Universal music are so low on cash, that they couldn't even afford to have the dude who hoovers the carpets in the studio film Lionel and Crystal and put that shit out as a PV (or in Japan's case a short PV for their YouTube channel). Hence why this official preview of Lionel and Crystal's duet has been uploaded in the form of a photo montage.
Crystal sounds amazing on this song. Too bad it won't do a damn thing for her anywhere in the world. Crystal ain't never gonna hit it big in Japan. And those prayers for a Western debut have been going straight into prayer dustbins along with the limited editions of Party queen.
This duet sparks the unthinkable in me. Now...I'm no advocator of cover albums. I wanted to upside Hikaru Utada's head when I heard that she wanted to release an album of covers. But I would genuinely love for Crystal to do one. She's already released a couple of BEST albums, a holiday mini and a remix album. She's surely due a cover album soon.
Crystal has covered many songs over the course of her 10+ year career and done so masterfully each and every time. Crystal's lack of major Japanese success goes deeper than her music *cough*skintone*cough* But I think a cover album could really work in her favour. I would love to have studio recorded versions of MJ's "Human nature" and the original version of Dreams come true's "Suki".
Crystal Kay reviews: All yours | Color change! | Flash | Spin the music | Forever | Vivid
Crystal sounds amazing on this song. Too bad it won't do a damn thing for her anywhere in the world. Crystal ain't never gonna hit it big in Japan. And those prayers for a Western debut have been going straight into prayer dustbins along with the limited editions of Party queen.
This duet sparks the unthinkable in me. Now...I'm no advocator of cover albums. I wanted to upside Hikaru Utada's head when I heard that she wanted to release an album of covers. But I would genuinely love for Crystal to do one. She's already released a couple of BEST albums, a holiday mini and a remix album. She's surely due a cover album soon.
Crystal has covered many songs over the course of her 10+ year career and done so masterfully each and every time. Crystal's lack of major Japanese success goes deeper than her music *cough*skintone*cough* But I think a cover album could really work in her favour. I would love to have studio recorded versions of MJ's "Human nature" and the original version of Dreams come true's "Suki".
Crystal Kay reviews: All yours | Color change! | Flash | Spin the music | Forever | Vivid
Crystal deserves so much better it's almost depressing...
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of it is her fault though. She does not seem too motivated at all.
ReplyDeleteYou kidding? Girl posts pictures of herself basically sweating pure 'I WANT THIS SO BAD' through her pores.
DeleteI don't even know what's going wrong (skincolormaybe) because her image and music on Vivid was on pointtt. It's the labels fault for not promoting that shit, even though I don't blame them; Japan just don't like the girl.
When was the last time you followed Crystal? During her Spin the Flop era? During that particular era it seemed as though she was half-assing shit and like she didn't care, partly because Sony Japan definitely didn't give a fuck about her career at that point. Ever since she moved to Universal she has been working non-stop. The last she promoted and performed this much was back when she was promoting All Yours. What I think is going wrong with crystal is that her record label is promoting her the wrong way. They're pushing heavily for radio play, but the Japanese do no listen to the radio. She needs some Drama tie-ins or an endorsement that will have her face every where like Namie with esprique.
DeleteWhere does she get that voice?! She's so talented! Those high notes sounded effortless! :D
ReplyDeleteCKay! I need you to win no shade but Nicole Richie dad anit got nothing on you Hunty ! Sis I need your label and team to stop playin and get your career in check they are putting you in the wrong market( Japan)this is coming from a stan who went to Japan and went into a CD store and the clerk trying to reed me like "why would buy this chick album?"Ckay I still live for you gurl I saw on twitter you were in Miami or something about a couple months ago how bout hitting up officer Ricky for a studio session JK! never mind just get you team together gurl!
ReplyDelete* This is from a Ckay Stan so know that I go overboard alot with my comments *
I want Crystal to have so much more because she brought so much with Vivid that I still get chills when I listen to some of the songs. I think then only thing left for Crystal to do is to try to make it here in the US. She can blow a lot of these vapid hoes out of the water with her real talent and with the right songs and the right marketing, she could carve herself a nice niche here.
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious that the problem lies in the fact that the Japanese market are not willing to give her anything more than marginal notoriety despite being more vocally talented than a lot of the people around her, so I think she should jump ship and move on to another market. If she knew Korean, I would almost suggest she go completely R&B and try to take out a few of these girl groups, but since she sings in perfect English, she should try her hand at another cover album or a full blown English one. "Yo Yo" and "What We Do" were hot tracks that could be great singles with the right video and promotion.
This is definitely a 911 situation that needs to be rectified with something drastic. I am convinced that Crystal's lack of success has nothing to do with her as an artist. It is just that her audience does not have the mental faculties to get her. I don't want to think skin tone, but I wonder if Namie or Koda dropped the exact same songs in there respective vocal ranges would they still be as successful. My guess is heck yeah! Probably even more so.
FUCK SAKEEEEEE!!! Why are Japan giving CK the cold shoulder ~_~ I dunno if it's to do with skin, maybe but the fact she had a successful run to begin with makes me question that...
ReplyDeleteI just dunno what she can do, "Vivid" is HOT and shits on hoes but went nowhere for her, Part of me wants her to just quit Japan and make a go in the UK or US or even learn Korean and give it a go their, I'm sure she could crack Korea... even Amerie got a Gold album there lol
I think Crystal Kay should quit Japan for a while i.e(1 year) & do exactly what has been suggested by other commenters. Its obvioous Japan is very close-minded & racist. I think her Beautiful rich Caramel skintone has everything to with it sadly. J hit the nail right on the head with this mess. IMHO She should:
ReplyDelete#1. Learn to speak Korean fluently & translate songs into Korean,then travel to Korea & work on building a bigger Korean fanbase.
#2. Start working on a UK promotional tour. Doing intimate shows in the UK mite just give her the jumpstart she needs to crossover to the USA. UK music fns seem open-minded enough. U see how Kelly Rowland aka Beyonce's shadow fm Destiny's Child has received more success there than in the US alone. Fakeyonce's time is up. She needs to take a 3 yr break & raise tht child of hers. But thts another story altogether for a different time. *rolls eyes*
#3. Finally bring her ass over to the USA w/a quickness. Again I think she should do mini intimate concerts first, then work her way up to bigger venues. I'm sure she'll outsell tht washed up R&B Korean/Blk artist Amerie. Esp since she already has fans here who luv her music.
#4. This is coming fm a longtime fan of ya wonderful music.
~~~~Hurry Crystal we need U! :) <3~~~~~
I agree on most of that...but not on the Korean market part. It's a smallest market loaded by idols that overshadow their own really talented solo artists. I just don't want her to go there. Let's not even talk about her skin stone/appearance...Japan seems more open minded about looking different. Maybe I'm too pessimistic about Korea, after all I even heard a black girl (American?) got signed under a Korean label recently. So...who knows.
Delete*smaller market.
DeleteI can concede to that point. I really don't care where Crystal goes. I just want her to gain some success and have album sales that can break at least 100,000. Vivid was a musical breath of fresh air for Crystal, and it is a shame that it couldn't even outsell "Spin the Music" on her physical sales.
DeleteCrystal might want to steal Nelly Furtado's idea and name her next album "The Spirit Indestructible" because she has managed to keep going despite a lack of success. I really commend her on doing that because it seems like it would be so easy to collect whatever money she has and sit at home and live her life. Maybe she has to pay off those student loans from her first degree so who knows. All I do know is that if Crystal doesn't get the help and support she needs in Japan, she needs to jump ship and try it somewhere else.
*winks*
DeleteHi again! This is 4m the commenter the other day, who posted on how CKay should quit Japan for a year rly like (3+ yrs) & travel to Korea, the UK, & USA to promote her music. I know for a fact that the Japanese don't like Hafu's aka HalfBreeds. I'm not trynna argue with ppl or start anything but it is what it is. The Japanese are not as open minded as some wud like to believe. Didn't U hear how the Japanese deported all those Brazilian ppl w/Japanese decent? They even banned their children fm visting Japan in the future. Anyway I personally asked my 100% Japanese female teacher from Japan who was teaching an elementary Japanese language course & she told me with her own mouth tht the Japanese are ok with African Americans but don't like Blasians aka Asians with strong African roots. They see them as outsiders. Not all Japanese of course because each person is different. But still a vast amount. Oh! & by the way I even heard Crystal Kay Williams, say in an English interview that since she personally considers herself "Black" & is seen as "Black" by most tht the Japanese see her as a "Gaijin" & NOT a Japanese singer. That in itself does indeed affect her: ticket & album sales. She does indeed have a fanbase in Korea. She even talked about it long ago on her website in one of her blogs. So I still think she should go there & build her fanbase.Esp since she can already read & write it perfectly. She said so herself when a fan asked her about her Korean roots etc. She also said there are many fans in Korea who can relate to her personally. Do I rly need to elaborate on tht????
Sincerely,
CKay fan for life <3 :)
And what makes you think that Korea won't do the exact same thing that Japan has been doing?
DeleteWhat do you mean by "Korean fans can relate to her personally"? CK might not know how Korea is, music business wise, no matter how enthusiastic she appears or what a few Korean fans told her (that and the fact she doesn't speak Korean which will make it very hard for her on variety TV shows in order to get popular). She has a fanbase in the US too and is part American. It doesn't mean she'll be successful there.
I'm really hoping CK tries the UK (collaborating with artists under Universal), though I'm not optimistic.
*Sighs*
ReplyDeleteTo the commentor above. I never said it wouldn't be hard for her in Korea. I just meant tht since she already has fans there then it wud make sense for her to build her fanbase in Korea more. Crystal can always have a personal translator help her facilitate communication during interviews in Korea; tht shouldn't even be an issue now & days. It happens all of the time when American singers go to: Japan, Korea, Australia, NewZealand, Ireland among other places to promote their music during tours. It very well might be hard in the USA for CKay as well. Esp since their is a lot of competition being a female solo artist. She'll never know unless she tries. It'll also depend how open-minded her audience is too. When I said some of her fans in Korea could relate to her more personally than in Japan. I was referring to there being many Hafu's tht live there. Apparently there are many Hafu aka Korean-American's tht dwell in Korea. They as in (Korean-American chics) love her music & have told her themselves in person. Crystal revealed all this info in an interview she had long ago. I think her fresh face is just what: Korea,the UK, & USA needs. Whether or not Crystal actly travels to these places & promotes her music is soley up to her. Its been long overdue imo. If I were U wouldn't get my hopes up waiting for CKay doin a collabo w/a UK artist until I saw her doin a promo ad for her music in the UK. I'm not trynna sound negative though. Now if Amerie & Kelly Rowland can crossover then why can't CKay??? Btw(that was a rhetorical question).
CKay fan for life <3 :)
*sighs again*
ReplyDeleteBefore I forget! Crystal is the one who feels that the Hafu's (Korean-Americans) in Korea can relate to her more.I'm just repeating what she said verbatim. So don't get mad @ the messenger.
Okay, Crystal crossing over to Korea would not only be hard, but also pointless. Korea has a smaller music market, even with crystal pushing minimal units, she would still make more money in Japan then if she were to crossover and go gold in Korea. An artist only has to sell 15,000 records to go gold, and with digital and physical sales factored in Crystal has probably sold close to that with Vivid at double the price of a Korean album. Not only is the music market smaller, but Korean's do not like "hafus". I'm not sure how liberal the younger generation is, but the older gen, definitely do not like halfus, in fact they like them less than people who are completely black. Lastly, in Korea, being pale is a part of their standard of beauty, and crystal does not fit that description. Also, if she's not fluent in Korean, than a career over there is not happening for her. Variety shows are what get people interested in an artist.
ReplyDelete*Smiles*
ReplyDeleteTo the commentor above. I think its great tht she has fans in Korea to begin with, despite their closed mindedness towards Hafu's. That in itself proves how appealing her music is to ppl. Regarding her career, all we can do at this point is wait and see. Ya never know CKay is full of surprizes these days. I just hope tht it all works in her favor. Esp since she's such a talented artist. Hopefully no matter where she go's they'll except her w/open arms, huge hearts, & open minds. I know tht last part was kinda cheezy but I couldn't resist lol.
CKay fan for life <3 :)
*smiles again*
ReplyDeleteTypo error: I meant "accept" NOT "except".
I kind of agree with "J" about a cover album. I didn't really want her to do one even though artists have been doing cover albums since forever. It just seems like it's a trend in Japan right now. And I don't associate covers with this "last ditch attempt crap or flops" that ppl seem to link them with. If an artist can bring something new to the table then I'm all for it and that's something that Crystal does quite well. If Thelma's album does well (and I hope it does because she sounds absolutely awesome and she has great song choices) then I think it's more likely that Crystal will do one. I'd rather see her do western covers or a combo of western and japanese. But I want to hear really good japanese songs not these monotone things that most artist are doing.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I would love to see on a cover album are the songs she covered for Happy Feet 2. This way she'd be free to put her own spin on them.
As for her performing w/Lionel that might be a kind of promotional thing to let other artists in the Universal group get to know her so to speak.
No matter what she does I'm with her all the way :)