[INTERVIEW] f5ve: From Tokyo to Another Dimension

[INTERVIEW] f5ve: From Tokyo to Another Dimension

From Tokyo to another dimension, f5ve have never been interested in doing things the ordinary way. The Japanese avant-garde quintet—KAEDE, SAYAKA, RURI, MIYUU, and RUI—have spent the past few years building a world entirely their own: one filled with electro-pop, maximalist fashion, and an unapologetic authentic personality.

Formerly members of Happiness, E-girls, and iScream, the five artists came together with a shared ambition to create something that could reach far beyond Japan and enter the global market. Whether they’re turning toxicity into “Lettuce,” questioning societal expectations with “Underground,” or encouraging fans to embrace every version of themselves in “Real Girl,” there’s always something unexpected waiting around the corner.

Their music has found audiences around the world, their distinctive visual identity has made them impossible to overlook, and their first-ever solo show in London, “f4n m33t,” sold out so quickly that it had to be moved to a larger venue. Ahead of their first fan meeting, we spoke with f5ve about their journey so far, the experiences they brought with them into the group, the meaning behind their “inter-dimensional dream agents” identity, their approach to fashion and self-expression, and where they hope to take their sound next.

POP BASE: Hello f5ve! It seems like only yesterday that “Fire Truck” was released, and now you’ve sold out your first-ever solo show in London (congratulations!!!) and preparing for your first fan meeting. How does it feel to see f5ve reach these milestones so early in your journey?

KAEDE: It’s been about two and a half years since we released “Fire Truck,” rebranded as f5ve, and released “Lettuce,” but honestly, it feels like it’s been much longer. We’ve had so many goals and dreams along the way, and having our own solo show overseas was definitely one of them.

Four out of the five of us had already spent many years building our careers in Japan, and the project itself started around 2020. So, from the very beginning, we felt a sense of pressure that “time is limited.” Because of that, even though it’s only been about two and a half years as f5ve, it sometimes feels like we’ve been on this journey for much longer. And honestly, there were times when it felt like it took a really long time to get to this point.

That’s why I’m so happy and grateful that we’ve finally made it here.

Looking back, f5ve was built through everything we’ve experienced together as a small but dedicated team. We’ve shared both the good times and the difficult times, gained more friends and supporters along the way, and had so many amazing people join us and help bring f5ve to where it is today. Thinking about everything we’ve been through together, I actually feel emotional even writing this. [laughs]

Of course, social media has also been an essential part of our journey. We’ve taken the time to introduce “f5ve” to people online, communicate with them, and build a community where they eventually became our OOMFs. We feel every day how passionately our fans support us, and I truly believe this solo show was made possible because of hi-5. But we never imagined that our first solo show would sell out and that we’d even be able to move to a bigger venue. Our group chat was filled with a lot of happy screams when we found out!

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone on our team who believed in us and continued this journey with us, to all the friends and supporters who have been there for us along the way, and of course, to hi-5. And most of all, I’m grateful to my members for never giving up and continuing to move forward together.

POP BASE: All five of you came to f5ve with very different experiences in the music industry—four members (SAYAKA, KAEDE, RURI, and MIYUU) from Happiness and E-girls, and RUI from iScream. Since each of these groups had its own distinct musical identity, how did those experiences shape the way you approached f5ve together, and what did you want to do differently this time around?

SAYAKA: Coming from Happiness and E-girls, I learned a lot about performing, teamwork, and how to express myself on stage. For most of my career, dance was my main way of expressing emotions. So, becoming part of f5ve, performing with a microphone and singing, opened up a whole new way of expressing myself.

Singing was challenging at first because it’s a different way of communicating emotions compared to dance. With dance, I could express myself through my body and movement, but singing made me face those emotions through my voice.

Being able to use both my voice and my body has helped me discover new sides of myself that I hadn’t been able to express before. That’s one of the things I love most about being part of f5ve; it has given me the freedom to keep exploring who I am as an artist.

RUI: With iScream, I had many opportunities to explore different ways of singing, from dramatic ballads and songs with lots of harmonies to singing a cappella. The harmonies and vocal ideas I developed through those experiences naturally come to me when I’m recording with f5ve, and they give me the confidence to freely experiment with different vocal styles and sounds.

Before, I naturally focused on trying to sing beautifully and well. But with f5ve, I can be more free and bold with things like the style of the song, vocal tones, and ad-libs, and I really enjoy the chemistry that comes from experimenting during the creative process.

With f5ve, I feel like I can discover new sides of myself not only through our music, but also through our visuals and concepts. I want to keep expanding my identity and continue creating music with f5ve that can reach people all around the world.

POP BASE: f5ve has a very distinct world built around the idea of being “inter-dimensional dream agents.” Beyond the visuals and storytelling, what does being an “inter-dimensional dream agent” mean to each of you, and how do you hope to see that world evolving as f5ve continues to grow?

KAEDE: I think there’s often a sense of “Wait, what is this?” or a little bit of unexpectedness in our work and the way we express ourselves. For example, there can be something sharp or edgy within something cute, lyrics in Japanese that feel like they’ve been directly translated from English, or having the five of us looking perfect in a space that isn’t perfect.

Being “inter-dimensional dream agents” gives us the freedom to make all of these different expressions possible. It also gives me the confidence to believe that I can become whoever I want to be. Through f5ve, I’ve been able to express all the different sides of myself and let them out. I’ve also discovered sides of myself that I didn’t even know were there before.

I want to keep developing and gaining new strengths as an agent, and continue expanding what we can express through f5ve. Personally, I’d love to develop this world even further so that our fans, and everyone who connects with f5ve, can also feel like they’re part of these “inter-dimensional dream agents.” I want it to be a space where people can freely express who they want to be and the version of themselves they love, without being afraid to show it.

I hope f5ve can keep creating a world where everyone feels free to express themselves and become whoever they want to be.

MIYUU: To me, being an “inter-dimensional dream agent” means being someone who shows people dreams, and through those dreams, can change the way they see their reality.

When we’re living in the real world, it’s so easy to naturally focus on negative things, things we don’t want to happen, or things we think could never happen. I feel like our role is to bring a little bit of magic into someone’s reality and help them feel free from those limitations, even just for a moment.

And when I say “magic,” I mean our music and our expressions. Through what we create, I hope people can step into a different world and have a moment where they think, “Maybe I can be like this too,” or “Maybe it’s okay for me to be exactly who I am.” In that sense, we’re kind of like agents on a team whose mission is to help people break free from the rules of reality and dream a little more freely.

As f5ve continues to grow, I hope our world keeps expanding with us. I don’t think it has to stay within one definition. Every time we grow, I’d love for us to discover a new dimension and bring people somewhere they’ve never been before.

RUI: For me, being an “inter-dimensional dream agent” means creating a world where I can escape from reality and travel through different times and places by expressing myself through our music and visuals. Even when I’m feeling negative or worrying about things in my everyday life, the moment I step on stage or in front of a camera as f5ve, everything around me suddenly transforms into a colorful world. It gives me this magical feeling that “I can do anything!”

I want to share this special power with every single person around the world and let them experience it for themselves. I hope f5ve can continue creating new worlds, constantly evolving and growing, while always staying true to who we are. And I want to keep dreaming and being my true self within this “inter-dimensional dream agent” world.

RURI: For me, being an “inter-dimensional dream agent” means having the courage to embrace every side of yourself. I want to show the strength and beauty of women, but I don’t think there is only one way to be strong or beautiful. I think everyone should be free to express themselves in whatever way feels true to them.

Through f5ve, I’ve been able to explore different sides of myself and discover new ways of expressing who I am; not only through our music, but also through our performances, fashion, and the world we create. I want to keep exploring new worlds and different sides of myself through f5ve, while staying true to who I am. I hope we can bring our dream world to more people and give them positive energy, so that they feel free to express themselves and become whoever they want to be.

SAYAKA: For me, being an “inter-dimensional dream agent” means not being afraid to step outside the boundaries of what’s expected of you. There are so many different ways to express yourself, and there doesn’t have to be just one right way to be.

I’ve been a performer for most of my life, so I’ve always thought about how I can express myself through my body, movement, and personality. Through f5ve, I’ve been able to explore even more ways of expressing myself, not only through dance, but also through singing, fashion, and music. Being a dream agent means not limiting yourself to just one way of expressing who you are, but having the courage to explore different sides of yourself and make them your own. I hope the power and individuality we have can become a source of strength for someone else and make them feel like they can express themselves freely too.

POP BASE: Each member has her own “dream specialty”—KAEDE represents Confidence, SAYAKA Brilliance, RURI Female Empowerment, MIYUU Fantasy, and RUI Optimism & Joy. If you combined all five specialties into one collective f5ve superpower, what would it be?

MIYUU: When these five girls come together, we create one big power. Everyone is free to dream whatever they want. But when our five different specialties come together, we have the power to turn those dreams into reality. It’s not that we want to completely change the reality we already have. It’s more about finding new possibilities within it, and adding a little bit of magic to make that reality shine even brighter.

None of our specialties could really be missing, because each one brings something different to f5ve. Confidence, Brilliance, Female Empowerment, Fantasy, Optimism and Joy; they all complement each other and come together to create who we are. So, I think our collective superpower is the ability to make things that once seemed impossible feel possible. It’s not just about dreaming. It’s about believing in that dream enough to bring it into the real world.

POP BASE: Japanese artists have had passionate audiences around the world for decades, but f5ve was specifically created with a global audience in mind from the very beginning. In intentionally reaching audiences outside Japan, what did you want to do differently from the way Japanese artists have traditionally approached international audiences?

RURI: The biggest difference is that we wanted to think globally from the very beginning, rather than first building our careers in Japan and then trying to reach people overseas. We never wanted to change who we are just to fit what we thought an international audience might like. We wanted to share f5ve as we are; our music, fashion, performances, and the world we’ve created. Being five Japanese girls is also an important part of our identity. We don’t want to hide that or change it to fit another market. We want to show that being yourself can be something powerful and exciting anywhere in the world.

Social media has also been a really important part of that. We’ve been able to communicate directly with people from different countries and build a community with them, rather than simply introducing ourselves from Japan to the rest of the world. That direct connection is something very special about f5ve. We want people everywhere to feel like they’re part of our world, not just watching it from the outside.

One of f5ve’s recent viral moments was when you asked people not to gatekeep you. As artists yourself, why do you think people are so attached to being the person who discovered an artist first? And what are some things; whether music, art, fashion, or media, that you refuse to gatekeep?

KAEDE: When I discover a new artist, especially someone who has just debuted or isn’t very well known yet, I’m actually the type of person who loves sharing them with other people. But I have to admit, when they start becoming popular, there’s a little part of me that feels proud and thinks, “I liked them from the beginning!” [laughs].

So, maybe people care about being the first to discover an artist because there’s something special about knowing them before everyone else. It becomes a little part of your own history with that artist, and I can definitely understand that feeling too. But personally, I don’t think I have many things that I want to keep completely to myself. Whenever I find really good music, I usually want to share it. MIYUU and I have pretty similar music tastes, so I often send songs to her, and I also share a lot of music on my Instagram Stories.

Music can express how I’m feeling at that moment, so sometimes I want to share a good song instead of putting those feelings into words. For me, sharing music is also a way of sharing a little bit of how I feel. I’d be really happy if f5ve could become the kind of artist that people feel like they want to share with others. [winks]

POP BASE: “Real Girl” plays with the idea of finding the real girl among a hundred dolls. What does being a “real girl” mean to f5ve, especially as a group that places so much emphasis on individuality and being unapologetically yourselves? And how do you navigate the pressure to conform to expectations that fans and the industry can sometimes place on artists?

RURI: To me, being a “real girl” means being true to yourself. I personally love women who are strong and beautiful. But I don’t think being strong or beautiful is something that should be defined by someone else. People often see me as a strong and cool woman because of how I look, but I actually have a very different side to me. There are parts of myself that I can only show to people I truly feel comfortable with. That’s also a part of who I am.

I’m able to be my true self because I have people around me who understand me, support me, and give me a place where I can feel comfortable being myself. That’s why I strongly believe that it’s more important to focus on who you want to be than on how other people see you. You can be strong and cute. Being a strong woman doesn’t mean you have to be cool all the time. You don’t have to compare yourself to anyone else. What’s important is to love and believe in who you are, and to live strongly and confidently as yourself.

I would be really happy if our music could be a reminder to people that it’s okay to be exactly who they are.

POP BASE: “Lettuce” might be one of the funniest ways anyone has ever called someone toxic. f5ve often takes serious emotions and wraps them in unexpected imagery. Why do you think humor can sometimes make an emotional message hit harder than presenting the subject completely seriously?

MIYUU: I think humor has the power to help people receive a message in a more natural way. When you want to tell someone, “I don’t like that,” or “I wish you wouldn’t do that,” it’s not always easy to say it directly. Adding humor can make people more interested and help them accept the message more easily.

If you talk about something serious in a way that feels too heavy, people might feel like they’re being told what to think or how to feel. But when you wrap the message in something unexpected and funny, they can take it in naturally first, and then think about the feelings behind it.

“Lettuce” is a good example of that. Because the title is so unexpected, some people might think the song is really about lettuce at first. But when they listen more closely, they realize that it’s actually expressing human emotions. It looks funny and a little silly, but that’s exactly why the serious feelings behind it stay with you.

POP BASE: “Underground” sounds like an explosive club track, but underneath all that energy is a message about escaping societal expectations and finding a place where you can truly be yourself. If you could each remove one thing from this world so that there would be no need to go “underground,” what would it be?

SAYAKA: I would remove the pressure to fit in. There are so many expectations about how we’re supposed to look, behave, or live our lives. Sometimes, we compare ourselves to other people and feel like we have to be a certain way just to be accepted. I wish we could live in a world where everyone feels comfortable being different and doesn’t feel the need to hide parts of themselves. You don’t have to fit into someone else’s idea of who you should be. That’s also something we want to express through f5ve. We want people to feel that being different is a strength, not something they need to be afraid of.

For me, being able to express yourself freely is a kind of freedom. I hope f5ve can be a place where people are encouraged to embrace what makes them different, rather than feeling like they need to change themselves to fit in.

POP BASE: Beyond your music, one of the things that personally hooked me on f5ve from the beginning was your fashion. You seem to have a mutual aversion to monochromatic minimalism; you’re never afraid of blue lipstick, bold wigs, or an unexpected look, and somehow you always make it work. Where do you draw inspiration for your fashion and makeup? What goes into creating an f5ve look, and can you give us a peek into that creative process?

MIYUU: A lot of our inspiration comes naturally from our everyday lives. We’re always communicating with our f5ve team, sharing things we find on social media, and talking about what inspires us. Those conversations naturally turn into ideas for our looks. Ever since we started, we’ve also been discovering what f5ve really is and what feels like “f5ve.” We don’t want to feel trapped by what we’re “supposed” to look like or by having to follow trends. We’re often inspired by things that feel a little strange or unexpected, and we like expressing them in our own way.

The fact that all five of us are Japanese is an important part of our visual identity. We love mixing elements from overseas with elements from Japan, and that combination has gradually become part of the f5ve style. Even blue lipstick has become so natural for us now. Sometimes we even tell each other, “I think we actually look better with blue lipstick!” [laughs].

I also feel like our “I Choose You” looks really represent f5ve. Seeing people recreate them on social media makes us feel that what we created has reached someone and is continuing to spread. Our style has been discovered little by little through our experiences, our team, and the people who watch us. And maybe that’s what makes it genuinely f5ve.

POP BASE: Your first album, “SEQUENCE 01,” has taken f5ve through so many different sounds and worlds; from Tokyo rave beats and intergalactic hyperpop to sleek runway-inspired tracks and anime-theme-ready J-pop. Now that you’ve explored such a wide range of styles, what feels like the next frontier for f5ve? Is there a sound, concept, or creative direction that you’re especially excited to explore next?

RUI: Through “SEQUENCE 01”, we had the chance to explore so many different genres and sounds, which makes me want to keep exploring even more genres while keeping electro-pop at the core of f5ve’s sound!!

For example, I’d personally love to see f5ve step into the world of retro games or video games, with songs and concepts featuring game-like and digital sounds. I’d also love to try a fast-paced punk sound that everyone can sing along to at a live show and use to blow all the negativity away together. And I’d love to make dreamy songs led by harmonies and synths, the kind of music you’d want to listen to early in the morning after a party or right before going to sleep.

POP BASE: You’ve already worked with artists and producers from very different corners of music, from Kesha and m-flo to A. G. Cook and Dorian Electra. If you could create a dream project with someone you haven’t worked with yet, what would that project look like, and who would you want to bring into it? It doesn’t necessarily have to be music.

KAEDE: If I could create something with artists we haven’t worked with yet, I’d love to bring together artists from Japan and around the world that we’ve always wanted to work with, as well as artists who have really unique and strong worlds of their own. For example, PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson, Charli xcx, and from Japan, Perfume, BABYMETAL or Yasutaka Nakata.

The five of us also have quite different tastes in music, so I think it would be really interesting to bring in artists that each of us personally loves and put them all together in one project. Personally, I’d love to invite Justin Bieber and Keshi!!

I’d love to make an album where every song is a collaboration with a different artist. Everyone would have completely different personalities and styles, but I feel like there would still be something that connects us. It would be really exciting to create something completely new, not just through the music, but also through the visuals, fashion, and the worlds that each artist brings. And then, maybe one day, we could take that idea even further and create our own festival. We could bring all these artists together in one place and create a whole experience around music, fashion, art, and different cultures.

I’d love to create something where all these different artists and worlds come together, but somehow still feel like they belong in the same universe. That would be a dream project for me.

POP BASE: Thank you so much for giving Pop Base the opportunity to interview you. Before we wrap up, is there anything you’d like to say to Pop Base readers and your fans around the world?

RUI: Pop Base readers and all of our hi-5 around the world! Thank you so much for reading this interview all the way to the end!

I’d be so happy if we could keep dreaming together in the world of “Inter-dimensional Dream Agents” that f5ve brings to you. We’ll keep taking you on this journey with us, so stay with us! We’re also so excited about the future of f5ve. And to all of our hi-5, thank you so much for always giving us so much love and support! I hope I can meet you in person very soon. We love you all.

— Javeria Yousuf

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