This year, two groups formed through the PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS show debuted. The top 11 winners formed ME:I, who debuted on April 17. Four other finalists formed the group IS:SUE, who debuted on June 19. With the two groups showcasing contrasting concepts —one cute and the other cool— fans of the show can enjoy varying types of music. 

PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS

PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS premiered on October 5, 2023, as the third season of PRODUCE 101 JAPAN. The prior two seasons focused solely on male trainees, which formed the groups JO1 and INI. PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS ran until December 16, 2023, after its 11th episode. The winning lineup consisted of Kasahara Momona, Murakami Rinon, Takami Ayane, Sakurai Miu, Yamamoto Suzu, Sasaki Kokona, Iida Shizuku, Shimizu Keiko, Ishii Ran, Ebihara Tsuzumi, and Kato Kokoro.  

The company producing the series, LAPONE ENTERTAINMENT, created a subsidiary label LAPONE GIRLS in 2024 to manage its female groups. CJ ENM and Yoshimoto Kyogo created LAPONE ENTERTAINMENT in 2019 as a joint South Korean-Japanese business venture. 

ME:I

The music video for ME:I’s debut single “Click” released on March 25. The title refers to the connection two people share: when people “click,” they understand each other. In this case, it’s a shared desire to achieve one’s dreams together.* ME:I packages this uplifting message into a bubbly and sweet song with an equally adorable music video. 

“Click” also received a Korean version to coincide with Korean music show promotions. Additionally, their M!COUNTDOWN stage on April 11 marked Kokoro’s, now under the stage name Cocoro, return to Korean music shows. She promoted as a member of Cherry Bullet in 2019. 

ME:I released their single album MIRAI physically on April 17. It included “Click,” “Sugar Bomb,” “&ME - ME:I Ver.,” and “CHOPPY CHOPPY - ME:I Ver.” “&ME” originally released as part of the series’s concept evaluation songs (35 GIRLS 5 CONCEPTS), and the show featured “CHOPPY CHOPPY” as one of the finale’s songs. 

The group has already garnered a large following. A week after debut, MIRAI ranked first on the Oricon Singles Chart with 232,688 copies sold. Japanese youth also have shown their support in other ways. On June 3, Japanese entertainment outlet modelpress revealed that ME:I topped the list of Gen Z’s favorite idols in the first half of 2024. 

IS:SUE

On March 29, LAPONE GIRLS revealed NEWGIRL, an upcoming girl group of other PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS finalists. The teaser photo showed Sakaguchi Rino, Aita Rin, Tanaka Yuuki, and Kenmotsu Nano. They ranked 12, 13, 15, and 16, respectively. They continued under the NEWGIRL moniker until April 25, when they received their final name IS:SUE. 

IS:SUE released the music video for their debut single “CONNECT” on May 17. It features a girl crush concept that focuses on moving forwards without dreading the past. “An unprecedented new species is about to be born / Connect,”  they say. They want to turn failures into successes by becoming new, more confident versions of themselves.* For fans who want additional content, turning on the YouTube video’s English audio track gives commentary from Yuuki about the filming process.  

Their official debut came on June 17 with their single album 1st IS:SUE. It included “CONNECT” and the B-side “STATIC.” Where “CONNECT” offers encouragement through a tough front, “STATIC” offers encouragement through a calming serenade. It discusses the static felt between two people who strive for better days.* According to Billboard Japan, 1st IS:SUE sold 113,126 copies between June 17 and June 19. 

*Note: Lyrics taken from the English captions in the official videos.