Crystal Kay to release a new single “Gimme Some” on July 6

So. That song Crystal Kay teased on Instagram a little while back? To the surprise of absolutely nobody, it is a snippet of an upcoming song “Gimme Some”, which will release on July 6th. Although it’s not a solo Crystal Kay solo song, but a collaboration with rapper Daichi Yamamoto.

In an Instagram post, Crystal had this to say about it.

I seriously can’t wait for you guys to hear this. With all the negativity going on around the world as well as personally, I wanted this song to be an outlet for you guys. Turn the hate into [fuel]. Let your light shine bright and [smile] at the haters.

I know some of y’all are gonna be shady and be like ‘She talkin’ ‘bout you’.

HENNYWAY.

The caption is really interesting to me. As is Crystal Kay and Daichi Yamamoto being paired together, because they are both Black and Japanese. This in itself is a strong and powerful statement is terms of showing Japan and the world that being Japanese is not just ONE thing. And also being Black is not just ONE thing.

Crystal’s musical endeavours have been ropey over the past few years to say the absolute least. But the one thing I have really enjoyed of Crystal over the past 2 years, is how she has really opened up herself to her fans. I feel like I’ve gotten to know more about Crystal over the past couple years than the 15 or so years I’ve been listening to her music. She’s made her stances clear on where she stands on Black Lives Matter. She’s advocated for mental health in Japan. She is constantly rocking her natural curls. She’s been swearing on livestreams and podcasts. Telling the girls how dating in Japan is trash. Supporting women very openly. So the prospect of some of this carrying through into her music is exciting, if it’s done right.

Putting life and yourself into music is a very common thing in Japan. But the thing is that sometimes the lyrics to songs end up having such obtuse or seemingly generic meanings to the point where the songs can be interpreted in SO many different ways, that the intended meaning of the song gets completely buried - which I feel is a reflection of Japanese culture and society, which is to never really say or show you feel. So I’d really dig it if Crystal started to say ‘Fuck it’ and put more of her thoughts on life and HER life into her music. Especially as since 2010’s Spin the Music, Crystal has been writing more of her own songs.

This is why I get annoyed at Crystal Kay and how her team handle her. Because despite all of the amazing music she has put out over the past 20 years, she still has SO much more to give and offer, but her team aren’t putting her in a place to be able to deliver any of it. So I hope “Gimme Some” is the start of some course correction.

I do wonder about when Crystal will release a new album though, and the form it will take. As Crystal will be returning to Japanese Broadway to reprise her role as The Leading Player in Pippin from August to September of this year. If her team were actually on their shit, they woulda had, or will have singles ready to push whilst that Broadway run happens. But they won’t. Because they ain’t shit. They will have Crystal on Broadway, not releasing music. Then will release music after, when fewer people give a damn.

Gurl, fire the whole management and marketing team.

As for the form a new album would take; given the BSMPARTY single she features on, and “Gimme Some” also being a collaboration, I wouldn’t mind a joint style project from Crystal, which is full of collaborations. During her Sony days from Almost Seventeen onward, Crystal was known for her collaborations, so I think it’d be cool to throw back to those days. Also, if she can get big names on board who still push units and are popular, then it would in turn help her. If I were Crystal’s team, I woulda made nice with Sony to put out Crystal’s equivalent of Namie Amuro’s Checkmate. She’s done enough collaborations to warrant as such. I might just go ahead and make that playlist. Fuck it.

“Gimme More” hits streaming services on July 6th. No word on if there will be a music video, but hopefully there will be. There damn well needs to be.

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