Random J pop playlist: Crystal Kay - Sparkle (a CK Christmas EP)

I'm always up for any excuse to show love to one of Japan's most criminally underrated artists, whose music is now caught in such a downward doo-doo spiral.

I'd mentioned back in 2016 when I first reviewed Crystal Kay's 11th studio Shine that half of it sounded like a Christmas EP. I'm sure that this was not a revelation to anybody who listened to that album, because the holiday angle of it was far from subtle, between the name of the damn album, the cover and that half of the songs featured jingle bells. So, with that I've trimmed the fat and slapped together an EP of the festive cuts from Shine, with a couple of other Christmassy songs from what of Crystal's discography is available on Spotify. Which is nothing. Of course I've love to add "One", "After love -First boyfriend-" and "Deaeta kiseki" to this shit too, but Sony want to lock her Epic records catalog to Japan, so, [Oprah shrug]

I call this shit Sparkle.

Support your girl by giving this playlist a stream during this festive season. In the meantime I might do some investigative reporting and see what the deal is with her back catalogue being region locked. In many instances labels aren't really putting much effort into making old shit available for streaming unless it's a huge act whose lack of material would be glaring. In some instances, albums not being available in specific regions or being available at all isn't always because of legalities or the rights owners being stingy...but them not being bothered, not thinking anybody cares, or them not even knowing.

Yep. It be like that sometimes. Because realistically, who at Epic is giving Crystal Kay any time now that she's no longer at the label when they had zero time for her when she was still signed to them?

Mmmhmm.

🎧 Listen on Spotify: Sparkle (a CK Christmas EP)