Folder5

Folder5 is a five-member female Japanese pop (J-pop) group that sings under the label Avex Trax, which seems to produce most of the major dance/pop artists on the Japanese music scene (including Hamasaki Ayumi, dream, Every Little Thing, etc...). Like dream, they are a group that performs many upbeat dance tracks to which they dance themselves in their promotional videos. They improve their popularity by being fun to watch as well as fun to hear. Many of their songs tend to become remixed and included on later albums or singles, although their songs are not remixed nearly as much as Ayumi's.

Members*

AKINA (宮里明那 - Miyazato Akina)
Birthdate: June 19, 1985
Blood Type: AB
Height: 152cm (5 feet 1 inch)

ARISA (仲間愛里沙 - Nakama Arisa)
Birthdate: August 21, 1984
Blood Type: B
Height: 155cm (5 feet 2 inches)

HIKARI (満島ひかり - Mitsushima Hikari)
Birthdate: November 30, 1985
Blood Type: A
Height: 158cm (5 feet 3 inches)

MOE (石原萌 - Ishihara Moe)
Birthdate: May 23, 1986
Blood Type: O
Height: 159cm (5 feet 4 inches)

NATSU (阿嘉奈津 - Aka Natsu)
Birthdate: August 11, 1984
Blood Type: B
Height: 158cm (5 feet 3 inches)

Although all five of the girls do sing, often in harmony or even in unison (which in the song Believe is a very nice effect with five similar voices all singing the same thing), Akina is the one who sings most of the solo parts and generally gets the most attention. She is almost always in the center whenever the five line up or gather together, and in the music videos, the camera spends the most time on her. In the second album they tried to divide the attention a little by having each of the other four have a song to herself, but in general Akina seems to still be doing most of the rest of the solos. Akina has an interest in writing lyrics and songs, but the girls do not write their own songs. Their songs are written by various people including t-kimura, who is the composer and producer for move, another Avex Trax band.

Discography**

SUPERGIRL
1st single (debut) - Released May 10, 2000
01 - SUPERGIRL
02 - ADVENTURE
03 - SUPERGIRL (new funk mix)
04 - SUPERGIRL (groove that soul mix)
05 - SUPERGIRL (Instrumental)

AMAZING LOVE
2nd single - Released August 23, 2000
01 - AMAZING LOVE (TV show "Asayan" ending song)
02 - IT'S UP TO YOU
03 - AMAZING LOVE (Instrumental)
04 - IT'S UP TO YOU (Instrumental)

Believe
3rd single - Released November 29, 2000
01 - Believe (Anime "One Piece" opening song)
02 - Liar
03 - Believe (Instrumental)
04 - Liar (Instrumental)

STAY...
4th single - Released March 3, 2001
01 - STAY... (PS2 game "Monster Farm" theme song; TV show "Asayan" ending song)
02 - Ready! (2001 Anime Fair One Piece Dance Carnival theme song)
03 - STAY... (T-2 HARD CUSTOM MIX) (Instrumental)
04 - STAY... (Instrumental)
05 - Ready! (Instrumental)

Final Fun-Boy
5th single - Released June 13, 2001
01 - Final Fun-Boy (Song for Family Mart commercial)
02 - 灼熱~SUMMER BIRTHDAY~ (shakunetsu - burning hot)
03 - Final Fun-Boy (Instrumental)
04 - 灼熱~SUMMER BIRTHDAY~ (Instrumental)

HYPER GROOVE 1
1st album - Released July 25, 2001
01 - GEMINI
02 - AMAZING LOVE
03 - Final Fun-Boy
04 - Follow me
05 - Ready!
06 - Believe
07 - HEART BEAT
08 - IT'S UP TO YOU
09 - STAY...
10 - Liar
11 - BE MY LOVE
12 - SUPERGIRL
13 - Break the silence
14 - F5 Hyper Groove Non-Stop Special (Bonus Track containing SUPERGIRL, STAY..., Believe, AMAZING LOVE)

GO AHEAD!!
6th single - Released November 14, 2001
01 - GO AHEAD!! (Song for Family Mart commercial)
02 - Chance & Lucky
03 - GO AHEAD!! (ORIGINAL MIX)
04 - GO AHEAD!! (Instrumental)
05 - Chance & Lucky (Instrumental)

Magical Eyes
7th single - Released March 6, 2002
1. Magical Eyes (Theme song for Xbox game "Nezumikusu")
2. Piece of wish
3. Magical Eyes (Instrumental)
4. Piece of wish (Instrumental)

MY MIRACLE
8th single - Released May 29, 2002
01 - MY MIRACLE (Song for Family Mart commercial)
02 - カテナチオ (katenachio****)
03 - Magical Eyes (mochi wonder mix)
04 - MY MIRACLE (Instrumental)

FIVE GIRLS
2nd Album - Released July 17, 2002
01 - Baby My Heart
02 - MY MIRACLE
03 - Still reminds me of you
04 - Piece of wish
05 - GO AHEAD!!
06 - 恋のカケラ...(Featuring MOE) (koi no kakera... - shards of love...)
07 - Turn to you (Featuring HIKARI)
08 - Midnight Train (Featuring ARISA)
09 - Wonders (Featuring NATSU)
10 - Magical Eyes (Album Version)
11 - Depend on you
12 - Precious Love
13 - FAKE
14 - Believe (Dubby Budda "Pumpin Trance mix")

HYPER GROOVE PARTY
Remix Album - Released January 22, 2003
01 - Ready!
02 - AMAZING LOVE
03 - GEMINI
04 - Follow me
05 - Final Fun-Boy
06 - BE MY LOVE
07 - カテナチオ (katenachio****)
08 - SUPERGIRL
09 - 恋のかけら... (Featuring MOE) (koi no kakera... - shards of love)
10 - Baby My Heart
11 - Turn to you (Featuring HIKARI)
12 - MY MIRACLE
13 - ADVENTURE
14 - Piece of wish
15 - Depend on you
16 - Still reminds me of you
17 - Midnight Train (Featuring ARISA)
18 - 灼熱~SUMMER BIRTHDAY~ (shakunetsu - burning hot)
19 - Magical Eyes
20 - Wonders (Featuring NATSU)
21 - GO AHEAD!!
22 - STAY...
23 - Chance & Lucky
24 - Break the silence
25 - Liar
26 - HEART BEAT
27 - IT'S UP TO YOU
28 - Believe
29 - Precious Love
30 - FAKE

In addition, Akina has her own solo single out now***:
Touch Me
Released November 7, 2002
01 - Touch Me
02 - Any time
03 - Touch Me (Instrumental)
04 - Any time (Instrumental)

*Member data translated and adapted from http://aiko_1122.tripod.co.jp/folder5_p.htm
**Discography adapted from http://www.avexnet.or.jp/folder5/disco.htm - Official Avex Trax Folder5 website (in Japanese)
***http://www.geocities.com/folder5hk/folder5.htm
****Nobody seems to know what "katenachio" means, not even my Japanese friends. It might be a Japanization of some English word, or even a Japanization of a word from a different language, in which case we'll never know.
Other sources: Lyrics booklets for various cds.