Iris Leaf

Iris Leaf (stylized as iRIS LEAF) is a Japanese trilingual virtual group that was founded in June 2021, drawing inspiration from the utaite and Nico Nico Chorus videos on Nico Nico Douga. The group embarked on their musical journey with an initial focus on acoustic rock, briefly transitioning to pop rock, and later returning to their acoustic rock roots before ultimately embracing a pure and idol-like pop style, influenced by J-pop artists from across Japan.

Iris Leaf occasionally collaborates with featured artists, with a notable partnership being NicoNico69. Their music production is prolific, with the group releasing between one to four singles every month. Many of their recent music videos are set in a captivating fictional universe.

Enhancing their live performances, Iris Leaf utilizes holographic projections of themselves on stage, creating a visually captivating experience for their audience. Their remarkable achievements have not gone unnoticed, as they were nominated for the "Best Multilingual Virtual Group of 2021" at the TokiMeki Music Awards and officially recognized as Japan's "First Multilingual Virtual Group" by the Guinness World Records.

The group possesses the impressive ability to fluently speak and sing in both Japanese and English, extending their linguistic versatility to include singing in Filipino as well.

In addition to their musical endeavors, Iris Leaf maintains a YouTube presence. Formerly known as "iRIS LEAF's Vivid Lounge," their channel has been rebranded as "iRIS LEAF's Prism Lounge," continuing to engage with their fans and share their creative content.

Debut, launch of YouTube channel, and Yumeiro Hoshi
Iris Leaf was formed on June 4, 2021, drawing inspiration from Nico Nico Douga covers of Vocaloid songs and Nico Nico Chorus videos. The group debuted with the acoustic rock composition "Mizuiro Days," marking a brief stint as a one-hit wonder.

Shortly thereafter, on June 27, 2021, they released their second single, "Tengoku no Blue Sky," maintaining the acoustic rock style from their debut due to the group's limited experience with genre experimentation. Notably, both "Mizuiro Days" and "Tengoku no Blue Sky" were released in the same month as the group's debut.

Subsequently, on July 14, 2021, Iris Leaf launched a YouTube channel named "iRIS LEAF’s Vivid Lounge," featuring a video recounting the group's origin and their aspiration to "spread their music to the world." The video garnered over a thousand views within an hour.

Following the channel's launch, a new producer and songwriter were enlisted on July 18, 2021, just before the release of "Yumeiro Hoshi," the group's third single, on July 28. This single marked Iris Leaf's transition from acoustic rock to pop-rock, signifying the conclusion of their tenure as an eight-member ensemble.

The original eight members—Takuto Oyama, Nanami Koyano, Kodai Arai, Shuji Aoki, Haruka Amane, Mizuki Sagahara, Ranko Ichigaya—participated in an interview during Recochoku Color Fes. 2021, held on August 7, 2021.

Increase to 15 members, learning the English language, genre progression, embrace of Japanese idol-inspired pop, rebranding of the YouTube channel, and VTuber debut
On September 8, 2021, Iris Leaf underwent a transformative phase with the introduction of seven new members. Ayumi Kagami, Seiya Tsushima, Naoto Honjo, Rui Shiraki, Toshiyuki Miura, Jun Sakakibara, and Yui Himura joined the original eight members, expanding the group to a total of 15 individuals.

Following this significant personnel increase, starting on September 12, 2021, the group heightened its online presence by more frequently uploading videos on YouTube. Content on the “iRIS LEAF’s Vivid Lounge” channel included music videos of acoustic rock songs performed before “Yumemiru Hoshi,” a track that gained a dedicated music video following the integration of the seven new members.

During this period, although the group primarily communicated in Japanese, starting on September 16, 2021, the surge in popularity since the release of “Yumemiru Hoshi” prompted a growing interest from fans regarding the potential English renditions of their songs. Responding to this demand, the group’s voice actors commenced studying English, utilizing resources such as English dictionaries, Rosetta Stone, and Duolingo.

October 3, 2021, marked a stylistic shift for Iris Leaf as they transitioned back to acoustic rock with the release of “Osanana Memory,” and later returned to pop-rock with “Happy☆Lucky☆Mirai” on October 22, 2021.

November 13, 2021, witnessed the launch of their sixth single, “Eien ni Narihibiku Voice,” showcasing a gradual departure from both the original acoustic rock style and the subsequent pop-rock direction initiated by “Yumemiru Hoshi.”

On December 6, 2021, the group released their seventh, eighth, and ninth singles: “Tachiagare, Tomodachi!,” “Hoshizora wo Miagete,” and “Himitsu no Color Code.” Following these releases, on December 15, 2021, a blog post disclosed that, should they opt to rename their YouTube channel, Iris Leaf would reveal Live2D models of themselves.

While there was initial consideration of reverting entirely to acoustic rock, the group instead underwent a revolutionary influence from J-pop music and idol groups like Morning Musume. This pivotal shift culminated in Iris Leaf abandoning the rock genre entirely, embracing a distinct idol-like pop sound. Consequently, their fanbase predominantly perceives them as idols.

Following feedback on Twitter suggesting a more fitting name for their YouTube channel, some users expressed that the existing name, “iRIS LEAF’s Vivid Lounge,” did not align with the group’s new “futuristic, idol-esque pop” music. In response, the group temporarily replaced the word “Vivid” with three question marks.

However, during the group’s initial YouTube livestream, they postponed revealing the new channel name until the announcement of their album set for summer 2022. Ultimately, the channel underwent a formal rename from “iRIS LEAF’s Vivid Lounge” to “iRIS LEAF’s Prism Lounge.”

The new moniker, “iRIS LEAF’s Prism Lounge,” garnered critical acclaim from VTuber enthusiasts globally. Fans likened the name to an “idol group shining like iridescent crystal-esque prisms every time they were on stage.”

In a subsequent development, Iris Leaf disclosed plans to incorporate video game livestreams in the first half of 2022.

Less than an hour after the announcement, the group unveiled their Live2D models through Instagram, receiving positive reactions from fans who commended the artist for capturing the essence of VTuber aesthetics.

Subsequently, Iris Leaf ventured into Twitch streaming, surprising fans during their first stream with an English rendition of “Yumemiru Hoshi.” The stream quickly went viral, propelling the group to 1,000 Twitch followers within 10 seconds.

Acknowledging the popularity surge, Takuto and Nanami attributed it to their “intensive studying of the English language.” Post-stream, the group’s social media posts garnered substantial engagement, drawing attention from fans and fellow VTubers globally.

A strategic Tweet drawing parallels to Hololive catapulted Iris Leaf to 50,000 followers on Twitter, with additional gains following fan-driven collaboration suggestions. An illustration of the group by Date A Live’s illustrator Tsunako further fueled interest, with fans speculating on a potential appearance in Date A Live.

Simultaneously, Iris Leaf released their tenth single, “Bright New World,” on January 1, 2022, coinciding with their first-ever Twitch stream. By mid-January, the group ventured into Vocaloid covers and collaborations with NicoNico69, a prominent Japanese vocal group.

On February 19, 2022, Iris Leaf released their eleventh single, “Shining=Eternity,” which quickly became their second most popular song after “Yumemiru Hoshi.” The group showcased the song in an advertisement for the game “New! Pinky Street Kira Kira Music Rush” on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.

Shortly after the release of “Shining=Eternity,” Iris Leaf uploaded a series of videos on their YouTube channel. These videos featured all 15 members introducing themselves, surpassing a thousand likes as viewers appreciated the meticulous rigging of the Live2D models.