Also known as Zicks Labels Piccolo Town Active until 2009 Origin Japan (2003) | Genres Pop Genre Pop music Record label Piccolo Town | |
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Years active 2003–2009; 2015 (as ZYX)2009–2011; 2013 (as ZYX-a) Past members Mari YaguchiSaki ShimizuMaimi YajimaMegumi MurakamiErika UmedaKoharu KusumiSaki OgawaRisa NiigakiChinami TokunagaMaasa SudouMomoko TsugunagaAyaka Wada Members Similar Morning Musume, Cute, Aa!, Berryz Kobo, Hello! Project Kids | ||
ZYX (ジックス, Jikkusu, pronounced zicks) was a short-lived Japanese pop group made up of five Hello! Project Kids members led by Mari Yaguchi of Morning Musume. Yaguchi acted as a mentor and the group released two singles. ZYX is important in that it is the first unit that Hello! Project Kids officially joined with the second being Aa! formed in 2003, the third being Berryz Kobo in 2004, and the fourth being Cute in 2005. As Saki Shimizu and Momoko Tsugunaga were selected to become members of Berryz Kobo in 2004, the activity of ZYX ended.
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History
The name ZYX is a kind of acronym using a somewhat intricate play in notation. "Z" and "Y" are taken from the phrase Zettai Yume o Bai ni (絶対、夢を倍に, Definitely double your dreams) "Bai ni," meaning "double in size," is represented not as "B" but as a multiplication sign "×" which was then represented by the letter "X." Also, the letters ZYX are the last letters of the English alphabet in reverse order. In Hello! Project, this inverted order naming is followed by the groups "W" created in 2004, "v-u-den" in 2005, "The Possible" in 2006, and SI☆NA in 2008. This line-up of groups continues the reverse alphabetical naming (ZYX-W-VU-T-S).
In 2009, the unit was revived as ZYX-α (ZYX Alpha). Of all the original members, only Momoko Tsugunaga remained (Mari Yaguchi and Megumi Murakami were no longer a part of Hello! Project, Erika Umeda also joined ZYX-a, but left following her graduation from Hello! Project in October 2009 and Saki Shimizu and Maimi Yajima were members of High-King).
As of 2013, ZYX-a became a four-member unit following the departure of Saki Ogawa in 2011 and Risa Niigaki in 2012. In 2013, ZYX-a reformed with Momoko, Chinami, Maasa and Ayaka with Risa to perform "Shiroi TOKYO" live as Risa Niigaki with ZYX-a. It is currently unknown if ZYX-a will have further activity.
On February 28 and March 1, 2015, ZYX reformed for Berryz Kobo Matsuri with Momoko Tsuguana, Saki Shimizu and Maimi Yajima to perform "Shiroi TOKYO", the first time members of the original ZYX line-up have reformed under the name ZYX since 2006.