Whiteberry

Overview

Whiteberry (ホワイトベリー) was a five-piece all-girl pop/rock band from Kitami, Hokkaido, Japan. Formed in 1994, the group made its major debut in 1999 and disbanded in 2004. They were nicknamed "Howaberi" and "Shiroberi" by fans. Their signature hit was a cover of JITTERIN'JINN's "Natsu Matsuri", which reached No. 3 on the Oricon singles chart and earned them a spot at the 51st NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen. They were often compared to SPEED, the hugely popular act of the time, as a rival.

Members

Yuki Maeda (born October 12, 1985): vocals. The only member who joined midway; before she joined, Hasegawa sang. She now performs solo under the name Yuki Maeda (前田有嬉).
Aya Inatsuki (born December 16, 1985): guitar. She founded the band.
Yukari Hasegawa (born October 25, 1985): bass and backing vocals.
Rimi Mizusawa (born December 25, 1984): keyboards and backing vocals.
Erika Kawamura (born May 17, 1984): drums. She and Maeda are cousins.

All members wrote lyrics and music.

Career

Formation and early years

The band formed in 1994 under the name "Strawberry Kids" while the members were still in elementary school. Inatsuki, who had played guitar since first grade thanks to her father, put up a recruitment notice at her mother's children's clothing shop. After several lineup changes, the five-piece settled. They played local live houses and festivals in Kitami until the Nippon TV program Toko! Tokuho Oukoku featured them on June 29, 1997, which led to their major debut. They also caught the attention of members of Judy and Mary and were offered a deal with Sony Japan's Pop Artist imprint in 1999. In 2001 they appeared as guest judges on a revival special of that show.

Debut and breakthrough

Whiteberry debuted on August 4, 1999 with the mini-album After School, whose title-track-era songs, including "Tsugakuro," were used as the ending theme of the TV anime Kyorochan from July 1, 1999 to March 29, 2001. On December 8, 1999 they released their first single "Yuki," produced and composed by Judy and Mary's then-leader Yoshihito Onda. It became a smash hit and was used as the ending theme of Fuji TV's Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!, which aired a "Whiteberry Special" that drew a 21.1% rating, ranking among the show's highest-rated segments. Two more of their songs, "Taiyo wo Buttobase!" and "Tsugakuro," were subsequently chosen as the show's ending themes, so Whiteberry songs were used for about two years.

After a pause in live shows, they played in Kitami in July 2000 and Sapporo in September. Their cover of "Natsu Matsuri" reached No. 3 on the Oricon chart in 2000 and went on to outsell the original by a wide margin; the band's fashion, with yukata hems rolled up like miniskirts or worn over leggings, also drew attention. Their debut full-length album (Hatsu) (September 1, 2000) entered the Oricon chart at No. 3, setting a record as the youngest band to reach the top three.

Singles followed: "Akubi" (November 2000, a rearranged recording of a song from After School), "Sakura Namikimichi" (April 2001), "Kakurenbo" (2001, tied to the Japanese release of an opening of the anime Pokémon), and "Tachiirikinshi" (November 2001). The last raised eyebrows with its aggressive tone and a video showing the band in rugby uniforms storming a corporate boardroom. The second album, Chameleon, was released January 23, 2002 and was praised as a superior follow-up that included darker-themed songs.

In late 2002 the band released a trilogy of singles pairing a cover of a classic J-Pop or J-Rock hit on the A-side with a new original on the B-side: "Jitensha Dorobo" (September 26, with a fully animated video), "Be Happy" (October) and "Koe ga Nakunaru Made" (November 27). Much of 2003 was spent focused on school, though they recorded two songs for the soundtrack of the TV series Superior Defender Gundam Force, released as the single "Shinjiru Chikara" on February 11, 2004. Its lyrics, written by all five members, express how much they missed each other after high school graduation. In all, they released 11 singles, but never matched the success of "Natsu Matsuri."

Breakup and aftermath

Maeda later said she resisted being marketed as an idol and was irritated by the many tie-ups; even after the Kohaku appearance the band retained a "school club" feel, and as high school graduation neared she began thinking about the future. Because four members were heading to university, the group announced an amicable breakup, and held farewell shows in Tokyo and Hokkaido, ending on March 31, 2004. Their active period since major debut was 4 years, 7 months and 27 days. The best-of Kiseki - The Best of Whiteberry arrived on April 28, 2004, followed by the video collection Videoberry Final on June 23. Golden☆Best Whiteberry was released August 27, 2008, and the single "Natsu Matsuri / Sakura Namikimichi BEST Tag" on February 22, 2022.

Maeda and Hasegawa re-emerged in 2006 as the four-piece pop/punk band Yukki, releasing the EP Sotsugyou in May 2006. Maeda debuted as the solo singer-songwriter "yukki" in 2005, finished those solo works in December 2007, and formed THE HUSKY in 2008, serving as its vocalist through 2011. She is now a solo musician under MUTOWN. The other members appear to have left music; Hasegawa and Mizusawa live in Tokyo, while Inatsuki and Kawamura live in Kitami. A "Summerberry 2027" event in Kitami is planned for summer 2027.

Musical style

Classed as J-pop and kayokyoku, Whiteberry was a pop/rock band whose members wrote their own songs. Their material was largely bright and catchy, though Chameleon explored darker themes, and their cover singles showed an affinity for classic J-pop.