Kuraki Mai

Kuraki Mai promoting "Koyoi wa Yume wo Misasete" (2018)

Kuraki Mai (倉木麻衣) is a Japanese pop singer. She originally released songs with a more R&B feel, though later she switched to a mainstream pop sound. She had an unsuccessful US release under the name Mai-K. Kuraki Mai also has sung two duets with Singaporean superstar Sun Yan Zi.

Profile

• Stage Names: Kuraki Mai (倉木麻衣), Mai-K
• Birth Name: Aono Mai (青野真衣)
• Date of Birth: October 28, 1982 (1982-10-28)
• Place of Birth: Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
• Blood Type: B
• Bands / Groups:
  • 16voices (2015-)
• Labels:
  • Bip! Records (1999)
  • GIZA studio (1999-2007)
  • Northern Music (2007-)

Information

Kuraki Mai (also known as Mai-K to her fans) had always wanted to be a singer ever since she saw a movie about Michael Jackson's life and watched Whitney Houston's concert videos. Around her second year in junior high school, she began making demo tapes, hoping that she would get a record deal.

Her chance to sing came when she was in junior high school when a member of staff from GIZA studio caught her fresh talent and immediately sent her to Cybersound Studio in Boston to record her US debut single, "Baby I Like" under the pseudonym Mai-K which eventually became her nickname. The studio staff were so impressed with her vocal abilities that they encouraged her to go back to Japan and record. She did so and released her Japanese debut single, "Love, Day After Tomorrow" on December 8 the same year. Love, Day After Tomorrow hit the top spot in the Oricon Chart, selling more than 1 million copies. Since her debut at sixteen, her singles and albums have never failed to reach top 10 positions on the charts.

Kuraki has worked with a some of GIZA's most talented composers such as Tokunaga Akihito from doa, songwriter Ohno Aika and guitarist for GARNET CROW, Okamoto Hitoshi. Kuraki has also collaborated with TAK MATSUMOTO (guitarist from B'z) in "Imitation Gold" and Singaporean singer, Sun Yan Zi (Stephanie Sun).

Despite Kuraki infrequent TV and magazine appearances, she has a very large fan base and was often compared to Utada Hikaru because of their similar R&B styles.

On March 21st 2005, Kuraki graduated from Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto where she studied modern culture and society.

On June 2007, she left GIZA studio and transferred to NORTHERN MUSIC.

On February 13th, 2009, Kuraki made her first appearance as a guest on Music Station, to promote the album touch Me!.

Trivia

• She owns a Border Collie dog named "Casper"
• She holds the Oricon record for the most consecutive top 10 single hits for a female solo artist since her debut. As all of her singles have charted, this record is still growing.

Discography

Kuraki Mai promoting "Secret of my heart" (2000)

Kuraki Mai promoting FAIRY TALE (2002)

Kuraki Mai promoting "Love, needing" (2005)

Kuraki Mai promoting "Ichibyou Goto ni Love for you" (2008)

Kuraki Mai promoting touch Me! (2009)

Kuraki promoting "Eien Yori Nagaku / Drive me crazy" (2010)

Studio Albums

• [2000.06.28] delicious way
• [2001.07.04] PERFECT CRIME
• [2002.01.22] Secret of my heart (Mai-K)
• [2002.10.23] FAIRY TALE
• [2003.07.09] If I Believe
• [2005.08.24] FUSE OF LOVE
• [2006.08.02] DIAMOND WAVE
• [2008.01.01] ONE LIFE
• [2009.01.21] touch Me!
• [2010.11.17] FUTURE KISS
• [2012.01.11] OVER THE RAINBOW
• [2017.02.15] Smile

Best Albums

• [2004.01.01] Wish You The Best
• [2009.09.09] ALL MY BEST
• [2014.05.30] REQUEST BEST "MY & MAI" (Fanclub Only)
• [2014.11.12] MAI KURAKI BEST 151A -LOVE & HOPE- (15th Anniversary)
• [2017.10.25] Kuraki Mai × Meitantei Conan COLLABORATION BEST 21 -Shinjitsu wa Itsumo Uta ni Aru!- (真実はいつも歌にある！)

Other Albums

• [2018.10.10] Kimi Omofu ~Shunkashuutou~ (君 想ふ ～春夏秋冬～) (Concept Album)

Box

• [2012.12.19] Mai Kuraki Symphonic Collection in Moscow

Singles

• [1999.10.20] Baby I Like (Mai-K)
• [1999.12.08] Love, Day After Tomorrow
• [2000.03.15] Stay by my side
• [2000.04.26] Secret of my heart
• [2000.06.07] NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP
• [2000.09.27] Simply Wonderful
• [2000.11.08] Reach for the sky
• [2001.02.07] Tsumetai Umi / Start in my life (冷たい海; Cold Sea)
• [2001.04.18] Stand Up
• [2001.06.06] always
• [2001.08.29] Can't forget your love / PERFECT CRIME -Single Edit-
• [2002.01.17] Winter Bells
• [2002.04.24] Feel fine!
• [2002.10.04] Like a star in the night
• [2002.12.04] Make my day
• [2003.03.05] Time after time ~Hana Mau Machi de~ (Time after time ～花舞う街で～; In the Town of Dancing Flowers)
• [2003.04.30] Kiss
• [2003.05.28] Kaze no Lalala (風のららら; Lalala of the Wind)
• [2004.05.19] Ashita e Kakeru Hashi (明日へ架ける橋; The Bridge to Tomorrow)
• [2005.01.26] Love, needing
• [2005.03.23] Dancing (ダンシング)
• [2005.06.01] P.S ♡ MY SUNSHINE
• [2005.11.09] Growing of my heart
• [2006.02.08] Best of Hero (ベスト オブ ヒーロー)
• [2006.06.21] Diamond Wave
• [2006.12.20] Shiroi Yuki (白い雪; White Snow)
• [2007.02.14] Season of love
• [2007.11.28] Silent love ~open my heart~ / BE WITH U
• [2008.03.19] Yume ga Saku Haru / You and Music and Dream (夢が咲く春; Spring of Blossoming Dreams)
• [2008.07.09] Ichibyou Goto ni Love for you (一秒ごとに Love for you; Love for You Every Second)
• [2008.11.26] 24 Xmas time
• [2009.04.01] PUZZLE / Revive
• [2009.06.10] Beautiful
• [2010.03.03] Eien Yori Nagaku / Drive me crazy (永遠より ながく; Longer than Eternity)
• [2010.08.31] SUMMER TIME GONE
• [2011.03.09] 1000 Mankai no Kiss (1000万回のキス)
• [2011.05.25] Mou Ichido (もう一度; Once More)
• [2011.10.19] Your Best Friend
• [2012.08.15] Koi ni Koishite / Special Morning day to you (恋に恋して; In Love with Love)
• [2013.02.06] TRY AGAIN
• [2014.08.27] Muteki na Heart / STAND BY YOU (無敵なハート; Unbeatable Heart)
• [2017.04.12] Togetsukyou ~Kimi Omofu~ (渡月橋 ～君 想ふ～; Togetsu-kyo Bridge ~Thinking of You~)
• [2019.03.20] Kimi to Koi no Mama de Owarenai Itsumo Yume no Mama ja Irarenai / Barairo no Jinsei (きみと恋のままで終われない　いつも夢のままじゃいられない／薔薇色の人生)

Digital Singles

• [2010.06.09] chance for you ~cinema ver.~
• [2011.04.11] Anata ga Iru Kara (あなたがいるから)
• [2011.09.07] Anata ga Iru Kara ~Fantasy on Ice 2011~ (あなたがいるから ～Fantasy on Ice 2011～)
• [2013.08.17] Reach for the sky ~RE:GGAE Summer 2013 Ver.~
• [2015.05.20] Serendipity
• [2016.07.30] SAWAGE☆LIFE
• [2017.01.11] YESTERDAY LOVE
• [2018.03.02] WE ARE HAPPY WOMEN
• [2018.03.09] Do it!
• [2018.03.16] Light Up My Life
• [2018.08.08] Koyoi wa Yume wo Misasete (今宵は夢を見させて)

Vinyls

• [1999.11.27] BABY I LIKE
• [2000.03.08] Love, Day After Tomorrow
• [2000.06.19] NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP
• [2000.11.22] Reach for the sky
• [2001.05.03] Stand Up / YES or NO

Video Releases

• [2000.11.08] FIRST CUT
• [2001.09.19] Mai Kuraki & Experience First Live 2001 in Zepp Osaka
• [2001.11.21] Mai Kuraki & Experience First Live Tour 2001 ETERNAL MOMENT
• [2002.04.03] Mai Kuraki "Loving You..." Tour 2002 Final 2.27 YOKOHAMA ARENA
• [2002.05.15] Mai Kuraki "Loving You..." Tour 2002 Complete Edition
• [2004.01.07] My Reflection
• [2005.01.05] Mai Kuraki 5th Anniversary Edition "Grow, Step by Step"
• [2006.02.22] Mai Kuraki Live Tour 2005 LIKE A FUSE OF LIVE
• [2007.08.22] Brilliant Cut ~Mai Kuraki Live & Document~
• [2009.05.06] Mai Kuraki Live Tour 2008 "touch Me!"
• [2009.12.23] 10TH ANNIVERSARY LIVE TOUR "BEST"
• [2011.10.19] HAPPY HAPPY HALLOWEEN LIVE 2010
• [2011.11.23] Strong Heart
• [2012.03.14] Mai Kuraki Premium Live One for all, All for one
• [2012.08.15] Mai Kuraki Live Tour 2012 ~OVER THE RAINBOW~
• [2013.07.03] Mai Kuraki Symphonic Live -Opus 1-
• [2013.12.04] MAI KURAKI LIVE PROJECT 2013 "RE:"
• [2014.03.26] Mai Kuraki Symphonic Live -Opus 2-
• [2014.02.26] Wake me up
• [2015.06.27] 15th Anniversary Mai Kuraki Live Project 2014 BEST “Ichi-go ichi-e” ～Premium～
• [2016.01.27] Mai Kuraki Symphonic Live -Opus 3-
• [2017.01.11] YESTERDAY LOVE (Video Single)
• [2017.08.16] Mai Kuraki Live Project 2017 “SAWAGE☆LIVE”

Compilations / Other

• [2000.11.29] THE BEST OF DETECTIVE CONAN (#12 Secret of my heart)
• [2001.03.07] COOL CITY PRODUCTION vol.1 "PARTY IN A HOUSE"
• [2001.12.05] GIZA studio R&B Respect vol.1 ~six sisters selection~ (#3 I'll Be There)
• [2001.12.19] GIZA studio Masterpiece BLEND 2001 (Disc 1 #1 always; Disc 2 #3 Stand Up)
• [2002.04.24] COOL CITY PRODUCTION vol.3 "Mai-K's club side"
• [2002.07.17] Patapata Hikousen no Bouken Original Soundtrack (#25 WHAT CAN I DO(TV-SIZE))
• [2002.07.17] GIZA studio MAI-K&FRIENDS HOTROD BEACH PARTY (#1 DON'T WORRY BABY)
• [2002.10.23] COOL CITY PRODUCTION vol.4 "Mai-K 'Feel fine!' Remixes and Movie"
• [2002.12.04] Ohno Aika - Secret Garden (#4 The Frozen Sea, guest vocal)
• [2002.12.18] GIZA studio Masterpiece BLEND 2002 (Disc 1 #1 Feel fine!, #12 Ride on time; Disc 2 #2 Give me one more chance, #13 DON'T WORRY BABY)
• [2003.01.10] Sun Yan Zi - To Be Continued... (#14 My Story, Your Song)
• [2003.10.21] EXPERIENCE featuring MAI KURAKI - I JUST CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU
• [2003.10.08] TAK MATSUMOTO featuring Kuraki Mai - Imitation Gold (イミテイション・ゴールド)
• [2003.11.26] THE HIT PARADE (#5 Imitation Gold)
• [2003.12.10] THE BEST OF DETECTIVE CONAN 2 (#1 always, #3 Time after time ~Hana Mau Machi de~, #5 Winter Bells, #7 Kaze no Lalala, #9 Start in my life)
• [2003.12.17] GIZA studio Masterpiece BLEND 2003 (Disc 1 #1 Kiss; Disc 2 #4 If I Believe)
• [2004.09.29] Sport! MEMORIAL ~Sweat and Tears~ (#3 Make my day, #9 Come on! Come on!)
• [2005.04.14] Hills Bread Cafe Vol. 2
• [2007.07.04] The Best of Tales (#6 Key to my heart)
• [2008.08.06] THE BEST OF DETECTIVE CONAN 3 (Disc 1 #8 Growing of my heart; Disc 2 #8 Shiroi Yuki)
• [2008.12.24] GIZA studio 10th Anniversary Masterpiece BLEND ~LOVE Side~ (#1 Love, Day After Tomorrow)
• [2008.12.24] GIZA studio 10th Anniversary Masterpiece BLEND ~FUN Side~ (#16 Feel fine!)
• [2009.05.27] ZARD - Sunao ni Ienakute ~featuring Mai Kuraki~ (素直に言えなくて)
• [2011.02.10] ZARD - ZARD Single Collection ~20th Anniversary~ (Disc 6 #15 Sunao ni Ienakute ~featuring Mai Kuraki~)
• [2011.03.18] Love One Another (Kuraki Mai & Michael Africk)
• [2011.05.25] Kiri ni Sumu Akuma Original Soundtrack (#22 Shudaika 「Mou Ichido」 Instrumental)
• [2011.06.01] NERDHEAD - Doushite Suki Nandarou featuring Mai.k (どうして好きなんだろう)
• [2011.10.26] NERDHEAD - BEHIND the TRUTH (#5 Kotoba ni Dekinai Hodo ni Suki na Noni feat. Mai.K ,#11 Doushite Suki Nandarou feat. Mai.K)
• [2011.10.26] NERDHEAD - Kotoba ni Dekinai Hodo ni Suki na Noni feat. Mai.K (言葉にできないほど好きなのに)
• [2011.12.14] THE BEST OF DETECTIVE CONAN 4 (DISC1:#3 PUZZLE, #4 Ichibyou Goto ni Love For You, #6 REVIVE, #10 SUMMER TIME GONE, DISC2: #7 Tomorrow is the last time)
• [2012.05.30] NERDHEAD - CRUISE WITH YOU (#5 Kotoba ni Dekinai Hodo ni Suki na Noni feat. Mai.K (DJ MITSU THE BEATS Remix))
• [2014.10.22] THE BEST OF DETECTIVE CONAN 5 (#3 TRY AGAIN, #11 Koi ni Koishite, #14 Your Best Friend)
• [2017.03.22] Gekijou-ban Meitantei Conan Shudaikashuu ~"20" All Songs~ (Disc 1 #5 Always, Disc 1 #7 Time after time ~Hana Mau Machi de~, Disc 2 #3 Puzzle)
• [2017.10.18] BREAKERZ - X (Disc 1 #9 Hirari Mai Chiruhana no You ni feat. Kuraki Mai)

Books

• [2002.02.15] myself music

External Links

• Official Website
• Official Blog
• Official Twitter
• Official Youtube