From Idol to Actress, Ryoko Hirosue

Solo idol Kohaku experience

She debuted as a singer in 1997, and that year she was good enough to participate in the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen
She was the first female soloist to participate in the Kohaku Uta Gassen in the year of her debut, 17 years after Seiko Matsuda and Yoshimi Iwasaki in 1980.
Born on July 18, 1980 in Kochi Prefecture
She has been releasing CDs for about 3 years, and has left many great songs to the world.
I think Ryoko Hirosue was the first idol in this world. She debuted at a time when my generation was beginning to learn about the world.
She also has songs that are so popular that you find yourself humming them, and they are still being sung and used in stories in 2025.

1stSingle released April 15, 1997 [5 seconds before Koi de Koi suru Maji].

This is the debut song written by Mariya Takeuchi, and the use of Roman characters in the title is a sign of the times!
The song starts with a counting part at the beginning, and the voice singing “1, 2, 345” is the whisper of an angel.
The music video is fresh and teenage, and the scene where she plays with her dog and sings using a shoe brush as a microphone is perfect.
The song debuted at No. 2 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and sold 590,000 copies.

2nd Single released on June 25, 1997 [Daisuki!］

The second single was already released, and this one continued the momentum of the previous one, reaching No. 1 on the Oricon Weekly Chart, and was also sung at that year’s NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Singing Contest).
The song was produced by Mayo Okamoto, who also covered the song herself in her own album, which also became a topic of conversation.
Ryoko Hirosue became the representative of short-cut girls, and the number of short-cut girls also increased.
The lyrics are characterized by repeating the same words “very, very, very, very” and “forever, forever, forever,” and there is no other song like this in the current era of 2025.
Incidentally, I saw Ryoko Hirosue for the first time at the Kohaku Uta Gassen that year and came to like her and buy her CDs.

3rdSingle released on October 15, 1997 [Prism of the Wind].

This song was written by Yuko Hara and was a gentle, medium-tempo song, a change from the fun songs of the previous album,
It was released as an advance single for the album to be released the day after this one.
This song also became a topic of conversation as it was featured in a commercial tie-up. You should see Ryoko Hirosue in pajamas at least once!
The CD below was only available by lottery, and I was lucky enough to win it.

1stALBUM released November 19, 1997 [ARIGATO!］

This album is a collection of works created by such gorgeous people as Mariya Takeuchi, Mayo Okamoto, Yuko Hara, and Kaori Okui.
The first song on the album, “prolougue (m.k.5),” is an arrangement of the count portion of “5 seconds before Koi in Maji,” and is the first song that plays when the CD is played, which adds to the fun.
This album became a hit, selling over 400,000 copies.

May 13, 1998 4thSingle【summer sunset】on sale

This piece was released about six months after the album.
It was produced by Ms. Kamie Hirose and was a tie-in song for a commercial in which she appeared.
Sunset means sunset, so the CD jacket is shot under a blue sky, but the song is finished in a way that evokes the image of a sunset.
It is the kind of song I like to listen to when I drive along the seaside in my convertible car, and the song’s lyrics by Kami-Hirose have brought out a new side of Ryoko Hirosue.
Listen to this song and think positive even when you are going through difficult times in your life.

5th Single [Jeans] released on October 7, 1998

This song was used as the ending song for the anime Kindaichi Shonen no Jikenbo. The word “jeans” alone might make you think it is a pair of trouser jeans, but it is not. You may think “Jeans” is the word for “pants”,
The word “Jeans” represents the multiple system of “jean”.
The jacket of this CD is so comfortable to the touch that it is difficult to convey in words, but I really want you to touch it once.
The lyrics of the song are positive, and the main character is moving forward.
Please listen to it after the rain.

February 3, 1999 release 6thSingle “To Tomorrow

This is the first 12cm CD and was created by Ms. Mayo Okamoto, who created the second single “Daisuki! This piece was created by Mayo Okamoto, who also created our second single “Oosuki!
The tone of this song is the part in the chorus where the voice gets higher in the order of the musical scale. It was difficult for me to sing this song because I was in the midst of a voice change at the time.
Since the theme of the song is graduation, I can picture my memories at school, and the words to my friends who are leaving me and the scene when I look at my graduation album make me stronger.
Since the album was released in the same month, the sales of the single were not so high, but it is one of the songs that everyone would know if they heard it.

2ndALBUM “private” released on February 17, 2000

The title was derived from the coupling “Private” of “Jeans,” and this piece was created by Ringo Shiina.
The album was full of content, including a song with lyrics written by Ryoko Hirosue herself and an album version of “To Tomorrow.
With the release of this album, the number of CD releases decreased.

Best album [RHSingles & …] released on November 25, 1999

The album includes all of the singles and a new song, “Midwinter Constellations”, which brings to mind the clear winter night sky and beautiful stars.
This song is from the album, but it was sung on a music TV program, and I think it was the last time I appeared on a music TV program as a singer. I think this is the last time I appeared on a music program as a singer.
This album came with a sticker on the limited first edition. The stickers are the jackets of the singles up to now.
It is a rare sticker and not sold anymore.
By the way, I have it.

November 8, 2000 release 7thSingle【Fruit】

This was the last single CD as of the summer of 2024, and the first time the CD jacket did not show the singer herself, so I thought it would be a good idea to have her on the cover.
The rock-oriented, mature finish and the balance between her cute singing voice is again exquisite and wonderful.
This is a valuable CD, and although it is not so well known, it is one of the works that you should really listen to.

Remix album [RH-Remix] released on August 29, 2001

The songs have been remixed and rearranged from the singles and the album.
If you insert this CD into your PC, you may or may not be able to see the music videos of “Fruits” and “Midwinter Constellations” on CD EXTRA.
The CD was priced at 2,500 yen due to the small number of songs.

Released on February 27, 2002 2nd best album [Ryoko Hirosue Perfect Collection］

With this album, the singer’s career came to an end.
All songs from her debut to her last single and album songs are included in this album.
A new song “Water Lily Boat” is included in this album. If you want to know all of Ryoko Hirosue’s songs, I recommend you to get this album.
I hope she sings again, she didn’t sing until her new song “Kimi no Egao” in 2020 for distribution, but I would be happy if she also sings at some point in 2024 when her fan club will be established.
How was your impression of Ryoko Hirosue’s music?
I myself was the first idol to see Ryoko Hirosue, so I cherish each and every one of her songs and listen to them even now.