Bio: A half African-American and half Korean who was brought
up on an American base in Japan,
Crystal Kay seems a highly unlikely possibility to be a Jpop star. Whether it is her genuine talent (of which
she has plenty) or the fetishes of the Japanese music scene for black artists,
Crystal Kay’s success has made her the IT girl of current Jpop. Since the age of 16 Crystal Kay has had a
record deal with a Japanese music label. Though she does not write her own
music her debut album Almost Seventeen
featured the usual Japanese lyrics with random English words and phrases that
she sings flawlessly. Her music is more
heavily R&B sounding but the lyrics are generally formulaic and typical of
the Jpop teen star. Known for her
light-hearted and sweet demeanor, Crystal Kay’s smile is ubiquitous in Tokyo
in cell phone advertisements and Sony commercials. Her incredible looks and trendy styles lend
well to teen pop stardom. The Almost
Seventeen album was met with commercial and critical success, and Japan’s
HMV store ranked her album amongst the top releases for that year. Her
subsequent albums have only cemented her position as a veritable vocalist and
non-gimmick status. She is undoubtedly
the first non-Japanese artist to be received on equal footing as any other
J-pop star and a pioneer in international music.
The Inside Scoop: Crystal Kay’s ability to speak herself in
Japanese is not scrutinized much (and perhaps not even relevant as a pop star)
but is a controversial point. While some journalists and concert-goers report
fluency and ease with the language (outside of her vocal performances), her
background at military base schools and the international campus at Sophia
University in Tokyo
are typically one of non-Japanese individuals who do not speak Japanese
well. Crystal Kay offers few interviews
to the public and rarely appears on mainstream Japanese tv shows. Her singing ability continues to grow and has
evolved from solid pop to sensitive, distinctive music. Her music nevertheless is some of the best
Jpop and her singing ability in Japanese (and of course her native English)
are always smooth and believable (despite the usual pop music corniness).