History

Pre-Debut

Double started out as a sister duo between Takako and Sachiko Hirasawa. Their interest in R&B music started when their oldest sister came back from studying in America, bringing with her CDs by Mary J. Blige, En Vogue, TLC and SWV. Additionally, Takako's love for R&B grew more when watched Janet Jackson's music videos. In 1993, They joined a band called Daddys and Sisters and started singing covers of Western songs at festivals part-time in Niigata while Sachiko was majoring psychology in college. In 1995, they decided to audition for For Life Records and passed. In 1997, the label booked them to perform regularly at the U.S. Yokota Air Base. They became the first Japanese artists in 27 years to perform there.

Crystal Era

In February 1998 they released their first single "For me" and was #89 on the Oricon chart. "Desire" and "BED" were released later that year and they went on a club tour from October to November called "DOUBLE Club Circuit 98". In 1999, they released "Shake" and it became a smash hit selling 100,000 copies. The SUPER SISTER TOUR was held from March until Sachiko's death. On May 21, 1999, Sachiko passed away due to a subarachnoid brain hemorrhaging. On June 2nd, their debut album "Crystal" was released and peaked at #2 on the Oricon chart. December 1st 1999, Crystal Planet would be released. The album cover was illustrated by Buichi Terasawa whose manga, Cobra, was one of Takako's favorite mangas growing up. The album includes remixes, songs before their debut, covers of rnb songs, promotional videos, and interviews.

Double Era

Takako would take a hiatus until June 2000, appearing as a guest singer on ZEEBRA's album "BASED ON A TRUE STORY" and would appear on his national tour. On July 17, 2000, she released her first solo singles "handle" and "U". Takako was hesitant of continuing making music under Double, but with the support her fans, she decided to do so. "Angel" released on November 22nd, 2000 and gained significant radio play. On November 29th, 2000, she would release her first solo album "Double". She also released an english version on April 25th, 2001.

VISION Era

For Parappa the Rapper 2, she collaborated with progressive rap group De La Soul, and released "Say ""I Gotta Believe!"". Continuing her success, she appeared on GTS's album "POP+underground" as a feature on the song "I Miss You". GEE(GTS) PRESENTS double GREATEST REMIX released on April 24th, 2002. The releases, "Driving All Night/You Got To" and "Who's That Girl" secured a second consecutive spot in the Oricon top 10. Tasha aka Yoonmirae featured Takako on her single "DOUBLE TROUBLE". "VISION" released on October 9th, 2002, reaching number 3 on the Oricon charts. Re:VISION released on December 15th, 2002. The following year, "THE BEST VISION of DOUBLE," a collection of video works, received acclaim.

Wonderful Era

Subsequent releases like "Rollin' on" and "destiny", along with the album "Wonderful", showcased her dominating presence on the Oricon chart. Too Wonderful released January 28th, 2004.

Life is Beautiful Era

In 2004, Takako would collaborate with mflo and Frontpage Orchestra to create the album "Life is beautiful", blending R&B with Jazz.

Reflex Era

The 2005 single "ROCK THE PARTY" fused R&B with Latin and Reggae sounds, followed by the global R&B track "Call Me" in March 2006. She diversified her discography with the July 2006 release of the first distribution-only single "Emotions". In April 2007, "SPRING LOVE" and "SUMMERTIME feat. VERBAL" showcased her musical versatility. She also ventured into DJing, releasing the first MIX CD "virgin mix" in July 2007. August 2007 saw the release of the original album "Reflex," praised by music journalists for its perfection. In December of the same year, she dropped "Eternal BED," her first single in nine years since "BED," produced by Kiyoshi Matsuo "KC."

10 YEARS BEST WE R&B Era

Celebrating her 10th anniversary in 2008, she released the best album "10 YEARS BEST WE R&B" in February, a comprehensive collection of DOUBLE's influential career in Japanese R&B. To promote her music, she would release in a gravure photo book titled "月刊 DOUBLE". The collaboration album "THE BEST COLLABORATIONS" followed in May, accompanied by the nationwide tour "DOUBLE BEST LIVE "We R&B," concluding with a spectacular performance at Shinkiba STUDIO COAST. The tour's final DVD was released on November 26th. In 2009, DOUBLE continued to make waves with the simultaneous release of the single "Let it go" and the MIX CD "second virgin mix" under the name DJ Lilly a.k.a.DOUBLE on July 22nd. On November 11th, she released the groundbreaking R&B duet "Good Night Kiss wo Good Night My Love" with Shota Shimizu.

Woman Era

On October 5th, their fifth album, "WOMAN," was officially released. In conjunction with the album, she introduced an exclusive fragrance and had a created brand called "WW by Double" that sold sunglasses and jewellery. The release of the best album, "SINGLE BEST," followed on May 28, 2014. The track "Circle of Life" was chosen as the theme song for the movie "Ju-on: The Final," set to hit theaters on June 20, 2015.

UPLOAD and 20th Anniversary

In a significant announcement on her official blog on March 14, 2018, coinciding with her birthday, she celebrated the 20th anniversary of her debut. However, she also disclosed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of the previous year and would undergo surgery. In a noteworthy commemoration of their two-decade milestone, SILVA and SUGARSOUL, prominent figures in the late 1990s Japanese R&B scene, jointly released the EP titled "UPLOAD" on August 1st. Simultaneously, she unveiled her best album, "DOUBLE LATEST SINGLE BEST," on the same day.