Pink Lady

Overview

Pink Lady (ピンク・レディー) is a Japanese female pop duo that set off an idol boom in the late 1970s with bold choreography, striking costumes and distinctive hit songs. The members are Mitsuyo Nemoto (now Mie, also written 未唯mie) and Keiko Masuda (Kei), both from Shizuoka Prefecture. From 1976 to 1981 they were managed by T&C Music and signed to Victor. They are one of only two Japanese acts to reach the Billboard Top 40, with "Kiss in the Dark" peaking at No. 37; the other was Kyu Sakamoto.

Career

Before debut

Mie and Kei met in 1971 as middle-school students in Shizuoka. In 1973 they passed Yamaha auditions and attended its vocal school, then formed a folk duo called Cookie, reaching the Tokai regional final of Yamaha's Pop Con in 1974. They entered the TV talent show Star Tanjō! (NTV), passing in January 1976 and performing Pīman's "Heya wo Dete Kudasai" at the final on March 14, 1976, where multiple companies offered contracts.

Victor director Hisahiko Iida pushed to drop the folk concept in favor of rhythmic, beat-driven pop. Composer Shunichi Tokura named the duo after the cocktail, with Yū Aku as lyricist, Hajime Doi on choreography and Yōko Noguchi designing costumes. Their image changed completely, with daring micro-mini outfits.

Peak of popularity

They debuted on August 25, 1976 with "Pepper Keibu" and won the New Artist Award at the 18th Japan Record Awards. A streak of nine No. 1 hits followed: "S.O.S." (1976), "Carmen '77", "Nagisa no Sindbad", "Wanted", "UFO" (their biggest seller at 1.95 million copies), "Southpaw", "Monster", "Transparent Man" and "Chameleon Army" (1978). Ten consecutive million-sellers by shipments set a record, and their 63 total weeks at No. 1 on Oricon stood until B'z surpassed it in January 2015. "UFO" won the Grand Prix at the 20th Japan Record Awards, and "Southpaw" won at the 9th All Japan Popular Music Awards. Their core fans were children, and they endorsed countless products and appeared on many TV shows; their punishing schedule gave rise to the phrase "Busy as Pink Lady." In 1978 they headlined Korakuen Stadium, performed at the Tropicana in Las Vegas, starred in the film Pink Lady no Katsudō Daishashin, and were featured in a 35-episode anime series.

Backlash and decline

At the end of 1978 they declined to appear on NHK's Kōhaku Uta Gassen and appeared on a rival program instead, drawing heavy criticism. In 1979 "Zipangu" stalled at No. 4, ending their No. 1 streak, and as new idols such as Seiko Matsuda emerged, their popularity faded.

United States

In 1979 they debuted in the US with "Kiss in the Dark", reaching No. 37 on Billboard, and hosted the NBC variety show Pink Lady and Jeff. In November 1980 they became the first Japanese act to perform in Seoul. They returned home without renewing their US contract.

Breakup and reunions

They announced their breakup on September 1, 1980 and gave a farewell concert at Korakuen Stadium on March 31, 1981, after 4 years and 7 months. Their final singles were "Last Pretender" (January 1981) and "OH!" (March 1981). Their agency went bankrupt soon after. Both pursued solo careers as actresses and entertainers, and the duo reunited in 1984, 1989, 1996, 2003 and 2010, appearing on the Kōhaku in 1990 and 2000 and doing limited-time activities through 2005. Mie founded a company in 1987 that ran into heavy debt, which she later worked to repay. Reunion-era releases include "Fushigi LOVE" (1984), "PINK EYED SOUL" (1996) and "Terebi ga Kita Hi" (2003).

Discography highlights

Albums include Pepper Keibu (1977), Hoshi kara Kita Futari (1978) and Pink Lady no Fushigi na Tabi (1979). Compilations include Pink Lady "Aku Yū Sakuhinshū" (2008), GOLDEN☆BEST Complete Single Collection (2009), Innovation (2010) and Best Hit Album (2022). Remastered versions of their 1980–81 singles were released in 2022.

Musical style

Pink Lady epitomizes the Japanese pop idol: catchy, hook-filled kayōkyoku-based pop, often with a disco flavor in later years, paired with nearly perfectly synchronized dance routines. Lyricist Yū Aku and composer Shunichi Tokura shaped their sound, and songs like "Southpaw" and "Transparent Man" stood out for themes beyond romance.