Random J Pop Special Edition: Crystal Kay - Sparkle

I had posted this as a regular ass playlist post back in 2018. But this week I thought 'Fuck it. I'mma re-post this'. So now it's a Random J Pop Special Edition.

It truly is crazy to me that Crystal hasn't released a follow up Christmas album to her 2007 EP, Shining. Especially considering that Christmas has played a part in several of her albums in some form since then. A third of Shine was pretty much Christmas songs. Spin the Music had a Christmas looking ass album cover. All Yours had a light Christmas vibe and was heavily tied into Christmas in how it was promoted. And then there are the songs. Crystal Kay's 2021 cover album I Sing truly kicked off with "I Love...", her cover of which was a straight up a Christmas song. Her singles "Superman" and "After Love -First Boyfriend" were Christmassy as fuck. And for the past 3 years, at time of writing, Crystal has done Christmas shows. So you'd think we'd have a Christmas album by now. But nope. So here I am. Giving us CK fans the Crystal Kay Christmas album that we probabaly don't deserve, but should have regardless.

Gurl. Fire the whole marketing and management team.

1. Nando Demo
2. Someday
3. Shining
4. Very Special
5. Hero
6. Superman
7. I Love...
8. Tears
9. Cherish
10. After Love -First Boyfriend-
11. Snowflake
12. Shiroi Koibitotachi
13. Present

Christmas albums aren't really that big in Japan, although artists releasing Christmas songs or Christmassy music videos is common. I don't think a holiday album is destined to bomb on the Oricon album chart though, and Crystal Kay literally has nothing to lose at this point by releasing one. In fact, in 2021, it could have really helped her cross over in a way that she hasn't since the days of "Koi Ni Ochitara" - which now that I think about it is also pretty Christmassy. Especially off the back of her applauded stint on The Masked Singer Japan.

There is a huge window for a J-artist to take the holiday mantle. I actually think Kumi Koda would work well in this space. But here we are, with BoA's 2004 "Meri Kuri" still running up streams for the holidays, with not one bit of competition.

HENNYWAY.

Stream Sparkle y'all.

🔊 Stream Sparkle: Spotify | YouTube Music

🎧 CK Playlists: This is Crystal Kay | Crystal Kay: Ballads
📀 CK Special Edition: Euphoria, a Crystal Kay dance album

💿 CK album reviews: I Sing | For You | Vivid | Shine | Spin the Music | Call Me Miss... | All Yours | Color Change! | 4Real | Crystal Style | Almost Seventeen | 637 -Always & Forever- | C.L.L. ~Crystal Lover Light