Music
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A$AP Rocky has opened up about his gun assault trial for the first time, calling the experience “gut-wrenching and nerve-wracking.” In a new interview with Variety published on Tuesday (May 6), Rocky talked about what it was like sitting in the courtroom for his gun assault trial in February — he was accused by former […]
106 & Park is back, at least for one night. On Tuesday (May 6), BET announced that 106 & Park is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a host reunion and a night of special performances at the 2025 BET Awards.
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A.J. Calloway, Free, Julissa Bermudez, Keshia Chanté, Rocsi Diaz and Terrence J will be packing on the nostalgia with a reunion after raising a generation of millennial rap and R&B fans.
“106 & Park was more than just a music countdown show — it was the heartbeat of Black youth culture and one of the highest rated BET programs for over a decade,” BET president Scott Mills said in a statement. “From Freestyle Friday to unforgettable live performances, it launched careers, influenced fashion,and became a platform where voices, style and sound converged. 106 & Park both celebrated and fueled many of the most important musical and culture evolutions that occurred during its two-and-a-half-decade tenure.”
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On the performance side, Mr. 106 & Park himself, Bow Wow, will hit the stage with B2K, Mya, Amerie, Jim Jones and T.I. on June 9. The BET Awards will kick off at the family of BET Networks at 8 p.m. ET.
“106 & Park served as a cultural touchstone, embodying the energy, creativity and authenticity of a generation,” stated Connie Orlando, who serves as the EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET. “It provided artists a direct connection to their fans, transforming everyday moments into lasting memories. The show’s legacy continues to influence how we engage with music, connect with talent and celebrate Black creativity. We are thrilled to commemorate 25 years of this iconic series at this year’s BET Awards.”
There will be plenty of activations for fans to get in on the festivities in Los Angeles for culture’s biggest week. The BET Fan Fest (BETX) will be set up at the L.A. Convention Center with the 106 & Park stage throughout the weekend on June 7 and June 8, leading into the BET Awards.
Launched on Sept. 11, 2000, 106 & Park enjoyed a fruitful run filled with appearances from music’s biggest stars, and went off the air after a 14-year run in 2014.
The family and friends of Queens rapper Chinx, who died in 2015, are setting up a foundation in his name on the 10th anniversary of his passing.
The Lionel D. Pickens Foundation will focus on youth mentorship and development by connecting young people with mentors to help guide them academically, professionally and emotionally; scholarships for ambitious students regardless of circumstance; small business grants that provide local entrepreneurs with funding and resources’ and community initiatives such as coat drives, Thanksgiving turkey giveaways and toys drives for families in need across the five boroughs of New York City.
“Lionel was more than an artist — he was a dreamer, a provider, and a beacon of hope to so many,” said Veronica Clinton, co-founder and Chinx’s mother, via press release. “Through this foundation, we are continuing what he started: helping others rise up, chase their goals and never give up, no matter where they come from.”
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The foundation’s official launch will be commemorated with his annual community candle lighting on May 17 on Queens Blvd, where supporters, family and friends will gather to remember Lionel “Chinx” Pickens and celebrate the foundation’s mission.
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“This foundation is our way of turning pain into power,” said Janelli Caceres, co-founder and Lionel’s widow, via press release. “It’s about honoring Lionel by investing in the futures of others — especially those who’ve been forgotten, underestimated or underserved.”
Douglas Ellison, one of the foundation’s board members and Chinx’s former manager, added, “Lionel had the heart of a leader, he lifted people up, he inspired them to dream bigger. This foundation continues that work, so his voice, his values and his love for this community never fade.”
Chinx killed in a 2015 drive-by shooting while sitting in his car at a red light. Last year, Quincy Homere was sentenced to 23 years for his hand in the killing, while Chinx Hill’s case is still pending because he’s already incarcerated for an unrelated charge.
Chinx made a name for himself during the mid-2000s when he started making music with the late Stack Bundles and later, French Montana.
Quavo’s the Rocket Foundation hosted a Mother’s Day brunch on Sunday (May 4) for moms who have lost children to gun violence.
The Migos frontman was in attendance alongside his mother, as well as the late TakeOff’s mom and grandmother; TakeOff was killed in a shooting in Houston on Nov. 1, 2022.
Quavo launched the Rocket Foundation following the death of his nephew, with a goal of reducing gun violence across the country. Draped in white and pastel colors, attendees enjoyed a day of healing as flowers by Fenty Beauty and photos of the lives lost lined the building in Atlanta.
“It’s three times a year that’s really hard. This is one of the major ones. TakeOff made me a mama,” TakeOff’s mother, Tatiana Davenport, told The Atlanta Voice. “I pray that mothers will have a place, like a refuge, where they can get finances to help them grow. They may need spiritual help. They may need mental help. Because it’s all hard, and it’s all combined into one. So I pray that this day will allow them to feel that they can continue to go on and grow.”
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There was also a panel with representatives from various anti-violence groups discussing what can be done in the community to enact the changes they want to see.
It’s the fourth initiative of its kind hosted by the Rocket Foundation, which has plans for another meeting with members of congress this summer.
Earlier this month, the Rocket Foundation named Gregory Jackson Jr. as the president of the organization. Jackson Jr. previously served as the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which was dismantled by the Trump Administration.
“What they’re going through, while it’s painful, there’s a whole community here that has their back and has been through similar trials, and we’re just stronger together than we are apart,” Jackson Jr. told those in attendance. “Maybe just every once in a while, there’s a sad night, they’ll remember that there are so many other people there to support them, even if they aren’t physically there with them. And frankly, we want to inspire them to continue to be courageous in speaking out on this issue, pushing for change, because that’s how we fix this.”
On the music side, Quavo released a posthumous collaboration with TakeOff “Dope By Phone,” which hit streaming services on May 2.
Pharrell Williams‘ hosting duties had only just begun after the 2025 Met Gala — which he co-chaired with A$AP Rocky, Colman Domingo and Lewis Hamilton — ended Monday night (May 5).
Following the glamorous event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the producer invited a star-studded list of guests to join him for an “after hours” UNO tournament at Crane Club in the West Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Among the players were Kim Kardashian, Keke Palmer, Jaden Smith, Pusha T, Future, Ciara, Lala Anthony, Questlove, PinkPantheress, Maggie Rogers and Halle Bailey, who posed for photos, sipped on drinks and — at least in some cases — probably made a few lifelong enemies with some well-timed “Draw Four” cards.
Emceed by streamer and onetime Billboard cover star Kai Cenat, the evening also saw the winners of the tournament take home prizes ranging from a Richard Mille watch to diamond Tiffany & Co. earrings. A Louis Vuitton trunk was also awarded, as was a custom UNO varsity jacket designed by the night’s host himself.
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The tournament capped off one of the most highly anticipated celebrity events of the year, with many of Williams’ UNO guests having walked the Met Gala red carpet just hours prior to the game night. This year’s theme, which the producer helped lead with his fellow co-chairs, was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” a tribute to “the role of sartorial style in forming Black identities, focusing on the emergence, significance and proliferation of the Black dandy,” according to Vogue.
In addition to helping host the gala, Williams — who is the men’s creative director for Louis Vuitton — assisted in curating many of the night’s looks, including those worn by Zendaya, Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, LISA of BLACKPINK, Future and more.
See photos from Williams’ post-Met Gala UNO party below.
Kim Kardashian, Ciara, La La Anthony and Kai Cenat
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PinkPantheress and Halle Bailey
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Future
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Megan Thee Stallion risked it all for the ‘gram. The Houston Hottie pulled up to the 2025 Met Gala on Monday night (May 5) and broke the event’s no-phone policy to post a video to social media of her sampling appetizers with Doechii and WNBA star Angel Reese. Thee Stallion went live from the “Hottie […]
Linkin Park have been on such a roll over the past year that they recently did something they’ve rarely done in the past: write new music on the road. Fans will get to hear the fruits of that labor on May 16 with the release of a deluxe edition of last year’s surprise comeback album, From Zero.
Two of the three new bonus tracks on that special edition, “Up From the Bottom and “Let You Fade,” were finished after the initial sessions for the long-running rock band’s first effort with new singer Emily Armstrong; the former was written in between tour dates and the latter was started during the album sessions and finished after its release.
With “Up From the Bottom” just out, Billboard asked what it feels like to keep the chart momentum of the 2.0 lineup rolling after the group announced their revival in 2024, seven years after the 2017 death of original singer Chester Bennington. “A day in the life,” Armstrong laughed, as singer/guitarist Mike Shinoda teased that his newest bandmate is already “super jaded” at this point. “She’s just so used to it,” he said in the video you can watch in full above. “She was so down to earth in the beginning.”
Shinoda said LP wrote “Up From the Bottom” at the end of last year and though it was the last new song they laid down for the deluxe, it was the quickest one to wrap. “It’s kind of fun having that shorter momentum,” he said, noting that typically the band is “so meticulous” that it was a breath of fresh air to turn something so quickly.
He also said that “Let You Fade” started off as a not-as-loud song on a demo that just didn’t make the cut before the group pivoted to a piano-and-vocals only arrangement that was transformed into a song that starts off really loud and goes quiet on the bridge. “That piano and vocal thing was the second demo [we recorded during the initial sessions],” Shinoda said. “Of the three it’s probably my favorite.”
The expanded album will also feature the new song “Unshatter,” a track Shinoda said LP began working on when they were first just getting to know Armstrong.
In fact, she was so new that Shinoda said when he began playing back Armstrong’s wailing vocal on the song new drummer Colin Brittain heard the screaming on the bridge from the control room and said, “‘oh you know who she sounds like? The singer from Dead Sara,’” which, of course is exactly who she is. “He said, ‘dude, really? She’s soooo good!’”
And while Armstrong said they’re thinking about putting a small recording studio on their tour bus, Shinoda cautioned fans not to expect more new music this year since LP will be on the road for much of 2025. Speaking of which, with a 27-song, two-hour running time straining their ability to get all the fan favorites and deep tracks into the mix, Armstrong joked, “I think we should play four hours.”
Perhaps it’s that adrenalin, or maybe her take-no-prisoners performance style, but Shinoda said having Armstrong front the band has earned him some serious cool dad points at home. “I have daughters and having them see Emily and be like, ‘Whoa! She is so cool!’,” is a huge boost. “They say this all the time… they’re like, ‘Emily’s so cool,’” he said as Armstrong soaked up the kind words. “They think she’s the coolest human on Earth. They’re like, ‘dad, you’re not that cool. She’s very cool.’”
The band will be on stage on Tuesday night (May 6) at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C.
Hip-hop’s biggest story of the week is technically a year old.
From May 3-5, 2024, Drake (“Family Matters” and “The Heart Part 6”) and Kendrick Lamar (“6:16 in LA,” “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us”) traded the last five songs of a battle that changed the course of hip-hop history and popular music forever. In the year since, Lamar won five Grammys for “Not Like Us,” dropped his monster GNX LP, spun out two additional Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers (“Squabble Up” and “Luther,” launched a massive stadium tour alongside SZA, and scored the most-watch Super Bowl halftime show of all time. For his part, Drizzy added another Billboard 200 No. 1 album (the Partynextdoor-assisted $ome $exy $ongs 4 U) to his arsenal and a No. 2 hit in “Nokia.”
In 2025 news, Doechii teamed up with Westside Gunn to remix the latter’s “Egypt.” The new collaboration arrived as the Swamp Princess’ “Anxiety” returned to the Hot 100’s top 10 — and just a few days before her stint on this year’s Met Gala hosting committee. With a rich theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” Monday night’s Met Gala steps (May 5) featured eye-popping looks from several of hip-hop’s biggest fashionistas, including Teyana Taylor, Pharrell Williams, Tyla, Doja Cat and more.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Jorja Smith’s new banger to Benny the Butcher and Styles P’s latest link-up. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
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Freshest Find: Jorja Smith, “The Way I Love You”
U.K. garage and Jorja Smith are a match made in music heaven. J Money gets back in her bag to get the party started just in time for the summer, as “The Way I Love You” should be part of every DJ’s set list, looking to fill the dance floor. The 27-year-old does just that as she throws a rave at Club Nice in the single’s blue-tinted visual. It feels like you could draw a line from “The Way I Love You” to her breakout “On My Mind” anthem that introduced J Money to droves of fans back when she was an emerging star in 2017. At this point, we need a UKG-grime album from Smith in the future. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
Tiana Major9, “Money”
Tiana Major9’s “Money” is a soulful, witty, and emotionally layered meditation on her complicated relationship with wealth. Framed as a love song to money — personified as a flirtatious, fickle, and sometimes cruel partner — Tiana’s new joint explores how financial security, desire, and personal history collide. Tiana highlights how money can feel loving when it’s present, but also how quickly it disappears, reinforcing that “money knows who needs who more.” “Money” is about more than just wealth — it’s about survival, self-worth, and learning how to have a healthy relationship with abundance without letting it define your identity. Tiana brings humor, heart, and honesty to a topic that affects everyone, making the song both relatable and deeply personal. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON
Benny the Butcher feat. Styles P, “Toxic”
Produced by BSF, Buffalo rapper and Griselda stalwart Benny the Butcher taps the Ghost in Styles P to give us some of that good old-fashioned hard s–t. The beat sounds like concrete and has an infectious hook that’ll make you nod your head into oblivion and give you the ugly face. — ANGEL DIAZ
Yeat, “Feel No Wayz (Yeat Mix)”
Yeat shocked fans at his Coachella set last month when he performed a cover of Drake’s fan-favorite “Feel No Ways.” Instead of the melodic rapping mixed with Drizzy’s R&B sonic, the Oregon native leans heavily into the AutoTune for an electronic spin on the classic VIEWS deep cut. The official track that landed on DSPs sounds much cleaner than the edition Yeat initially previewed on social media. Drake even lent his stamp of approval with a text to Yeat, which he fittingly turned into the cover art for the single. It might be time for another a Twizzy x The Boy link-up. — M.S.
Girlfriend, “Come Thru”
Mississippi-born singer, songwriter, and rapper Girlfriend (Kenya Edwards) returns with her new EP It’s Complicated, led by the standout track “Come Thru” — a sultry, emotionally raw anthem exploring intimacy, secrecy, and the longing for genuine connection in a situationship. The line “middle of the summer, it’s cold” captures the emotional disconnect between seasons and feelings — even when life should feel warm and full, something is still missing. That “cold” feeling symbolizes loneliness or emotional distance, hinting that both people involved are longing for closeness but are hesitant to fully open up. At its core, “Come Thru” is about vulnerability masked by sensuality, navigating desire in a relationship that lives in the grey area between love and lust, cold and warm, commitment and secrecy. — C.C.
A$AP Nast, “No Hammer”
Nast is back, and he dropped a movie. No, seriously: He and director Dexter Navy gave fans a crime drama set in London, as the Harlem rapper does his thing over Drumatik production. Maybe this means we’ll be getting that song he has with Playboi Carti that was apparently produced by The Alchemist. — A.D.
Mariah the Scientist, “Burning Blue”
Mariah the Scientist ignites her next era with the intoxicating “Burning Blue.” The Atlanta native puts a soulful spin on her unique perspective on the trials and tribulations of romance. Even with the chaos around her, Mariah feels at ease with her man by her side. But her submissive lust will only remain if he holds up his end of the relationship bargain. The 27-year-old’s vocals remain as soothing as ever, with “Burning Blue” reaching a crescendo in its closing moments. Keep fanning the flame, Thugger. — M.S.
GRiMM Doza, “Bullet Train”
Influenced by the Jersey producer’s trip to Tokyo, Grimm Doza paints a soundscape with a beat tape — a format that has become something of a lost art these days. I wanted to highlight this after a conversation I had with Conductor Williams, where he mentioned Dilla’s classic instrumental album Donuts felt like a jazz record. You can check out Tokyo Transit on streaming services. Here’s the YouTube playlist. — A.D.
Samara Cyn, “Bad Brain”
Samara Cyn is a breath of fresh air in rap. The burgeoning rhymer delivered her introspective “Bad Brain” single last week, which finds Cyn battling the voices in her head while combing through the mental gymnastics she has to hurdle to get by. Enclosed by a Thee Sacred Souls sample, Cyn’s wispy flow weaves around the dreamy production as she gives listeners a peek into the warfare she’s dealing with on a day-to-day basis as a rising star. “All these little voices in my voice gon’ drive a b—h insane/ As I’m talking, feel exhausted, think a b—h gon’ pop a vein,” she raps. — M.S.
Roc Marciano, “Period Blood”
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of his seminal work Marcberg, Roc Marciano dropped a special edition of the album that included a brand new song in this insanely titled track. Produced by the man himself, “Period Blood” is standard-issue Marci with a soulful loop and sharp lyrics that have helped make him one of the more influential artists of the last decade and a half. When it comes to underground East Coast rap music, we’re living in his era. Don’t let anybody else tell you different. — A.D.
British rocker Yungblud announced on Tuesday (May 6) that his new album, Idols, will be released on June 20, and confirmed that it is the first part of an upcoming double LP; the second part of the collection is yet to be announced.
The release is the artist born Dominic Harrison’s fourth album under the Yungblud moniker, and is described by the Doncaster-born musician as “a love letter to self-reclamation … to rock music … [and] to life in all it’s f–king madness.”
In an accompanying statement, Yungblud said that the record explores the theme of hero-worship. “We turn to others for an identity before turning to ourselves. Self-belief, self-reclamation, self-evolution and change. As we grow up, we lose our belief in magic and mystery. We begin to rationalize everything; our cage walls build up.”
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The LP was recorded in Leeds, England, near his hometown of Doncaster in Yorkshire, and he said in the press release that he “wanted to make a project that didn’t focus on singles or anything else except feeling and world-building,” and described the project as having “no limitations.”
That much was obvious with its lead single and album opener “Hello Heaven, Hello,” a nine-minute mini-rock opera and latest single “Lovesick Lullaby.” The record was produced by close collaborator Matt Schwartz, Bob Bradley and touring guitarist Adam Warrington.
Yungblud’s past two records — Weird! (2020) and Yungblud (2022) — both hit No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart, with the latter giving him a career high of No. 45 on the Billboard 200. Idols is his first record on Island Records (U.K.) and Capitol Records (U.S.) following his previous home of Geffen/Interscope.
Speaking to Billboard U.K. in August, he shared details on the label move. “It’s a new phase in my life and these labels are so classic, and this new album feels like it belongs on prestigious labels like that,” he said. “The last few months have been a lot more creatively fruitful and inspiring. I really had a choice about staying in the comfort zone or do I want to go to different places and experiment.”
Following its inaugural edition in 2024, his Bludfest event will return on June 21 in Milton Keynes, England, and features appearances from Yungblud, Chase Atlantic, Rachel Chinouriri and more.
See the Idols tracklist and his album announcement on Instagram below:
“Hello Heaven, Hello”
“Idols Pt I”
“Lovesick Lullaby”
“Zombie”
“The Greatest Parade”
“Change”
“Monday Murder”
“Ghosts”
“Fire”
“War”
“Idols Pt II”
“Supermoon”
Global-facing J-pop group f5ve (pronounced “fi-vee”) may be riding the new wave bringing Japanese music to the world, but the rising five-piece are anything but rookies.
The members each have at least a decade of experience working in the music industry: Sayaka, Kaede, Ruri and Miyuu (ages 28-29) were in LDH Entertainment groups E-girls and Happiness, while 21-year-old Rui is still currently a member of iScream, under the same label. Recently, though, they’ve been taking stock of where there’s room to grow, from English fluency to the basics of recording and performing with a mic. (In J-pop groups, it’s normal to have dancers who don’t sing.)
That’s because, unlike their other projects, f5ve’s expressed mission is to make “Japanese pop music for an international audience,” which also means challenging stereotypes about what sounds the island nation produces. “I think people abroad think J-pop is all anime songs,” Kaede tells Billboard in English from a conference room in Tokyo. “Of course, we have a lot of anime songs,” she adds, “but not just those. We have cool songs; we have different genres of J-pop.”
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Their debut album, SEQUENCE 1, helmed by executive producer BloodPop (Justin Bieber’s “Sorry,” Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande’s “Rain on Me”), makes good on the goal of subverting expectations and bending genres to their will. Tokyo rave beats (“Underground,”) intergalactic hyperpop (“UFO,” co-produced by A. G. Cook,) and sleek runway stompers (“Television”) supplement high-energy, anime-theme-ready J-pop (“リア女 (Real Girl),” “Jump.”) Meanwhile, the music video for bass-heavy trap banger “Sugar Free Venom,” featuring Kesha, self-referentially nods to their previous life as members of E-girls — while simultaneously paying tribute to Beyoncé and The Pussycat Dolls.
They’re likewise meeting global fans where they are — namely, social media, on which f5ve unseriously ask artists for collabs and sport “flop era” tees. “Some people say our account seems unofficial,” Miyuu says, speaking about the brand of cheeky, chronically online posting that their socials engage in. “There’s no other group that has done it like this before. I think that’s what makes people so interested in us.”
Ahead of the release of SEQUENCE 1, out now, f5ve opened up about “fresh” experiences in the studio and their master plan to connect with listeners all over the world.
Billboard: How did you react when your agency approached you about being in a global group?
Kaede: We couldn’t believe it, because we have been doing this job for over 10 years. We built our careers in Japan, but we felt like we could expand more to the world.
Was there anything that scared you about the new group?
Miyuu: At first, honestly, I was scared. All the members were the same, I think. Kaede, Sayaka and I — in our previous group, we had never tried vocals. This group was the first time I tried to sing.
When did you start working on SEQUENCE 01, and what was the process like?
Kaede: We’ve been working on this album for about two years. So now it feels like… finally. When we were in the studio with BloodPop, we discussed what music we like and listen to. Then he created music from that conversation. He actually loves Japanese anime — us too. While we were talking about our favorite anime, he said, “Why don’t we try to make a song that has anime themes?” That’s how “リア女 (Real Girl)” was born. It was a fresh experience for us, because it was very different from how Japanese people create music.
How does that usually go?
Kaede: Producers bring us the [completed demo].
So this way, it was more collaborative?
Kaede: Yes. He always includes our ideas for f5ve’s music.
What are some of your favorite anime series? Which did you take inspiration from?
Miyuu: Oshi no Ko and its theme, “Idol” by Yaosobi. We texted him so many.
Rui: My favorite anime are My Hero Academia, Tokyo Ghoul and Kakegurui.
Is there any advice that BloodPop gave you while recording that stuck out to you?
Rui: There isn’t one comment from him, but when we were in the studio with him, [he asked which version of demos we prefer.] It’s so fresh for me. We can have our own opinion and tell him about what we think.
Kaede: When we were recording, BloodPop and our creative director said to me, “More b–chy, more slay,” because my personality and my voice are so energetic.
Are there other ways you feel like your on-stage personas differ from who you are in real life?
Kaede: I’m a totally different person. On stage, I have confidence and I can be more…slayish?
Miyuu: It’s kind of the same for me. Off stage, I’m not outgoing, and I can be pretty shy. But when I perform, it’s like “Look at me, look at me.” [Laughs]
One of f5ve’s goals is to “eradicate self-doubt,” but we all have moments of insecurity. How do you overcome that yourselves?
Rui: We have a lot of practice being on stage and shooting. f5ve is the best team, so I always trust the members, trust the staff and trust myself. And I can be natural, be positive.
Kaede: We compliment each other before we go on stage, always.
Miyuu: “You look so cute. You look so pretty. You look so gorgeous.”
Rui: “Beauty! Sexy!”
What compliment would you give to the person sitting next to you right now?
Kaede: Miyuu is our number one face expression queen.
Miyuu: Sayaka is one of the smallest members, but the way she performs and her aura make you feel otherwise.
Sayaka: Rui is a true idol. She has perfect expressions and is always on point on stage.
Rui: Ruri has… face card. Always beautiful. I’m also addicted to Ruri’s powerful voice. And she is so kind.
Ruri: Kaede is the sunshine of the group. She’s always talking to people, always communicating.
In the music video for “Magic Clock,” there were child dancers who played younger versions of you. Some of you have been in the entertainment industry since you were around their age, so did you have any advice for them?
Rui: They were so nervous during the music video shoot, so we were always by their side. [We told them,] “You are so cute, your dancing is so amazing. Please have confidence.” We gained power from them. I think that situation was my dream come true. I was so happy.
Why was it a dream come true?
Rui: I was a student at [Japanese entertainment training school] EXPG starting at a young age, and during that time, I looked up to E-girls and all the LDH groups.
Besides Kesha, who features on “Sugar-Free Venom,” which artists do you hope to collaborate with in the future?
Rui: I want to collaborate with Addison Rae someday. I love her music videos and her vibes. I’m a huge fan.
Sayaka: I want to collaborate with Tyla.
Miyuu: I love Doja Cat. [Her music embodies] woman empowerment, which is why it matches us.
Kaede: I want to collaborate with Justin Bieber. I’ve been a huge fan of his since I was a junior high school student. He was my first celebrity crush. [Laughs.] I love his voice, I love his music.
Ruri: Taylor Swift. I recently listened to The Tortured Poets Department, and that got me into her.
You also worked with producers like A. G. Cook and Count Baldor on SEQUENCE 01. Who would you love to have write or produce a song for f5ve in the future?
Rui: Of course, I want to create more music with BloodPop, but I want to collaborate with Zedd.
Kaede: I want to collaborate with ASOBISYSTEM in Japan. We saw ATARASHII GAKKO!’s show in LA, so I hope ASOBISYSTEM or Nakata Yasutaka creates our music with ATARASHII GAKKO!
The video for “Underground” had Dekotora trucks and Para Para. What other elements of Japanese culture do you want to share with the world?
Kaede: Natsumatsuri is a summer festival in Japan, and when I was a kid, I practiced and played traditional drums in the festival. So, one day, I want to show you my drum skills in our songs. I can surprise people abroad with that.
Rui: I want to wear a kimono or yukata in a music video or a live show.
The J-pop industry used to be pretty much exclusively interested in the Japanese market, but now we’re starting to see that open up. Why do you think that is?
Miyuu: Lately, I’ve been feeling that the international reception of J-pop is starting to shift. In the past, there weren’t many chances for people to get exposed to J-pop, so the Japanese music industry mainly focused on the domestic market, as you said. But I believe digital culture has played a huge role in introducing J-pop to a global audience.
How does f5ve plan to reach that audience?
Rui: Being natural and being ourselves. Just having fun with our music, loving our music. And each other.
Miyuu: Social media is a very important tool for us. It’s a space where we can really connect with our fans and make them feel close to us. We react to a lot of comments, responding to what fans are curious about. Some people say our account seems unofficial, in the best way. And there’s no other group that has done it like this before. I think that’s what makes people so interested in us.
Since you brought up social media, who is the most online in f5ve?
Miyuu: Rui’s always on her phone, taking selfies.
Kaede: During lunch, during dinner…
Rui: I love searching for TikTok trends.
Is anyone never on their phone, and has no idea what these trends are?
Kaede: Ruri. She could live without her phone.
What did you learn about yourself while making this album?
Kaede: I’ve learned from BloodPop and A. G. Cook that work is not just work. They said not to forget to bring a playful mind to it, enjoy the moment and put yourself into creation.
Sayaka: In my previous group, I was a performer, so I never had a chance to sing. While recording, I discovered what I can express to the world with my voice. I found my new power.
What is still on your bucket list as a group?
Kaede: I want to attend Billboard Women in Music, because recently I saw JENNIE and aespa attend. One day, we want to go and represent Japan.
Rui: I love anime, and our members like anime too, so one day we want to have an anime theme song.
Miyuu: I want to make a role-playing game where we each create our own weapon.
What would everyone’s weapon be?
Rui: Noodle slasher! I eat noodles every day.
Kaede: My big voice.
Miyuu: Lipstick sword, because I love makeup.
Sayaka: Bomb. [Members laugh.] I always say something awkward in conversations and it’s like a bomb.
Ruri: My long hair, like a whip.
Any other bucket list items?
Ruri: Attending Coachella.
Sayaka: I want to meet fans all over the world.
Is there a world tour in the works?
Kaede: There isn’t a date decided yet, but we’re planning.
Rui: Soon!
Kaede: Yes, coming soon.