Crystal Kay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Crystal Kay
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Crystal Kay in 2017
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Crystal Kay Williams
February 26, 1986 Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
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| Nationality | South-Korean African-American |
| Other names | Kuri(-chan), CK |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
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Crystal Kay Williams (born February 26, 1986) is a talented singer, songwriter, actress, and radio host from Japan. She is known for her mix of pop and R&B music.
Crystal Kay became famous after releasing her third album, Almost Seventeen, in 2002. This album reached number 2 on the Japanese music charts and sold over 400,000 copies. It was certified platinum, which means it sold a lot! Her seventh album, All Yours (2007), was her first and only album to reach number one on the charts.
She has sold over 5 million records, making her one of Japan's best-selling musicians. Crystal Kay has also worked with many other artists like M-Flo, BoA, and Chemistry. She started her career with Epic Records and later moved to Delicious Deli Records in 2011.
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Early Life and Education
Crystal Kay grew up in Yokohama, Japan. Her mother is of Korean descent, and her father is African-American. Her father was a bassist from New Jersey and served in the United States Navy in Japan. Her mother was also a professional singer.
Growing up, Crystal Kay met famous artists like Diana Ross and Bobby Brown because of her parents' music connections. She went to Kinnick High School on a military base and later attended Sophia University.
Crystal Kay speaks both English and Japanese very well. She also studied French and a little Korean. She looks up to artists like Janet Jackson, Brandy, Aaliyah, and Michael Jackson. In Japan, she was influenced by J-pop acts like Speed and Namie Amuro.
Music Career Highlights
Starting Out: 1999–2001
Crystal Kay started singing for TV commercials when she was just 4 years old. At 11, she signed with Epic Records in Japan after a jingle she sang for a vitamin water commercial got noticed. Her first song, "Eternal Memories", came out on July 1, 1999.
Her first album, C.L.L Crystal Lover Light, was released in 2000 when she was 13. This album had a more indie and acoustic sound. Later, her music became more pop and R&B.
In 2001, she released "Ex-Boyfriend" with rapper Verbal from M-Flo. This song became her best-selling single at the time. Her second album, 637: Always and Forever, was her first to reach the top twenty on the Oricon chart.
Growing Popularity: 2002–2006
In 2002, Crystal Kay released "Hard to Say," which became her first song to reach the top thirty. Her third album, Almost Seventeen, was a huge success. It debuted at number 2 on the charts and sold enough copies to be certified platinum.
She had her first top ten hit with "I Like It" in 2003, a song with M-Flo. In 2004, her song "Motherland" was used as an ending theme for the anime Fullmetal Alchemist. It also reached the top ten.
Her first collection of songs, CK5, came out in 2004 to celebrate her fifth anniversary in music. It reached number 2 on the charts and was also certified platinum. In 2005, her song "Koi ni Ochitara" became her best-selling single ever, selling over 295,000 copies. It was the theme song for a TV drama. She also worked with the R&B group Chemistry on the song "Two as One," which reached number 2.
Her sixth album, Call Me Miss..., was released in 2006. It debuted at number 2 and was certified platinum.
First Number-One Album: 2007–2008
In 2007, Crystal Kay released "Kitto Eien ni," which was the ending theme for the film Boku wa Imōto ni Koi o Suru. Her song "Konna ni Chikaku de..." was used as the ending theme for the anime Nodame Cantabile.
Her seventh album, All Yours, came out in June 2007. This album was all about love and became her first number-one album! It sold over 136,000 copies. She also released a Christmas-themed EP called Shining in November 2007.
In 2008, Crystal Kay sang the theme song for the Pokémon film Giratina to Sora no Hanataba: Sheimi. She also voiced "Nurse Joy's Chansey" in the movie. Her eighth album, Color Change!, was released in August 2008. The title reflected her graduation from Sophia University that year.
Celebrating 10 Years: 2009–2010
In 2009, Crystal Kay worked with BoA and Verbal on the song "Universe." She also sang a duet called "Wonder" with Jin Akanishi from the boyband KAT-TUN.
To celebrate her 10th anniversary in music, she released the single "After Love (First Boyfriend)" / "Girlfriend" in August 2009. "After Love" featured Kaname and was a follow-up to her 2003 song "Boyfriend (Part II)." "Girlfriend" featured BoA.
Her second collection of greatest hits, Best of Crystal Kay, came out in September 2009. It included over thirty songs and some new ones. This album reached number 3 on the Oricon chart and was her best-selling album since Call Me Miss....
In 2010, Crystal Kay acted in her first TV drama, Hidarime Tantei Eye. She also released a mini-album called Flash and her first concert DVD.
New Beginnings: 2011–Present
In 2011, Crystal Kay had to cancel her "Spin the Music" tour because she was diagnosed with Acute Nephritis, a kidney illness. She needed to rest and recover. Later that year, she moved from Sony Music Japan to Universal Music Group's Delicious Deli Records.
In 2013, she moved to New York City to try and start an international music career. While she didn't release an album there, she learned a lot and grew stronger as an artist. She wrote over 60 songs and took acting classes.
In 2015, she returned to Japan and released her 30th single, "Kimi ga Ita Kara." She also released "Revolution," which featured Namie Amuro. Her 11th album, Shine, came out in December 2015.
In 2019, Crystal Kay starred in the Japanese version of the Broadway musical Pippin. She won a Best Actress award for her role in 2020. In 2020, she also played "Motormouth Maybelle" in the Japanese musical Hairspray.
In April 2021, she released her first cover album, I Sing, to celebrate her 20th anniversary. She also became a brand ambassador for JBL. Later that year, she was the runner-up on The Masked Singer Japan as "Miss Television."
In March 2022, Crystal Kay performed the national anthem and halftime show for an NBA game in Washington, D.C., as part of "JAPAN NIGHT." She loves basketball and has performed at NBA events before. She also continued her role in the musical Pippin.
In February 2023, she released her first English EP, Start Again EP, which featured jazz songs. She also voiced a character named Suzuran in the video game Wild Hearts.
In 2024, Crystal Kay celebrated her 25th anniversary in music! She released a new song called "That Girl." She also performed in Korean for the first time with singer Sung Si-kyung. From August to September 2024, she played Maureen Johnson in the musical Rent in Japan, performing entirely in English.
Her fourth greatest hits album, All Time Best 25th Anniversary, was released in June 2025. She also announced her first North American tour, "CK25 The Tour," for August 2025.
Influence
Crystal Kay is seen as a trailblazer for mixed-race artists in Japan and around the world. She started her career when R&B music was becoming popular in Japan. Her success helped open doors for other mixed-race artists like Thelma Aoyama and AISHA. She has also inspired artists outside of Japan.
Personal Life
Crystal Kay has shared that she used to struggle with her identity because she was born and raised in Japan but has American and Korean heritage. She felt like a minority. However, living in New York helped her accept and be proud of her multi-ethnic background.
She dreams of being a "bridge between countries" through entertainment, whether it's music, musicals, or movies. She is very interested in acting and wants to connect different cultures.
Discography
- C.L.L Crystal Lover Light (2000)
- 637: Always and Forever (2001)
- Almost Seventeen (2002)
- 4 Real (2003)
- Crystal Style (2005)
- Call Me Miss... (2006)
- All Yours (2007)
- Color Change! (2008)
- Spin the Music (2010)
- Vivid (2012)
- Shine (2015)
- For You (2018)
- I Sing (2021)
Filmography
Crystal Kay has appeared in several dramas, movies, and stage productions.
Dramas
- Hidarime Tantei EYE (2010) as Kokusho Akira
- Non-Mama Hakusho (2016) as a bar guest
- YUMING STORIES (2024) as Maeda
Movies
- Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior (2008) as Lucky (voice)
- Yamagata Scream (2009) as Casey
- Jungle Emperor Leo a.k.a. Kimba the White Lion (2009) as Researcher (voice)
- Happy Feet Two (2011) as Gloria (Japanese dubbed version)
- Hikayat Hang Kway Teow (2013) as Tan Tee Jah (short-film)
- Seoul Searching (2015) as Jamie
- The Earthquake Bird (2019) as Nightclub singer
- Between the White Key and the Black Key (2023) as Lisa
Video Games
- Bust a Groove (1998) as Vocalist (uncredited, U.S. and European versions)
- Wild Hearts (2023) as Suzuran (English version)
Stage
- DANCE EARTH 〜Seimei no Kodō〜 (2013) as herself
- Pippin (2019–2022) as Leading Player
- Rent (2024) as Maureen Johnson
See also
In Spanish: Crystal Kay para niños
