2019 ~POWER to the DOME~'' concert at NHK Hall. "Cinderella Fit" was used as theme song for
Mister Donut
Mister Donut is an international chain of doughnut stores. It was founded in the United States in 1956 by Harry Winokur. Primary offerings include doughnuts, coffee, muffins and pastries. After being acquired by Allied Domecq in 1990, most of ...
's ''Mister Donut Tapioca Milk'' TV-CM, which stars members Kaede, Nozomi Bando, Harumi Sato and Nonoka Yamaguchi. The song was pre-available digitally for streaming on 27 June 2019.
On 6 October,
AbemaTV
Abema (, stylized as ABEMA) is a Japanese live TV streaming website owned by the entertainment company, AbemaTV, Inc. that provides over-the-top media services to customers in Japan. The website primarily acts as an online television network, ...
broadcast the 47th episode of the program ''Zenryoku Bukatsu! E-kou (全力部活!E高; All-Out Club Activity! E-high)'' which revealed that all 11 members of E-girls succeeded in climbing to the
summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used ...
of
Mount Fuji
, or Fugaku, located on the island of Honshū, is the highest mountain in Japan, with a summit elevation of . It is the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra), and seventh-highest p ...
together. Some of them exhibited early signs of
altitude sickness
Altitude sickness, the mildest form being acute mountain sickness (AMS), is the harmful effect of high altitude, caused by rapid exposure to low amounts of oxygen at high elevation. People can respond to high altitude in different ways. Sympt ...
as they headed above 3000 meters, but supported each other to their destination. The ascent took over 8 hours and 30 minutes in total.
On 15 October, E-girls won the "Best-Jeanist" award in the "Collector Selection" category at ''The 36th Best Jeanist Awards 2019'' for their denim costumes from "Cinderella Fit". Kaede attended the ceremony as a representative of the group.
On 8 November, it was announced that E-girls would release their 24th single on 29 January 2020, and that there would be a 3-months project prior to the release to pre-deliver a new song each month. The first release of this project would be titled "Easy come, Easy go", scheduled for 22 November and accompanied by a row of release events. The second release would be "CINDERELLA FIT (Winter Version)" on 27 December. It was also revealed that the new single would include 4 new songs in total, with "Bessekai" (別世界; ''Another World'') being the title track.
In late 2019, it was revealed that the group would hold their 5th tour ''E-girls PERFECT LIVE 2011▶2020'' from 1 February – 4 July 2020. On 22 December 2019, the group announced that the tour will be their final activity together and that E-girls will dissolve at the end of 2020.
Every member will stay with their original company
LDH and follow different career paths. While Harumi Sato,
Nozomi Bando,
Anna Ishii
is a Japanese dancer, actress and model. She is a former member of E-girls and represented by LDH.
Early life
Ishii was born on July 11, 1998, in Tokyo, Japan. She has an elder brother, a younger brother, and a younger sister named Chino Ishi ...
and
Nonoka Yamaguchi
Nonoka Yamaguchi (山口乃々華, ''Yamaguchi Nonoka'', born March 8, 1998) is a Japanese dancer, actress and model. She is a former member of J-Pop group E-girls and represented with LDH.
Early life
Yamaguchi was born on March 8, 1998 in Sai ...
will focus on their work as actresses and models, Yuzuna Takebe will form a new unit with the successful contestants that passed
Afrojack
Nick Leonardus van de Wall (; born 9 September 1987), better known as Afrojack, is a Dutch DJ, music producer and remixer from Spijkenisse, South Holland. In 2007, he founded the record label Wall Recordings; his debut album '' Forget the World' ...
's LDH Europe audition, Reina Washio will debut as a solo artist and
Happiness
Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...
will work with
88rising
88rising (stylized as 88⬆), formerly known as CXSHXNLY (pronounced “cash only”), is an American music company that founder Sean Miyashiro describes as a "hybrid management, record label, video production, and marketing company".
The compa ...
for global expansion.
Due to the consequences of the
COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, several concerts of E-girls' last tour had to be cancelled or postponed. As a reparation, the group held a live event with no audience that was streamed on the Japanese video service ''
niconico (Nico Nico Douga)'' on 26 March 2020. A total of over 220 thousand viewers watched the show during its airtime.
Artistry
Music and style
From the start of their career—namely with their debut "Celebration!" and album ''Lesson 1''—the band's music was universally categorized by critics as a
dance-influenced J-pop
J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...
. However, Japanese magazine ''CD Journal'' believed that their debut adapted the trend of "soft"
K-pop
K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...
and
EDM
EDM or E-DM may refer to:
Music
* Electronic dance music
* Early Day Miners, American band
Science and technology
* Electric dipole moment
* Electrical discharge machining
* Electronic distance measurement
*Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...
, two genres which were particularly
prominent through the mid-2010s, along with its influenced on the Western market.
Furthermore, the magazine noted its similarities between nameless Korean and Japanese bands because of their "catchy" dance melodies, and ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' Japan commented about their inheritance of the dance genre from brother band
Exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
, which they described as "DNA". Majority of the content were handled by a variety of Japanese composers and producers, such as Clarabell, Kazuhiro Hara, and frequent songwriter Masoto Kotake, but their single "
The Never Ending Story", a
cover song
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song released ...
originally performed by English singer
Limahl
Christopher Hamill (born 19 December 1958), known professionally as Limahl (an anagram of Hamill), is an English pop singer. He was the lead singer of the pop group Kajagoogoo beginning in 1981, before embarking on a brief solo career, garnering ...
, was composed by
Giorgio Moroder
Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer, songwriter, and record producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering euro disco and electronic dance mu ...
.
Their second album, ''
Colorful Pop
''Colorful Pop'' is the second studio album of the Japanese super girl group E-girls. It was released on March 19, 2014 in two different editions.
Background
E-girls announced their second album before the release of "Diamond Only". The album's c ...
'' (2014), saw a return to their dance-pop style, but a writer of Selective Hearing noticed that the sound was a more "upward trend" than their debut.
The material, particularly the "faster tracks" and cover songs: "Rydeen (Dance All Night)" by
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO for short) is a Japanese electronic music band formed in Tokyo in 1978 by Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, lead vocals) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, vocals). The group is conside ...
, "Koi no Boogie Woogie Train" by
Ann Lewis
Ann C. Frank Lewis (born December 19, 1937) is a leading American Democratic Party strategist and communicator. Lewis served as White House Communications Director in the Clinton administration and in senior roles under Hillary Clinton. She is ...
, and "
I Heard a Rumour
"I Heard a Rumour" is a song by English girl group Bananarama from their fourth studio album, ''Wow!'' (1987). It was released on 29th June 1987, as the album's lead single. It was also featured in the 1987 comedy film ''Disorderlies'' and is i ...
" by
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English pop duo from London, formed as a trio in 1980 by friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward. Fahey left the group in 1988 and was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan until 1991, when the trio became a duo. Thei ...
, were widely praised for the producers abilities to "reconfigure J-pop's past into the buzzing present." But once again, the
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
entries were slated for their "mood killing" appeal. For their third studio album, ''
E.G. Time
''E.G. Time'' is the third studio album by Japanese collective unit E-girls, released digitally on December 24, 2014, and physically on January 1, 2015 (New Year's Day) by Rhythm Zone and Avex Music Creative Inc. The record was produced by Exile H ...
'' (2014), it saw a change in musical style, particularly with the uptempo numbers. Additionally, the band's management, LDH, hired a variety of new producers and composers to work on the album, namely
Yasutaka Nakata
is a Japanese DJ and music producer. He formed the band Capsule in 1997 with vocalist Toshiko Koshijima and himself as composer and record producer when both were 17. The band debuted in 2001 with the song "Sakura".
He is known for being the ...
, Lauren Kaori, Fast Lane, and husband-wife duo T.Kura and Michico.
This was their first record to remove a large portion of ballad songs, having been replaced with "aggressive" EDM numbers and "twinkly"
electropop
Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
anthems. According to Patrick St. Michel, writing for ''
The Japan Times
''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc.. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
History
''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...
'', majority of the recordings have the vocalists singing in unison, which has been a notable factor in various Japanese acts such as
AKB48
AKB48 (pronounced ''A.K.B. Forty-Eight'') is a Japanese idol girl group named after the Akihabara (''Akiba'' for short) area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, wanted to form a girl group with it ...
and their sister groups; the writer identified "
Music Flyer
"Music Flyer" is a song recorded and performed by Japanese collective unit E-girls, taken as a promotional single of their third studio album ''E.G. Time'' (2015). It was released on December 17, 2014, for streaming, and December 24 as a limited p ...
" as the most prominent example from ''E.G. Time''.
Subsequently, he felt the track re-introduced them back into the K-pop genre.
For their fourth studio album, a
double release titled ''
E.G. Crazy'' (2017), E-girls presented two parallel themes; E.G. Pop and E.G. Cool. The former theme endorsed a "pop
ier
The Ier or Eriu ( hu, Ér) is a right tributary of the river Barcău (''Berettyó'') in Romania and Hungary. It discharges into the Barcău in Pocsaj. The Andrid Dam is constructed on this river. The Ier flows through the villages Acâș, Mihăie ...
and "fun" vibe that graced their previous work, whilst E.G. Cool emphasized a "cooler" and "sexy" sound. The first offerings to these themes were the "dynamic" dance-pop anthem "
E.G. Summer Rider
"E.G. Summer Rider" (stylized as "E.G. summer RIDER"; stands for "E-girls Summer Rider") is a song recorded and performed by Japanese collective unit E-girls, taken as a single from their fourth studio record ''E.G. Crazy'' (2017). The track was r ...
", and the
tropical house
Tropical house, also known as trop house, is a subgenre of house music, and a derivation of tropical music, with elements of dancehall and Balearic house. Artists of the genre are often featured at various summer festivals such as Tomorrowland. T ...
number inspired by
1980s
File:1980s replacement montage02.PNG, 420px, From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, ''Columbia'', lifts off in 1981; US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ease tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the ...
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
, "
Pink Champagne
Pink Champagne (first named Kasern 9) was a Swedish feminist punk band in the 1980s. It consisted of four women, Stina Berge (drums), Ann Carlberger (vocals), Karin Jansson (guitar) and Gunilla Welin (bass). Kajsa Grytt was briefly a member. They ...
". Additionally, many tracks from the collection emphasized a variety of Western genres such as
French house
French house, also known as French touch, filter house and tekfunk, is a style of house music originally produced by French musicians in the 1990s. It is a form of Euro disco and a popular strand of the late 1990s and 2000s European dance m ...
,
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
,
hip-hop and
dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken be ...
.
Image
On numerous occasions, E-girls have been recognized by publications as an
idol group, due to their dominance of the Japanese market, on-going line-up changes and similarities to a variety of Japanese idol bands.
However, by the release of their studio album ''E.G. Time'', Patrick St. Michel of ''The Japan Times'' identified how the group "buck most of the major idol trends", specifically saying; "They shun idol-standard amateurism in favor of K-pop-like precision," and identified their song "Music Flyer" as the most notable change in this type of appeal. Furthermore, he explained another trait was the typical performance of idol groups singing in "unison", but said "...whereas AKB48 just sound louder, E-Girls turn it into a focused, wordless chant."
With the release of their album ''E.G. Crazy'' in 2017, E-girls yet again broadened their appeal by emphasising two styles; a "pop
ier
The Ier or Eriu ( hu, Ér) is a right tributary of the river Barcău (''Berettyó'') in Romania and Hungary. It discharges into the Barcău in Pocsaj. The Andrid Dam is constructed on this river. The Ier flows through the villages Acâș, Mihăie ...
and "fun" vibe that brings reminiscence of their earlier work, whilst E.G. Cool showcased a more "sexy" image; this was first presented in the jacket covers for their 2016 single "Pink Champagne".
Not long after, the girls released their single "
Go! Go! Let's Go!
"Go! Go! Let's Go!" is a song recorded and performed by Japanese collective unit E-girls, taken as a single from their fourth studio record ''E.G. Crazy'' (2017). The track was released on November 30, 2016 through Rhythm Zone and Avex Music Creat ...
", which saw a new transition in image; they adapted a theme titled Japanese Neo Girls, which utilizes different cultures from a Japanese women's perspective. For example, "Go! Go! Let's Go!" focused on a variety of Japanese cultures such as traditional wear (
kimono
The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...
) to
Otaku
is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in ''Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorativ ...
culture.
Furthermore, their
promotional recording
A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
s: "All Day Long Lady" and "Harajuku Time Bomb" focused on Westernized "office ladies", while the latter was influenced by the style in
Harajuku
is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 chōme to 4 chōme. In popular refer ...
.
Throughout their work, E-girls have been known for their "striking visuals and impressive dance numbers", and were credited with gaining "well-deserved popularity, proving they can bring just as much dancing and great music as their male counterparts." When their
greatest hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
album ''E.G. Smile: E-girls Best'' (2016) was announced, website J-Generation concluded, "While Exile is loved by girls all over the world for their soul and dance, E-girls gave those same fans the girl group they could relate to and sparked the beginning of their now four year long catalog of successful hits."
Seifuku dances
As part of the group's singles, the performing members conduct an additional segment to their
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
's called a . These small clips are connected to the story line of the parent music videos—which are regularly placed at the start of end of the visual—and generally focus on various dance styles by the performers and its accompanying instrumental composition. Despite this, some singing members, such as Erie Abe, Mayu Sugieda, Karen Fujii, Ruri Kawamoto, Chiharu Muto, Kyoka Ichicki, and Yuzuna Takebe, have appeared in selected visuals. Some compositions from a seifuku dance have been adapted into full-length recordings: "Kurukuru" was used in their track "Move It! (Dream & E-girls Time)",
"Odoru Ponpokorin" was sampled into the E-girls song "Boom Boom Christmas", and sections from "Mr. Snowman" were placed in their song "Express (Do Your Dance)". Like their official singles, each performing member is assessed by a line-up change, meaning only selected members are featured in the respective seifuku dance. Each dance was included on the DVD/Blu-ray bundles of their album ''E.G. Smile: E-girls Best''.
Reception
In early 2014, teen magazine ''Anan'', which generally explores various youth cultures such as idol and
kawaii
''Kawaii'' is the culture of cuteness in Japan. It can refer to items, humans and non-humans that are charming, vulnerable, shy and childlike.Kerr, Hui-Ying (23 November 2016)"What is kawaii – and why did the world fall for the ‘cult of cu ...
culture, included E-girls amongst many other idol groups for their special February issue. In 2015, Nikkei Entertainment released their annual top girl-group bands, and E-girls were ranked at number 4 with 18.4% of the votes. According to the list, over half the entries were idol groups, and six were sister acts of the AKB48 family. At the end of 2016, Oricon conducted an artist ranking and their album ''E.G. Smile: E-girls Best'' became their first release to enter the top twenty best-sellers list (placed at number 11), and were ranked the 9th highest-grossing Japanese act with reported revenue up to ¥1.75 billion (an approximate equivalent to $15.57 million
USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
).
Side projects
Apart from their respective groups Dream, Happiness and Flower, E-girls and
LDH have established three side-projects. The first sub-group from E-girls was
ShuuKaRen, which consists of sisters Karen Fujii from Happiness and Shuuka Fujii of Flower. This was the first musical release to feature both siblings together, after first distributing their fashion
coffee table book
A coffee table book, also known as a cocktail table book, is an oversized, usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests and from which it can serve to inspire convers ...
''Antithese'', which garnered critical success and sold over 100,000 units in Japan. LDH conceived ShuuKaRen as "two vocal divas" that create music "based on
black ">ulture. Their debut single "
Universe
The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Acc ...
" was released on 5 October 2016, and featured co-lead vocals by Shuuka; this was the first time Shuuka had provided vocals to any E-girls related effort, and was the first overall member from the group since Ruri Kawamoto to be promoted as a vocalist.
The second sub-group established from E-girls are
SudannaYuzuYully
SudannaYuzuYully ( Japanese: スダンナユズユリー, also known as SYY or Sudannayuzuyully) is a Japanese dance-pop and hip-hop trio formed and managed by LDH since 2017. They are a sub-unit of supergroup E-girls and signed to the record la ...
, which features sole E-girls member Yuzuna Takebe as the main vocalist, and
Happiness
Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...
'
Anna Suda
, better known by her nickname Sudanna, is a Japanese dancer, rapper, model, actress and fashion designer. She is a former member of the J-Pop groups E-girls, Happiness and SudannaYuzuYully.
As an actress, she appeared in several dramas such as t ...
and Yurino as
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
s and performers; like the former side-project, it is the first time Suda and Yurino provide vocals to any E-girls work, and also makes Suda and Yurino the third and fourth members to be promoted as vocalists through
LDH. The trio, who will base their music around contemporary dance and
hip-hop music, released their debut single "Oh Boy" in March 2017.
Although not a musical or performing act,
Happiness
Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...
member
Kaede and
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
member
Harumi Sato
is a Japanese dancer, model and actress. She is a former member of J-Pop group E-girls and Flower and exclusive model for the Japanese fashion magazine ''Ray''.
Sato is represented with LDH.
Early life
Harumi Sato was born on June 8, 1995 i ...
created a sub-group named Twin Tower, which showcases them as exclusive models for fashion and other product endorsements; they are the first side project to not reveal any vocal or performing activities. They are officially represented by LDH, and debuted in October 2015.
Members
Happiness
Flower
Original E-girls
Former members
Timeline
ImageSize = width:800 height:500
PlotArea = width:600 height:420 left:75 bottom:80
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period = from:12/28/2011 till:12/31/2020
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Colors =
id:Dre value:rgb(1,0,0) legend:Dream
id:Hap value:rgb(1,0.5,0) legend:Happiness
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Discography
;Studio albums:
*''
Lesson 1'' (2013)
*''
Colorful Pop
''Colorful Pop'' is the second studio album of the Japanese super girl group E-girls. It was released on March 19, 2014 in two different editions.
Background
E-girls announced their second album before the release of "Diamond Only". The album's c ...
'' (2014)
*''
E.G. Time
''E.G. Time'' is the third studio album by Japanese collective unit E-girls, released digitally on December 24, 2014, and physically on January 1, 2015 (New Year's Day) by Rhythm Zone and Avex Music Creative Inc. The record was produced by Exile H ...
'' (2015)
*''
E.G. Crazy'' (2017)
*' (2018)
;Compilation albums
*' (2016)
;Singles (selected work)
*"Follow Me"
*"Candy Smile"
*"
Gomennasai no Kissing You
is a song by the Japanese girl group E-girls. It was released on October 2, 2013, as the group's sixth single and it was released a week earlier digitally as their fifth digital single.
Background
The single release was announced on August 12, 2 ...
"
*"E.G. Anthem: We Are Venus"
*"Highschool Love"
*"Mr. Snowman"
*"
Anniversary!!"
*"
Pink Champagne
Pink Champagne (first named Kasern 9) was a Swedish feminist punk band in the 1980s. It consisted of four women, Stina Berge (drums), Ann Carlberger (vocals), Karin Jansson (guitar) and Gunilla Welin (bass). Kajsa Grytt was briefly a member. They ...
"
Tours
As a lead artist
As a participating group
As a support act
Concerts
Filmography
TV shows
Internet programs
Music video appearances
Publications
Photobooks
Notes
References
External links
Official websiteat
LDH
{{Authority control
Japanese girl groups
Japanese pop music groups
Musical groups established in 2011
Musical groups disestablished in 2020
2011 establishments in Japan
2020 disestablishments in Japan
Avex Group artists
Musical groups from Tokyo
LDH (company) artists