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Kuraki Mai

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Kuraki Mai is a well known J-Pop artist. She originally released songs with a more R&B feel, though recently she has 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 name: Kuraki Mai (倉木麻衣)
  • Real name: Aono Mai
  • Nickname: Mai-K
  • Date of Birth: 1982.10.28
  • Zodiac: Scorpio
  • Chinese starsign: Dog
  • Birthplace: Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
  • Blood type: B
  • Height: 162 cm
  • Weight: 45 kg
  • Hobbies: Watching movies, making accessories, listening to music, drawing
  • Fav. singer: Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Backstreet Boys
  • Fav. colour: Black, white, pink, red, orange
  • Fav. food: Fruit, pasta
  • Fav. music: R&B
  • Respects: Her parents

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 her current label, 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 3 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 is 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.

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

Albums

  • [2000.06.28] Delicious Way #1
  • [2001.07.04] PERFECT CRIME #1
  • [2002.10.23] FAIRY TALE #1
  • [2003.07.09] If I Believe #1
  • [2004.01.01] Wish You The Best #1
  • [2005.08.24] FUSE OF LOVE #3
  • [2006.08.02] DIAMOND WAVE #3

Singles

  • [1999.12.08] Love, Day After Tomorrow #2
  • [2000.03.15] Stay by my side #1
  • [2000.04.26] Secret of my heart #2
  • [2000.06.07] NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP #2
  • [2000.09.27] Simply Wonderful #2
  • [2000.11.08] Reach for the sky #3
  • [2001.02.07] Tsumetai Umi / Start in my life (冷たい海; Cold Sea) #2
  • [2001.04.18] Stand Up #2
  • [2001.06.06] always #2
  • [2001.08.29] Can't forget your love / PERFECT CRIME -Single Edit- #2
  • [2002.01.17] Winter Bells #1
  • [2002.04.24] Feel fine! #2
  • [2002.10.04] Like a star in the night #2
  • [2002.12.04] Make my day #2
  • [2003.03.05] Time after time ~Hana Mau Machi de~ (Time after time ~花舞う街で~) #3
  • [2003.04.30] Kiss #3
  • [2003.05.28] Kaze no Lalala (風のららら) #3
  • [2004.05.19] Ashita he Kakeru Hashi (明日へ架ける橋) #3
  • [2005.01.26] Love, needing #5
  • [2005.03.23] Dancing (ダンシング) #5
  • [2005.06.01] P.S ♡ MY SUNSHINE #8
  • [2005.11.09] Growing of my heart #7
  • [2006.02.08] Best of Hero (ベスト オブ ヒーロー) #5
  • [2006.06.21] Diamond Wave #7
  • [2006.12.20] Shiroi Yuki (白い雪; White Snow) #4
  • [2007.02.14] Season of love #6
  • [2007.11.21] Silent love ~open my heart~ / BE WITH U

U.S. Releases (Mai-K)

  • [1999.10.20] Baby I Like
  • [2002.01.22] Secret of my heart

DVDs

  • [2000.11.08] FIRST CUT
  • [2001.11.21] Mai Kuraki & Experience First Live Tour 2001 ETERNAL MOMENT
  • [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"
  • [2007.08.22] Brilliant Cut -Mai Kuraki Live & Document-

Compilation

  • [2001.12.05] GIZA studio R&B Respect vol.1 (リスペクト)
  • [2001.12.19] GIZA studio Masterpiece BLEND 2001
  • [2002.02.14] GIZA studio R&B PARTY at the Hills "Pan Kouba"(Hoeri) (パン工場) (堀江)
  • [2002.07.17] GIZA studio MAI-K&FRIENDS HOTROD BEACH PARTY
  • [2002.11.06] GIZA studio MAI-K&FRIENDS HOTROD BEACH PARTY DVD
  • [2002.12.18] GIZA studio Masterpiece BLEND 2002
  • [2003.01.10] Sun Yan Zi - 'To Be Continued...' (My Story, Your Song)
  • [2003.10.08] Imitation Gold (Matsumoto Tak feat. Kuraki Mai) (イミテイション・ゴールド) #1
  • [2003.11.26] THE HIT PARADE
  • [2003.12.17] GIZA studio Masterpiece BLEND 2003
  • [2004.09.29] Suboruto! MEMORIAL~Sweat and Tears~ (すぼると！)


External Links

  • Official Website
  • Official Blog
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