Album Cut: Crystal Kay - I Can’t Wait | Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis come through for Crystal, again

I feel for Crystal and Color change!. I really do. Following up All yours, Crystal's first ever number 1 album on the ORICON album chart after 8 years, the pressure was on her to deliver to a music buying public who at the time had enough shits to give her. Factor this in with her coming into her own as a woman, as an artist and the pressure to cater to a Western audience whilst capitalising on her current success and sinking her teeth into the Japanese audience; Color change! was always going to have a hard time.

Color change! didn't mimic the success of All yours, despite having a lead single tied to a Pokemon game. The writing was on the wall from then. Because if you can't make your shit pop when it's tied to one of the world' biggest franchises, then chile...all Jesus can do is wish you well. But Color change! was a decent album. It was a refinement of what Crystal had always done, but in a tighter ever so slightly more pop tinged package. There was a great deal to like here for those who were into Crystal from the beginning and it felt like the type of album that Crystal had been working towards for years. Her working with US and European producers was the realisation of a dream after 6 to 8 years of working with Japanese producers to emulate US sounds.

Color change! not only saw her re-uniting with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for 2 tracks, but also cutting a song with Bloodshy & Avant of Britney Spears "Toxic" fame. The very same team that SM entertainment sought out to produce BoA's US debut single "Eat you up". And whilst most would agree that the Bloodshy & Avant "It's a crime" is an album standout. Another for me would have to be the Jam and Lewis produced "I can't wait".

Crystal Kay has always cited Janet Jackson as one of her idols and inspirations. So to have the chance to work with the guys responsible for producing all of her music must have felt like a lottery win for her when she recorded "Kirakuni" with them. But to then work with them again 2 years after on 2 songs with a bit more experience and stronger vocals must have felt re-affirming and given Crystal a sense of finally having made it. Especially after a number 1 album.

"I can't wait" has very Janet Jackson vibes about it by proxy of it being produced by the duo responsible for her sound as we now know it, but it still feels completely tailored for Crystal. There's no compromise to her sound what-so-ever. It still feels very much like her. It's a perfect example of how a J-Pop artist can work with a US producer and get that glossy US sound, but still keep the essence of their sound as they and their fans know it. Something that we've seen go awry with other artists and Crystal herself when she attempted a US debut. Yeeeeeah, speaking of that...

Crystal had a hard time with her US debut, delivering 3 songs which not only stripped out what Crystal fans loved about her and her sound, but were just really plain songs. This was baffling for me as a fan, given that Crystal had given us songs over the course of her career up until that point that could and would have worked well as US singles. "I can't wait" being one of them. "It's a crime" would be another, for sure. But it lacks that CK charm and it was one of several reasons why it stood out so much on Color change!. And as much as I like the song (it's one of my personal highlights from the album) it was a bit of an anybody song. It was a great song generally, made a whole lot better by hearing Crystal sing it. "I can't wait" on the other hand felt like a nice distillation of Crystal Kay and all that you'd expect from a song of hers. Great production, smooth vocals, great vocal arrangements and a catchy hook. It also tapped into Crystal feeling her grown and sexy oats for the first time. Crystal had always been about being cute and sweet on songs, but here she was like 'Boy, come get dith puthy'.

If there were to ever be a video, it would of course need to feature some bangin' choreo and a fly concept. Her label would have probably wanted to go the "Kirakuni" route with visual nods to traditional Japanese culture. Where-as I'd have her pop her pussy and cock her legs open as she sings ♪ Kore, enjoy! ♪.

The more I think about Color change! the more I feel that it was a case of a right album released at the wrong time. There was so much about it that could have worked, but the timing was awful and her management and label just didn't have much of a clue on how to market Crystal or her sound. And every time I listen to "I can't wait" I have flash thoughts of snow, Christmas, pastels and Crystal making it pop in a neon mini skirt and a high ponytail. As well as there being a clear shot at testing Crystal's music in the US and that her team missed it. Still. We got a great song out of it.