Iconic City Pop Songs Covered or Sampled by Overseas Artists
List of 7
. Considered more of a vibe associated with the 1970s and 1980s in Japan than a strict musical genre, it experienced a revival in the late 2010s. Its popularity also spread overseas, influencing foreign musicians. Here's a look at some of the most iconic city pop hits that have been covered or sampled by overseas artists.
List of Contents:
Tatsuro Yamashita: Christmas Eve
Miki Matsubara: Mayonaka no Door (Stay With Me)
Tomoko Aran: Midnight Pretenders
Anri: Last Summer Whisper
Kingo Hamada: Machi no Dorufin
Hi-Fi Set: Sky Restaurant
Mai Yamane: Tasogare
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Tatsuro Yamashita: Christmas Eve
Covered by the Commodores and Pentatonix
The best place to start is with the man known as the 'King of City Pop.' Tatsuro Yamashita, who will make his Fuji Rock debut this July, has released 13 original studio albums, five cover CDs and two live records. His most successful track, 'Christmas Eve' (1983), was Japan's best-selling single of the 1980s. It also holds the record for the most consecutive years — 39 and counting — to appear on the Oricon Chart Top 100.
Given its popularity, it's no surprise that several artists have covered the song, including overseas acts. American funk and soul group, the Commodores, included it on the Japanese edition of the band's 1992 album,
Commodores Christmas
. Cappella group Pentatonix did likewise on their 2014 LP
That's Christmas To Me
.
Miki Matsubara: Mayonaka no Door (Stay With Me)
Covered by Rainych, Sampled by 1nonly
A domestic hit in 1979, Miki Matsubara's debut single, 'Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me),' became an international one four decades later due to platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. Written by famed composers Tetsuji Hayashi and Tokuko Miura, it's a sad song about lost love, yet has an upbeat sound and catchy chorus. Matsubara, who was also known for singles such as 'Neat na gogo san-ji' and 'The Winner,' sadly passed away in 2004 at the age of just 44.
Sixteen years after Matsubara's death, Indonesian YouTuber Rainych uploaded a cover of her most famous track to her YouTube channel, which garnered millions of views. 'Stay With Me,' the breakout single from Korean-American rapper 1nonly (Nathan Scott Fuller), also sampled the song.
Tomoko Aran: Midnight Pretenders
Sampled by the Weeknd
Embodying the spirit of the 80s, Tomoko Aran — birth name Tomoko Yamaguchi — is known for her distinctive vocals and catchy melodies. Between 1981 and 1990, she released nine albums, including
More Relax
(1984) and
Last Good-bye
(1986). Her most celebrated album, though, is the 1983 LP,
Fuyu Kukan
, meaning 'floating space.' A synth-heavy record, it features two standout tracks: 'I'm in Love' and 'Midnight Pretenders.' The latter, in particular, has garnered a lot of attention in recent years due to the rising popularity of city pop.
A laid-back track with a seductive, dream-like quality, 'Midnight Pretenders' was heavily sampled by four-time Grammy Award-winning Canadian artist the Weeknd (Abel Makkonen Tesfaye) for his song 'Out of Time' from the album
Dawn FM.
Anri: Last Summer Whisper
Sampled by Jenevieve
Mariya Takeuchi is widely referred to as the 'Queen of City Pop,' though for many, Anri — birth name Eiko Kawashima — is just as deserving of that title. During her career, which has spanned more than four decades, she has released over 40 albums. Her most successful LP,
Timely
, released in 1983, featured 'Cat's Eye.' Used as the opening track for the anime series of the same name, it topped the charts for four weeks. The previous year, Anri worked with Toshiki Kadomatsu for the first time on her fourth studio album,
Heaven Beach
.
Kadomatsu wrote and composed 'Last Summer Whisper,' a bittersweet song about a fleeting summer fling. The catchy hit was sampled by American R&B artist Jenevieve Johnson — known professionally as Jenevieve — for her song, 'Baby Powder.'
Kingo Hamada: Machi no Dorufin
Sampled by Engelwood
A violinist as a child, Kingo Hamada switched to the guitar as he got older and then joined the folk band Craft in 1974. When the group disbanded, he launched his solo career, releasing his debut album
Manhattan in the Rain
in 1980. Over the next five years, he recorded another six original LPs. The one that garnered the most attention was
Midnight Cruisin'
, which is known for its smooth and funky sound. Highlights include the title track, 'Yokogao no Taxi Driver' (A Taxi Driver's Profile) and 'Machi no Dorufin' (City Dolphin), which is his most famous song.
Matt Engels, known by his stage name Engelwood, sampled Hamada's track for his popular future-funk song 'Crystal Dolphin.' The electronic music producer also sampled Yamashita's hit 'Sparkle' on another track.
Hi-Fi Set: Sky Restaurant
Sampled by J. Cole and Chris Brown
In 1974, the folk group Akai Tori disbanded due to musical differences. Three of its members — Junko Yamamoto, Toshihiko Yamamoto and Shigeru Okawa — subsequently formed a new group called Hi-Fi Set. The name was suggested by the influential musician Haruomi Hosono. Performing as a trio for two decades, many of the group's biggest hits came in their first 10 years, including 'Sotsugyo Shashin' (Graduation Photo), 'Tsumetai Ame' (Cold Rain) and 'Sunao ni Naritai' (I Want to Be Honest).
The group's catchiest tune is arguably 'Sky Restaurant' (1975), written by legendary artist Yuming (birth name Yumi Arai). Jermaine Lamarr Cole, known professionally as J. Cole, sampled the intro for his track 'January 28th' in 2014, as did Chris Brown for his song 'Moonlight' on his 2023 album
11:11
.
Mai Yamane: Tasogare
Sampled by Playboi Carti and Young Nudy
A talented performer with a husky voice, Mai Yamane is most well-known for her collaborations with Yoko Kanno on various soundtracks for the
Cowboy Bebop
anime series, including the first ending theme, 'The Real Folk Blues,' released in 1998. Yamane launched her music career almost two decades earlier with her debut album,
Tasogare
(1980), meaning 'twilight.' Produced by Makoto Matsushita, it's considered a city pop masterpiece, especially the title track, which incorporates elements of funk.
'Tasogare' garnered global attention in the late 2010s after Playboi Carti and Young Nudy utilized the intro of the song for the recording of their track 'Pissy Pamper.' Leaked in 2019, it proved very popular online, but as the sample wasn't cleared, it was never officially released.
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