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Difference between revisions of "Crystal Kay"

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[[Image:Crystal Kay FLASH Promo.png|right|300px|thumb|Crystal Kay promoting [[Flash (Crystal Kay mini-album)|FLASH]]]]
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[[File:CK - Journey ~ Spin The Music promo.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Crystal Kay promoting "[[Journey ~Kimi to Futari de~]]" & ''[[Spin the Music|Spin The Music]]'' (2010)]]
  
 
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'''Crystal Kay''' (クリスタル・ケイ) is the daughter of an African-American father and Korean mother, born and raised in [[Yokohama]], [[Kanagawa Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. She first sang some songs for [[TV CF]], thanks in no small part to her mother's contacts, at the age of 6. This young start got her noticed early on and by 1998 she had signed to [[Sony Music Entertainment|Epic Records]] at only 12 years old. The following year she debuted with the single [[Eternal Memories]]. To date she has released eight albums and has collaborated with the likes of [[m-flo]] and [[CHEMISTRY]]. Like a number of [[Japanese]] artists, Crystal can speak both [[English]] and [[Japanese]], the former making a regular appearance in her songs which exhibit a distinctly western influenced [[R&B]] sound.
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'''Crystal Kay''' (クリスタル・ケイ) is a [[J-Pop|Japanese pop]], [[:Category:J-Urban|urban]], and [[:Category:J-R&B|R&B]] singer signed with the [[Sony Music Entertainment|Sony Music]] sub-label [[Sony Music Entertainment#EPIC Records|EPIC Records]]. Born and raised in [[Yokohama]], [[Kaganawa Prefecture]] to an African-American father and a Korean mother, Kay started her music career at the age of six. At 12 she got a record deal, and then teamed up with [[Kanno Yoko]] to produce her debut single "[[Eternal Memories]]", which was released in July of 1999. Like a number of [[Japanese]] artists Kay can speak both [[English]] and [[Japanese language|Japanese]], the former making a regular appearance in her songs, exhibiting a distinctly western influenced [[Wikipedia:Rhythm and blue|R&B]] sound.
 
 
  
 
==Profile==
 
==Profile==
* '''Name:''' Crystal Kay Williams
+
* '''Birth Name:''' Crystal Kay Williams
* '''Nicknames:''' Kuri, CK
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* '''Nicknames:''' Kuri (クリ), CK
* '''Birthday:''' February 26, 1986
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* '''Birth Date:''' {{bda|1986|02|26|mf=yes}}
* '''Birthplace:''' [[Yokohama]], [[Japan]]
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* '''Birth Place:''' [[Yokohama]], [[Kanagawa Prefecture]], [[Japan]]
 
* '''[[Blood Type]]:''' O
 
* '''[[Blood Type]]:''' O
  
== Information ==
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==Biography==
 
===1999-2001: Debut & Image Change===
 
===1999-2001: Debut & Image Change===
[[Image:CK Eternal Memories Promo.jpg‎|thumb|225px|Crystal Kay promoting "[[Eternal Memories]]" (1999)]]
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[[File:CK - Eternal Memories promo.jpg‎|right|225px|thumb|Crystal Kay promoting "[[Eternal Memories]]" (1999)]]
Crystal Kay began her career at just 4 years old, debuting as a [[Wikipedia:Jingle|jingle]] singer for several [[CM]]'s. In 1999 at just 12 years old Kay teamed up with the composer [[Kanno Yoko]] to produce her debut single "[[Eternal Memories]]". The single peeked at #47 on the [[Oricon]] chart. Before the end of 1999 Kay released two more singles, "[[Teenage Universe ~Chewing Gum Baby|TEENAGE UNIVERSE ~Chewing Gum Baby]]" and "[[Komichi no Hana]]" with the former charting the same position as "Eternal Memories" and the latter charting significantly less, at #80.
 
  
On March 23, 2000 at the age of 14, Kay's debut album ''[[C.L.L. Crystal Lover Light|C.L.L.~Crystal Lover Light]]'' was released. It reflected a more R&B and acoustic side of her, as later albums would gear towards the [[J-Pop|pop]] and [[J-Urban|urban]] genres. This album reached #60 on the charts and manged to chart for four weeks, selling 19,930 copies. Kay also released her fourth single "[[Shadows of Desire]]" simultaneously with the album. "Shadows of Desire" was her first A-side single to be sung entirely in English and is Kay's only single to date not to chart.
+
Crystal Kay began her career at just six years old, debuting as a [[Wikipedia:Jingle|jingle]] singer for several [[CM|commericals]]. In 1999 at just 12 years old Kay got a record deal with [[Sony Music Entertainment#EPIC Records|EPIC Records]], a sub-label of [[Sony Music Entertainment]]. She then teamed up with the composer [[Kanno Yoko]] to produce her debut single, "[[Eternal Memories]]". The single peeked at #47 on the [[Oricon]] weekly charts. Before the end of 1999 Kay released two more singles, "[[Teenage Universe ~Chewing Gum Baby|TEENAGE UNIVERSE ~Chewing Gum Baby]]" and "[[Komichi no Hana]]", with the former charting the same position as her debut single and the latter charting significantly less, reaching #80.  
  
[[File:CK 637 -always and forever- Promo.jpg|thumb|225px|left|Crystal Kay promoting ''[[637 -Always and Forever-|637 -always and forever-]]'' (2001)]]
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On March 23rd, 2000 at the age of 14, Kay's debut album ''[[C.L.L. ~Crystal Lover Light|C.L.L. ~CRYSTAL LOVER LIGHT]]'' was released. It reflected a more R&B and acoustic side of her, as later albums would gear towards the [[J-Pop|pop]] and [[:Category:J-Urban|urban]] genres. This album reached #60 on the charts and manged to chart for four weeks, selling 19,930 copies. Kay also released her fourth single "[[Shadows of Desire]]" simultaneously with the album. "Shadows of Desire" was her first A-side single to be sung entirely in English and is Kay's only single to date not to chart.
  
Inactive for the rest of the year, Kay made her comeback in 2001 collaborating with [[MONDO GROSSO|Osawa Shinichi]] and [[Fujiwara Hiroshi]] to release the single "[[Lost Child|LOST CHILD]]" which was a theme song for the film ''[[Satorare]]''. In that same year Kay underwent an image and genre change to an urban style and released her fifth single "[[Girl's Night]]" which would be her first single produced by [[T.KURA]] and [[MICHICO]]. The title track for the single was used for the [[Wikipedia:Tokyo TV|TX]] music program ''[[JAPAN COUNTDOWN]]'' and it reached #100 on the [[Oricon]] weekly chart while only charting for one week. Kay's sixth single "[[Ex-Boyfriend (Crystal Kay)|Ex-Boyfriend]]" featured Hip-Hop artist [[VERBAL]] of the group [[m-flo]]. At the time of it's release the single was a minor success for Kay peaking at number #44 and charting for five weeks.
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[[File:CK - 637 promo.jpg|left|225px|thumb|Crystal Kay promoting ''[[637 -Always and Forever-|637 -always and forever-]]'' (2001)]]
  
Kay's second album ''[[637 -Always and Forever-|637 -always and forever-]]'' was released August 22nd, 2001. The songs on the album featured her new venture into the urban and pop market. The album reached a position three times higher than her previous album ''C.L.L CRYSTAL LOVER LIGHT'', it manged to reach #19 on the [[Oricon]] weekly charts and charted for a total of eight weeks selling 48,550 copies. Kay's seventh single "[[Think of U|think of U]]" was a Christmas themed single and was her final release of 2001.
+
Inactive for the rest of the year, Kay made her comeback in 2001 collaborating with [[Osawa Shinichi|MONDO GROSSO]] and [[Fujiwara Hiroshi]] to release the single "[[Lost Child (Crystal Kay)|LOST CHILD]]", which was the theme song for the film ''[[Satorare]]''. In that same year Kay underwent an image and genre change to an urban style and released her fifth single "[[Girl's Night]]" which would be her first single produced by [[T.KURA]] and [[MICHICO]]. The titular track was used as the theme song for the [[TV TOKYO]] music program ''[[JAPAN COUNTDOWN]]'' and reached #100 on the [[Oricon]] weekly charts while only charting for one week.
 +
 
 +
Kay's sixth single "[[Ex-Boyfriend (Crystal Kay)|Ex-Boyfriend]]" featured Hip-Hop artist [[VERBAL]] of the group [[m-flo]]. At the time of its release the single was a minor success for Kay peaking at number #44 on the charts and charting for five weeks. Kay's second album ''[[637 -Always and Forever-|637 -always and forever-]]'' was released August 22nd, 2001. The songs on the album featured her new venture into the urban and pop markets. The album reached a position three times higher than her debut album ''[[C.L.L. ~Crystal Lover Light|C.L.L. ~CRYSTAL LOVER LIGHT]]'', reaching #19 on the [[Oricon]] weekly charts and charting for a total of eight weeks, selling 48,550 copies. Kay's seventh single "[[Think of U|think of U]]" was a Christmas themed single and was her final release of 2001.
 +
 
 +
[[File:CK - CK5 promo.jpg‎|right|225px|thumb|Crystal Kay promoting ''[[CK5]]'' (2004)]]
  
 
===2002-2006: Early & Growing Success===
 
===2002-2006: Early & Growing Success===
[[Image:CK CK5 Promo.jpg‎|thumb|225px|Crystal Kay promoting ''[[CK5]]'' (2004)]]
 
Establishing herself as an urban artist Kay released her eighth single "[[Hard to Say|hard to say]]" which featured [[JESSE|SORA3000]] and [[SPHERE of INFLUENCE]]. For the single Kay enlisted [[Takahashi Taku|☆TAKU]] of [[m-flo]] to produce. The single debuted at #26 on the [[Oricon]] charts and became Kay's first single to chart in the top thirty. Kay's next single "[[Girl U Love]]" would chart poorly at only #156 with her third album ''[[Almost Seventeen|almost seventeen]]''  subsequently following it's release, however, the album reached #2 in [[Oricon]] charts and charting for 58 weeks it would sell 51,360 in it's first week and 213,023 copies in 2003 to become the 62nd best selling album of that year.
 
  
Kay began 2003 with the her tenth single "[[Boyfriend -Part II-|Boyfriend -part II-]]" which peeked at #23. For Kay's eleventh single she teamed up with [[m-flo]] again to release "[[I Like It|I LIKE IT]]" which was credited as "Crystal Kay loves [[m-flo]]". The single was meant to go hand-in-hand with [[m-flo]]'s 14th single "[[Reeewind!|REEEWIND!]]" which was credited to "[[m-flo]] loves Crystal Kay". The single was Kay's first in the top ten, reaching #8 on the [[Oricon]] chart it charted for thirteen weeks.  
+
Establishing herself as an urban artist Kay released her eighth single "[[Hard to Say|hard to say]]", which featured [[JESSE|SORA3000]] and [[SPHERE of INFLUENCE]]. For the single Kay enlisted [[Takahashi Taku|☆TAKU]] of [[m-flo]] to produce. The single debuted at #26 on the [[Oricon]] weekly charts and became Kay's first single to chart in the top thirty.
  
Kay released two more singles in 2003, "[[Candy (Crystal Kay)|Candy]]" a single written and produced by [[YOSHIKA]] and "[[Can't Be Stopped|Can't be Stopped]]" followed by her fourth studio album ''[[4 Real|4 REAL]]''. The album reached #5 in [[Oricon]] charts and charted for 25 weeks. It sold 246,306 copies in 2004 and become the 59th best selling album of that year. Towards the end of 2003 Kay released her first fully English album ''[[Natural -World Premiere Album-|NATURAL -World Premiere Album-]]''. The album featured English versions of previous singles and several cover songs from artist like [[wikipedia:Amel Larrieux|Amel Larrieux]] and [[wikipedia:Cindy Lauper|Cindy Lauper]]. In Japan, the album reached #33 in [[Oricon]] charts and charted for 8 weeks. Although imported versions were made available of the album, it was never officially released internationally.  
+
Kay's next single "[[Girl U Love]]" would chart poorly, reaching only #156 with her third album ''[[Almost Seventeen|almost seventeen]]'' subsequently following its release. However, the album reached #2 in [[Oricon]] weekly charts and charted for 58 weeks. Tt would sell 51,360 in its first week and 213,023 total copies in 2003 to become the 62nd best selling album of that year.
  
[[File:CrystalKay.jpg|thumb|225px|left|Crystal Kay promoting "[[Kirakuni / Together]]" (2006)]]
+
Kay began 2003 with the her tenth single "[[Boyfriend -Part II-|Boyfriend -part II-]]" which peeked at #23 on the charts. For Kay's eleventh single she teamed up with [[m-flo]] again to release "[[I Like It|I LIKE IT]]" which was credited as "Crystal Kay loves [[m-flo]]". The single was meant to go hand-in-hand with [[m-flo]]'s 14th single "[[Reeewind!|REEEWIND!]]", which was credited to "[[m-flo]] loves Crystal Kay". The single was Kay's first release in the top ten, reaching #8 on the [[Oricon]] weekly charts, where it charted for thirteen weeks.
  
In 2004 Kay released her fourteenth single "[[Motherland]]". The title track for the single was used as the third ending theme for the [[Anime|anime]] series ''[[Wikipedia:Fullmetal Alchemist|Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' from episodes 26 to 41. Following the single, Kay released her first best album ''[[CK5]]''. The title of the album was homage to the 5 years since her debut. Kay's fifteenth single "[[Bye My Darling!]]" reached #40 on the charts and would her final release of 2004.
+
Kay released two more singles in 2003: "[[Candy (Crystal Kay)|Candy]]", a single written and produced by [[YOSHIKA]], and "[[Can't Be Stopped|Can't be Stopped]]". They were followed by her fourth studio album ''[[4 Real|4 REAL]]''. The album reached #5 on the [[Oricon]] weekly charts and charted for 25 weeks. It sold 246,306 copies in 2004 and become the 59th best selling album of that year. Towards the end of 2003 Kay released her first fully English album ''[[Natural -World Premiere Album-|NATURAL -World Premiere Album-]]''. The album featured English versions of previously released singles and several cover songs from artists like [[wikipedia:Amel Larrieux|Amel Larrieux]] and [[wikipedia:Cindy Lauper|Cindy Lauper]]. In Japan, the album reached #33 on the [[Oricon]] charts and charted for eight weeks. Although imported versions were made available of the album, it was never officially released internationally.  
  
Before the end of 2004 Kay graduated from [[Kinnick High School]] and enrolled in [[Sophia University]], ironically the same college fellow singer [[BENI|Beni Arashiro]] was attending at the time. The two reportedly became good friends.
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[[File:CK - Kirakuni Together promo.jpg|left|225px|thumb|Crystal Kay promoting "[[Kirakuni / Together]]" (2006)]]
  
For 2005 Kay released her sixteenth single "[[Kiss (Crystal Kay)|Kiss]]". The single is Kay's second best selling. After "Kiss" Kay released her fifth studio album ''[[Crystal Style]]'' which reached #2 on the [[Oricon]] charts and charted for thirty-one weeks. It ended up selling 296,756 copies and became the #44 best selling album of 2005. The single "[[Koi ni Ochitara]]" would be Kay's next release. It to reached #2 on the [[Oricon]] weekly chart but charted for thirty-seven weeks. It is currently the best selling single of her career, selling 73,717 copies in it's first week and 295,456 copies to date. The title track for the single was also used as the theme song for the Japanese [[Dorama|dorama]] ''[http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Koi_ni_Ochitara Koi ni Ochitara]''. In October 2005 Kay collaborated with the pop duo [[CHEMISTRY]] to release her eighteenth single "[[Two as One|Two As One]]". Another single to reach the #2 position on the [[Oricon]] weekly chart. It charted for fourteen weeks and the title track for the single was used for a ''[[Wikipedia:Toyota WISH|Toyota WISH]]'' [[CM]].
+
In 2004 Kay released her fourteenth single "[[Motherland]]". The titular track was used as the third ending theme song for the [[Anime|anime]] series ''[[FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST]]'' (episodes 26 to 41). Following the single, Kay released her first best album ''[[CK5]]''. The title of the album was homage to the five years since her debut.
  
In 2006 Kay released her nineteenth single "[[Kirakuni / Together]]", her second A-side to be sung in English. It debuted at #27 on the [[Oricon]] weekly chart and charted for five weeks. "[[Together (Crystal Kay)|Together]]" was used in Japan as the theme song for the [[Wikipedia:2006 Winter Olympics|2006 Winter Olympics]]. Kay's final release of 2006 was her sixth album ''[[Call Me Miss...|Call me Miss]]'' which reached #2 on the [[Oricon]] charts and charted for five weeks. As the album sold 250,698 copies in 2006, it became the #50 best selling album of the year.
+
Kay's fifteenth single "[[Bye My Darling!]]" reached #40 on the charts and would her final release of 2004. Though before the end of 2004, Kay graduated from [[Kinnick High School]] and enrolled in [[Sophia University]], ironically the same college fellow singer [[BENI|Arahisro Beni]] was attending at the time. The two reportedly became good friends, though they have known each other since their time together at the American School in [[Yokohama]] as teens.  
  
 +
In 2005 Kay released her sixteenth single "[[Kiss (Crystal Kay)|Kiss]]". The single is her second best selling single. After "Kiss" Kay released her fifth studio album ''[[Crystal Style]]'', which later reached #2 on the [[Oricon]] weekly charts and charted for 31 weeks. It ended up selling 296,756 copies in 2005 and became the #44 best selling album of that year. The single "[[Koi ni Ochitara (single)|Koi ni Ochitara]]" would be Kay's next release. It too reached #2 on the [[Oricon]] weekly charts but charted for 37 weeks. It is currently the best selling single of her career, selling 73,717 copies in it's first week and 295,456 copies to date. The titular track was used as the theme song for the Japanese [[Dorama|drama]] ''[[Koi ni Ochitara (drama)|Koi ni Ochitara]]''. In October of 2005 Kay collaborated with the pop duo [[CHEMISTRY]] to produce her eighteenth single "[[Two as One|Two As One]]". It was another single to reach the #2 position on the [[Oricon]] weekly charts. It charted for 14 weeks and the titular track was used for a theme song for the [[Wikipedia:Toyota WISH|Toyota WISH]] [[CM|commercials]].
 +
 +
In 2006 Kay released her nineteenth single "[[Kirakuni / Together]]", her second A-side to be sung in English. It debuted at #27 on the [[Oricon]] weekly charts and charted for five weeks. "[[Together (Crystal Kay)|Together]]" was used as the theme song for the Japanese airing of the [[Wikipedia:2006 Winter Olympics|2006 Winter Olympics]]. Kay's final release of 2006 was her sixth album ''[[Call Me Miss...]]'', which reached #2 on the [[Oricon]] weekly charts and charted for five weeks. As the album sold 250,698 copies in 2006 it became the #50 best selling album of that year.
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
==Discography==
 
==Discography==
 
[[Image:CKPROMO2.jpg‎|right|225px|thumb|Crystal Kay promoting ''[[Color Change!]]'' (2008)]]
 
[[Image:CK The Best Remixes of CK Promo.jpg|right|225px|thumb|Crystal Kay promoting ''[[The Best Remixes of CK|THE BEST REMIXES of CK]]'' (2009)]]
 
 
 
===Studio Albums===
 
===Studio Albums===
* [2000.03.23] [[C.L.L. Crystal Lover Light|C.L.L.~Crystal Lover Light]]
+
* [2000.03.23] [[C.L.L. ~Crystal Lover Light|C.L.L. ~CRYSTAL LOVER LIGHT]]
 
* [2001.08.22] [[637 -Always and Forever-|637 -always and forever-]]
 
* [2001.08.22] [[637 -Always and Forever-|637 -always and forever-]]
 
* [2002.10.23] [[Almost Seventeen|almost seventeen]]
 
* [2002.10.23] [[Almost Seventeen|almost seventeen]]
 
* [2003.11.27] [[4 Real|4 REAL]]
 
* [2003.11.27] [[4 Real|4 REAL]]
* [2005.03.02] [[Crystal Style]] (クリスタイル)
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* [2005.03.02] [[Crystal Style]]
* [2006.02.22] [[Call Me Miss...|Call me Miss...]]
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* [2006.02.22] [[Call Me Miss...]]
* [2007.06.27] [[All Yours|ALL YOURS]]''
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* [2007.06.20] [[All Yours|ALL YOURS]]
* [2008.08.06] [[Color Change!|Color Change!]]
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* [2008.08.06] [[Color Change!]]
* [2010.12.08] [[Spin The Music| Spin The Music]]
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* [2010.12.08] [[Spin the Music|Spin The Music]]
  
===Mini-Albums===
+
===Other Albums===
* [2007.11.28] [[Shining (Crystal Kay)|Shining]]
+
* [2003.12.17] [[Natural -World Premiere Album-|NATURAL -World Premiere Album-]] (English Album)
 +
* [2004.06.30] [[CK5]] (Best Album)
 +
* [2007.11.28] [[Shining (Crystal Kay mini-album)|Shining]] (Mini-Album)
 +
* [2009.02.02] [[Best of Crystal Kay|BEST of CRYSTAL KAY]] (Best Album)
 +
* [2009.12.16] [[The Best Remixes of CK|THE BEST REMIXES of CK]] (Best of Remix Album)
 
* [2010.06.16] [[Flash (Crystal Kay mini-album)|FLASH]]
 
* [2010.06.16] [[Flash (Crystal Kay mini-album)|FLASH]]
 
===Best Albums===
 
* [2004.06.30] [[CK5]]
 
* [2009.09.02] [[Best of Crystal Kay|BEST of CRYSTAL KAY]]
 
 
===Remix Albums===
 
* [2009.12.16] [[The Best Remixes of CK|THE BEST REMIXES of CK]]
 
 
===Other Albums===
 
* [2003.12.17] [[Natural -World Premiere Album-|NATURAL -World Premiere Album-]] (Western Release Album)
 
  
 
===Singles===
 
===Singles===
 
* [1999.07.01] [[Eternal Memories]]
 
* [1999.07.01] [[Eternal Memories]]
 
* [1999.09.08] [[Teenage Universe ~Chewing Gum Baby|TEENAGE UNIVERSE ~Chewing Gum Baby]]
 
* [1999.09.08] [[Teenage Universe ~Chewing Gum Baby|TEENAGE UNIVERSE ~Chewing Gum Baby]]
* [1999.11.03] [[Komichi no Hana]] (こみちの花; ''Flower of the Lane'')
+
* [1999.11.03] [[Komichi no Hana]] (こみちの花; ''Flowers on the Path'')
 
* [2000.03.23] [[Shadows of Desire]]
 
* [2000.03.23] [[Shadows of Desire]]
 
* [2001.05.09] [[Girl's Night]]
 
* [2001.05.09] [[Girl's Night]]
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* [2004.11.17] [[Bye My Darling!]]
 
* [2004.11.17] [[Bye My Darling!]]
 
* [2005.01.26] [[Kiss (Crystal Kay)|Kiss]]
 
* [2005.01.26] [[Kiss (Crystal Kay)|Kiss]]
* [2005.05.18] [[Koi ni Ochitara]] (恋におちたら; ''If I Fall in Love'')
+
* [2005.05.18] [[Koi ni Ochitara (single)|Koi ni Ochitara]] (恋におちたら; ''When I Fall in Love'')
 
* [2005.10.05] [[Two as One|Two As One]] <small>('''Crystal Kay x [[CHEMISTRY]]''')</small>
 
* [2005.10.05] [[Two as One|Two As One]] <small>('''Crystal Kay x [[CHEMISTRY]]''')</small>
 
* [2006.02.08] [[Kirakuni / Together]]
 
* [2006.02.08] [[Kirakuni / Together]]
Line 100: Line 93:
 
* [2008.06.11] [[Namida no Saki ni]] (涙のさきに; ''Beyond the Tears'')
 
* [2008.06.11] [[Namida no Saki ni]] (涙のさきに; ''Beyond the Tears'')
 
* [2008.07.16] [[One (Crystal Kay)|ONE]]
 
* [2008.07.16] [[One (Crystal Kay)|ONE]]
* [2009.08.12] [[After Love -First Boyfriend- / Girlfriend|After Love -First Boyfriend- feat. KANAME (CHEMISTRY) / Girlfriend feat. BoA]]
+
* [2009.08.13] [[After Love -First Boyfriend- / Girlfriend|After Love -First Boyfriend- feat. KANAME (CHEMISTRY) / Girlfriend feat. BoA]]
* [2010.11.24] [[Journey ~Kimi to Futari de~]] (Journey ~君と二人で~; ''Together With You'')
+
* [2010.11.24] [[Journey ~Kimi to Futari de~]] (君と二人で; ''Together With You'')
  
===Digital Singles===
+
===Digital Releases===
* [2008.12.15] [[Deaeta Kiseki]]
+
* [2008.12.15] [[Deaeta Kiseki]] (出会えた奇跡; ''The Miracle of Meeting You'')
* [2010.02.24] [[Flash (Crystal Kay)|FLASH]]
+
* [2010.02.24] [[Flash (Crystal Kay song)|FLASH]]
 
* [2010.05.19] [[Victoria (Crystal Kay)|Victoria]]
 
* [2010.05.19] [[Victoria (Crystal Kay)|Victoria]]
 
* [2010.09.15] [[Time of Love]]
 
* [2010.09.15] [[Time of Love]]
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* [2009.12.02] [[CK 04-09 Music Clips2 -Decade-|CK 04-09 MUSIC CLIPS2 -DECADE-]]
 
* [2009.12.02] [[CK 04-09 Music Clips2 -Decade-|CK 04-09 MUSIC CLIPS2 -DECADE-]]
 
* [2010.06.16] [[Crystal Kay Live in NHK Hall: 10th Anniversary Tour CK10]]
 
* [2010.06.16] [[Crystal Kay Live in NHK Hall: 10th Anniversary Tour CK10]]
 
===Vinyls===
 
* [2003.07.25] [[I Like It / Reeewind!|I LIKE IT / REEEWIND! Analog]]
 
 
===Compilation / Other===
 
* [2001.02.15] [[Osawa Shinichi]] + [[Fujiwara Hiroshi]] - "[[Lost Child (Crystal Kay)|LOST CHILD]]" feat. '''Crystal Kay'''
 
* [2001.06.20] [[Ginza Evening -A Collection of Female Vocals-|Ginza Evening - a collection of female vocals -]] (Eternal Memories)
 
* [2002.01.09] [[Smooth|SMOOTH]] (Girl's Night)
 
* [2003.03.05] [[Tachytelic Night -Welcome You to the Far East-|Tachytelic Night -welcome you to the FAR EAST-]] (Hard to Say)
 
* [2003.06.18] [[m-flo]] loves '''Crystal Kay''' - "[[Reeewind!|REEEWIND!]]"
 
* [2004.05.26] [[m-flo]] - "[[Astromantic|ASTROMANTIC]]" (Get On + REEEWIND!)
 
* [2004.04.06] [[Neo Soul|neo soul]] (Candy)
 
* [2004.02.25] [[Suzuki Mania Suzuki Masayuki Tribute Album|SUZUKI MANIA Suzuki Masayuki Tribute Album]] (LIBERTY)
 
* [2004.03.17] [[m-flo]] - "[[m-flo inside|m-flo inside]]" (REEEWIND!, Hard to Say)
 
* [2004.09.15] [[m-flo]] - "[[Astromantic Charm School|ASTROMANTIC CHARM SCHOOL]]" (REEEWIND! -Tomita Lab. Remix-; gET oN! -Ugly Ducking Remix-)
 
* [2004.10.14] [[Fullmetal Alchemist Complete Best]] (Motherland)
 
* [2005.09.21] [[Diva]] (Candy)
 
* [2007.03.28] [[m-flo]] - "[[Cosmicolor|COSMICOLOR]]" (Love Don't Cry)
 
* [2009.02.18] [[BoA]] - [[Eien / Universe / Believe in Love|Eien / UNIVERSE / Believe in Love]] (#2 ''UNIVERSE feat.'''Crystal Kay''' & [[VERBAL]] ([[m-flo]])'')
 
* [2009.03.25] [[Maboroshi (group)|Maboroshi]] - [[Maboroshi no Shi]] (#6 ''Music Is Mine feat.'''Crystal Kay''''')
 
 
== Filmography ==
 
===Movies===
 
* [2008] [[Wikipedia:Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior|Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior]] (Voice Dubbed)
 
* [2009] [http://asianmediawiki.com/Yamagata_Scream Yamagata Scream] (山形スクリーム )
 
===Dramas===
 
* [2010] [http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Hidarime_Tantei_EYE Hidarime Tantei Eye] (左目探偵EYE)
 
  
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
 
* [http://www.c-kay.com/ Official Website]
 
* [http://www.c-kay.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.innocent-ami.com/ck crystaLIZED - TFL.org Approved Fanlisting]
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* [http://blog.oricon.co.jp/c-kay/ Official Blog]
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* Japanese Wikipedia: [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Kay Crystal Kay]
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{{Crystal Kay}}
 

Revision as of 22:57, 16 November 2010

Crystal Kay promoting "Journey ~Kimi to Futari de~" & Spin The Music (2010)

Crystal Kay (クリスタル・ケイ) is a Japanese pop, urban, and R&B singer signed with the Sony Music sub-label EPIC Records. Born and raised in Yokohama, Kaganawa Prefecture to an African-American father and a Korean mother, Kay started her music career at the age of six. At 12 she got a record deal, and then teamed up with Kanno Yoko to produce her debut single "Eternal Memories", which was released in July of 1999. Like a number of Japanese artists Kay can speak both English and Japanese, the former making a regular appearance in her songs, exhibiting a distinctly western influenced R&B sound.

Profile

Biography

1999-2001: Debut & Image Change

Crystal Kay promoting "Eternal Memories" (1999)

Crystal Kay began her career at just six years old, debuting as a jingle singer for several commericals. In 1999 at just 12 years old Kay got a record deal with EPIC Records, a sub-label of Sony Music Entertainment. She then teamed up with the composer Kanno Yoko to produce her debut single, "Eternal Memories". The single peeked at #47 on the Oricon weekly charts. Before the end of 1999 Kay released two more singles, "TEENAGE UNIVERSE ~Chewing Gum Baby" and "Komichi no Hana", with the former charting the same position as her debut single and the latter charting significantly less, reaching #80.

On March 23rd, 2000 at the age of 14, Kay's debut album C.L.L. ~CRYSTAL LOVER LIGHT was released. It reflected a more R&B and acoustic side of her, as later albums would gear towards the pop and urban genres. This album reached #60 on the charts and manged to chart for four weeks, selling 19,930 copies. Kay also released her fourth single "Shadows of Desire" simultaneously with the album. "Shadows of Desire" was her first A-side single to be sung entirely in English and is Kay's only single to date not to chart.

Crystal Kay promoting 637 -always and forever- (2001)

Inactive for the rest of the year, Kay made her comeback in 2001 collaborating with MONDO GROSSO and Fujiwara Hiroshi to release the single "LOST CHILD", which was the theme song for the film Satorare. In that same year Kay underwent an image and genre change to an urban style and released her fifth single "Girl's Night" which would be her first single produced by T.KURA and MICHICO. The titular track was used as the theme song for the TV TOKYO music program JAPAN COUNTDOWN and reached #100 on the Oricon weekly charts while only charting for one week.

Kay's sixth single "Ex-Boyfriend" featured Hip-Hop artist VERBAL of the group m-flo. At the time of its release the single was a minor success for Kay peaking at number #44 on the charts and charting for five weeks. Kay's second album 637 -always and forever- was released August 22nd, 2001. The songs on the album featured her new venture into the urban and pop markets. The album reached a position three times higher than her debut album C.L.L. ~CRYSTAL LOVER LIGHT, reaching #19 on the Oricon weekly charts and charting for a total of eight weeks, selling 48,550 copies. Kay's seventh single "think of U" was a Christmas themed single and was her final release of 2001.

Crystal Kay promoting CK5 (2004)

2002-2006: Early & Growing Success

Establishing herself as an urban artist Kay released her eighth single "hard to say", which featured SORA3000 and SPHERE of INFLUENCE. For the single Kay enlisted ☆TAKU of m-flo to produce. The single debuted at #26 on the Oricon weekly charts and became Kay's first single to chart in the top thirty.

Kay's next single "Girl U Love" would chart poorly, reaching only #156 with her third album almost seventeen subsequently following its release. However, the album reached #2 in Oricon weekly charts and charted for 58 weeks. Tt would sell 51,360 in its first week and 213,023 total copies in 2003 to become the 62nd best selling album of that year.

Kay began 2003 with the her tenth single "Boyfriend -part II-" which peeked at #23 on the charts. For Kay's eleventh single she teamed up with m-flo again to release "I LIKE IT" which was credited as "Crystal Kay loves m-flo". The single was meant to go hand-in-hand with m-flo's 14th single "REEEWIND!", which was credited to "m-flo loves Crystal Kay". The single was Kay's first release in the top ten, reaching #8 on the Oricon weekly charts, where it charted for thirteen weeks.

Kay released two more singles in 2003: "Candy", a single written and produced by YOSHIKA, and "Can't be Stopped". They were followed by her fourth studio album 4 REAL. The album reached #5 on the Oricon weekly charts and charted for 25 weeks. It sold 246,306 copies in 2004 and become the 59th best selling album of that year. Towards the end of 2003 Kay released her first fully English album NATURAL -World Premiere Album-. The album featured English versions of previously released singles and several cover songs from artists like Amel Larrieux and Cindy Lauper. In Japan, the album reached #33 on the Oricon charts and charted for eight weeks. Although imported versions were made available of the album, it was never officially released internationally.

Crystal Kay promoting "Kirakuni / Together" (2006)

In 2004 Kay released her fourteenth single "Motherland". The titular track was used as the third ending theme song for the anime series FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST (episodes 26 to 41). Following the single, Kay released her first best album CK5. The title of the album was homage to the five years since her debut.

Kay's fifteenth single "Bye My Darling!" reached #40 on the charts and would her final release of 2004. Though before the end of 2004, Kay graduated from Kinnick High School and enrolled in Sophia University, ironically the same college fellow singer Arahisro Beni was attending at the time. The two reportedly became good friends, though they have known each other since their time together at the American School in Yokohama as teens.

In 2005 Kay released her sixteenth single "Kiss". The single is her second best selling single. After "Kiss" Kay released her fifth studio album Crystal Style, which later reached #2 on the Oricon weekly charts and charted for 31 weeks. It ended up selling 296,756 copies in 2005 and became the #44 best selling album of that year. The single "Koi ni Ochitara" would be Kay's next release. It too reached #2 on the Oricon weekly charts but charted for 37 weeks. It is currently the best selling single of her career, selling 73,717 copies in it's first week and 295,456 copies to date. The titular track was used as the theme song for the Japanese drama Koi ni Ochitara. In October of 2005 Kay collaborated with the pop duo CHEMISTRY to produce her eighteenth single "Two As One". It was another single to reach the #2 position on the Oricon weekly charts. It charted for 14 weeks and the titular track was used for a theme song for the Toyota WISH commercials.

In 2006 Kay released her nineteenth single "Kirakuni / Together", her second A-side to be sung in English. It debuted at #27 on the Oricon weekly charts and charted for five weeks. "Together" was used as the theme song for the Japanese airing of the 2006 Winter Olympics. Kay's final release of 2006 was her sixth album Call Me Miss..., which reached #2 on the Oricon weekly charts and charted for five weeks. As the album sold 250,698 copies in 2006 it became the #50 best selling album of that year.

Discography

Studio Albums

Other Albums

Singles

Digital Releases

DVDs

External Links