🎈 Happy 20th anniversary to Crystal Kay’s 6th studio album, Call Me Miss… 🎈
The album where it all changed for Crystal Kay. “Koi ni Ochitara” being a chart hit. “Kirakuni” being a cult hit, a hood classic and introducing Crystal to an international audience.
Call Me Miss… was my first official intro to Crystal Kay, and was the first CK album I had bought straight off of what was a great first impression.
As a Janet Jackson fan, I was so hyped that the album not only had a Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis production which sounded like Janet, but the entire album had this pristinely produced pop / R&B sound, with a focus on melody, musicality and instrumentation — which felt so reminiscent of Janet, Jam & Lewis. And this felt timely, at a point in music where musicality and the art of classic production was making a comeback — after the millennial digital blips and bloops sound of 2000–2001 and an abundance of songs featuring nothing more than kicks and finger snaps. And on top of all of this, Crystal Kay was a Japanese R&B artist who could ACTUALLY sing!?
Call Me Miss… is largely known as the album that has “Kirakuni”, but it really is so much more. “Kirakuni” might be the song on this album I listen to the least. “Hero”, “Telepathy”, “KTK” and “Together” is where it’s at for me.
A monumental album in Crystal’s discography. Easily one of my favourite CK albums.
💿 Album review: Crystal Kay - Call Me Miss...