Crystal Kay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Crystal Kay
Crystal Kay in 2017
Born	Crystal Kay Williams (1986-02-26) February 26, 1986 (age 39) Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Other names	Kuri(-chan), CK
Occupation	Singer Songwriter Actress Radio host
Years active	1999–present
Musical career
Genres	Pop R&B Rock Urban Dance
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Epic Delicious Deli Virgin
Associated acts	M-Flo Verbal BoA Chemistry, Kaname Shinichi Osawa Hiroshi Fujiwara Jin Akanishi Far East Movement

Crystal Kay Williams (クリスタル・ケイ・ウィリアムズ, Kurisutaru Kei Wiriamuzu, born February 26, 1986) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, actress, and radio host.

She became famous after her third album, Almost Seventeen (2002). This album reached number 2 on the Japanese music charts. Almost Seventeen sold over 400,000 copies. It was certified platinum, which means it sold a lot of copies. Crystal Kay was with Epic Records for 12 years. Then, in 2011, she moved to Delicious Deli Records.

By April 2021, she had released thirteen albums. Her seventh album, All Yours (2007), was her only album to reach number one. It topped the charts in June 2007. Crystal Kay has worked with many artists. These include M-Flo, BoA, and Chemistry. She has sold over 5 million records. This makes her one of Japan's best-selling musicians.

Early Life and Education

Crystal Kay was born and grew up in Yokohama, Japan. Her mother is Korean, and her father is African-American. Her father was a bassist from New Jersey. He was a sailor in the United States Navy in Japan. Her mother was a professional singer.

As a child, Crystal Kay met famous artists. Her parents took her to shows where she met people like Diana Ross and Bobby Brown. She went to Kinnick High School on a military base. She also studied at Sophia University.

She briefly studied the Korean language in Seoul. She learned to read and write hangul. However, she does not speak Korean very well. She considers herself Japanese. Crystal Kay speaks English and Japanese fluently. Japanese influences her songs often. She has also studied French. She says Janet Jackson, Brandy (singer), Aaliyah, and Michael Jackson are her biggest inspirations. In Japan, she was influenced by J-pop artists like Speed and Namie Amuro.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out: 1999–2001

Crystal Kay started singing for TV commercials at age 4. When she was 11, she signed with Epic Records in Japan. This happened after a jingle she recorded for Vitamin water got noticed. A year later, this jingle became her first single, "Eternal Memories". It was released on July 1, 1999.

Her first album, C.L.L Crystal Lover Light, came out on March 23, 2000. Crystal Kay was only 13 when this album was released. It had a more indie and acoustic sound. Later, her music became more pop and R&B.

After a break, Crystal Kay returned with "Lost Child" in 2001. This song was a collaboration with Shinichi Osawa and Hiroshi Fujiwara. Her song "Ex-Boyfriend" came out in July 2001. It featured rapper Verbal from M-Flo. This song was a big success for her. Her second album, 637: Always and Forever, was released in August 2001. It was her first album to reach the top twenty on the charts.

Becoming Popular: 2002–2006

Crystal Kay released "Hard to Say" in August 2002. This song sold more than her previous hits. It was her first song to reach the top thirty. Her third album, Almost Seventeen, came out in October 2002. This album was her breakthrough. It reached number 2 on the charts. It quickly sold enough copies to be certified platinum.

In 2003, she released "Boyfriend (Part II)". Her next single, "I Like It", was a collaboration with M-Flo. This song was released as "Crystal Kay loves m-flo". It became her first song to reach the top ten.

Her first English album, Crystal Kay, was released in November 2003. It was her first album released outside Japan. She performed in Seoul, South Korea, to promote it. This was her first performance outside Japan.

In May 2004, she released "Motherland". This song was used as an ending theme for the anime Fullmetal Alchemist. It reached number 9 on the charts. Her first collection of songs, CK5, came out in June 2004. It celebrated her fifth anniversary in music. This album reached number 2 on the charts and was certified platinum.

In 2005, her song "Kiss" was released. It became her second best-selling single. Her fifth album, Crystal Style, followed in March 2005. It sold many copies and was a top-selling album of the year. Her song "Koi ni Ochitara" (May 2005) was used as a drama theme song. It became her best-selling single ever. She also collaborated with the R&B duo Chemistry on "Two as One". This song reached number 2 on the charts.

In February 2006, she released "Kirakuni" / "Together". "Together" was the theme song for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Japan. Her sixth album, Call Me Miss..., came out in February 2006. It reached number 2 on the charts and was certified platinum.

First Number-One Album: 2007–2008

After a break, Crystal Kay released "Kitto Eien ni" in January 2007. It was the ending theme for the film Boku wa Imōto ni Koi o Suru. Her next single, "Konna ni Chikaku de...", was released in February 2007. It was the ending theme for the anime Nodame Cantabile.

Crystal Kay released her seventh album, All Yours, in June 2007. The album's main idea was love. A song from the album, "Lonely Girl", was featured on the Japanese airings of the TV show Lost. All Yours debuted at number 1 on the charts. This was Crystal Kay's first number-one album.

In November 2007, she released her first EP called Shining. It had a Christmas theme. In March 2008, Crystal Kay was chosen to sing the theme song for the Pokémon film Giratina to Sora no Hanataba: Sheimi. She also voiced "Nurse Joy's Chansey" in the movie. Her song "One" was released as the Pokémon single in July 2008.

Crystal Kay graduated from Sophia University in 2008. This allowed her to focus fully on her music career. Her eighth album, Color Change!, was released in August 2008. The title reflected her graduation. It reached number 8 on the charts and was certified gold.

Ten Years in Music: 2009–2010

In 2009, Crystal Kay worked with Verbal of M-Flo and South Korean singer BoA on the song "Universe". She also wrote a duet called "Wonder" with Jin Akanishi.

In August 2009, she released "After Love (First Boyfriend)" / "Girlfriend". This marked her tenth anniversary since her first single. "After Love (First Boyfriend)" featured Kaname from Chemistry. "Girlfriend" featured BoA, who is a close friend of Crystal Kay. This song was used for the Japanese version of the film He's Just Not That Into You.

In September 2009, she released her second collection of songs, Best of Crystal Kay. It included over thirty songs from her career. It also had four new songs. One new song, "Step by Step", was produced by Yasutaka Nakata. Another new song, "Over and Over", was produced by Taku Takahashi of M-Flo. This album reached number 3 on the charts and sold very well.

In 2010, Crystal Kay acted in her first drama series, Hidarime Tantei Eye. She played a genius hacker. She also released a new song, "Flash", which was used in commercials for Canon cameras. Her second mini-album, Flash, was released in June. It included a tribute to Michael Jackson. She also released her first concert DVD. She sang the opening and ending theme songs for the drama Jūnen Saki mo Kimi ni Koishite. Her ninth album was released in December 2010.

New Beginnings and International Steps: 2011–Present

Crystal Kay's "Spin the Music" tour in 2011 was canceled. She was diagnosed with Acute Nephritis and needed to rest. Later that year, she performed at the MTV Zushi Fes music festival. In October 2011, she announced she had left Sony Music Japan. She signed with Universal Music Group's Delicious Deli Records.

In 2012, Crystal Kay covered "Eyes on Me" for the "FINAL FANTASY Orchestra Album". In 2013, she moved to New York, USA. She wanted to start an international music career.

In February 2014, she released her US debut music video, "Busy Doing Nothing". In November 2014, she joined a new management company, LDH.

In January 2015, she returned to Japan. She said living in New York was a turning point. It helped her accept her identity. She worked on over 60 songs there. She also took acting classes. In June 2015, she released "Kimi ga Ita Kara", her first single in three years. In September 2015, she released "REVOLUTION", which featured Amuro Namie. Her 11th album, Shine, came out in December 2015.

In 2016, she went on her "Shine" tour. She released singles "Sakura" and "Lovin' You". In 2017, she held her first Billboard Live concerts.

In June 2018, she released her 12th album, For You. In 2019, she starred as "Leading Player" in the Japanese version of the musical Pippin. She won the Best Actress award at the 27th Yomiuri Theater Awards in 2020 for this role.

In 2020, she played "Motormouth Maybelle" in the Japanese musical Hairspray. The show was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. She also started a project called "All FOUR ONE PROJECT". It helps people talk about their feelings during the pandemic.

In April 2021, she released her first cover album, I SING. This album celebrated her 20th anniversary. She became a brand ambassador for JBL's 75th anniversary. She also appeared on The Masked Singer Japan as "Miss Television" and was the runner-up. She released digital singles "Hitori ja nai Kara" and "Say My Name".

Growing International Profile: 2022 – Present

In March 2022, Crystal Kay performed the national anthem and halftime show for an NBA game in Washington D.C. This was part of a "JAPAN NIGHT" event. She loves basketball and often performs at basketball events. In July 2022, she released "Gimme Some" with Japanese Hip-Hop artist Daichi Yamamoto. She also played "Leading Player" again in the musical Pippin. She released more collaboration singles and her 15th digital single, "Love Me".

In February 2023, Crystal Kay released her first English EP, Start Again. It featured jazz songs. These songs were used in the Amazon Prime Video drama series A2Z. She also had her first video game voice acting role in Wild Hearts.

In June 2023, she co-wrote the song "Wasted Eyes" for Ghanaian-American singer Amaarae. Crystal Kay's Japanese vocals are also on the song. In August 2023, she announced two sold-out "Live in LA" shows in Los Angeles. In September 2023, she performed with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis at a jazz festival.

2024 marks Crystal Kay's 25th anniversary in music. In January 2024, she released "That Girl", produced by ☆Taku Takahashi. In April 2024, she sang in Korean for the first time. It was a duet with South Korean singer Sung Si-kyung. From August to September 2024, she played Maureen Johnson in the musical Rent. These shows were performed entirely in English with Japanese subtitles. In September 2024, she announced plans for her first tour in the United States.

She will go on the "Crystal Kay Billboard 2024" tour in October and November 2024. A special 25th anniversary concert is planned for December 2024 in her hometown of Yokohama.

Influence

Crystal Kay is seen as a pioneer for mixed-race artists in Japan. She started her career when R&B music became popular in Japan. Her success helped open doors for other mixed-race artists. These include Thelma Aoyama, AISHA, Emi Maria, and enka singer Jero. Artists outside of Japan, like Joyce Wrice and UMI (singer), have also said she inspired them.

Personal Life

In 2009, Crystal Kay said that people in Japan were getting more used to seeing mixed-race people. She mentioned that many mixed-race people appear on TV and in magazines. She considers herself a Japanese artist because she grew up there. However, she also looks and feels foreign due to her background.

Crystal Kay has shared that she used to struggle with her identity. She felt different because her parents are American and Korean, not Japanese. She felt like a minority among other mixed-race people who were half-Japanese. However, living in New York from 2013 to 2015 helped her. People there told her to be proud of her multi-ethnic identity. She realized she carries three cultures and has built a good career. She now dreams of being a "bridge between countries" through entertainment. This could be through music, musicals, or movies.

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

Images for kids

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  Crystal Kay at a radio station in 2008

See also

In Spanish: Crystal Kay para niños