Hello and welcome back to HallyuTones – always focused on sound, stage, and substance.
Over the past decade, both K-Pop and J-Pop have continued to expand into the global market with chart-topping hits, soundtracks for hit shows and anime, and massive-scale concerts. However, alongside the rise in these genres, we have seen a growth in the market of global groups. Global girl groups comprise of members with multiple nationalities who are typically marketed to an international audience, and often blend multiple languages within their songs.
Enter SWEET REVENGE, a global girl group trio under Japanese music company LDH. Comprising of members from The Netherlands and Japan, they have trained together for years all around the world, with their music consisting of a perfect blend of pop and R&B.
Read on to discover your new favourite global girl group, and learn about the unique story of how the group was formed!
Interview:
Q1. Please introduce yourselves and your group to the HallyuTones readers!
SWEET REVENGE: “Hi, We are SWEET REVENGE! We are a three-member global girl group under LDH, consisting of AGNES, LARISSA, and ASAMI. Our group name represents the sweet satisfaction of overcoming challenges and turning your struggles into your greatest strengths through music. We are so incredibly excited to connect with the HallyuTones readers in the UK!”
Q2. How would you describe SWEET REVENGE’s sound and style to a new listener?
SWEET REVENGE: “Our sound is a dynamic blend of high-energy R&B melodies with a taste of J-pop, hard-hitting global pop beats with powerful choreography. We like to describe our style as bold and empowering. Visually, we love mixing street fashion with distinct cultural aesthetics, creating a vibe that is fierce yet relatable.
Q3. The members of SWEET REVENGE were all selected through the ‘LDH EUROPE Presents VOCAL BATTLE AUDITIONS~ THE GLOBAL STAR SEARCH’ event, with over 10,000 applicants. Could each of the members share a little about their experiences with this audition process?
- AGNES: “The audition opened me up to a whole new world. Round 3 was already in Tokyo, Japan. This was my first time being introduced to Japan and the world of J-pop and k-pop, I loved it. The hours of training, grinding, team work, learning about a completely new culture was all so inspiring. I knew from the first training camp that this was what I wanted to do. I felt incredibly grateful when I was selected to be part of the training program and start working on the dream of SWEET REVENGE.
- LARISSA: “The audition process was an intense emotional rollercoaster. It tested not just our vocal and dance abilities, but our mental strength and resilience. I got to learn a lot about myself as a person and as an artist through all this training and through the bond I created with ASAMI & AGNES
- ASAMI: My dream was always to become a global artist so when I heard about this audition I had no doubt but to go for it. The audition process was very fun because I got to meet different girls from all over the world but at the same time because it was an audition the instructors and also the girls really pushed me to work harder and stay motivated to reach for my goal.
Q4. Members AGNES and LARISSA are from the Netherlands – which Dutch artists would you recommend to people looking to discover new artists?
AGNES & LARISSA: “Some dutch Artists we listen to are Rico Greene & KIMM. 2 amazing vocalists & songwriters. Rico was also our vocal coach when we trained in Rotterdam from 2018-2021. “I also love to listen to Yade Lauren, I went to see her in Amsterdam and loved her vibe of music.”
LARISSA: “I love Kizomba, Kompa, Zouk style music and a Dutch artist who has amazing songs in this style is Jayh, so I love to listen to him!”
Q5. For ASAMI: What inspired you to take part in this global girl group project, and what has been your favourite experience with the members so far?
ASAMI: I’ve always dreamed of working with something that’s related to music and I’ve also grown up watching and listening to girl groups so this project was everything i wanted to do. My favorite experience with the members was, when I moved to the Netherlands to train, the girls really helped me settle and they taught me a lot about their culture which I really love. They introduced me to “kapsalon”, the Netherlands local food and I still crave it till this day.
Q6. From 2019 to 2024, you trained all around the world in Tokyo, Rotterdam, and Los Angeles. What were the most valuable lessons that you learned during this experience?
SWEET REVENGE: “Training across three different continents taught us adaptability and cultural empathy. In Tokyo, we mastered discipline and persistence, training 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. In Rotterdam we got to know each other the most because we started our training period here. It was also ASAMIs first time living abroad. LA really taught us how to perform with raw confidence and groove. This city made us look into who we are as individuals in SWEET REVENGE. It made us step outside our comfort zone the most. All these different environments, people and cultures challenged us to grow into very strong and determined women that we are still growing into today.
Q7. You made your debut in 2024 with the song ‘Might Just’, which made waves with its catchy chorus and unique visual concept. Could you tell us some more about your debut era?
SWEET REVENGE: We were so excited to debut after 6 years of training. ‘Might Just’ is a very uplifting , high energy, feel-good song that reflected our energy at that time a lot. We were filled with adrenaline and ready for the world to meet us. For the music video we worked together with the amazing, talented Ayaka Ohira. With her team, GALVERSE, she created our own avatars and the world of SWEET REVENGE in a game we play in the music video. Putting a spotlight on the Japanese but global reach of Anime, the playful side of SWEET REVENGE and the fresh new energy we wanted to bring into the world.
Q8. Your follow up single, ‘MU-CHU’ is relaxing and catchy in all the best ways, with ‘gyaru’ inspired fashion used throughout the video. Could you tell us some more about how styling, makeup, and culture inform your group image?
SWEET REVENGE: “For MU-CHU we worked with Niina who wrote and directed the song and Music Video. She had a vision for us and through 3 different looks she wanted to show the world that we would look good in any kind of outfit & make-up, while also highlighting the Japanese Gyaru culture. We worked closely together to blend that iconic Tokyo street style with a modern, global twist. Makeup and styling allow us to dive into our artistry and show more sides to SWEET REVENGE.“
Q9. On the song ‘SUKI KIRAI’ you collaborated with your LDH labelmate, ‘SWAY’. Could you tell us some of your experiences recording this collaborative single?
SWEET REVENGE: “Working with SWAY–san was an absolute honor and we just love him so much!! He brought amazing energy and swagger into the song that made the song complete. We also had the chance to be in the studio when he was recording so we got to see his professional side as well. The song definitely elevated with his verse and we love that we have a song with our amazing big brother!!
Q10. Your most recent release, ‘MINE’ has seen popularity on various social media platforms. Particular attention has been given to the catchy chorus and smooth dance moves. Could you tell us a bit more about your background in dance, and how dance informs your image as a group?
SWEET REVENGE: “Dance is one of our biggest strengths we have as a group so any chance we have, we always want to showcase our choreography.
Although how we all started training dancing was very different, throughout the 8 years we learned how to dance as a group. Because ASAMI had the most experience we started having her lead basic dance training to build that base and foundation. As we got better, we had multiple dance teachers teaching us how to really perform while also focusing on dancing in sync as a group. That really helped and shaped us because we all have different heights and body structure, focusing on dancing in sync made the image of us performing as a group.
MINE is definitely one of our favorite choreographies we have so far so we really appreciate all the love we’ve received and KANATA– san (the choreographer) really made the song visually come to life!
Q11. The J-Pop industry is massive, with LDH artists consistently placing highly on Japanese charts. However, global groups are rare within the Japanese music scene. How do you all feel about being part of LDH’s first global girl group?
SWEET REVENGE: We feel very honored and super driven to make this dream come true. It is both a dream of ours and LDH to expand globally and show that music has no borders. It’s definitely not easy going global. It has brought many challenges, but a dream this big is not meant to be easy. Like The Netherlands, Japan has a specific music scene and way of promoting artists. Trying to find a way to fit into that while also adapting globally is a balance we had to figure out. As we are releasing songs and growing as artists we are still figuring that out but it’s a special thing to do that with our fans by our sides. We want to pave a new path, showing that a group rooted in Japan with different cultural backgrounds can resonate globally, and break down boundaries for what a global group can look like in the modern music industry.
Q12. Music has a way of uniting people regardless of language or geographical location. What does music mean to each of the SWEET REVENGE members?
- AGNES: Music is a universal language that you don’t have to understand , you just have to feel. It has everything to do with emotions & connection. To me, it’s one of the most human experiences you can experience in this life. It can connect you with someone you have never met , it can make you dance with someone you have never spoken to & it can make you smile or cry with someone you don’t even know the name of. How beautiful is that!
- LARISSA: “For me, music is a way of connecting with people. One of the biggest reasons I wanted to become an artist is to bring people happiness and meet as many people as possible through this journey and through our music! That connection is what I hope to experience forever.”
- ASAMI: I’ve always had a deep love for Music and it is my favorite place to escape. Being through hard times, happy times, music has always been there for me and so many songs have shaped who I am today. I hope one day just like music helped me throughout my life, I hope as an artist, our music can have the same impact on others and touch people all around the world.
Q13. For AGNES: Your LDH labelmates, like Crystal Kay, Mandy Sekiguchi, and Nesmith (among others), all share a multi-cultural background. Seeing how each of these artists carved out successful careers in Japan while embracing their roots, how did their journeys inspire you when choosing to pursue a music career in Japan?
- AGNES: “Seeing senpais (seniors) like Crystal Kay, Mandy-san, and Nesmith-san thrive while proudly embracing their multicultural roots was incredibly empowering for me. They proved that diversity is not a barrier, but a beautiful, unique strength. Their journeys gave me the courage to believe that I, too, can find my place in Japan, celebrate my heritage, and inspire others who might feel different.”
Q14. For LARISSA: You are known for your interest in fashion photography, streetwear, and makeup. What do you enjoy the most about fashion and makeup?
- LARISSA: “I think fashion and make-up are another form of creativity that I’ve always been interested in and feel confident about. I love seeing how small details can completely transform a look or performance and also make you feel confident and comfortable. For me, it’s a really fun way to express my personality and who I am. And I also love helping other people with this as well!”
Q15. For ASAMI: You have a rich history in the J-Pop scene, starting your training at a young age, and even performing as a backup dancer for E-girls and Sandaime J-Soul Brothers III. What is your most precious memory from your early experiences training in J-Pop?
- ASAMI: Training was definitely very tough but being able to stand on big stages was always really rewarding. One of my precious memories I have is the first time I ever danced as a backup was for Sandaime J-Soul brothers and it was in Tokyo Dome. Although I only had 1or 2 songs to dance, Tokyo dome was and still is my dream venue so when I had the opportunity, I couldn’t believe it. One day my goal is to have a SWEET REVENGE concert and return back to Tokyo Dome as the artist!
Q16. Throughout your training experience, members AGNES and LARISSA had to quickly develop their language skills in Japanese, while ASAMI had to develop her English skills. How did the members work together to overcome any language barriers, and what advice would you all give to someone looking to build up fluency in another language?
SWEET REVENGE: “English is not our first language but we’re all fluent in English so we’ve always been able to communicate with each other. We’ve lived together in different parts of the world, Rotterdam, Tokyo & LA, where we got to learn a lot from each other’s cultures, languages and the people we’ve met along the way. ASAMI learned a bit of Dutch while living in Rotterdam and LARISSA and AGNES are learning Japanese while living in Japan. We’re not all fluent in each other’s languages but are constantly learning and indulging ourselves in it!
Q17. You recently held you first fan event on June 19th – could you tell us some more about what happened during the event?
SWEET REVENGE: “Yes! We are so grateful for this event but also felt so nervous because it was our first fan event and we organized it all by ourselves. We wanted to make sure we could give the fans what they deserve. The fan event took place June 19th and we loved every bit of it! We wanted to make it really special so we put a few surprises in our performance. Songs we had never performed live before, versions people had never heard before and we prepared a little game for the fans to get to know us better. As our ALIBI we felt like we owe it to you to give you a little more inside into who SWEET REVENGE really is on and off stage. We wanted this event to feel incredibly intimate and celebratory! We had a few special guests and we made sure to meet every ALIBI.
The meet & greet was definitely the most special part. To meet you all, talk to you, give a hug, make a picture for the memories and last but not least see you guys buy and wear our new ALIBI merch! We couldn’t have wished for a better 1st fan event and we hope the ALIBI’s loved it as much as we did. I hope they could feel how thankful we are to all of them and also everyone who couldn’t be there but has supported us on this journey!”
Q18. Lastly, do you have any messages to your fans or any new listeners?
SWEET REVENGE: “To our ALIBI’s and everyone discovering us for the first time on HallyuTones: if you’re still here thank you so much for getting to know us. We hope you feel our passion, excitement and love. We hope you check out our music and we’d love for you to hop on this journey with us. Your support truly means everything to us. We are working harder than ever to bring you more of SWEET REVENGE and we hope to see our UK fans very soon! Keep streaming our latest single ‘MINE’ and also… we just released a collab song with the amazing boyband dearALICE & artist Enola Bedard. Go dance to it and we hope to be able to dance with you all very soon in the UK! We love you!”
Thank you to SWEET REVENGE and the staff team at LDH for their lengthy and insightful responses. SWEET REVENGE are a truly unique global girl group who continue to move from strength to strength with each release. If you’re a J-Pop fan, or are looking to discover some new smooth bops to add to your playlist, be sure to check out their music on all streaming platforms!
To support SWEET REVENGE make sure to follow them on the below platforms:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc5iwLSf29pp-tctTTctXgw
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Bey3ulvK5ExyT5SHZUUgh?si=PV8s3F3EQbewm9hTL–eQw
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sweet-revenge/66803333
SWEET REVENGE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetrevenge_official/?hl=en
AGNES Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnes_swr/?hl=en
ASAMI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asami_swr/?hl=en
LARISSA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larissaa_swr/?hl=en
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