I like the shot of her. Just not the font placement and how the shot was after-touched. They whitened the hell out of her face and hair. It's like ever since Call me miss... (where Crystal looked buh-LACK in the promo shots!) Sony've have been trying to Photoshop out the blackness. Last I saw of Crystal, her hair was not that light and neither was her skin. This shot is hot. But it would've looked SO much hotter if the hair and skin tones were truer and richer and the image wasn't so saturated.
The best of Crystal Kay is a bit special, because the track list was decided by fans, with the aid of a poll put up on her official website. Fans got to pick 3 of their favourite songs out of an extensive list of pretty much all of Crystal's songs - including remixes and B-sides. Fans didn't know exactly what they were voting for, but many gathered it must be for a Crystal Kay 'Best' album. Given it was in preparation for her 10th anniversary in the music biz. You can catch which tracks made it onto the album after the jump.
Disc 1
1. Boyfriend -part II-
2. Eternal memories
3. Komichi no hana
4. Darling P.P.P
5. Girl's night
6. Ex-Boyfriend (featuring Verbal of M-Flo)
7. Lost child
8. Tsuki no nai yoru, Michi no nai bashou
9. A song for you
10. Think of U
11. Hard to say
12. Girl U love
13. Kataomoi
14. I like it
15. Candy
16. Can't be stopped
Disc 2
1. Koi ni ochitara
2. Motherland
3. Tears
4. Kiss
5. Two as one
6. I know
7. Kirakuni
8. Namida ga afuretemo
9. Kitto eien ni
10. Konna ni chikaku de...
11. Anata no soba de
12. Dream world
13. Namida no saki ni
14. One
15. Kaerimichi
Given that fans (supposedly) voted for their favourite tracks; the songs that made the cut are pretty predictable. Fans may as well have not voted at all, because 90% of the tracks featured on this are singles, and probably would've made the cut anyway. It's a shame that none of the new material Crystal has recorded, a couple of her B-sides and the likes of the acoustic version of "Hard to say" weren't included. Color change!'s"Kaermichi" was a nice surprise though. It's an understated song, but a beautiful one that can often get forgotten amongst Color change!'s other songs. Shame it wasn't a single. Although Epic wouldn't have pushed it even if it was. I'm surprised nobody picked it up as an anime or drama theme, as it has that sound about it. It's surfacing on various sources online that this track list is subject to change even though ii was posted on Crystal Kay's official website. But even if tracks do change, I doubt they'll be major changes. My nit picking aside, the track list is pretty fair and decent.
So what the hell is going to happen to all the new shit Crystal recorded!? It has to release some way, some how - because I really am fixing for "Over and over". I need that song in high quality in my life. Crystal should've pulled an Ayumi Hamasaki with this shit, and had this album be on like 10 discs, a DVD and a Blu-ray of every single music video she's ever done, and released in 4 different formats including a USB key drive. Pah!! If only.
The best of Crystal Kay is released on September 2. Crystal will also be embarking on a small tour in support of the album an to further commemorate her 10 years in the music game. Hopefully Epic will release a DVD of it, or at least some official footage - though I doubt they will. I'm still waiting on some official Color change! tour footage and a DVD of said tour. You'd think she hadn't done the tour at all!
The best of Crystal Kay is a bit special, because the track list was decided by fans, with the aid of a poll put up on her official website. Fans got to pick 3 of their favourite songs out of an extensive list of pretty much all of Crystal's songs - including remixes and B-sides. Fans didn't know exactly what they were voting for, but many gathered it must be for a Crystal Kay 'Best' album. Given it was in preparation for her 10th anniversary in the music biz. You can catch which tracks made it onto the album after the jump.
Disc 1
1. Boyfriend -part II-
2. Eternal memories
3. Komichi no hana
4. Darling P.P.P
5. Girl's night
6. Ex-Boyfriend (featuring Verbal of M-Flo)
7. Lost child
8. Tsuki no nai yoru, Michi no nai bashou
9. A song for you
10. Think of U
11. Hard to say
12. Girl U love
13. Kataomoi
14. I like it
15. Candy
16. Can't be stopped
Disc 2
1. Koi ni ochitara
2. Motherland
3. Tears
4. Kiss
5. Two as one
6. I know
7. Kirakuni
8. Namida ga afuretemo
9. Kitto eien ni
10. Konna ni chikaku de...
11. Anata no soba de
12. Dream world
13. Namida no saki ni
14. One
15. Kaerimichi
Given that fans (supposedly) voted for their favourite tracks; the songs that made the cut are pretty predictable. Fans may as well have not voted at all, because 90% of the tracks featured on this are singles, and probably would've made the cut anyway. It's a shame that none of the new material Crystal has recorded, a couple of her B-sides and the likes of the acoustic version of "Hard to say" weren't included. Color change!'s"Kaermichi" was a nice surprise though. It's an understated song, but a beautiful one that can often get forgotten amongst Color change!'s other songs. Shame it wasn't a single. Although Epic wouldn't have pushed it even if it was. I'm surprised nobody picked it up as an anime or drama theme, as it has that sound about it. It's surfacing on various sources online that this track list is subject to change even though ii was posted on Crystal Kay's official website. But even if tracks do change, I doubt they'll be major changes. My nit picking aside, the track list is pretty fair and decent.
So what the hell is going to happen to all the new shit Crystal recorded!? It has to release some way, some how - because I really am fixing for "Over and over". I need that song in high quality in my life. Crystal should've pulled an Ayumi Hamasaki with this shit, and had this album be on like 10 discs, a DVD and a Blu-ray of every single music video she's ever done, and released in 4 different formats including a USB key drive. Pah!! If only.
The best of Crystal Kay is released on September 2. Crystal will also be embarking on a small tour in support of the album an to further commemorate her 10 years in the music game. Hopefully Epic will release a DVD of it, or at least some official footage - though I doubt they will. I'm still waiting on some official Color change! tour footage and a DVD of said tour. You'd think she hadn't done the tour at all!
I can't wait to get this. I was really hoping that a live concert dvd would be included with her best collection though. What's up with Epic? Why is it that they won't release any substantial concert footage? 95% of what I've seen of her singing live is great so I can't imagine that her live shows are bad. She did a tv concert last year, why not put that out. From what I've seen of the jpop business, record companies make a lot of effort to put stuff out there for the big stars but they don't seem to do much to bring other talent along to try to get to that high level. It's almost as if you have to stay in your place so to speak.
ReplyDeleteI told you they be tryin to deny Crystal her black heritage on her CD covers and promotional shots!
ReplyDeleteThe CD looks like it's missing something: "I WANNA BE"! That song got me H-O-O-K-T, HOOK'T on Kuri, it's a crime (pun intended) it's not on there. I gotta make a choice, this or college textbooks? Probably the textbooks, but what better time to start my collection than during the 10th anniv?
PS, where do you buy your CK releases at? I'm trying to get the cheapest bargain possible.
I was never expecting "I wanna be" to make the cut. Even though that's one of THE hottest songs Crystal's done. Them vocal arrangements on the chorus is insane!! But I'm shocked "It's a crime" didn't get a look in. It's such a hot song with international appeal. A lot of her outside-of Japan fans would've loved to have had that song make the cut. But I guess they'll have to make do with "Kirakuni".
ReplyDeleteAs for where I buy my CK CD's: I've bought most of them on HMV Japan, and was lucky enough to buy one IN Japan! :D YesAsia is a good site if you want Taiwanese and Korean editions of Japanese releases - which are usually MUCH cheaper. But not every album gets a release in Taiwan and Korea.
I also love "I wanna be", it's one of my favs.
ReplyDelete