dream

Dream is a Japanese pop girl group formed through Avex's 1999 talent contest "Avex Dream 2000". The group debuted in 2000 on the Avex Trax label and later moved to Rhythm Zone in 2009. It began as a three-member unit with Mai Matsumuro, Kana Tachibana, and Yu Hasebe, and its history has been defined by frequent lineup changes. Over the first decade of its career, the original trio sold more than 950,700 records, and Dream has sold over 1,100,000 records in total. On July 7, 2002, main lyricist Mai Matsumuro left the group to pursue a solo career. After Matsumuro's departure, Avex held another audition to replace her, and six new members won the contest. That expansion turned Dream into an eight-member group for the debut single "Music is My Thing". In March 2004, Risa Ai left to pursue a solo career, and the group continued as a seven-member act until 2007. During that period, the band's name changed from dream to DRM, marking another stage in the group’s evolution. In August 2008, Yu Hasebe left to pursue a solo career, leaving Kana Tachibana as the only original member of dream. Afterward, DRM became Dream again, and in August 2010 the group released its official major re-debut single, "My Way: Ulala", on the Rhythm Zone label. Dream continued to reshape its lineup in the early 2010s. On November 24, 2010, the group released its first album as a six-member group, Hands Up!, also on Rhythm Zone. On November 23, 2010, Tachibana announced that she would leave the group, ending the run of the last member from the original three-member lineup. She officially left on February 20, 2011. On March 30, 2012, Sayaka Yamamoto departed to pursue a solo career, closing another chapter in Dream’s history.