, formerly , is a Japanese idol girl group from the musical collective Hello! Project. Since the group's formation in 2009, the group has seen changes in membership. The current members consist of Layla Ise, Rin Hashisako, Rin Kawana, Shion Tamenaga, Wakana Matsumoto, Yuki Hirayama, Yukiho Shimoitani, Hana Goto, and Momoha Nagano.
The group was formed in 2009 under the name Smileage, consisting of four members of Hello! Project's trainee group, Hello Pro Egg. They released their debut single, "Suki-chan", under an indie label in the same year. The group made their major label debut in 2010 with the single "Yume Miru 15", in which they won the Japan Record Award for Best New Artist the same year. In 2015, the group changed their name to Angerme.
History Smileage era
2009-2010: Formation and debut On April 4, Japanese music producer Tsunku announced on his blog that a new girl group consisting of Hello! Pro Egg members (the trainee program of Hello! Project) would be formed, consisting of Ayaka Wada, Yuuka Maeda, and Kanon Fukuda, and Saki Ogawa. Wada, Maeda, and Fukuda withdrew from their activities in the Shugo Chara! franchise for their debut, and Wada was the designated group leader. A month later, on May 7, 2009, he revealed that the group would be called Smileage, a portmanteau of the English words "smile", "mileage", and "age"; together, the name means "the age of smiles". In 2009 the group released three indie singles: "Ama no Jaku", "Asu wa Date na no ni, Ima Sugu Koe ga Kikitai" and "Suki-chan"
After releasing three singles, Tsunku announced that the group would become a full-time group in the spring of 2010 and their debut was set for May 2010. A was embarked upon to collect 10,000 smiles from people, where fans were asked to send in photographs of themselves smiling, compiled into a big mosaic. The group made their official event debut in Nagoya on March 19, with their fourth single "Otona ni Narutte Muzukashii!!!", released March 14, their first release on the Up-Front Works label. The result of the campaign was announced during the joint Smileage and Erina Mano concert on April 3. It was then announced that the group would be leaving from Hello! Pro Eggs.
Their first major single, "Yume Miru Fifteen", was released on May 26. Their debut album, Warugaki 1, was released on December 8, 2010. On December 30, Smileage received the Japan Record Award for Best New Artist.
2011–2014: The second generation On May 29, 2011, Smileage revealed at their first-anniversary event that they would be holding auditions for new members to add to the four-member line-up and that some of the members would depart. The new members were announced on August 14. From Hello! Pro Egg, Akari Takeuchi and Rina Katsuta were added, and three other girls: Kana Nakanishi, Fuyuka Kosuga, and Meimi Tamura also joined.
On August 24, it was announced that Saki Ogawa would be leaving Smileage on August 27 and, subsequently, from Hello! Project. On September 9, one of Smileage's newest additions, Fuyuka Kosuga, was diagnosed with anaemia, after missing a concert due to illness. Due to her anaemia, she left the group and resumed her work as a Hello! Project Egg after her recovery.
Starting September 18, a second Smile Campaign was held by the new members to determine their place as official members in the group. On October 16, at Smileage's "Tachiagirl" event, producer Tsunku announced all four sub-members had become full members. On October 25, it was announced that Yuuka Maeda would leave Smileage and, subsequently, from Hello! Project on December 31.
On October 4, 2014, the group welcomed three new members: Mizuki Murota, Maho Aikawa and Rikako Sasaki. On December 17, 2014, it was announced that Smileage would change their name to Angerme, a name proposed by Kana Nakanishi which comes from a combination of the French words for angel (ange) and tear (larme).
Angerme Era
2015–2016: Re-brand and third, fourth, and fifth generation debut On May 20, 2015, Kanon Fukuda announced that she would be leaving Angerme and Hello! Project in the fall to continue with her university studies. On November 11, 2015, Angerme released their twentieth single, "Desugita Kui wa Utarenai / Dondengaeshi / Watashi." At the release event for this single, the winner of the 2015 Angerme Shin Member Audition and a sole fourth generation member was announced with Moe Kamikokuryo revealed as the new member. This was the first time a Hello! Project group other than Morning Musume welcomed a sole generation member. Kanon Fukuda officially left the group on November 29.
Less than a month after Fukuda's graduation, on December 20, 2015, during the Angerme Christmas Fanclub event, it was announced that Meimi Tamura would leave Angerme and Hello! Project in spring 2016. On May 30, 2016, Meimi Tamura graduated from Angerme. On July 16, 2016, a surprise announcement was made: Momona Kasahara, previously from Hello! Pro Kenshūsei, would join the group as the sole fifth generation member.
2017–2018: Sixth and seventh generation debut On January 11, 2017, Hello! Project announced the hiatus of Maho Aikawa until further notice, due to being diagnosed with panic disorder.
On June 26, Musubu Funaki, who transferred from Country Girls and Ayano Kawamura as a former Hello! Pro Kenshūsei, joined Angerme as new 6th generation members. Musubu continued her activities as a full member of Country girls until June 30, where she then became a full member of Angerme, and held a concurrent position in Country Girls. The sixth generation began activities in the group at the Hello! Project 2017 SUMMER concert tour on July 15.
On December 31, an announcement was posted to the Hello! Project website, stating that Maho Aikawa had decided to graduate from both Angerme and Hello! Project, after having been on hiatus from activities for the past twelve months. The graduation was effective immediately, making Aikawa the first of the third generation to graduate.
On April 5, 2018, Ayaka Wada made an announcement that she would graduate in one year, in spring 2019 at the end of a spring concert tour.
On November 3, seventh generation members Layla Ise and Haruka Oota joined the group.
2019–present: Member graduations and new members On June 18, Ayaka Wada graduated from Angerme and Hello! Project in the Hello Pro Premium Angerme Concert Tour 2019 Haru Final Wada Ayaka Sotsugyou Special Rinnetenshou ~Aru Toki Umareta Ai no Teishou~ at Nippon Budokan, becoming the longest-serving member and longest-serving leader of the group. With her graduation, there were no more first generation members in the group.
Rina Katsuta graduated from Angerme and Hello! Project on September 25 at Hello! Project 2019 Summer in Pacifico Yokohama to pursue a career in fashion.
One new member, Rin Hashisako from Hello! Pro Kenshuusei, joined the group as the eighth generation member. She is the 3rd solo generation to debut in the group, as well as the first to debut after all original 1st generation members have graduated. She was introduced on stage during the Hello! Project 2019 Summer concert tour from July 13.
Rina Katsuta officially left the group on September 25.
Kana Nakanishi graduated from both Angerme and Hello! Project on December 10, 2019, to study business administration and management.
Musubu Funaki graduated from both Angerme and Hello! Project in March 2020.
Kana Nakanishi left the group on December 10.
2020 On January 2, during Hello! Project 2020 Winter HELLO! PROJECT IS [ ] ~side A~, ANGERME announced that they would hold an audition for new members, titled ANGERME ONLY ONE Audition ~Watashi wo Tsukuru no wa Watashi~, which opened for applications on January 11."「アンジュルムONLY ONEオーディション～私を創るのは私～」開催！” (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2020-01-02."ハロプロ新年ツアー開幕！アンジュルムが新メンバーオーディション開催を発表" (in Japanese). Pop'n'Roll. 2020-01-02.
On January 22, 2020, it was announced that Mizuki Murota would graduate from both Angerme and Hello! Project in March 2020.
On February 28, it was announced that Haruka Oota has been suspended from all activities for an indeterminate amount of time due to rule violations.
On March 22, Mizuki Murota officially left the group.
On April 21, it was announced that Musubu Funaki's graduation would be postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 22, Mizuki Murota graduated and left from both ANGERME and Hello! Project at Hello! Project Hina Fes 2020 <ANGERME Premium>.
On April 21, it was announced that Musubu Funaki's and Juice=Juice member Karin Miyamoto's graduations set for June 2020 would be postponed to a later date due to the government's declaration of emergency following the spread of COVID-19 getting worse. Both stated that they wanted to graduate in front of an audience, and thus made the decision to postpone their graduations."Juice=Juice 宮本佳林、アンジュルム 船木結 の卒業延期について" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2020-04-21.
On August 26, the group released their 28th single "Kagiriaru Moment / Mirror Mirror".
On October 13, it was announced that Haruka Oota had withdrawn from Angerme but would remain in Hello! Project.
On October 23, it was announced that Funaki's graduation concert was rescheduled for December 9 at Nippon Budokan.
On November 2, three new members were announced as part of ANGERME's ninth generation: Wakana Matsumoto and Rin Kawana, winners of the ANGERME ONLY ONE Audition ~Watashi wo Tsukuru no wa Watashi~, and Shion Tamenaga from Hello Pro Kenshuusei. The new line-up would make their first performance at the ANGERME Concert 2020 ~Kishotenketsu~ Funaki Musubu Sotsugyou Special on December 9."アンジュルム 新メンバー決定！" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2020-11-02.
On November 27, following a countdown to a surprise collaboration with oral beauty care brand Ora2, the music video for promotional song "SHAKA SHAKA TO LOVE" was released. Alongside the music video, ANGERME also participated in the "Colorful Toothbrush Brush up!" campaign promoting the Ora2 Me line of toothbrushes from November 28 to December 25, during which a lottery to win polaroids of each member was held through Twitter."アンジュルムが歌う「オーラツー」タイアップソングMV完成！" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2020-11-27. The song was then released digitally on December 24.
2021 On June 21, it was announced that Momona Kasahara will be graduating and leave from the group and Hello! Project by the end of 2021 to move abroad to study singing and dancing."アンジュルム 笠原桃奈の卒業に関するお知らせ" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2021-06-21.
On June 23, the group released their 29th single, "Hakkiri Shiyou ze / Oyogenai Mermaid / Aisare Route A or B?", the first single to feature the 9th generation members.
On July 12, ANGERME released the music video for promotional song "SHAKA SHAKA #2 LOVE Colorful Life Hen", which is an alternate version of "SHAKA SHAKA TO LOVE" with a new arrangement and new lyrics. The song is a tie-up for their second collaboration campaign with oral beauty care brand Ora2 promoting the Ora2 Me line of toothbrushes, running from July 12 to August 31."アンジュルムが歌う「オーラツー」タイアップソング第2弾MV完成！" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2021-07-12. The song was later released digitally on September 1.
On September 13, it was announced that Momona Kasahara's graduation concert was scheduled for November 15 at Nippon Budokan.
On November 15, Momona Kasahara left the group.
On December 30, it was announced that Yuki Hirayama would join ANGERME as part of its 10th generation."アンジュルム 新メンバー加入決定！" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2021-12-30.
2022 On March 4, ANGERME performed at R-1 Festival 2022.【更新】アンジュルム、つばきファクトリー「R-1フェス2022～ピン芸と音楽の祭典～」出演！. Hello! Project Official Site. Concert&Event. 2022-02-18. (Archived)
On March 21, ANGERME performed at LIVE SDD 2022, a live event held as part of FM Osaka's drunk driving eradication project "STOP! DRUNK DRIVING PROJECT".アンジュルム「LIVE SDD 2022」出演！. Hello! Project Official Site. Concert&Event. 2022-03-08 Update. (Archived)