Mariya Takeuchi is a Japanese singer-songwriter whose “Plastic Love”, first released on Variety (1984), became decades later the most widely heard recording of the city pop revival. She has sold an estimated 16 million records.[1]
Early life
Takeuchi was born in Taisha (now part of Izumo), Shimane Prefecture, in 1955. In 1972 she spent a year as an AFS exchange student in Rock Falls, Illinois, and in 1974 entered Keio University to study English literature.[1]
RCA years
Signing with RCA in August 1978, she debuted that November with the single “Modotte oide, Watashi no Jikan” and the album Beginning.[1] Hits followed with “September” (1979) and “Fushigi na Peach Pie” (1980), which reached No. 3, and she won several best-new-artist awards. After Portrait (1981) she stepped back from performing and left RCA.[1]
Variety and “Plastic Love”
Takeuchi married Tatsuro Yamashita in April 1982.[1] She returned in 1984 on Moon Records with Variety, the first album she wrote entirely herself; Yamashita produced it and arranged most of its tracks.[2] Released on 25 April 1984, it topped the Oricon albums chart.[2] “Plastic Love” followed as a single on 25 March 1985, reaching No. 5.[1][2]
Revival
From 2017 an unofficial upload of “Plastic Love” spread widely on YouTube, passing 67 million views by mid-2021 and becoming the emblem of the international city pop revival.[1][2][4] The re-issued 12-inch single later entered Japan’s top ten sales chart for the first time, according to Warner Music Japan.[3] Warner Music Japan released an official music video on 17 May 2019, 35 years after the song first appeared.[1] In 2021 she formed the duo Peach & Apricot with Anri.[1]
Discography
Main articles: Variety
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Beginning | RCA |
| 1979 | University Street | RCA |
| 1980 | Love Songs | RCA |
| 1980 | Miss M | RCA |
| 1981 | Portrait | RCA |
| 1984 | Variety | Moon |
| 1987 | Request | Moon |
| 1992 | Quiet Life | Moon |
| 2001 | Bon Appetit! | Moon |
| 2004 | Longtime Favorites (covers) | Moon |
| 2007 | Denim | Moon |
| 2014 | Trad | Moon |
| 2024 | Precious Days | Moon |
Notable singles
| Year | Title | Oricon peak |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | “Modotte oide, Watashi no Jikan” | 84 |
| 1979 | “September” | 39 |
| 1980 | “Fushigi na Peach Pie” | 3 |
| 1985 | “Plastic Love” | 5 |
| 1989 | “Single Again” | 2 |
| 1998 | “Camouflage” | 1 |
References
- “Mariya Takeuchi”. Wikipedia. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- “Variety (Mariya Takeuchi album)”. Wikipedia. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- “Decades Later, Mariya Takeuchi’s “Plastic Love” Is a Top Ten Hit Song in Japan”. Kotaku. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- “How YouTube’s Algorithm Turned an Obscure 1980s Japanese Song Into an Enormously Popular Hit”. Open Culture. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
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