I’m sure that while you’ve been scrolling on TikTok, you’ve come across those iconic kawaii eyes over pets, people, and random objects, but if you look at these posts for more than a second, you might catch a specific tune playing in the background.
Japanese pop girl group f5ve is topping the charts with their song “I Choose You,” the same one played in the background of these healing memes. With shows sold out around the world, f5ve lets us know that a meme does not just define their music, but that they are here to make their name known in the Japanese music scene.
In fact, f5ve has recently been submitted for a Grammy nomination under the category “Best Asian Pop Performance.” With their sudden, newfound success, a deep dive into their musical journey is long overdue.
Who is f5ve?
The musical girl group f5ve consists of five members, all of whom are veterans of the J-pop industry. Composed of Kaede, Sayaka, Miyuu, Ruri, and Rui, they originally came together under the name SG5 in 2022 before rebranding as f5ve in April 2024. Though they were originally signed to Three Six Zero Records, a subdivision of Gamma Media Holdings, they relinquished management of the group in 2024. They’re now managed by LDH Records, the record label branch of LDH Japan, a powerful talent acquisition company in the region.
With music originally inspired by Sailor Moon, their time as SG5 brought little success. Their anime theme left little room for growth, limiting their options as a musical group to a rather niche audience of anime fans. Their debut single, “Firetruck,” didn’t do well when it first came out, averaging only 533 streams in one day.
Moving forward, they decided to rebrand themselves as “inter-dimensional dream agents from Tokyo, Japan.” However, when they rebranded as f5ve and rereleased “Firetruck,” it exploded and was streamed 1.5 million times in total, averaging 113,698 streams a day.
However, this is still nothing in comparison to the popularity of their top song, “I Choose You,” which makes its presence known in the background of every “healing eyes” TikTok and Instagram reel. As of this point in time, the song has amassed over 10 million streams, with its peak seeing an average of 174,729 streams in one day. With catchy lyrics and a mesmerizing beat, what’s not to love?
Booming Popularity, Glaring Issues
Many fans have become aware of the apparent mistreatment of f5ve by their record label, LDH Records, with “#savef5ve” becoming more prominent day by day on platforms such as X. The record label itself has had a pattern of brand transference, with groups switching labels elsewhere within a short period of time signed underneath them.
Many fans have expressed their displeasure with the lack of promotion and marketing for their favorite girl groups, f5ve being one of them. The group and its producers have voiced their interest in continuing to make music, but LDH Records has been unwilling to provide them the platform to do this, unable to finish contracts or produce new albums.
Looking at f5ve’s discography, their last released album dates back to 2025. Though they’re featured in newer music, it is in collaboration with other artists under Bacardi Records, a smaller music label launched in Japan. In my opinion, it’s rather strange that all their new music has been released under another record label, supporting the discredit of LDH Records.
More Than the Meme
Some may argue that f5ve is milking the healing meme, but if you ask me, what else are you supposed to do when you’re unable to release new music? The group found an audience and an aesthetic that works in their favor and propels their success; what’s the harm in riding it out? With iterations of healing turning into hurting, could this mean that the group is teasing their next album’s concept ideas as subtly as they can?
Even though their most popular song is undeniably “I Choose You,” I encourage you to check out some of their other hits, such as “UFO” or “Underground.” Until they put out new music, you can trust that I’ll be streaming this album on repeat.
With unreliable record labels in the tumultuous environment of Japanese pop, I feel that we, as consumers of music, need to support artists and show LDH Records that f5ve is worth their time promoting, that they’re not a one-hit wonder, and that their audience is here to stay.
So, the next time you’re doomscrolling in your bed and come across a healing TikTok, remember the musical adventure of f5ve and their success. They show us that there’s a road to success for all of us, even if the first path doesn’t always work out the way you want it to.
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