The single was Takeuchi's twelfth single to be released. The song was first released on Takeuchi's number-one hit album, Variety (1984). tell the story of a woman who lost the man she truly loves." Yamashita also played guitar for the song, while Yasuharu Nakanishi played electric piano, Kōki Itō played bass guitar, and Jūn Aoyama played drums. In an interview with The Japan Times, Takeuchi remarked: "I wanted to write something danceable, something with a city pop sound. The result of this merge created hits under the genre like the track above."Plastic Love" was written and performed by Takeuchi and produced by her husband, Tatsuro Yamashita. He has somehow merged soft-rock, synth pop, and funk into his distinctive sound palette. Both of their legacies are cemented in Japan’s contemporary music’s history. How can we forget Tatsuro Yamashita? He’s not only the husband of Mariya, but he is also the king of “city pop.” He pioneered the genre alongside his wife. She loves a good horns section and some lights synths elevating her already powerful vocal range. “I Love You So” is another track from that pushed her success forward. Apart from “Telephone Number,” she released hit after hit. Like her contemporaries, Junko Ohashi tends to be prolific. With the lyrics in English, the language barrier for most of us vanishes, but the infectious simple synth patterns stay. It’s safe to say that “Sports Men” is the ultimate gateway drug to love this genre. They defined electronic music as we know it today alongside Kraftwerk and DEVO. Haruomi Hosono, along with the Yellow Magic Orchestra, did not only define city pop. Read more: 5 Yung Bae tracks we enjoy “Sports Men” by Haruomi Hosono Her single still defined city pop for what it is today. Sadly, she passed away from cervical cancer back in 2007. She’s more known as an anime singer outside Japan and has collaborated with Motown musicians from America. Like “Plastic Love,” it explores the themes of unrequited love and the longing it comes with. Miki Matsubara’s single is a synth-funk bop. Interested in knowing more about city pop? Or maybe you want to listen to tracks similar to “Plastic Love?” Here are some reccos from us to get you started. On August 21, she plans to drop a 3-disc, 62 track compilation titled Turntable, in honor of her 40 years in the music industry. We can expect another huge release from Mariya Takeuchi real soon. VICE describes it as “easy-listening J-pop that drew on a variety of American and Asian influences including funk, soul, disco, lounge, and even yacht rock.” Due to “Plastic Love’s” viral fame, it became the figure of city pop’s resurgence in the late 2000s. It urged listeners to explore other figures of the genre like Junko Ohashi, Yellow Magic Orchestra’s Haruomi Hosono, and Miki Matsubara among other phenomenal city pop artists.Ĭity pop is the genre that defined Tokyo nightlife in the late ’70s. After a fan-uploaded video of the track went viral on Youtube, it started popping up randomly on people’s recommendations. It sparked the worldwide interest for city pop once again. However, “Plastic Love” cemented her legacy around the world. Read more: Mark Redito’s “break silence” is making us cry-dance hard It’s one of Takeuchi’s biggest releases that cemented her legacy in Japan. Directed by Kyoutaro Hayashi, the music video tries to encapsulate the era when the smash hit dropped, which was Japan’s thriving nightlife in the ’80s. Warner Music Japan uploaded a music video for Mariya Takeuchi‘s “Plastic Love“ in their Youtube Channel. After 35 years of “Plastic Love’s” release, the iconic track finally gets the music video we’ve been all hoping for. City pop fans around the world are freaking out right now.