IS:SUE

Overview

IS:SUE (Japanese: イッシュ, Isshu) is a four-member Japanese girl group managed by LAPONE GIRLS, a subsidiary of LAPONE Entertainment. The group was formed from four finalists of the audition show PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS: Rin (Rin Aida), Nano (Nano Kenmochi), Yuuki (Yuki Tanaka) and Rino (Rino Sakaguchi). The name expresses a charming, one-of-a-kind ("異種") presence that captivates people with constant attention and buzz (ISSUE). Their fandom name is REBORN, and their signature greeting is "One of a kind! We are IS:SUE." They debuted on June 19, 2024 with the single "1st IS:SUE," which entered the Oricon weekly singles chart at No. 1 and was later certified Gold by the RIAJ.

Career

2023: PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS

The show, the third in the franchise and its first female edition, began airing on October 5, 2023. Its final stage on December 16 produced the group ME:I from the top 11; the four future IS:SUE members were among the finalists.

2024: Formation and debut

On March 29, 2024, LAPONE GIRLS announced exclusive contracts with the four finalists. On April 8, an unnamed "upcoming girl group" called IS:SUE was added to the KCON JAPAN 2024 lineup, and on April 25 the group and its members were officially announced. They gave their first performances at KCON JAPAN 2024 at Makuhari Messe (May 10) and ZOZO Marine Stadium (May 12), and released "CONNECT" on May 16. On June 10 they revealed the fandom name REBORN, meaning a "thread" connecting the reborn IS:SUE with their fans. They appeared on the cover of VI/NYL #020 on June 17 and debuted on June 19 with "1st IS:SUE." They made their first appearance on Korea's M COUNTDOWN on June 27 and their first summer festival appearance at Odaiba Boken-Oh 2024 on July 26. The MUSIC ON! TV series IS:SUE THE BEGINNING aired from September to November. On October 11, Rin announced an indefinite hiatus due to poor health. The second single "Welcome Strangers 2nd IS:SUE" arrived in November, followed by their first fan concert, "2024 1ST IS:SUE ASSEMBLE - WE ARE IS:SUE," on November 13–14. They also appeared on All Night Nippon X on December 30 and CDTV Live! Live! on December 31.

2025: First drama theme song and first tour

The Lemino series IS:SUE A SMALL WORLD began streaming in January. From January 31 to February 2, the group performed at Tokyo Dome as part of LAPOSTA 2025 Supported by docomo alongside JO1, INI, ME:I and DXTEEN. Their first digital single, "Love MySelf," was released on February 26 ahead of the third single "EXTREME DIAMOND" (May 21). On May 18 they sang and threw the ceremonial first pitch at a professional baseball game at Tokyo Dome. Their second fan concert, "2025 2ND IS:SUE ASSEMBLE - The Scarlet Anniversary," was held in Tokyo and Osaka on June 11 and 19; the Osaka show fell on their debut anniversary. On July 9 they released "Koe" (コエ), the theme song of the drama Renai Kinshi, produced by ☆Taku Takahashi of m-flo; a remix by Takahashi followed on August 7. "Super Luna" was released in November, and from December 6 to January 8, 2026 they held their first national tour, "2025 IS:SUE 1ST TOUR - IS:SUE IS COMING," in Kanagawa, Hokkaido, Osaka, Fukuoka, Aichi and Tokyo.

2026: First album and second tour

The fourth single "PHASE" was released on January 14, with a Korean version, "Phase (Korean Ver.)," on January 29. Rin announced her return on February 8, and the full four-member lineup performed together on the IS:SUE Special YouTube Live Show on February 12. Their first album, "QUARTET," was released on May 20, and an added tour final, "2026 IS:SUE 1ST TOUR FINAL - IS:SUE IS COMING," took place at Tokyo Garden Theater on May 24. A second national tour, "2026 IS:SUE 2ND TOUR - THE EDITION," is scheduled from September 26 to November 1, with an added show at Toyosu PIT in Tokyo on November 4, when the fifth single "COMING SOON" is also due.

Endorsements

The group has appeared in campaigns for KATE, ANNA SUI COSMETICS, Reebok, Marubeni's WEAR GO LAND (as ambassadors), LINEMO and EVE.

Musical style

IS:SUE works within J-POP and has extended into the Korean market with a Korean-language version of "PHASE." For "Koe," they collaborated with m-flo's ☆Taku Takahashi as song producer.