Crystal Kay

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Crystal Kay

Crystal Kay Williams (born February 26, 1986 in Yokohama, Japan) is a J-pop singer. She mainly uses her first two names Crystal Kay as her stage name, although she is known by many fans as "Kuri." Crystal Kay is part of the Sony Music Entertainment Japan records label.

Biography

Crystal Kay was born to an African American father (a bassist from New Jersey) and a third-generation Zainichi (person of Korean descent born in Japan) mother who was a professional singer. Growing up with musicians as parents influenced Crystal to launch a musical career of her own, which she accomplished with her debut at age 13. Prior to this, she provided voiceover work for a television commercial at the age of six.

Crystal Kay was born and raised in Japan but she attended Kinnick High School when her father was stationed in Yokosuka. She now attends Sophia University, which is the same college Beni Arashiro currently attends; the two are reported to be good friends. She is fluent in both English and Japanese, and she has also studied French.

After the well-promoted collaboration with m-flo in 2003 and a #2 album, she became known to the public. She scored her first top 10 hit with "Motherland," which was used as the ending theme for the anime Fullmetal Alchemist in 2004.

Her best-selling single in her career so far is 2005's "Koi ni Ochitara (恋におちたら)" which was used in the drama Koi ni Ochitara: Boku no Seikō no Himitsu (恋におちたら～僕の成功の秘密～) and peaked at #2 on the weekly charts, and became the 30th best selling single of 2005 with an estimated 288,629 sold. In 2006 Crystal released "Kirakuni;" her second single with a lead song that is sung in full English, the first being "Shadows of Desire". Soon after that Crystal Kay released a new album called Call me Miss... that peaked at #2 on the Weekly Oricon Album Charts.

Crystal is set to start off 2007 with a new single called "きっと永遠に" (Kitto Eien ni). The single will be released on January 17, 2007 and will be used as the theme song for the 2007 live-action movie of 僕は妹に恋をする (Boku wa Imouto ni Koi wo Suru). Crystal's official website has also recently released information on another single called "こんなに近くで..." (Konna ni Chikaku de...) which will be released February 28, 2007. It will be the ending to the anime のだめカンタービレ (Nodame Cantabile).

Trivia

  • Although her mother is Korean, Crystal Kay does not speak Korean. She is fluent in English and Japanese.
  • As a native speaker of English and Japanese, Crystal Kay is often compared to Utada Hikaru.
  • She is also compared to Amerie due to their similar descent (African American and Korean), although they have so far aimed for different music markets.
  • American POP/R&B star Janet Jackson is Crystal Kay's most influental musical artist.

Discography

Albums

  • Call me Miss...(2.22.2006)- #2
  • Crystal Style (2005) - #2
  • CK5 (2004) - #2
    • A greatest hits album released to commemorate the fifth anniversary of her debut.
  • Crystal Kay (2003)
    • North American release of NATURAL minus the 12th track 'no more blue christmas'
    • Release date for this pressing was actually in 2005, but the album content is officially dated 2003
  • NATURAL -World Premiere Album- (2003) - #34
    • An English-language album of some new songs and compilation of English songs from singles, etc.
  • 4 REAL (2003) - #6
  • almost seventeen (2002) - #2
  • 637 -always and forever- - #19
  • C.L.L CRYSTAL LOVER LIGHT (2000) - #60

Singles

  • [2007.02.28] こんなに近くで... (Konna ni Chikaku de...; Being so Near)
  • [2007.01.17] きっと永遠に (Kitto Eien ni; Surely Forever) - #12
  • [2006.12.01] Still ('As One' Japanese Version - released as Internet only track on http://www.c-kay.com)
  • [2006.02.08] Kirakuni/Together - #27
  • [2005.10.05] Two as One (as Crystal KayxCHEMISTRY) - #2
  • [2005.05.18] 恋におちたら (Koi ni Ochitara; If I fall in love) - #2
  • [2005.01.26] Kiss - #10
  • [2004.11.27] Bye My Darling! - #40
  • [2004.05.12] Motherland - #9
  • [2003.11.27] Can't be Stopped - #146
  • [2003.10.22] Candy - #21
  • [2003.06.18] REEEWIND! (as m-flo loves Crystal Kay) - #9
  • [2003.06.18] I LIKE IT (as Crystal Kay loves m-flo) - #8
  • [2003.01.22] Boyfriend -part II- - #23
  • [2002.10.23] Girl U Love - #156
  • [2002.08.07] hard to say - #26
  • [2001.11.28] think of U - #60
  • [2001.07.04] Ex-Boyfriend (as Crystal Kay feat. VERBAL) - #44
  • [2001.05.09] Girl's Night - #100
  • [2001.02.15] LOST CHILD(as Fujiwara Hiroshi + Shinichi Osawa featuring Crystal Kay) - #55
  • [2000.03.23] Shadows of Desire - #Failed to chart
  • [1999.11.03] こみちの花 (Komichi no Hana; Flower on the Path) - #80
  • [1999.09.08] TEENAGE UNIVERSE ~Chewing Gum Baby - #47
  • [1999.07.01] Eternal Memories - #47

References

External links

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