Mai Kuraki

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Mai Kuraki
Mai Kuraki on the cover of her newest album: One Life
Background information
Born	Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
Genre(s)	J-pop, pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Years active	1999–present
Label(s)	Bip! Records (1999) GIZA studio (1999 - 2007) NORTHERN MUSIC (2007 -)
Website	Mai-Kuraki.com

Mai Kuraki (倉木麻衣, Kuraki Mai^?), born October 28, 1982 in Funabashi, Chiba) is a Japanese pop singer.

Contents 1 Career 2 Musicians 3 Discography 3.1 Singles 3.2 Albums 3.3 Compilation albums 3.4 Videos 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Career

She was influenced at an early age by Whitney Houston's singing and Michael Jackson's dancing. In her second year of junior high school, she submitted a demo tape to the Giza Studio recording label and won a contract. She debuted in the United States in 1999 with the song "Baby I Like," released as Mai K. Her first Japanese single, "Love, Day After Tomorrow", was released later in the year. It sold 1,385,190 copies in Japan. The success of her debut was quickly followed by her second single "Stay by my side" which become her first no.1 single and eventually sold 922,140 copies. Mai's third single "Secret of my Heart" was also very successful reaching no.2 on the Oricon Weekly Ranking (At this week, Masaharu Fukuyama's biggest hit single "Sakurasaka" was number 1, which sold 2,299,000 copies). The single charted for sixteen weeks and sold 968,980 copies. A few weeks before the release of her debut album Mai released her fourth single "Never Gonna Give You Up" featuring Michael Africk. The single peaked at #2 and sold 434,250 copies.

Following the release of four singles Mai Kuraki released her highly anticipated debut album "Delicious Way". The album was a massive success in Japan topping the charts and selling an impressive 3,451,660 copies. Delicious Way was the highest selling album in the year 2000 and officially the 9th best selling Jpop album of all time.^[1] Delicious Way is also the second best selling studio album from a female artist after Utada Hikaru's First Love and the third best selling Jpop female album of all time ~ after First Love and Ayumi Hamasaki's A-Best compilation album. In addition, Mai Kuraki also holds the record of having all 28 of her singles in the top-ten since her debut according to the Oricon's female artists ranking record. Like her popular contemporary Utada Hikaru, Mai Kuraki also writes the lyrics to all her songs.

Her English-language ventures, single "Baby I Like" and the album Secret of My Heart were both commercial flops, even though they were the flagship releases of the GIZA USA label. Her all-African-American tour band, Experience, is also somewhat prolific. They were featured in the music video for "Stand Up", and released one single featuring Kuraki Mai's vocals and a Michael Jackson tribute album.

Following the Delicious Way, Mai started releasing material for her second album. This was kicked off with the single "Simply Wonderful" which peaked no.2 and sold 384,820 copies. Mai's next single "Reach for the Sky" was also a success was peaking at no.3 at and sold 468,320 units. The single was used as the theme song for NHK TV series "Audrey". Reach for the Sky was Mai Kuraki's first single not to reach the no. 1 or 2 position on the Oricon Charts. Mai's third single form her second album was Tsumetai Umi / Start in my life. The single peaked at no.2, charted for eleven weeks and sold 356,310 copies. Next up was the single "Stand Up" an acoustic rock single. Stand Up peaked at no.2 and eventually sold 475,910 copies. A month before releasing her second album, Mai released the single "Always" an upbeat song. Peaking at no.2 the single went on to sell 219,940 copies.

Following the release of five new singles, Mai Kuraki eventually released her second album Perfect Crime in July 2001. Although the album did not match the phenomenal success of Delicious Way, it did fare well in its own right, peaking at no.1 on the Oricon Charts, and eventually went on to sell 1,317,170 copies.

Year 2002 was a year of success for Mai Kuraki. January that year, "Winter Bells", the 10th opening theme for the popular anime Detective Conan, reached the top position of the Oricon charts. FT Shiseido chose "Feel fine!" as the theme song for its 100 year celebration campaign. The single release of the song briefly held the daily top spot against Ayumi Hamasaki's "Free & Easy", but lost out the weekly top spot.

In October 2003, she released a rock cover of a Momoe Yamaguchi, a 1970's idol, song, "IMITATION GOLD" as part of Tak Matsumoto's HIT PARADE project, which claimed the top position on the Oricon charts, despite selling less than 50,000 copies on the first week. On New Year's Day of year 2004, Kuraki released her compilation/best album Wish You The Best and became the best selling album in the month of January plus the 5th best selling album for the year 2004 in Japan. Since the release of "Love, needing", she have been featuring more retro-sounding songs. In March 2005 she graduated from Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. 6th studio album "Fuse of Love" was release on 24 August 2005. Recently, her 7th studio album "DIAMOND WAVE" was released on 2 August 2006. This is the first time she is using her single title to be the same as the album and also the first time there are only three instead of four hit singles to be included in her album.

In 2007, she became more active outside Japan - performed "Born to be Free" at the A3 Champions Cup in China in June, performed her classic "Secret of my heart" at Taiwan's Golden Melody Award, performed new single "Silent love ~open my heart~" at the Asian Song Festival in Korea, and had her first overseas concert in Taiwan in November, just before the release of the "One Life" album in January 1st 2008.

Also in 2007, she has joined Northern Music and left GIZA Studio. Her first album there went below #10 and hit #14.

To date, Kuraki has recorded 7 studio albums (5 of which went to #1), 27 singles (3 of which went to #1), a compilation album, and 9 DVD/Videos.

[edit] Musicians

• Musical Director / Guitar: Yoshinobu Oga
• Drums: Marvin Lenoar
• Keys: Big Boyy T
• Bass: Tamon Mori

[edit] Discography

See Mai Kuraki Discography.

[edit] Singles

• "Baby I Like" (1999) - Failed to chart (USA Release)
• "Love, Day After Tomorrow" (8 December 1999) - #2 1 385 190 copies sold
• "Stay by my side" (15 March 2000) - #1 922 140 copies sold
• "Secret of my heart" (26 April 2000) - #2 968 980 copies sold
• "NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP" (7 June 2000) - #2 434 250 copies sold
• "Simply Wonderful" (27 September 2000) - #2 384 820 copies sold
• "Reach for the sky" (28 November 2000) - #3 468 320 copies sold
• "tsumetai umi/Start in my life" (7 February 2001) - #2 356 310 copies sold
• "Stand Up" (18 April 2001) - #2 475 910 copies sold
• "always" (6 June 2001) - #2 219 940 copies sold
• "Can't forget your love/PERFECT CRIME ~Single Edit~" (29 August 2001) - #2 180 040 copies sold
• "Winter Bells" (17 January 2002) - #1 258 310 copies sold
• "Feel fine!" (24 April 2002) - #2 451 500 copies sold
• "Like a star in the night" (4 September 2002) - #2 119 550 copies sold
• "Make my day" (4 December 2002) - #2 107 899 copies sold
• "Time after time ~hanamau machi de~" (Time after time～花舞う街で～) (5 March 2003) - #3 144 461 copies sold
• "Kiss" (30 April 2003) - #3 112 092 copies sold
• "kaze no la la la" (風のららら) (28 May 2003) - #3 96 198 copies sold
• "IMITATION GOLD" (8 October 2003 as TAK MATSUMOTO featuring Kuraki Mai) - #1
• "Ashita e Kakeru Hashi" (明日へ架ける橋) (19 May 2004) - #3 90 588 copies sold
• "Love,needing" (19 January 2005) - #5 67 923 copies sold
• "DANCING" (ダンシング) (23 March 2005) - #5 56 682 copies sold
• "P.S♡MY SUNSHINE" (1 June 2005) - #8 41 936 copies sold
• "Growing of my heart" (9 November 2005) - #7 62 299 copies sold 37,564 copies sold
• "BEST OF HERO" (ベスト　オブ　ヒーロー) (8 February 2006) - #5 57 741 copies sold
• "Diamond Wave" (21 June 2006) - #7 30 100 copies sold
• "Shiroi Yuki" (白い雪) (20 December 2006) - #4 43 721 copies sold
• "Season of love" (14 February 2007) #6 29 295 copies sold
• "Silent Love ~open my heart~/BE WITH U" (28 November 2007) #9 21,969 copies sold
• "夢が咲く春/You and Music and Dream" (19 March 2008) #5 ? copies sold

[edit] Albums

• Delicious Way (28 June 2000) - #1 3 530 000 copies sold

1. Delicious Way
2. Love, Day After Tomorrow
3. Secret of my heart
4. Stepping ∞ Out
5. Baby Tonight～You&Me～
6. Can't get enough～gimme your love～
7. NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP
8. Stay by my side
9. Everything's All Right
10. happy days
11. 君との時間 (Kimi to no jikan)

• Perfect Crime (4 July 2001) - #1 1 317 170 copies sold

1. PERFECT CRIME
2. Start in my life
3. Reach for the sky
4. Brand New Day
5. Stand Up
6. Come on! Come on!
7. always
8. What are you waiting for
9. think about
10. 冷たい海 (Tsumetai umi)
11. Reach for the sky GOMI REMIX(Radio Edit)
12. いつかは　あの空に (Itsuka wa anosora ni)
13. The ROSE～melody in the sky～

• Secret of My Heart (2002) - (USA Release)

1. Secret of my heart
2. Did I Hear You Say That You're In Love
3. NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP
4. Baby I Like
5. Stay by my side
6. Can't get enough -gimme your love-
7. Delicious way
8. Love, Day After Tomorrow
9. Stepping ∞ Out
10. Baby Tonight -you & Me-
11. Baby I Like -Extacy Vox Mix-
12. All Right -DJ ME-YA Radical Beat Mix-

• FAIRY TALE (23 October 2002) - #1 599 440 copies sold

1. Fairy tale ～my last teenage wish～
2. Feel fine !
3. Ride on time
4. key to my heart
5. Winter Bells
6. Loving You…
7. Can't forget your love
8. Trip in the dream
9. Not that kind a girl
10. Like a star in the night
11. 不思議の国 (fushigi no kuni)
12. fantasy

• If I Believe' (9 July 2003) - #1 443 689 copies sold

1. If I Believe
2. Time after time ～花舞う街で～(Hana mau machi de)
3. 風のららら (Kaze no ra ra ra)
4. Kiss
5. mi corazon
6. I don't wanna lose you
7. Make my day～album version～
8. SAME
9. Just A Little Bit
10. You are not the only one
11. Tonight, I feel close to you

• FUSE OF LOVE (24 August 2005) - #3 185 350 copies sold

1. Honey, feeling for me
2. P.S MY SUNSHINE
3. You look at me～one
4. 駆け抜ける稲妻
5. Don't leave me alone
6. Love, needing
7. ダンシング (Dancing)
8. Tell me what
9. LOVE SICK
10. 明日へ架ける橋 (Ashita e Kakeru Hashi)
11. I sing a song for you
12. chance for you

• DIAMOND WAVE (2 August 2006) - #3 132 476 copies sold

1. Diamond Wave
2. Ready for love
3. ベスト オブ ヒーロー (Best of Hero)
4. Juliet
5. Growing of my heart
6. 会いたくて... (ai takute)
7. ホログラム (horoguramu)
8. State of mind
9. 今　君とここに (ima kimi tokokoni)
10. Cherish the day
11. Voice of Safest Place

• ONE LIFE (1 January 2008) - #14 81,988 copies sold

1. One Life -- composed/arranged by Martin Ankelius & Henrik Andersson-Tervaid
2. I Like it Like that -- composed by Ricky Hanley, Darren Woodford & Lynn Slater, arranged by Radi8
3. one for me -- composed/arranged by Yoo Hae Joon
4. Born to be Free -- composed by Akihito Tokunaga, arranged by Cybersound
5. 白い雪 (Shiroi Yuki) -- composed by Aika Ohno, arranged by Daisuke Ikeda
6. Silent love ~open my heart~ -- composed/arranged by Daisuke "DAIS" Miyachi & Yuichi Ohno
7. everything -- composed/arranged by Takanori Fujimoto
8. Season of love -- composed by Aika Ohno, arranged by Cybersound
9. secret roses -- composed by Mari Fujita, arranged by Mari Fujita & DAYTRACK
10. Wonderland -- composed/arranged by Tomoo Kasahara & Yoko Blaqstone
11. BE WITH U -- composed by Tokunaga Akihito, arranged by Cybersound
12. Over The Rainbow (Bonus track) -- lyrics by E.Y.Harburg, composed by Harold Arlen, arranged by Hiroyuki Kubota & Hideyuki Terachi

[edit] Compilation albums

• Wish You The Best (1 January 2004) - #1 948 268 copies sold

1. Love, Day After Tomorrow
2. Stay by my side
3. Secret of my heart
4. NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP
5. Delicious Way
6. Simply Wonderful ～Radio Edit～
7. Reach for the sky
8. 冷たい海 (Tsumetai umi)
9. Stand Up
10. always
11. Winter Bells
12. Feel fine !
13. Like a star in the night
14. Time after time ～花舞う街で～ (Hana mau machi de)
15. 風のららら (Kaze no ra ra ra)
16. Tonight, I feel close to you (with 孫 燕姿)

[edit] Videos

• FIRST CUT (8 November 2000 DVD/VHS)
• Mai Kuraki & Experience First Live 2001 in Zepp Osaka (VHS 19 September 2001)
• Mai Kuraki & Experience First Live Tour 2001 ETERNAL MOMENT (DVD/VHS 21 November 2001)
• Mai Kuraki "Loving You..." Tour 2002 Final 2.27 in YOKOHAMA ARENA (VHS 3 April 2002)
• Mai Kuraki "Loving You..." Tour 2002 Complete Edition (DVD 15 May 2002)
• My Reflection (DVD 17 January 2004)
• Mai Kuraki 5th Anniversary Edition Grow, Step by Step (DVD 5 January 2005)
• Mai Kuraki Live Tour 2005　LIKE A FUSE OF LIVE (DVD 22 February 2006)
• Brilliant Cut ～Mai Kuraki Live & Document～ (DVD 22 August 2007)

[edit] References

1. ^ Oricon Ranking. [1].

[edit] External links

• Mai-Kuraki.com official web site
• Nippop Profile |Mai Kuraki
• Mai Kuraki's personal blog