Omar Khalid
Plastic Love, a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Mariya Takeuchi, was released as the third single on her album Variety on March 25, 1985. The song was originally recorded in 1984 and reached number 86 on the Oricon Singles Chart. In the late 2010s, an eight-minute fan-made remix of the song went viral on YouTube, receiving over 22 million views by 2019 and sparking a resurgence of interest in city pop. Plastic Love has since become an iconic city pop tune, with its upbeat arrangement, catchy melody, and soulful delivery, striking a chord with audiences worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Mariya Takeuchi |
| Release date | 25 March 1985 |
| Album | Variety |
| Genre | City pop |
| Lyrics | Melancholic |
| Language | Japanese and English |
| Chart position | 86 on Oricon Singles Chart |
| Copies sold | 10,000 |
| YouTube views | 67 million (as of June 2021) |
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What You'll Learn
- 'Plastic Love' was written and performed by Mariya Takeuchi
- The song was released as the third single from Takeuchi's 1984 album, 'Variety'
- The song's popularity in the 2010s was driven by an eight-minute remix that went viral on YouTube
- 'Plastic Love' is a city pop song, a genre associated with Japan's economic growth in the 1970s and 1980s
- The song's lyrics depict a woman embracing a hedonistic lifestyle after being scorned by a lover
'Plastic Love' was written and performed by Mariya Takeuchi
"Plastic Love" is a song by the Japanese singer-songwriter Mariya Takeuchi. It was written by Takeuchi, arranged by Tatsuro Yamashita, and released as the third single on her 1984 album "Variety" on March 25, 1985. The song is considered city pop, with an upbeat arrangement and funky production that contrasts with melancholic lyrics.
Takeuchi's "Plastic Love" depicts a woman who embraces a hollow, hedonistic lifestyle after being scorned by a lover. The song's upbeat arrangement is paired with soaring vocals and a catchy melody, creating an effervescent sound that is characteristic of the city pop genre. Despite being written and performed in Japanese, "Plastic Love" has gained international recognition and is credited with introducing city pop to a global audience.
In the late 2010s, an eight-minute fan-made remix of "Plastic Love" went viral on YouTube, attracting over 22 million views by 2019 and 55 million views by 2021. The remix was uploaded by a user named Plastic Lover, who used a photograph by L.A.-based photographer Alan Levenson as the video's thumbnail. This particular upload sparked a strong connection with fans, and its removal due to a copyright strike by Levenson himself led to a social phenomenon. Listeners expressed outrage and sent hate mail, demonstrating the intense emotional attachment they had formed with this specific digital copy.
"Plastic Love" has received critical acclaim, with Noisey calling it "the best pop song in the world," and it has inspired numerous covers, fan art, and videos. The song's popularity led to a resurgence of interest in city pop and established Takeuchi as an influential figure in the genre, deemed the "Queen of City Pop."
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The song was released as the third single from Takeuchi's 1984 album, 'Variety'
"Plastic Love" is a song by the Japanese singer-songwriter Mariya Takeuchi. Written by Takeuchi and arranged by Tatsuro Yamashita, her husband and fellow musician, it was released as the third single on March 25, 1985, from her 1984 album Variety. The song is city pop, a genre that blends elements of jazz, soft rock, funk, and disco, reflecting the urbanisation and prosperity of Japanese society during the postwar boom. The upbeat arrangement of "Plastic Love" contrasts with its melancholic lyrics, which describe a woman embracing a hollow, hedonistic lifestyle after being scorned by a lover.
Variety was released by Takeuchi while she was pregnant, and "Plastic Love" only reached number 86 on the Oricon Singles Chart, selling around 10,000 copies. Despite its modest initial performance, the song would gain renewed popularity decades later. In 2017, an eight-minute fan-made remix of "Plastic Love" was uploaded to YouTube by a user named Plastic Lover, featuring a thumbnail of the cover of Takeuchi's earlier single "Sweetest Music". The video garnered over 22 million views before being taken down due to a copyright issue with the photographer, Alan Levenson. However, the song's viral success sparked a resurgence of interest in city pop, with the song receiving acclaim from critics and audiences worldwide.
In 2019, Warner Music Japan released a short version of the official music video for "Plastic Love" on YouTube, followed by a full-length version in 2021. The re-issued 12-inch single broke Japan's top ten sales chart for the first time, more than three decades after its original release. The enduring popularity of "Plastic Love" boosted interest in Takeuchi's work and solidified her influence in the city pop genre.
Takeuchi's career spans over four decades, with numerous studio albums, compilations, and singles to her credit. She has sold more than 16 million records, becoming one of Japan's best-selling and most beloved music artists. Her compilation album Impressions (1994) is her best-selling work, with over 3 million copies sold in Japan alone. Takeuchi's early life was rooted in tradition, growing up in a family that operated a historic ryokan (Japanese inn). However, her family had a cosmopolitan view of music, exposing her to a diverse range of musical styles.
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The song's popularity in the 2010s was driven by an eight-minute remix that went viral on YouTube
"Plastic Love", a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Mariya Takeuchi, was released as a single on 25 March 1985. It was written by Takeuchi, arranged by Tatsuro Yamashita, and featured on her 1984 album, "Variety".
In the late 2010s, an eight-minute remix of "Plastic Love" went viral on YouTube. Uploaded by the YouTube account "Plastic Lover" in 2017, the video was a fan-made version of the original, looping several parts of the song to extend its length. The remix does not feature on any official releases of the song. By 2019, the video had received over 22 million views, and it received over 55 million views by 2021 before being removed due to a copyright strike.
The popularity of the remix was driven by the YouTube algorithm, which frequently recommended the video to users. The song also gained traction on internet forums and through remixes and covers by other artists. The eight-minute version was also shared on Reddit, with users discussing its origin and longer length compared to other versions of the song.
The viral remix sparked a renewed interest in "Plastic Love" and the city pop genre. The song's popularity led to it breaking into Japan's top ten sales chart, and a full-length official music video was released by Warner Music Japan in 2019. As of June 2021, "Plastic Love" has received over 67 million views on YouTube.
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'Plastic Love' is a city pop song, a genre associated with Japan's economic growth in the 1970s and 1980s
"Plastic Love" is a city pop song by Japanese singer-songwriter Mariya Takeuchi. It was first released in 1985 as a single from her album "Variety", which came out in 1984. The song has an upbeat, disco-infused tempo, with melancholic lyrics that describe a woman embracing a hollow, hedonistic lifestyle after being scorned by a lover.
"Plastic Love" is considered the best-known example of city pop, a genre associated with Japan's economic growth and modernisation in the 1970s and 1980s. City pop emerged during a time when Japan was experiencing rapid urbanisation and prosperity in the postwar era. The genre is seen as the "soundtrack of Japan's economic miracle," blending elements of jazz, soft rock, funk, and disco. It reflected the cosmopolitan lifestyle of the time, combining various genres of western popular music.
The success of "Plastic Love" in the 2010s and 2020s, decades after its initial release, demonstrates the enduring appeal of city pop. The song went viral on YouTube, attracting millions of views and sparking a resurgence of interest in the genre, both within Japan and internationally. This led to a wave of new fans discovering city pop and seeking out more music from artists like Takeuchi.
The popularity of "Plastic Love" can be attributed to various factors, including its catchy melody, hypnotic groove, and the contrast between its upbeat sound and melancholic lyrics. The song's viral success also highlights the role of YouTube and social media platforms like TikTok in shaping music trends and introducing new audiences to older songs and genres.
In conclusion, "Plastic Love" by Mariya Takeuchi is a seminal city pop song that exemplifies the genre's association with Japan's economic growth and cultural transformation in the 1970s and 1980s. Its enduring popularity decades later showcases the timeless appeal of city pop and its ability to resonate with audiences worldwide.
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The song's lyrics depict a woman embracing a hedonistic lifestyle after being scorned by a lover
"Plastic Love" is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Mariya Takeuchi from her 1984 album "Variety". It was released as a single on 25 March 1985 and reached number 85 on the Oricon music charts. The song is a city pop anthem with upbeat instrumentation and production that contrasts with melancholic lyrics.
In the second verse, the narrator describes how her life has changed since her heartbreak: "Since the day I was heartbroken / I've been having a life / That's been reversed between day and night / While dancing the nights away at the popular disco / There is a magic I've learned / I'm sorry!". The chorus reinforces the idea of love as a game: "Never love me seriously / Love is just a game / All I need is to have fun with it / The showy dresses and shoes decorating my closed heart / Are my lonely friends".
The narrator acknowledges that she is trying to fill a void with material possessions and superficial connections: "The men who flirt with me are / Ironically always similar to him for some reason / My memories with him are overlapped / Don't ask me why even if I drop my glass and suddenly glisten with tears".
The song's message of embracing a hedonistic lifestyle after heartbreak resonates with listeners, contributing to its enduring popularity. "Plastic Love" has become a cult classic, gaining international recognition and inspiring numerous covers, remixes, and fan art.
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Frequently asked questions
"Plastic Love" was initially released as the third single from Takeuchi's 1984 album "Variety" on March 25, 1985.
In 2017, an eight-minute fan-made remix of "Plastic Love" was uploaded to YouTube by a user named Plastic Lover. This video went viral and received over 22 million views by 2019. The song's popularity led to an international resurgence of interest in city pop.
"Plastic Love" is a city pop song with an upbeat arrangement and melancholic lyrics. It describes a woman who embraces a hollow, hedonistic lifestyle after being scorned by a true love. Takeuchi herself explained that the song is about "a woman who lost the man she truly loves. No matter how many other guys would pursue her, she couldn’t shake the feelings of loneliness that the loss created."
