Miki Matsubara

{{short description|Japanese singer and songwriter (1959–2004)}} {{Western name order|Matsubara Miki}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Miki Matsubara | native_name = {{nihongo2|松原みき}} | image = Mikimatsubaraphoto.jpg | image_size = | landscape =  | alt = | caption = Matsubara in 1980 | other_names = {{nihongo|Suzie Matsubara|スージー・松原}} | birth_date = {{birth date|1959|11|28|df=y}} | birth_place = Kishiwada, Osaka, Japan | death_date = {{death date and age|2004|10|07|1959|11|28|df=y}} | death_place = Sakai, Osaka, Japan | occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}} | years_active = | module = {{Infobox musical artist | embed = yes | genre = {{hlist|J-pop|city pop|jazz}} | instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|piano|keyboards}} | label = Pony Canyon | years_active = 1978–2000 }} | spouse = Masaki Honjo }}

{{Nihongo|'''Miki Matsubara'''|松原みき|Matsubara Miki|28 November 1959 – 7 October 2004}} was a Japanese singer and songwriter. She contributed to the opening and ending theme songs of the anime ''Gu-Gu Ganmo'' under the name Suzie Matsubara. Her 1979 debut song "Mayonaka no Door" became a hit, reaching No. 28 on the Oricon chart.

Believing that her cancer diagnosis was the result of the lifestyle she lived during her career, Matsubara retired and severed all connections to the music world in 2000, dying from cervical cancer four years later at the age of 44. Since 2020, "Mayonaka no Door" has become widely known overseas due to its use on TikTok and the resurgence of the city pop genre.

==Early life== Miki Matsubara was born 28 November 1959<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%9D%BE%E5%8E%9F%20%E3%81%BF%E3%81%8D-1674021 |title=新撰芸能人物事典明治〜平成「松原みき」の解説 |access-date=7 June 2022 |publisher=DIGITALIO |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220607144314/https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%9D%BE%E5%8E%9F%20%E3%81%BF%E3%81%8D-1674021 |archive-date=7 June 2022 |language=ja|website=コトバンク}}</ref> in Kishiwada, Osaka.<ref name="tower">{{cite web|title=松原みき|url=https://tower.jp/artist/279284|website=tower.jp|publisher=Tower|date=14 June 2019|accessdate=30 November 2020}}</ref> She spent her childhood in Hiraoka Town, an area of Nishi-ku in Sakai, Osaka. She grew up with her mother, father, and younger sister. Her mother was a jazz singer who sang with the jazz band and comedy group Crazy Cats, while her father was a board member of a hospital.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=8 October 2017 |title=2009/10/7 おもいっきりDON 今日は何の日「松原みき」の日 #松原みき - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5jv9QwqudY |archive-url=http://ghostarchive.org/varchive/_5jv9QwqudY |archive-date=4 May 2022 |access-date=3 January 2021 |via=YouTube}}</ref> Matsubara started learning the piano at the age of three and later became familiar with jazz. As a child, she went to Sakai's Hiraoka Elementary School. In 1972, she entered Poole Gakuin Junior High School. Around this time, she became interested in rock music and joined the rock band Kurei.

In 1975, Matsubara started at Poole Gakuin High School and became active as a keyboard player of the band Yoshinoya Band. They would play songs at a live house called Takutaku in Kyoto. Matsubara was described as an excellent student and was expected by many around her to attend college, but had already made plans to become a singer.<ref name=":0" /> In 1977, when she was still in high school, she went to Tokyo alone at the age of 17 to make her debut as a singer. The Japanese pianist {{Interlanguage link|Yuzuru Sera|lt=|ja|世良譲}} found her playing music and singing in various places across the Kantō region, such as in the live music venue Birdland in Roppongi.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://middle-edge.jp/articles/I0002408|title = 昭和の名曲「真夜中のドア〜Stay with Me」☆歌手松原みきさん}}</ref>

== Career == Matsubara started her career in 1979 and is known from hit songs such as her debut and immediate breakthrough "Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me)" which has been covered by numerous artists,<ref name="studybreaks">{{cite news |last1=Pinto |first1=Tom |title=City Pop Is The 40-Year-Old Genre You've Never Heard Of, Until Today |url=https://studybreaks.com/culture/music/city-pop-80s-bops/ |access-date=23 November 2019 |publisher=Study Breaks |date=27 July 2019}}</ref><ref name="yachtrock">{{cite news |last1=Archila |first1=Danny |title=Citypop: A Curious Fool's Primer |url=http://www.yachtrock.com/captains-blog/2017/12/17/japanese-citypop-a-curious-fools-primer |access-date=26 November 2019 |publisher=Yacht Rock |date=17 December 2017}}</ref><ref name="zakzak">{{cite news |title=【オメガトライブ生んだ林哲司激白ヒット曲舞台裏】松原みきさんと竹内まりや予想とは真逆の仕上がりで高評価 |url=https://www.zakzak.co.jp/ent/news/180927/ent1809278482-n1.html |access-date=2 December 2019 |publisher=Zakzak |date=27 September 2018}}</ref><ref name="otokake">{{cite web |title=松原みき【真夜中のドア】歌詞の意味を徹底解釈!季節が巡ると思い出すのは...?意味深な歌詞を紐解いてみた |url=https://otokake.com/matome/TyvqwE |website=otokake.com |publisher=Otokake |date= 10 June 2019 |access-date=2 December 2019}}</ref> including Akina Nakamori.<ref>{{Cite web|title=中森明菜の意外なカバー曲 EXILE、ドリカム歌う新アルバム「歌姫4」|url=https://www.zakzak.co.jp/entertainment/ent-news/news/20150110/enn1501101453018-n1.htm|access-date=15 January 2021|website=ZAKZAK|language=ja-JP}}</ref> The song was ranked 28th on the Oricon Chart,<ref>{{Cite web|title=松原みきを語る〜ファンの声Vol.6|url=http://castella.chagasi.com/matsubaramiki/fun/funpage6.html|access-date=20 January 2021|website=castella.chagasi.com}}</ref> and according to that chart sold 104,000 copies and 300,000 copies announced by Canyon records. Some of her other known songs were "{{nihongo|Neat na gogo san-ji|ニートな午後3時}}" and "The Winner" among others.

Matsubara became a well-known singer after her song Neat na Gogo San-ji was released, performing at college festivals, concerts and so on. The song gained a feature in a commercial of the Japanese multinational personal care company Shiseido.

Miki Matsubara received a number of artist awards.<ref name="tower" /> She formed her own band, Dr. Woo.<ref name=":0" /> Matsubara also had some international work with Motown jazz fusion group Dr. Strut in Los Angeles (becoming a backing band in the album recordings for "Cupid" and "Myself"), Tokyo and Osaka (Hall concerts), later releasing a jazz cover album titled ''Blue Eyes''. On that album she covered some famous jazz songs like "Love for Sale" and the soft rock song "You've Got a Friend", originally written and sung by Carole King.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Miki Matsubara - Blue Eyes|date=20 September 1984 |url=https://www.discogs.com/fr/Miki-Matsubara-Blue-Eyes/master/1233908|access-date=13 January 2021|publisher=Discogs|language=fr}}</ref>

Her vocal range was that of a mezzo-soprano.

During her music career she released 8 singles and 12 albums. While Matsubara was a star in Japan, she was known internationally for her work as an anime singer and songwriter, singing the opening and ending songs to anime such as ''Dirty Pair: Project Eden.'' The popularization of city pop has attracted new audiences outside of Japan.<ref name="bearded">{{cite news |last1=O |first1=Safiyah |title=Japanese 'City Pop [シティポップ]': A dreamy trip back to Japans capitalist fantasy of the 1980s |url=https://beardedgentlemenmusic.com/2017/08/23/japanese-city-pop-1980s/ |access-date=23 November 2019 |publisher=Bearded Gentlemen Music |date=23 August 2017}}</ref> While singing theme songs for the anime ''Gu Gu Ganmo'', she performed under the name Suzie Matsubara (スージー・松原). Matsubara's song "The Winner" was used as the opening for the Gundam OVA-series ''Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory''.

From the 1990s on she especially worked on anime soundtracks and music for commercials.<ref name="konuma">{{cite web |title=松原みき(1959–2004) |url=http://www.f.waseda.jp/jkonuma/requiem.htm |website=f.waseda.jp/jkonuma |first1=Junichi |last1=Konuma |access-date=2 December 2019}}</ref><ref name="tower" /> Matsubara wrote songs for anime and some of her most known musical compositions were for the anime series ''Gundam''. Matsubara wrote songs for several singers, including Hitomi Mieno,<ref>{{Cite web|title=松原みき提供曲/マ行|url=http://castella.chagasi.com/matsubaramiki/works/ma.html|access-date=20 January 2021|website=castella.chagasi.com}}</ref> but her most notable works were likely with the singer and actress Mariko Kouda. Kouda's song "Ame no Chi Special" (雨のちスペシャル), which Matsubara composed, was featured in the five-minute music television and radio series ''Minna no Uta'' as a music video in 1997. It attracted a lot of attention and ranked 28th place on the Oricon chart. The song was repeatedly rebroadcast until 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|title=松原みき - 真夜中のドア〜Stay With Me|url=https://123ohmygod.seesaa.net/article/455104102.html|access-date=10 January 2021|website=oh my God こりゃなんだ|date=24 November 2017 |language=ja}}</ref>

On 12 November 2024, producer Tetsuji Hayashi re‐arranged Matsubara's debut hit "Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me)" and released it digitally as "2024”.<ref>{{Cite web |title=松原みき「真夜中のドア～stay with me～」発売から45年！林哲司がリニューアルして配信リリース！ - ポニーキャニオンUSA |url=https://ponycanyon.us/ja/musicnews/it-has-been-45-years-since-miki-matsubara-released-mayonaka-no-door-stay-with-me-the-song-was-renewed-by-tetsuji-hayashi-and-released-for-distribution/ |access-date=11 July 2025 |website=PONYCANYON USA |language=ja}}</ref>

Matsubara's unreleased cover of Hi-Fi Set's song "Sky Restaurant" was issued as a digital single on 5 December 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=松原みきが生前残した未発表曲を林哲司が再生プロデュースして12月5日に配信！MVも同日公開！ |url=https://news.ponycanyon.co.jp/2024/12/106435 |access-date=11 July 2025 |website=PONY CANYON NEWS – ポニーキャニオン |language=ja}}</ref> The Pony Canyon press release explains that Yumi Arai (Yuming) wrote the lyrics and Kunihiko Murai composed the music (this was a hit for Hi-Fi Set), and Matsubara's vocals from a stored tape were given a new city‑pop arrangement by Tetsuji Hayashi.<ref>{{Cite web |title=松原みきが生前残した未発表曲を林哲司が再生プロデュースして12月5日に配信！MVも同日公開！ |url=https://news.ponycanyon.co.jp/2024/12/106435 |access-date=11 July 2025 |website=PONY CANYON NEWS – ポニーキャニオン |language=ja}}</ref> (The same source also notes a new music video: directed by her nephew Tsuyoshi Matsubara and featuring her grand-niece Moka<ref>{{Cite web |title=松原みきが生前残した未発表曲を林哲司が再生プロデュースして12月5日に配信！MVも同日公開！ |url=https://news.ponycanyon.co.jp/2024/12/106435 |access-date=11 July 2025 |website=PONY CANYON NEWS – ポニーキャニオン |language=ja}}</ref>.)

==Personal life== Little is known about Matsubara's private life. Her husband, Masaki Honjo (1953–2007), was the drummer for her backing band. During her years as a student, her eyesight reportedly deteriorated due to fatigue from a part-time job, and was fixed with surgery.<ref>{{cite magazine|year=1980|script-title=ja:「夜明けまでブルースにひたって松原みき」|magazine=Myojo|language=ja|issue=2|page=122}}</ref>

== Illness and death == In late 2000, Matsubara sent an email to people including her company and the members of Dr. Woo, which read: "I can no longer continue with my music for a certain reason. I am canceling my phone, cell phone, and email. So please do not reply. Please live your life without regrets."<ref name="DON">{{cite AV media|date=7 October 2009|script-title=ja:今日は何の日「松原みき」の日|trans-title=Today's Highlights in History "Miki Matsubara Day"|medium=Television broadcast|language=ja|minutes=00:57|location=Japan|publisher=Omoikkri Don!}}</ref> She stopped all music activities and disappeared from the spotlight altogether. She burned all her cherished sheet music and records. In an email sent to her cousin, she wrote: "Please forget all the times in the past when I was singing and composing."<ref name = "DON/> In 2001, it was revealed that Matsubara's actions were prompted by a late-stage cancer diagnosis, after which she began treatment.

Matsubara returned to her parents' home and spent her final years battling her illness.<ref name="DON" /> According to a Japanese documentary, further emails were sent to various people, including her cousin and husband. The next email sent to her cousin read: "I think my lifestyle in this era brought me this disease. So I reset everything that prevents me from going forward. It reminds me of my weak point."<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlF89yofrSE |title=(English subtitles)The Life of Miki Matsubara 松原みきさんの人生(2009/10/7) #MikiMatsubara #citypop |date=23 December 2020 |last=Citypop |access-date=30 September 2025 |via=YouTube}}</ref> In the same documentary, her father reported that Matsubara told him: "I want to do many things. I'm still thinking of them. So I don't want to die." Despite the fact that she cut off all connections with music, her father said that she mumbled about music while losing consciousness under anesthesia.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlF89yofrSE |title=(English subtitles)The Life of Miki Matsubara 松原みきさんの人生(2009/10/7) #MikiMatsubara #citypop |date=23 December 2020 |last=Citypop |access-date=30 September 2025 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

Despite being told by her doctor that she only had three months to live, Matsubara died in Sakai nearly four years later on 7 October 2004, at age 44, from complications of cervical cancer.<ref name="obituary">{{cite news|url=https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20041214-00000044-mai-peo|script-title=ja:<訃報>松原みきさん44歳=シンガー・ソングライター|trans-title=<News of death> Miki Matsubara, 44 = Singer-songwriter|author=|date=14 December 2004|work=Mainichi Shimbun|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041214155403/https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20041214-00000044-mai-peo|archive-date=14 December 2004|via=Yahoo! Japan News}}</ref><ref name="obituary2">{{cite news|url=http://www.shikoku-np.co.jp/national/okuyami/article.aspx?id=20041214000305|script-title=ja:歌手松原みきさん死去/10月7日にがんのため|trans-title=Singer Miki Matsubara dies / due to cancer on October 7|author=|date=14 December 2004|work=Shinkoku News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080303163631/http://www.shikoku-np.co.jp/national/okuyami/article.aspx?id=20041214000305|archive-date=3 March 2008|url-status=live|access-date=3 March 2021}}</ref> Her death was announced to the public two months later.<ref name="DON" /> Her final email, written two months before her death, was read out at her funeral and said: "I realized many things for the first time after I was diagnosed. If possible, I want to be healthy [and] restart my life."<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlF89yofrSE |title=(English subtitles)The Life of Miki Matsubara 松原みきさんの人生(2009/10/7) #MikiMatsubara #citypop |date=23 December 2020 |last=Citypop |access-date=30 September 2025 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

== Legacy == An increased interest in city pop during the 2000s<ref name=Pitchfork/> particularly the 2010s,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/city-pop-guide-history-interview/|title=The Guide to Getting into City Pop, Tokyo's Lush 80s Nightlife Soundtrack|last1=Arcand|first1=Rob|last2=Goldner|first2=Sam|date=24 January 2019|website=Vice|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101125213/https://www.vice.com/en/article/mbzabv/city-pop-guide-history-interview|archive-date=1 November 2020|url-status=live|access-date=2 March 2021}}</ref> contributed to Matsubara gaining global recognition and "Stay with Me" (真夜中のドア, "Mayonaka no door") becoming a resurgent hit in the West and throughout Asia in 2020.<ref name=Pitchfork>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/article/the-endless-life-cycle-of-japanese-city-pop/|title=The Endless Life Cycle of Japanese City Pop|last=Zhang|first=Cat|date=24 February 2021|website=Pitchfork|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224152747/https://pitchfork.com/features/article/the-endless-life-cycle-of-japanese-city-pop/|archive-date=24 February 2021|url-status=live|access-date=2 March 2021}}</ref> ''Billboard Japan'' credited Indonesian YouTuber Rainych for the song's initial surge in popularity, after she shared a cover version with her 1.3 million YouTube subscribers in October 2020.<ref name=BBJ>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/international/9503609/mayonaka-no-door-stay-with-me-popularity-explained/|title=Global Popularity of 1979 City Pop Track 'Mayonaka no Door - Stay With Me' Explained|last=Matsunaga|first=Ryohei|date=21 December 2020|work=Billboard Japan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221210126/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/international/9503609/mayonaka-no-door-stay-with-me-popularity-explained/|archive-date=21 December 2020|url-status=live|access-date=16 February 2021}}</ref> To capitalize on her posthumous resurgence, record label Pony Canyon reissued Matsubara's first album ''Pocket Park'' as a 180g LP on 31 March 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 February 2021 |title=松原みき、1stアルバム『POCKET PARK』が重量盤で復刻。特選大型ポスターも再現 |url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000197054 |access-date=11 July 2025 |website=BARKS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219011359/https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000197054 |archive-date=19 February 2021 |language=ja}}</ref> "Stay With Me" had just spent 20 consecutive days at No. 1 on Spotify's Global Viral chart.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 February 2021 |title=松原みき、1stアルバム『POCKET PARK』が重量盤で復刻。特選大型ポスターも再現 |url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000197054 |access-date=11 July 2025 |website=BARKS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219011359/https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000197054 |archive-date=19 February 2021 |language=ja}}</ref>

The song became known on TikTok, most notably during December 2020; prior to this, it was already somewhat popular with TikTok's anime community, where it sparked a trend among users of Japanese descent who in turn shared videos of themselves playing the song for their mothers and filming their reactions when they recognized the track. One such video garnered over 23 million views and 6 million likes.<ref name=Pitchfork/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.intheknow.com/post/miki-matsubara-stay-with-me/|title=A Japanese Song Has Unpredictably Become A Massive Hit Among TikTokers— And Their Parents|last=Chan|first=Justin|date=8 January 2021|website=InTheKnow.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216110152/https://www.intheknow.com/post/miki-matsubara-stay-with-me/|archive-date=16 February 2021|url-status=live|access-date=16 February 2021}}</ref> As of February 2021, audio from the song has been used in over 200,000 TikTok videos.

Although Matsubara died in 2004, a new director's cut of the music video for "Mayonaka no Door" was released via her official YouTube channel in November 2022. The updated video was re-edited by the original director Tell Sato.<ref>{{Cite web |title=松原みきが生前残した未発表曲を林哲司が再生プロデュースして12月5日に配信！Mvも同日公開！ |url=https://news.ponycanyon.co.jp/2024/12/106435#:~:text=%E3%82%B7%E3%83%86%E3%82%A3%E3%83%9D%E3%83%83%E3%83%97%E3%81%AE%E3%83%9E%E3%82%B9%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC%E3%83%94%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B9%E3%80%8C%E7%9C%9F%E5%A4%9C%E4%B8%AD%E3%81%AE%E3%83%89%E3%82%A2%E3%80%9Cstay%20with%20me%E3%80%8D%E3%82%92%E6%AD%8C%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E6%9D%BE%E5%8E%9F%E3%81%BF%E3%81%8D%E3%81%8C%E3%80%81%E7%94%9F%E5%89%8D%E6%AE%8B%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E3%81%84%E3%81%9F%E6%9C%AA%E7%99%BA%E8%A1%A8%E6%9B%B2%E3%80%8C%E3%82%B9%E3%82%AB%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AC%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%80%8D%E3%81%8C12%E6%9C%885%E6%97%A5%E3%81%AB%E9%85%8D%E4%BF%A1%E3%83%AA%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B9%E3%81%95%E3%82%8C%E3%81%9F%E3%80%82 |access-date=11 July 2025 |website=news.ponycanyon.co.jp}}</ref>

In October 2024 at the Paris Paralympics, "Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me)" was played on the center court at Stade Roland Garros after Japanese wheelchair tennis players won gold.<ref>{{Cite web |title=パリに平和をもたらした『イマジン』、日本を熱くした『飛行艇』と『第ゼロ感』。スポーツを音で演出するスポーツDJ |url=https://real-sports.jp/page/articles/202410221/ |access-date=11 July 2025 |language=ja}}</ref> Publishing company Pony Canyon released color‐vinyl editions of the Matsubara albums ''Cool Cut'', ''Blue Eyes'', and ''Lady Bounce'' for Japan's Record Day on 3 November 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 February 2021 |title=松原みき、1stアルバム『POCKET PARK』が重量盤で復刻。特選大型ポスターも再現 |url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000197054 |access-date=11 July 2025 |website=BARKS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219011359/https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000197054 |archive-date=19 February 2021 |language=ja}}</ref>

==Discography==

===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable" !scope="col"|Year !scope="col"|Title !scope="col"|Label |- |rowspan=2|1980||''Pocket Park''|| rowspan=9| See･Saw |- |''Who Are You?'' |- ||1981||''Cupid'' |- |rowspan=2|1982||''Myself'' |- |''彩'' |- ||1983||''Revue'' |- |rowspan=2|1984||''Blue Eyes'' <small>(cover album)</small> |- |''Cool Cut'' |- ||1985||''Lady Bounce'' |- ||1987||''Dirty Pair (Original Soundtrack)''|| rowspan=2| Victor |- ||1988||''Wink'' |}

===Compilations=== {| class="wikitable" !scope="col"|Year !scope="col"|Title !scope="col"|Label |- ||1983||''Paradise Beach''||See･Saw |- ||1986||''Super Best''||Pony |- ||2002||''Best''|| rowspan=6| Pony Canyon |- ||2011||''Golden☆Best'' |- ||2013||''The Premium Best'' |- ||2014||''Light Mellow'' |- ||2015||''Aya'' |- ||2017||''Platinum Best'' |}

===Magazines=== {| class="wikitable" ! Date of issue !! Magazine name !! Issuer !! Page !! Type !! Title |- | 1979-12-09 || ''Weekly Myojo'' || Shueisha || End of book || Gravure || Debuted with "Midnight Door", a rich feeling cultivated through jazz and rock. |- | 1980-01-01 || ''Weekly Playboy'' || Shueisha || End of book || Gravure || The other side of midnight: contemporary music |- | 1980-01-10 || ''GORO'' || Shogakukan || End of book || Gravure || A love sounds singer aiming to be Japan's Diana Ross is born! |- | 1980-01-22 || ''Weekly Women's'' || Shufu to Seikatsusha || End of book || Gravure || 50 people who were popular in the 1980s |- | 1980-04-20 || ''Weekly Myojo'' || Shueisha || p.92 || Dialogue || Haruo Chikada's "In-depth Conversation" (22): My first love was in the third grade of elementary school, and she was 28 years old! |- | 1980-04-22 || ''Weekly Playboy'' || Shueisha || p.71 || – || Miki Matsubara's braless incident has a cute face but likes music |- | 1980-04-29 || ''Weekly Women's'' || Shufu to Seikatsusha || p.42 || – || A heated battle between the 7 favorites that color the post-Momoe era! |- | 1980-05-06 || ''Weekly Playboy'' || Shueisha || p.53 || – || Miki Matsubara's carefree and simple life: "When it comes to a boyfriend, that's what I want" |- | 1980-05-20 || ''Weekly Playboy'' || Shueisha || Opening page || Gravure || MISS Fresh BEST 5: If she wants a sepia-colored love, her mood is "Manhattan" |- | 1980-05-29 || ''Weekly Sankei'' || Sankei Shimbun || End of book || Gravure || Girl time |- | 1980-06 || ''Playboy'' || Shueisha || p.27 || – || MUSIC PLAY OFF: Miki Matsubara |- | 1980-07 || ''Lovely Lady'' || Fujin Seikatsusha || p.224 || – || Woman's Heart / Singing Heart (Noboru Hayakawa) |- | 1980-07-01 || ''Weekly Playboy'' || Shueisha || p.73 || – || Miki Matsubara's new professional spirit leads a RICH singer life |- | 1980-08-19/26 (merged) || ''Weekly Women's'' || Shufu to Seikatsusha || p.93 || – || Great fashion survey – list of 70 stars released! My fashion, hair, and makeup tips |- | 1980-08-19/26 (merged) || ''Weekly Women's'' || Shufu to Seikatsusha || Mid-volume || Gravure || Secret Revealed! Star Fashion BOOK: Wearing New Autumn Fashion! Me Wearing Autumn... |- | 1980-11-04 || ''Weekly Playboy'' || Shueisha || p.46 || Interview || Date in movie with Miki Matsubara who watched the movie ''Chapter 2'' and had a deep ohanashi between a man and a woman |- | 1980-12-23 / 1981-01-01 (merged) || ''Weekly Women's'' || Shufu to Seikatsusha || Opening page || Gravure || The last concert of '80 feels like Hollywood! |- | 1981-01-01 || ''Weekly Playboy'' || Shueisha || p.84 || – || The Music Miki, known as the Space Cat, has a message for those who hate cats! |- | 1981-01-15 || ''Women Themselves'' || Kobunsha || p.67 || – || Butamagamation! Something that surprised me recently |- | 1981-02-03 || ''Weekly Women's'' || Shufu to Seikatsusha || p.144 || – || Spring cosmetics campaign: Miki Matsubara vs. Akiko Yano face-off! |- | 1981-03-26 || ''Women Themselves'' || Kobunsha || p.87 || – || First release, a little MY privacy: Miki Matsubara's memo diary |- | 1981-04-14 || ''Young Lady'' || Kodansha || p.76 || – || 20-year-old woman confesses "my way of love": Miki Matsubara |- | 1981-04-16 || ''Women Themselves'' || Kobunsha || p.58 || – || Worst Dressed Announcement: 19th place |- | 1981-05-08 || ''Weekly Post'' || Shogakukan || Opening page || Gravure || A NEET gal who dreams of becoming the No. 1 showgirl |- | 1981-05-28 || ''Women Themselves'' || Kobunsha || p.159 || – || Young Star: 50 questions, 50 answers |- | 1981-06-09 || ''Young Lady'' || Kodansha || p.113 || – || BOYS & GIRLS topic zoom-up: Miki Matsubara is the topic |- | 1981-06-18 || ''Women Themselves'' || Kobunsha || Opening page || Gravure || 9 stars wearing their favorite summer formal wear |- | 1981-09-27 || ''Sunday Every Day'' || Mainichi Shimbun || p.43 || – || Even the promoters were put to shame at the school festival, which was full of entertainment |- | 1982-10-02 || ''Weekly Jewels'' || Kobunsha || p.67 || – || Wonderful Time Now: I want to approach you mysteriously! |- | 1983-01-09 || ''Sunday Every Day'' || Mainichi Shimbun || – || Gravure || Walking – (Early New Year '83: Would you like to run with a wild boar?) |- | 1988-09-10 || ''Smile'' || Shodensha || p.36 || – || A kiss from my heart! Miki Matsubara: I long for a kiss, but there are also "contacts" so exciting that kisses fade |- | 1989-07-20 || ''Asahi Entertainment'' || Tokuma Shoten || p.12 || Gravure || The enthusiastic "good woman" has returned as a mature woman! Miki Matsubara (29) |- | 1989-07-20 || ''Asahi Entertainment'' || Tokuma Shoten || pp.35–36 || Interview || A complete look at the current status of 20 of those "good women"! (6) Miki Matsubara completes 4 years of "recharging" – "I started hanging out with strange archaeologists..."<ref>Nichigai Associates' ''Dictionary of Popular Musical Names'', 25 July 1994, {{ISBN|4-8169-1223-1}}, adopts the theory that she returned with the theme song for ''Dirty Pair'' after a two-year hiatus.</ref> |- | colspan="7" | '''Sources:''' {{smalldiv| * {{cite book |title=Oya Sōichi Bunko Magazine Article Index General Catalog Personal Name Edition 5 |date=1 June 1985 |editor=Soichi Oya Bunko |publisher=Kinokuniya Shoten }} * {{cite book |title=Oya Sōichi Bunko Magazine Article Index General Catalog 1988–1995 Personal Names Volume 4 |date=20 January 1997 |editor=Soichi Oya Bunko |publisher=Kinokuniya Shoten |isbn=4-314-10121-0 }} * {{cite book |title=Weekly Magazine Article Index 81/87 People Edition Chi-wa |date=20 February 1988 |editor=Toshio Otaka |publisher=Nichigai Associates |isbn=4-8169-0757-2 }} }} |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" !scope="col"|Year !scope="col"|Title !scope="col"|Label |- |rowspan=2|1979||"Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me)" (真夜中のドア〜Stay With Me)|| rowspan=10| See･Saw |- |"愛はエネルギー" |- |rowspan=2|1980||"ハロー・トゥデイ〜Hello Today" |- |"あいつのブラウンシューズ" |- |rowspan=2|1981||"ニートな午後3時" |- |"倖せにボンソワール" |- ||1982||"予言" |- ||1983||"パラダイスビーチ (ソフィーのテーマ)"" |- ||1984||"Knock, Knock, My Heart" |- ||1985||"恋するセゾン〜色恋来い〜" |- | rowspan="2"|1987||"サファリアイズ"|| rowspan="3" |Victor |- |"Pas De Deux"<ref>{{Cite web|title=miki matsubara pas de deux - Bing video|url=https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=miki+matsubara+pas+de+deux&docid=608029333874082286&mid=6691C640CB77537F8C5E6691C640CB77537F8C5E&view=detail&FORM=VIRE|access-date=27 February 2021|website=bing.com}}</ref> |- ||1988||"In the Room" |- |rowspan=2|2020||"The Winner"|| rowspan=2| Sunrise Music |- |"Back to Paradise" |- |2021||"Miki Matsubara Night Tempo Presents the Showa Groove"|| rowspan=1| Pony Canyon |}

=== Some notable compositions === {| class="wikitable" !scope="col"|Year !scope="col"|Title !scope="col"|Artist |- |1991 |"Mou Hitotsu no Sotsugyou" (もう一つの卒業)<ref>{{Cite web|title=VIDL-52 {{!}} Mou Hitotsu no Sotsugyou / a・chi-a・chi - VGMdb|url=https://vgmdb.net/album/103923|access-date=13 March 2021|website=vgmdb.net|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=もう一つの卒業の歌詞 {{!}} a・chi-a・chi|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/27055/lyrics/I082929/|access-date=13 March 2021|website=ORICON NEWS}}</ref> |a·chi-a·chi |- |1992 |"Men of Destiny" – ''Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory'' |MIO |- |1992 |"True Shining"<ref>{{Cite web|title=VIDL-111 {{!}} True Shining / Rumiko Wada - VGMdb|url=https://vgmdb.net/album/23019|access-date=14 March 2021|website=vgmdb.net|language=en}}</ref> |Rumiko Wada |- |1994 |"Good-Bye Tears" |Yumiko Takahashi |- |1994 |"Harmony" |Mariko Kouda |- |1994 |"Run ~今日が変わるMagic~" |Hitomi Mieno |- |1994 |"誰のせいでもない二人" |Mariko Kouda |- |1995 |"Kanjite itai..." |Yoko Ichikawa |- |1995 |"Mimikaki wo Shiteiru to" (みみかきをしていると) |Mariko Kouda |- |1995 |"Heroine" (ヒ・ロ・イ・ン) |Rumi Shishido |- |1995 |"Doll-tachi no Dekuritsu Kinenbi" (Dollたちの独立記念日) |Hitomi Mieno |- |1995 |"Ame no Kioku" (雨の記憶) |Keiko Yoshinari |- |1996 |"Watashi ga Tenshi Dattara Iinoni" (私が天使だったらいいのに) |Mariko Kouda |- |1997 |"Yume wa hitori miru mono janai" (夢はひとりみるものじゃない) |Mariko Kouda |- |1997 |"Accel" (アクセル) |Mayumi Iizuka |- |1998 |"Ultraman Gaia!" (ウルトラマンガイア!) |Masayuki Tanaka & Kazuya Daimon |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{Discogs artist|2859515-Miki-Matsubara}} * {{anime News Network|people|14442}} * [http://vgmdb.net/artist/3498 ''Miki Matsubara''] at VGMdb * [http://www.lastfm.com.br/music/Miki+Matsubara ''Miki Matsubara''] at Last.fm

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matsubara, Miki}} Category:1959 births Category:2004 deaths Category:20th-century Japanese women composers Category:20th-century Japanese women singers Category:20th-century Japanese women pianists Category:Deaths from uterine cancer in Japan Category:Singers from Sakai Category:People from Kishiwada, Osaka Category:Anime composers Category:Japanese mezzo-sopranos