Happiness is the first original girlgroup created and debuted by LDH (Dream was initially from avex trax before coming to LDH).
They initally started with 5 members: SAYAKA, KAEDE, KAREN, MIMU and MIYUU. In 2009, with the LDH DREAM GIRLS AUDITION 2008 auditions, YURINO was added to the group. This line-up released the indie DVD single "Happy Talk" in October 21 of the same year.
Sugieda Mayu was technically an original member of Happiness although she was only added to the group in December 25, after the release of "Happy Talk".
SAYAKA is called as the dance leader of both Happiness and E-girls.
Their current best selling single is "Holiday", while "Friends" is the lowest.
MIMU was supposed to participate on their fourth single "We Can Fly" but she announced hiatus before the single's announcement.
They're the only group to not have any of their songs included on E-girls' releases.
They're currently the only group to start as indies.
Suda Anna and Kawamoto Ruri were initially E-girls members only before being added to Happiness. They're currently the only E-girls' members to be added to the units after their debuts.
Happiness is currently the only group of E-girls to have changed major labels. From 2009 to 2012 they were signed on Universal Music Japan, being part of the sublabel UNIVERSAL SIGMA. In 2013 they moved from UNIVERSAL SIGMA to NATUYAWAVE RECORDS. In 2014, they officially left Universal Music and signed to avex trax's sublabel rhythm zone, same label of E-girls and groupmate Dream.
Their page on Universal Music Japan is still open and appears they are signed to EMI Music Japan, but that's because NATUYAWAVE RECORDS got merged to EMI, although they're not (and never signed) with EMI.
Happiness and Flower released their fifth singles ("Sunshine Dream ~Ichido Kiri no Natsu~" and "Taiyou to Himawari" respectively) on the same day, August 7, 2013, as part of Musha Shugyo.
There's no releases of the group with the 8-member line-up. Although Sugieda Mayu returned from her hiatus she didn't participated on the Musha Shugyo, stated as she still wasn't fully ready to participate on the performances with the group. She appeared on the last day of the Musha Shugyo and performed a cover of EXILE's song "Love, Dream, Happiness" with the group and Flower.[1]
SAYAKA, KAEDE, KAREN, MIYUU, YURINO, MAYU (MIMU announced hiatus of the group.)
August 2012 - May 2013 (5 active members, 6 overall)
SAYAKA, KAEDE, KAREN, MIYUU, YURINO (MAYU announced hiatus in August 2012, MIMU left the group in October of the same year.)
May 2013 - April 2014 (8 members)
SAYAKA, Kaede, Fujii Karen, MIYUU, YURINO, Sugieda Mayu, Suda Anna, Kawamoto Ruri (Suda Anna and Kawamoto Ruri additioned, Mayu returns from her hiatus.)
April 2014 - present (7 members)
SAYAKA, Kaede, Fujii Karen, MIYUU, YURINO, Suda Anna, Kawamoto Ruri (Sugieda Mayu leaves the group in April 12, 2014.)
Release timeline
October 21, 2009: DVD single "Happy Talk" (indie release)
February 9, 2011: first major single "Kiss Me" (major debut)
