Hi-5 (American virtual group)

Hi-5 is an American, formed in early 2020 in association with the television series of the same name. Created by Percy Stevenson and produced by, the series premiered on in late December 2019. The group is the successor to the Australian band, and is primarily known for their lighthearted music sound.

There are five CGI characters in the group — Karlie Palmer, Ann Sparks, Victoria "Vicky" Holland, Shane Colburn, and Darren Massey. The group has collectively starred in several television series, released albums, and performed on worldwide tours. Like the original, the series features puppet characters Chatterbox and Jup Jup, who were included in two of its segments.

Hi-5 is the first virtual band formed in the decade. Their albums were certified by the as Multi-Platinum (Five in the Air, Ready or Not (Soundbreakerz Remix)), Platinum (Summertime Fun), and Gold (Let's Get Away, Boom Boom Beat (Feel That Heartbeat)).

Critics have frequently described the group as "the new edition of the original Hi-5" or the "new Hi-5 USA". They also became a critical success during their first months, compared to the newer iterations of their predecessor group.

2020: Formation, debut, and early
Television producer Percy Stevenson formed a concept for a new television show meant to be a remake of the Hi-5 TV show which ran from 1999 to 2011 and was revived in 2017. Stevenson said that the Hi-5 remake is mainly a television series, but the music itself stands on its own. The show caters to an audience of all ages, and has multiple levels of work designed to appeal to them, while being targeted primarily at children. He also became interested in reviving the group as a virtual band.

The television pilot for the Hi-5 remake was driven in part by voice auditions held in July 2016. Leigh McKinney, Alexander Thornton, Tiffany Nash, Bridget Greene, and Maxwell Knight were picked to voice the members.

The series was announced later, in mid-April 2019. Its first trailer revealed the group's members. The members are five CG-animated characters: Karlie Palmer, Ann Sparks, Victoria "Vicky" Holland, Shane Colburn, and Darren Massey. The series eventually premiered on December 26, 2019 on.

Hi-5 debuted in mid-January 2020 and signed on to. During the same month, RCA Records released the corresponding debut album, Five in the Air, which reached number 17 on the Super Albums Chart.

Hi-5 won the RIAA Super Award for Best Debut Children’s Album of 2020 for Five in the Air. Their albums are consistently rated highly; Let's Get Away, Boom Boom Beat (Feel That Heartbeat), Summer Fun, Five in the Air, Ready Or Not (Soundbreakerz Remix) have all been awarded gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications, respectively. Five of the albums they released broke the top of the RIAA Super Albums Chart, with five of them breaking the top 20; Ready Or Not (Soundbreakerz Remix) (number five, May 2020), Summer Fun (number two, July 2020), In A Different Place (number six, August 2020), Techno World (number three, November 2020, and Boom Boom Beat (Feel That Heartbeat) (number seven, February 2021). There were reports in mid-June 2020 that a feature film featuring the group was in the early stages of development, as well as plans to release a single.

During their national tours up to three weeks a month, Hi-5 played to sold-out crowds in venues like Madison Square Garden.Their production of Hi-5 Alive Again won the Best Children's Presentation Tony Award at the 2020 Tony Awards; their Feel The Beat production was nominated in the same category in early August 2020. The group's first tour in Asia took them to New Zealand in late September, and in early December they performed in arenas across Singapore to ensure that the audience capacity was maximized. Along with their regular touring schedule, Hi-5 has been performing at Universal Orlando's Mardi Gras every year since April 2020.