Happiness (group)
| Company type | Girl group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Japan |
Area served | Japan |
| Products | Music (J-pop) |
| Parent | LDH |
Happiness was a Japanese pop girl group established and overseen by LDH beginning in 2008, under the Rhythm Zone record label. The group functioned as a dance and vocal unit within the larger girl group collective E-girls, alongside Dream and Flower. At the time of their disbandment, the lineup included two vocalists and three dancers.
Pre-debut and indie debut
Initially formed as backup dancers during Exile's 2008 Live Tour, Happiness started as a five-member ensemble consisting of Miyuu, Mimu, Karen, Sayaka, and Kaede. On April 10, 2009, LDH conducted auditions aimed at girls aged 12 to 14 to add vocalists to the group. Following these auditions, Yurino became a member. Their first DVD single, "Happy Talk," was launched on October 21, 2009, serving as the theme song for Mister Donuts.
2009–2012: Major label debut, first album Happy Time, and E-girls formation
On December 25, 2009, Mayu Sugieda joined the group. Happiness made their major label debut on February 9, 2011, with the single "Kiss Me," which was promoted through a live event drawing around 1,000 attendees. Their second single "Friends" was released on April 27, coinciding with their inaugural solo concert at SHIBUYA-AX in Tokyo. The third single "Wish" came out on August 17 accompanied by an unannounced live performance at SHIBUYA 109, emphasizing their popularity among teenage audiences.
In December 2011, Mimu began a hiatus and subsequently departed from the group in October 2012 to concentrate on her education. In November 2011, Happiness became part of the collective E-girls, alongside sister groups Dream and Flower. Mayu also took a break starting August 2012 due to health reasons.
Their debut album Happy Time was released on June 20, 2012, featuring a cover version of SPEED's "Body & Soul."
2013–2014: Addition of Anna and Ruri, rivalry with Flower, and Mayu's exit
In May 2013, E-girls members Anna Suda and Ruri Kawamoto joined Happiness as dancer and vocalist respectively. This change coincided with the release of their fifth single "Sunshine Dream: Ichido Kiri no Natsu." At the same time, Flower released their fifth single "Taiyou to Himawari," sparking a competition between the two groups. The victorious group's track would be included as a B-side on an upcoming E-girls single. Happiness narrowly lost by two points; consequently, Flower's "Hatsukoi" appeared on E-girls' single "Gomennasai no Kissing You."
On January 30, 2014, Miyuu was appointed as Happiness’ new leader following Mimu's departure. After several months away from activities, Mayu Sugieda officially exited both Happiness and E-girls on April 7, 2014. The group continued their promotions alongside E-girls with the release of their sixth single "Juicy Love" on May 28, 2014, followed by their seventh single "Seek A Light" on November 19, 2014. These singles marked their transition from Nayutawave Records to Avex Group's Rhythm Zone label.
2015–2016: Second studio album GIRLZ N' EFFECT and first tour
Happiness unveiled their eighth single, "Holiday," on August 28, 2015, with its release scheduled for October 14. This single signified a transition toward a more refined and dynamic image. The lead track was crafted by T.Kura, a producer recognized for his collaborations with Exile and Namie Amuro. The promotional visuals were overseen by fashion icon NIGO, the founder of Bathing Ape and Human Made, who also co-created T-shirts worn by the members alongside Naoto from Exile, Sandaime J Soul Brothers, and Honest Boyz.
On February 3, 2016, Happiness launched their ninth single, "Sexy Young Beautiful," highlighting their talents in vocals, rap, and choreography. NIGO contributed once again by designing the single’s cover art. Later, on May 28, it was revealed that their song "Always" would serve as the theme for the live-action film adaptation of the manga Itazura na Kiss ~ THE MOVIE ~ Part 1 Highschool-hen, which premiered in November.
During the concluding day of E-girls' third tour, E-girls LIVE TOUR 2016 "E.G. SMILE",, on August 11, Happiness announced their sophomore album titled GIRLZ N' EFFECT, set for release on October 12, 2016. They also revealed plans for their inaugural solo tour, Happiness LIVE TOUR 2016 GIRLZ N' EFFECT, scheduled from November 9 through December 20, 2016.
2017–2023: Singles, E.G.family’s debut tour and disbandment
On February 8, 2017, just ahead of their sixth anniversary since debut, the group released their tenth single "REWIND." Subsequently, on March 10, it was disclosed that member Miyuu would undergo surgery to address a left knee injury and would temporarily suspend activities during her recovery period. Happiness made their first appearance at the annual a-nation festival on August 27. Their eleventh single "GOLD," released on September 10, 2017, achieved their first number one spot on Oricon’s weekly singles chart.
Following a year-long break, Happiness debuted their first digital single "POWER GIRLS" on January 16, 2019. They participated in E.G.family’s inaugural tour E.G.POWER 2019 ~POWER to the DOME~ running from February to May. In March of that year, members Ruri, Kaede, and Sayaka were appointed ambassadors for DeNA’s YOKOHAMA GIRLS☆FESTIVAL 2019, with Ruri performing the national anthem and Kaede delivering the ceremonial opening pitch. On June 12, "POWER GIRLS" was officially released as their twelfth single. This was followed by their thirteenth single "Chao Chao" on September 11, supported by promotional live performances throughout Japan. The music video for "Chao Chao" was shot at prominent locations across Los Angeles.
When E-girls announced their disbandment in December 2019, it was confirmed that Happiness would persist as a group and collaborate with the global music collective 88rising to expand their international presence. On December 15, 2020, Yurino and Anna Suda departed from LDH and graduated from Happiness. In 2022, members Sayaka, Ruri, Miyuu, and Kaede joined forces with iScream’s Rui to form SG5 (Sailor Guardians 5), managing activities concurrently between both groups.
LDH declared on June 5, 2023 that Happiness would disband following their final concert scheduled for September 26, 2023. After disbandment, Karen Fujii will pursue solo endeavors while other members will focus on SG5. Leading up to their farewell performance, the group conducted fan meetings across four cities in Japan between July and August. Their concluding live event titled Happiness LAST LIVE 2023 "Happiness", took place at KT Zepp Yokohama on September 26, officially concluding the group's activities.
Current Lineup
| Name | Stage Name | Role | Date of Birth | Place of Birth | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miyuu Ariiso (有磯実結) | MIYUU (ミユウ) | Leader & Performer | Template:Date of birth and age | Kanagawa, Japan | Previously part of E-girls |
| Karen Fujii (藤井夏恋) | Vocalist | Template:Date of birth and age | Osaka, Japan | Formerly associated with E-girls and ShuuKaRen | |
| Ruri Kawamoto (川本璃) | Template:Date of birth and age | Osaka Prefecture, Japan | Ex-member of E-girls | ||
| Sayaka Nagatomo (長友さやか) | SAYAKA (サヤカ) | Performer | Template:Date of birth and age | Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan | Previously belonged to E-girls |
| Kaede Dobashi (土橋楓) | Kaede (楓) | Template:Date of birth and age | Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan | Former E-girls member and part of the modeling duo Twin Tower |
Past Members
| Name | Stage Name | Role | Date of Birth | Place of Birth | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mimu Hioki (日置美夢) | MIMU (ミム) | Performer | Template:Date of birth and age | Hyogo, Japan | Ex-E-girls member; re-emerged as vocalist in the duo ITI in 2015 |
| Mayu Sugieda (杉枝真結) | Vocalist | Template:Date of birth and age | Osaka Prefecture, Japan | Former member of E-girls; currently a model represented by Next Satisfaction agency | |
| Yurino Suzuki (鈴木結莉乃) | YURINO (ユリノ) | Performer | Template:Date of birth and age | Miyazaki, Japan | Previously part of E-girls and SudannaYuzuYully |
| Anna Suda (須田アンナ) | Performer | Template:Date of birth and age | Tokyo Prefecture, Japan | Former member of E-girls and SudannaYuzuYully |
Studio Albums
| Album Title | Details | Highest Chart Positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oricon (Japan) | Billboard Japan Hot 100 | ||
| Happy Time |
|
10 || —[lower-alpha 1] | |
| Girlz N' Effect |
|
2 || 3 | |
Singles
| Single Title | Release Year | Peak Chart Rankings | Sales (Oricon) |
Associated Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oricon Singles Chart | Billboard Japan Hot 100 | ||||
| "Happy Talk"[lower-alpha 2] |
2009 |
138 || — |
data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — |
rowspan=5 | Happy Time | |
| "Kiss Me" |
2011 |
22 || 88 |
8,000 | ||
| "Friends" |
2011 |
20 || — |
6,000 | ||
| "Wish" |
2011 |
12 || 27 |
15,000 | ||
| "We Can Fly" |
2012 |
19 || 19 |
10,000 | ||
| "Sunshine Dream: Ichido Kiri no Natsu" |
2013 |
7 || 11 |
37,000 |
||
| "Juicy Love" |
2014 |
7 || 9 |
30,000 |
rowspan=4 | Girlz N' Effect | |
| "Seek A Light" |
2014 |
7 || 24 |
28,000 | ||
| "Holiday" |
2015 |
2 || 3 |
55,000 | ||
| "Sexy Young Beautiful" |
2016 |
5 || 4 |
16,000 | ||
| "Rewind" |
2017 |
4 || 5 |
36,000 |
rowspan=4 Template:Non-album single | |
| "Gold" |
2017 |
1 || 3 |
45,000 | ||
| "Power Girls" |
2019 |
8 || — |
15,000 | ||
| "Chao Chao" |
2019 |
6 || — |
25,578 | ||
Additional Charted Tracks
| Song Title | Release Year | Highest Position | Associated Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Hot | |||
| "Ordinary Girls" | 2016 | 16 | Girlz N' Effect |
Contributions to Other Projects
| Year | Release Date | Track Name | Performer | Album/Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | June 29 | Really Into You | DJ Makidai featuring Happiness | (digital single) |
| 2014 | June 18 | Really Into You (Sound Goes Around Remix) | Treasure MIX 3 | |
| 2017 | February 1 | Dance Earth Party featuring Happiness | I |
Commercial Tie-ins
| Track | Tie-in Usage | Included In Album |
|---|---|---|
| Happy Talk | 'Mister Donut' commercial theme song | Album Happy Time |
| Friends | 'Tokyo☆Bookmark' commercial soundtrack | |
| Wish | Opening theme for TV program CDTV in August | |
| We Can Fly | Ending theme for TV show Piramekino | |
| Holiday | 'e-ma' commercial theme music | Album Girlz N' Effect |
Headlining Performances
| Year(s) | Duration | Tour Name |
|---|---|---|
| 2016–2017 | November 9, 2016 – January 17, 2017 | Happiness LIVE TOUR 2016 GIRLZ N' EFFECT |
| 2023 | September 26, 2023 | Happiness LAST LIVE 2023 "Happiness" |
Tours as Part of Larger Ensemble
| Year(s) | Tour Title | Performing Group |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | E-girls LIVE TOUR 2014 "COLORFUL LAND" | E-girls |
| 2015 | E-girls LIVE TOUR 2015 "COLORFUL WORLD" | |
| 2016 | E-girls LIVE TOUR 2016 "E.G. SMILE" | |
| 2017 | E-girls LIVE 2017 ~E.G.EVOLUTION~ | |
| 2019 | E.G.POWER 2019 ~POWER to the DOME~ | E.G.family |
| 2020 | E-girls PERFECT LIVE 2011▶2020 | E-girls |
Music Videos
2013 October 2 2014 July 9| Year Released | Release Date | Video Title | Performing Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | April 15 | "Someday (Kodomo Version)" | Exile | |
| 2011 | March 7 | "24karats STAY GOLD (KIDS & GIRLS version)" | ||
| "September 24 | "Rising Sun" | |||
"Gomennasai no Kissing You"
rowspan="2" |E-girls |
||||
| "E.G. Anthem -WE ARE VENUS-" |
Advertisements
2009 |Mister Donut| Year !Campaign Title |
|---|
External links
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