Post by OHMABABY on Apr 11, 2007 17:41:54 GMT 10
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 (Áµ¤Ë¤ª¤Á¤¿¤é, Koi ni Ochitara?)" which was used in the drama Koi ni Ochitara: Boku no Seik¨ no Himitsu (Áµ¤Ë¤ª¤Á¤¿¤é¡«ƒW¤Î³É¹¦¤ÎÃØÃÜ¡«, Koi ni Ochitara: Boku no Seik¨ no Himitsu?) 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 "¤¤Ã¤ÈÓÀßh¤Ë" (Kitto Eien ni). The single was released on January 17, 2007 and will be used as the theme song for the 2007 live-action movie of ƒW¤ÏÃäËÁµ¤ò¤¹¤ë (Boku wa Imouto ni Koi wo Suru). Crystal's last single is called "¤³¤ó¤Ê¤Ë½ü¤¯¤Ç..." (Konna ni Chikaku de...) which was released February 28, 2007, and is the ending theme to the anime ¤Î¤À¤á¥«¥ó¥¿©`¥Ó¥ì (Nodame Cantabile). On March 24, 2007, Crystal Kay was featured in m-flo's last video "Love Don't Cry" for the last installment of the "m-flo loves" series. It is said that m-flo started this project with Crystal Kay and wanted to end it with her. They previously collaborated with each other in the "REEEWIND!" and "I LIKE IT" singles.
[edit] 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 influential musical artist.
[edit] Discography
[edit] 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
[edit] Singles
[2007.05.16] ¤¢¤Ê¤¿¤Î¤½¤Ð¤Ç (Anata no Soba de; Next to You)
[2007.02.28] ¤³¤ó¤Ê¤Ë½ü¤¯¤Ç... (Konna ni Chikaku de...; Being so Near) - #14
[2007.01.17] ¤¤Ã¤ÈÓÀßh¤Ë (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 Kay x CHEMISTRY) - #2
[2005.05.18] Áµ¤Ë¤ª¤Á¤¿¤é (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] ¤³¤ß¤Á¤Î»¨ (Komichi no Hana; Flower on the Path) - #80
[1999.09.08] TEENAGE UNIVERSE ~Chewing Gum Baby - #47
[1999.07.01] Eternal Memories - #47
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 (Áµ¤Ë¤ª¤Á¤¿¤é, Koi ni Ochitara?)" which was used in the drama Koi ni Ochitara: Boku no Seik¨ no Himitsu (Áµ¤Ë¤ª¤Á¤¿¤é¡«ƒW¤Î³É¹¦¤ÎÃØÃÜ¡«, Koi ni Ochitara: Boku no Seik¨ no Himitsu?) 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 "¤¤Ã¤ÈÓÀßh¤Ë" (Kitto Eien ni). The single was released on January 17, 2007 and will be used as the theme song for the 2007 live-action movie of ƒW¤ÏÃäËÁµ¤ò¤¹¤ë (Boku wa Imouto ni Koi wo Suru). Crystal's last single is called "¤³¤ó¤Ê¤Ë½ü¤¯¤Ç..." (Konna ni Chikaku de...) which was released February 28, 2007, and is the ending theme to the anime ¤Î¤À¤á¥«¥ó¥¿©`¥Ó¥ì (Nodame Cantabile). On March 24, 2007, Crystal Kay was featured in m-flo's last video "Love Don't Cry" for the last installment of the "m-flo loves" series. It is said that m-flo started this project with Crystal Kay and wanted to end it with her. They previously collaborated with each other in the "REEEWIND!" and "I LIKE IT" singles.
[edit] 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 influential musical artist.
[edit] Discography
[edit] 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
[edit] Singles
[2007.05.16] ¤¢¤Ê¤¿¤Î¤½¤Ð¤Ç (Anata no Soba de; Next to You)
[2007.02.28] ¤³¤ó¤Ê¤Ë½ü¤¯¤Ç... (Konna ni Chikaku de...; Being so Near) - #14
[2007.01.17] ¤¤Ã¤ÈÓÀßh¤Ë (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 Kay x CHEMISTRY) - #2
[2005.05.18] Áµ¤Ë¤ª¤Á¤¿¤é (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] ¤³¤ß¤Á¤Î»¨ (Komichi no Hana; Flower on the Path) - #80
[1999.09.08] TEENAGE UNIVERSE ~Chewing Gum Baby - #47
[1999.07.01] Eternal Memories - #47
