Sofia Martinez
Plastic Love is a song by Japanese pop star Mariya Takeuchi. It was recorded and released in 1984 for Takeuchi's sixth studio album, Variety. The song is known for its city pop sound, a genre associated with the strong Japanese economy of the 1970s and 1980s. In 2017, an anonymous student with the username Plastic Lover uploaded an unofficial eight-minute version of the song to YouTube, which quickly went viral. The video accumulated tens of millions of views and sparked a community of dedicated listeners. However, the video was removed due to a copyright strike over the thumbnail photo, taken by American photographer Alan Levenson. The song has since been reissued multiple times, including a 12 vinyl version with extended mixes, and has experienced a resurgence in popularity, becoming a top-ten hit in Japan.
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
'Plastic Love' is a city pop song
"Plastic Love" is a city pop song by Japanese singer-songwriter Mariya Takeuchi, released in 1984. The song is known for its catchy and upbeat melody, and its popularity has endured for decades, with numerous reissues and covers in various languages.
The song's success is closely tied to its association with the city pop genre, which originated in Japan during the 1970s and 1980s. City pop is characterised by its blend of Western popular music styles, including funk, muzak, and pop, with charming retro production and mid-tempo vocals. The genre is often associated with the cosmopolitan lifestyle of the time, reflecting the strong Japanese economy.
"Plastic Love" embodies the essence of city pop, with its danceable rhythm, upbeat lyrics, and smooth, catchy melody. The song's popularity surged in 2017 when an anonymous student, under the name Plastic Lover, uploaded an unofficial fan-made version of the song to YouTube. This version, which looped several parts of the original to create an extended mix, clocked in at around eight minutes, differing from the typical length of the original song, which is approximately four to five minutes long.
The viral success of the Plastic Lover upload sparked a renewed interest in "Plastic Love" and the city pop genre as a whole. The video accumulated tens of millions of views, and the song's catchy vibes and earworm appeal resonated with listeners worldwide. The song's impact was such that it was credited with popularising city pop overseas, introducing a new generation of listeners to the unique sound of 1970s and 1980s Japanese music.
In addition to its musical appeal, "Plastic Love" also gained recognition for its iconic artwork. The original album cover, featuring a smiling Takeuchi, captured the essence of the song's upbeat and playful nature. This artwork, along with subsequent covers featuring photography by Alan Levenson, became closely associated with the song and played a role in its enduring popularity.
Cell Wall and Plastic: What's the Connection?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The song was written by Mariya Takeuchi
"Plastic Love" is a song by Japanese pop star Mariya Takeuchi. Takeuchi wrote all the songs on her sixth studio album, "Variety" (1984), including "Plastic Love". In an interview with The Japan Times, Takeuchi explained her songwriting process for "Plastic Love" as wanting to write something danceable with a city pop sound. She wanted to capture what life in a city was like with 16 beats and appropriate lyrics.
Takeuchi's 1984 song "Plastic Love" became popular on YouTube around autumn 2017. It was first uploaded by an anonymous student under the name "Plastic Lover". The song began to appear in the suggested videos for millions of users. Within two years, the video had amassed 24-25 million views. The song's popularity took its publisher, Warner Music Japan, by surprise.
The unofficial upload featured a thumbnail with a photograph by American photographer Alan Levenson. The photograph was originally for Takeuchi's 1980 single "Sweetest Music" and was used without permission. Levenson was initially unhappy about the use of his photograph and issued a copyright strike, causing the video to be taken down. However, after negotiations, he agreed to lift the strike in exchange for a photo credit. The photograph has since become strongly associated with the song, and Warner Music Japan used it for the 12-inch reissue they released in 2021.
The song "Plastic Love" has had multiple versions of varying lengths. The original version is believed to be around 5 minutes long, while an extended remix version is about 8 minutes. The 12" vinyl reissue features a new "Extended Club Mix" of "Plastic Love" as the A-side, which is nearly a minute and a half longer than the original.
Tampons and Plastic: What's the Connection?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
It was arranged and produced by Tatsuro Yamashita
"Plastic Love" is a song by Japanese pop star Mariya Takeuchi, written by Takeuchi and arranged and produced by Tatsuro Yamashita, who also performed backing vocals. The song was recorded and mixed at Onkio Haus in Ginza, Tokyo, and was released in 1984 as part of Takeuchi's sixth studio album, "Variety".
Takeuchi explained her songwriting process for "Plastic Love" as wanting to write something danceable with a city pop sound. She wanted to write something with 16 beats and lyrics capturing what life in a city was like. City pop, as a genre, is associated with the strong Japanese economy of the 1970s and 1980s and is musically tied to the cosmopolitan lifestyle, blending numerous genres of Western popular music.
The song has had a strong connection with its fans, and its specific upload by YouTube user Plastic Lover has become a social phenomenon. The video acquired over 22 million views between 2017 and 2019 and frequently appeared in the "recommended" feed. The song became "near-inescapable" on YouTube. The video was briefly removed due to a copyright strike from photographer Alan Levenson, whose photograph was used as the thumbnail without permission. The photograph was originally taken for Takeuchi's 1980 single "Sweetest Music", not "Plastic Love". Levenson was barraged by hateful messages, some of which were antisemitic, but he ultimately agreed to lift the copyright strike once he was credited as the photographer.
The song has had multiple covers, reworks, and tributes, and its everlasting popularity took its publisher, Warner Music Japan, by surprise. It was released as a standalone single for the first time since 1984 and was the best-selling analog single of 2021 in Japan.
Plastic Body Laptops: Unwanted?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The song's YouTube popularity
"Plastic Love", a 1984 song by Japanese pop star Mariya Takeuchi, has become a viral hit on YouTube, with tens of millions of views. The song first gained popularity on the platform in 2017 when an anonymous student uploaded an unofficial eight-minute version of the song to their YouTube channel, "Plastic Lover". This fan-made version looped several parts of the song to extend its length.
The exact reason for the viral success of this specific upload is unclear, but it may be due to the YouTube algorithm recommending the video to users. Between 2017 and 2019, the video was picked up by the algorithm and frequently appeared in users' "recommended" feeds, resulting in over 22 million views. The combination of the catchy vibe of the song, the iconic photo used as the thumbnail, and the appeal of Takeuchi's performance have all been credited with the song's viral success.
The popularity of the song on YouTube has led to a community of listeners developing around the specific upload by Plastic Lover. When the video was temporarily removed due to a copyright strike over the thumbnail photo, there was an outcry from this community, with some fans sending hateful messages to the photographer, Alan Levenson. The video was later reinstated with Levenson credited as the photographer.
The song's popularity on YouTube has also led to renewed interest in the song and the genre of city pop, with various covers, reworks, and tributes being created. "Plastic Love" has been described as the "best-known example" of city pop, a genre associated with the strong Japanese economy of the 1970s and 1980s and musically tied to the "cosmopolitan lifestyle". The song's viral success has even led to official music videos being released on YouTube, as well as new vinyl releases of the song.
Attaching Plastic Corner Bead: A Step-by-Step Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The song's vinyl sales
"Plastic Love" by Japanese singer Mariya Takeuchi is a song from her 1984 album "Variety". It was written by Takeuchi and arranged by Tatsuro Yamashita, who also produced the song and performed backing vocals. The song is a city pop track with an upbeat arrangement and melancholic lyrics that depict a woman embracing a hollow, hedonistic lifestyle after being scorned by a lover.
In 1985, "Plastic Love" was released as a 12-inch single, and it re-entered the music scene in 2021 with a re-release on November 3 to commemorate "Record Day". This release included the "Extended Club Mix" from the 1985 single as well as the original version. The 2021 vinyl re-release debuted at number five on the Oricon Singles Chart, selling 14,000 copies in its first week and becoming the best-selling analog single of 2021 in Japan. It spent a total of 28 weeks on the chart.
The song's resurgence can be attributed to a viral eight-minute remix that was uploaded to YouTube by an anonymous student under the name "Plastic Lover" in 2017. This fan-made version looped parts of the original song to extend its length. The remix gained popularity due to YouTube's recommendation algorithm and amassed over 22 million views by 2019. The song's viral success on YouTube, coupled with its catchy vibe and earworm appeal, contributed to its growing popularity and the increase in vinyl sales.
The iconic photograph by Alan Levenson, originally intended for Takeuchi's 1980 single "Sweetest Music", also played a role in the song's renewed success. The thumbnail for the "Plastic Lover" remix video featured this photograph without permission, leading to a copyright strike and the temporary removal of the video. However, after negotiations, Levenson agreed to lift the strike in exchange for proper credit, and the video was reinstated with all its comments intact. The photograph has since become strongly associated with "Plastic Love", even being used for the 2021 vinyl re-release cover art.
The popularity of "Plastic Love" has had a significant impact on the resurgence of city pop, a Japanese genre of popular music originating in the 1970s and 1980s. The song's success has led to the re-issuance of albums in this genre, with sales flourishing on both CD and vinyl formats. "Plastic Love" has not only left its mark on the music industry but has also fostered a strong connection with its listeners, becoming a beloved classic that continues to make comebacks and attract new fans.
Biodegradable Plastic: Is It Really Plastic?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The original "Plastic Love" track is 4:55 long.
The extended "Plastic Love" version is 7 minutes long.
Yes, an 8-minute version of "Plastic Love" was uploaded by the YouTube account Plastic Lover in 2017. This version is a fan-made edit that loops several parts of the song to extend its length.
Yes, "Plastic Love" was first uploaded to YouTube in 2017 and has since garnered tens of millions of views.
