Sofia Martinez
Plastic Love is a 1985 single by Japanese singer Mariya Takeuchi from her 1984 album Variety. The song is a city pop track with an upbeat arrangement and melancholic lyrics. In the late 2010s, an eight-minute remix of Plastic Love went viral after being frequently recommended by the YouTube algorithm. The song's popularity led to a resurgence of the city pop genre and introduced millions to Japanese music from the 1970s and 1980s. The reasons behind the song's appearance in many users' suggestions remain unclear, but its catchy vibe and earworm appeal likely contributed to its widespread popularity.
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What You'll Learn
- The song's popularity and resurgence are linked to the YouTube algorithm
- It's a 'nexus point' for the microgenre of music, City Pop
- The video by Plastic Lover sparked a community outcry after its removal
- The song's lyrics are relatable, resonating with millions of people worldwide
- The song's plastic' theme conveys the idea of artificial, imitated love
The song's popularity and resurgence are linked to the YouTube algorithm
The songs popularity and resurgence are linked to the YouTube algorithm. In the late 2010s, an eight-minute remix of "Plastic Love" by the YouTube account 'Plastic Lover' went viral after being frequently recommended by the YouTube algorithm. The video was a fan-made version of the original that loops several parts of the song to extend its length. Within two years, the video had amassed 25 million views, and it received over 55 million views by 2021 before being removed due to a copyright strike. The song's popularity led to the resurgence of the City Pop genre, a microgenre of music that emerged from the late 1970s to early 1980s technological and economic expansion of Japan.
The specific reason why the algorithm selected this particular upload of the song is unclear. However, it is known that the YouTube algorithm constantly changes, and its criteria for promoting certain videos are kept secret to prevent exploitation. The algorithm occasionally recommends older or less popular videos, and it is possible that the "Plastic Love" video fell into this category.
The song's popularity can also be attributed to its appeal to the affective regime of late capitalism. The hollow and frustrated hedonism channelled through the song's beats and words resonated with listeners, evoking feelings of alienation and estrangement. The retro sound of the song, with its distinct 1980s vibe, further contributed to its popularity.
The removal of the "Plastic Love" video by Plastic Lover due to a copyright strike led to a community outcry, suggesting that the song had taken on a special meaning for its listeners. The marriage of the song and its accompanying photograph by Alan Levenson was particularly meaningful for some, despite the image being originally used for Takeuchi's 1980 single "Sweetest Music". The belated popularity of "Plastic Love" has been cited as a key factor in the increasing popularity of City Pop among Western audiences.
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It's a 'nexus point' for the microgenre of music, City Pop
"Plastic Love" by Mariya Takeuchi is a city pop song that has been described as the "best-known example" of the genre. The song blends a "funk bassline and flamboyant brass" with "soaring vocals", resulting in an "effervescent sound". It pairs an upbeat, disco-infused tempo with lyrics that explore the sorrow of fleeting connections. This duality and contrast have resonated with audiences worldwide, making it an anthem for online communities, particularly within the vaporwave and future funk movements.
The song's popularity can be attributed to a combination of factors, including the iconic photograph associated with the song, its catchy vibe, and the appeal of Takeuchi's performance. Additionally, the song's music video was released 37 years after the song's initial release, contributing to its resurgence. "Plastic Love" has been a gateway for many international fans to explore the rich and diverse world of Japanese music, particularly the city pop genre.
City pop, as a genre, is associated with the strong Japanese economy of the 1970s and 1980s. It blends numerous genres of western popular music, including jazz, soft rock, funk, and disco, reflecting the urbanization and prosperity of Japanese society during the postwar boom. The genre is often tied to the cosmopolitan lifestyle of that time.
"Plastic Love" is not just a song but a nexus point for the microgenre of music, City Pop. It has sparked a broader revival of the genre and introduced younger fans to the unique sound and culture of 1970s and 1980s Japan. The song's impact has extended beyond music, with fans expressing strong connections to specific uploads and remixes, as well as the song's visual components.
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The video by Plastic Lover sparked a community outcry after its removal
The YouTube channel Plastic Lover uploaded an extended remix of Mariya Takeuchi's 1985 single 'Plastic Love'. The video gained over 22 million views by 2019 and 55 million views by 2021. The song became "near-inescapable" on YouTube, frequently appearing in the "recommended" feed. The video was removed from YouTube due to a copyright strike from Alan Levenson, the photographer responsible for the video's thumbnail. Levenson was initially bombarded with hateful messages, some of which were antisemitic, but he eventually agreed to lift the copyright strike once he was credited as the photographer.
The removal of the video sparked a community outcry. Users could have moved on to any number of clones of the video, or the myriad remixes and copies. However, for some listeners, that specific digital copy held a unique and powerful meaning. The marriage of the song and photograph was particularly meaningful for some, and they also acknowledged that Levenson had a right to demand proper attribution for his photograph. The uproar over the video's removal suggests that the idea of permanence on the internet is changing and that even digital copies can be heavily charged with meaning and aura.
The song 'Plastic Love' is a city pop song with an upbeat arrangement and melancholic lyrics. The lyrics depict a woman who has been scorned by a lover and becomes convinced that true love does not exist, instead treating love as a game. The song's popularity led to an international resurgence of interest in the city pop genre.
The channel Plastic Lover has been inactive since 2019, and the owner only remains active in liking and favouriting comments. The channel was deleted somewhere after July 10, 2021, due to multiple claims of copyright infringement.
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The song's lyrics are relatable, resonating with millions of people worldwide
The song "Plastic Love" by Japanese singer Mariya Takeuchi is relatable to millions of people worldwide. The song's lyrics resonate with listeners due to their exploration of superficiality and the disingenuous nature of material culture. The word "plastic" in the title itself conveys the idea that love can be manufactured, reproduced, and imitated, reflecting the inauthenticity of romantic relationships due to self-centeredness. Takeuchi's song highlights the hollow and frustrated hedonism that results from a scorned lover, contrasting an upbeat arrangement with melancholic lyrics. This resonates with listeners who may relate to feelings of loneliness and alienation in a world where true love seems elusive.
The song's popularity can be attributed to its appearance in YouTube's recommendation algorithm, introducing City Pop, a subgenre of Japanese music from the 1970s and 1980s, to a global audience. The algorithm's mysterious nature occasionally promotes older or unexpected videos, and in this case, it sparked a resurgence of interest in the song and the City Pop genre. The song's catchy vibes, earworm appeal, and the iconic photograph associated with it further contributed to its success.
The lyrics of "Plastic Love" depict a woman's devastation after being betrayed by her lover, leading her to question the existence of true love. She adopts a superficial approach to relationships, never fully committing and only pretending to be in love. This relatable scenario of heartbreak and subsequent emotional guardedness resonates with listeners who have experienced similar relationship struggles.
The song's message of love in a materialistic world is universal and timeless, transcending cultural and temporal boundaries. It taps into the human condition of longing for genuine connections in a world that often prioritizes monetary exchange over heartfelt emotions. The song's introspective nature encourages listeners to reflect on their own experiences of love and loneliness, finding solace in the shared emotions conveyed in the lyrics.
Additionally, "Plastic Love" evokes a distinct 1980s vibe with its retro sound and aesthetic. This nostalgic appeal transports listeners to another time and place, creating a sense of longing for an era they may have never personally experienced. The song's ability to evoke such strong emotions and imagination further contributes to its relatability and resonance with audiences worldwide.
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The song's plastic' theme conveys the idea of artificial, imitated love
The song "Plastic Love" by Japanese singer Mariya Takeuchi is a city pop song from her 1984 album "Variety". The song's title and lyrics convey the idea of artificial and imitated love. The word "plastic" suggests that love can be manufactured, reproduced, and imitated, reflecting the inauthenticity of a romantic relationship due to one's self-centeredness.
The song's upbeat arrangement contrasts with its melancholic lyrics, which describe a woman embracing a hollow, hedonistic lifestyle after being scorned by a lover. Despite its seemingly upbeat tune, the song's message is quite sad. Takeuchi sings from the perspective of someone trying to move on from failed relationships by indulging in vanity and superficial connections.
The song's extended club mix, released as a single in 1985, reached only #85 on the Oricon chart. However, in the late 2010s, an eight-minute fan-made remix by the YouTube channel "Plastic Lover" gained popularity due to the YouTube recommendation algorithm. This version acquired over 22 million views by 2019 and contributed to the resurgence of the city pop genre, introducing it to Western audiences.
The song's association with the "Sweetest Music" photograph by Alan Levenson, as well as its catchy vibes and Takeuchi's captivating performance, further enhanced its popularity. The song's themes of alienation, estrangement, and the inability to find genuine love in a world focused on monetary exchange resonated with listeners, contributing to its enduring appeal.
Overall, the song "Plastic Love" and its various remixes convey the idea of artificial and imitated love through their lyrics, melody, and cultural impact, leaving a lasting impression on audiences worldwide.
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Frequently asked questions
The song 'Plastic Love' by Mariya Takeuchi was recommended by the YouTube algorithm to millions of users, which led to its viral popularity.
It is unclear why the algorithm selected this song. The exact criteria used by the YouTube algorithm is kept secret to prevent exploitation.
'Plastic Love' is a catchy and upbeat song with melancholic lyrics that have been interpreted in several ways. The song's retro sound and aesthetic have been linked to the vaporwave subculture.
The song's resurgence has been attributed to a combination of factors, including its catchy vibe, the iconic photograph associated with it, and the appeal of the performer, Mariya Takeuchi.
