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Double is the
stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...
for Japanese R&B singer (born March 14, 1975). Double used to be the name for the two member R&B group consisting of Takako and her sister Sachiko (1973 - 1999). After the death of Sachiko, Takako started her solo career adopting Double as her stage name. Double has been titled as the "Queen of R&B" and is considered to be a pioneer for being the first artist to bring American-style R&B to Japan.


History


Early life and musical interest

Takako Hirasawa was born in Niigata, Japan. After her older sister Sachiko came back from a trip to
America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, she introduced Takako to R&B. Inspired by the 1992 video to Real Love, the two sisters decided to enter the music business as R&B artists. The duo began by performing at the US Yokota Air Base in Fussa, Tokyo.


Music career

On February 4, 1998, Double made their debut as a duo. They released the single, "For Me", which debuted on the
Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that ...
chart at #89. They released three more singles, "Desire", "Bed" (both 1998) and "Shake" (1999). "Shake" was the duo's highest charting single, peaking at #21. Before the release of their debut album ''Crystal'', Sachiko died suddenly from a brain hemorrhage in May 1999. In June, ''Crystal'' was released and made its debut at #2. One of the first major successes for modern R&B in Japan it is considered a major influence paving the way for later acts such as Crystal Kay, Ai and a re-styled Namie Amuro. After the death of her sister, Double went on a hiatus and returned to the music industry in June 2000. Retaining the stage name, Double released her first solo single, "U", which came in at #29 and had a video produced by Brian Alexander Morgan ( Usher,
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
). She released one more single, "Angel", before releasing her
eponymous An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
debut solo album, ''Double'', which peaked #13. Double later released an English version of the album, ''Double (Eng Ver.)'', which debuted at #30. In 2004 Double completed a personal ambition to record a
Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
album, titled "Life is Beautiful" in which she teamed up with leading Japanese producers m-flo. In 2007 for her album "Reflex", Double teamed up with US Hip-Hop trio De La Soul for "Say I Gotta Believe," and with American rapper Ak'Sent for "We International." Throughout her career Double has shown a strong sexuality through her image, cover art and videos, something not usually associated with Japanese artists. She has put this down to her influence from
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
and has stated that she feels natural to present herself as sexy even if music buyers feel shy to pick up her CDs. Double has also made a point to avoid appearing on TV shows and remain out of the limelight, performing live only sporadically. She has confessed to being nervous about performing live due to being a perfectionist that can't undo things on stage, thus preferring the studio. To commemorate her tenth anniversary, Double released her first greatest hits album, ''10 Years Best We R&B'', which debuted at #2. Double also released her first collaboration album, ''The Best Collaborations'', which like her previous album debuted at #2, selling 63,413 in its first week. The album featured a new song, "Black Diamond", with the "Queen of Hip-Pop" Namie Amuro and the two performed the track at the finale of Double's 2008 live tour at Tokyo's Studio Coast, whilst also appearing together at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards Japan. In 2024, the track "Strange Things" from her 2002 album "Vision" has gone viral on social media, gaining attention in western countries like the USA, Canada, and Brazil.


Trivia

Double originally thought her career would be in the beauty industry as a makeup artist or hairdresser, if she did not pursue a career as a singer.


Discography


Studio albums

* ''
Crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...
'' (1999) * ''Double'' (2000) * ''Vision'' (2002) * ''Wonderful'' (2003) * ''Life is Beautiful'' (2004) * ''Reflex'' (2007) * ''Woman'' (2011)


References


External links


DOUBLE GROOVE SITE
{{DEFAULTSORT:Double Japanese women pop singers Japanese rhythm and blues singers Living people 1975 births Singers from Niigata (city) 20th-century Japanese women singers 20th-century Japanese singers 21st-century Japanese women singers 21st-century Japanese singers