Me:I (
Japanese: ミーアイ,
Hepburn: Mīai, stylized in
all caps) is a Japanese
girl group formed through the reality competition show Produce 101 Japan The Girls. The group is composed of eleven members: Momona Kasahara, Rinon Murakami, Ayane Takami, Miu Sakurai, Suzu Yamamoto, Kokona Sasaki, Shizuku Iida, Keiko Shimizu, Ran Ishii, Tsuzumi Ebihara, and Cocoro Kato. Like the previous winners of Produce 101 Japan, Me:I is intended to be a permanent group.[3] Debuted with the single Mirai on April 17, 2024, the group is managed by Lapone Girls, a subsidiary of
Lapone Entertainment.[4]
Name
The group's name, "Me:I", means "an idol who is loved by everyone, an idol of the future, moving forward together towards the future". When spoken, it sounds like the Japanese word 未来 (mirai, "future"). The name was revealed in the final episode of Produce 101 Japan The Girls.[5]
History
2023: Formation through Produce 101 Japan The Girls
Me:I was formed through the reality competition show Produce 101 Japan The Girls, which was aired primarily on the streaming service
Lemino from October 5 to December 16, 2023.[6][7] A total of 14,000 participants auditioned for the show, ranging in age from 15 to 25 and not affiliated with any talent agency.[7][8] The final 11 trainees were picked by viewers from the original 101 trainees through online voting and announced during a live television broadcast on
TBS.[1][6] Like the previous winners of Produce 101 Japan, there was no intention of restricting the group's activity after its debut.[3]
Several members of Me:I had experience in the entertainment industry before the show. Momona Kasahara was a member of the
Hello! Project girl group
Angerme from 2016 to 2021.[6][9] Ran Ishii was a member of the girl group
Girls² and appeared in the Japanese drama Secret × Heroine Phantomirage!.[10][11] Cocoro Kato was a member of the South Korean girl group
Cherry Bullet under FNC Entertainment.[6][10] Miu Sakurai was a contestant on Nizi Project and Girls Planet 999,[10] while Suzu Yamamoto spent six months as a trainee at a South Korean agency.[12]
2024–present: Debut with Mirai
Me:I gave their first performance as a group ahead of debut at the
38th Tokyo Girls Collection 2024 Spring/Summer on March 2, 2024.[13] On April 14, the group concluded their first fan concert, 2024 Me:I Launching Show Me:Iconic, which was held in two cities and attracted approximately 65,000 people.[14] Me:I officially debuted with the single Mirai on April 17,[15] topping the
Oricon Singles Chart with over 232,000 copies sold.[16] Its lead track, "Click", peaked at second place on the
Billboard Japan Hot 100.[17]
^A
maxi single release that has a different title from any songs in it will be considered as a "
EP single" with its title being italicized. Its respective lead track is categorized under
promotional single.
^
abcJung Joo-young (September 4, 2023).
元Cherry Bullet ココロから「虹プロ」「ガルプラ」出演者も!「PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS」の練習生が話題 [From former Cherry Bullet member Cocoro to "Niji Project" and "Girls Planet" participants! "PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS" trainees are a hot topic]. Kstyle (in Japanese).
Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
^
abME:Iの合算シングル売上TOP1作品 [Me:I's Top 1 Combined Single Sales] (in Japanese).
Oricon.
Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.