Mai Kuraki
Mai Kuraki ( Japanese倉 木 麻衣Kuraki Mai ; actually Aono Mai (青 野 真 衣 Aono Mai); born October 28, 1982 in Tokyo , Japan ) is a J-Pop singer. Her style was influenced early by the singing of Whitney Houston and the choreography of Michael Jackson .
Career
While still in her sophomore year high school, Kuraki sent a demo tape to the GIZA record company . The recordings convinced the record bosses and she received a contract. 1999 was published in the US under the pseudonym K May their debut single Baby I Like . Their first single in Japan, Love, Day After Tomorrow , followed that same year.
Despite commercial success, Kuraki's career has always been overshadowed by Utada Hikaru . Although the critics often see Kuraki as the better dancing talent, she has the image of a copy of Utada with the fans. However, their debut album Delicious Way (2000) sold more than 4 million copies and became the best-selling album of the year in 2000.
In 2000 she also got her own TV show called "Mai-K TV". In this show, Mai shows her personal side and tells a lot about her musical roots.
Her second album Perfect Crime (2001) sold more than two million times. In the summer we went on the first tour through six larger cities.
In January 2002 she released her first English-language album Secret of my heart in America. Then it went on tour in Japan again, this time on a slightly larger scale: 10 cities, 14 shows, an average of 50,000 visitors per concert. Her second album for 2002, Fairy Tale , will be released in October . This time there was only one medium sized tour to promote the album and it lasted eight full months.
The meanwhile fourth album If i believe followed and was the first of their albums to enter the charts at # 1 and thus secured Mai a permanent place at the top of the Japanese idols . On January 1st, 2004 the best-of album Wish You The Best followed .
In 2005 the singer graduated from Ritsumeikan University and released her fifth album, Fuse of Love .
Since July 25, 2017, she has held a world record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the fact that, as a singer, she contributed the most title songs ever to a single anime series ( Detective Conan ).
Kuraki has contributed 21 songs to the anime Detective Conan so far , including a .:
- Secret of My Heart
- Time after time
- Always
- Winter Bells
- Start in My Life
- Kaze no La La La
- Growing of My Heart
- Shiroi Yuki
- Revive
- puzzle
- Summer Time Gone
- Tomorrow is the last time
- Koi ni Koishite
- Your Best Friend
- Try again
- Dynamite
Discography
Albums
| publication | title | Chart position * | Sales * | annotation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2000 | Delicious way | 1 | 3,530,000 | 1st studio album | ||
| 4th July 2001 | Perfect crime | 1 | 1,320,000 | 2nd studio album | ||
| January 22, 2002 | Secret of My Heart | - | - | US album | ||
| October 23, 2002 | Fairy Tale | 1 | 761,000 | 3rd studio album | ||
| July 9, 2003 | If I believe | 1 | 445,000 | 4th studio album | ||
| January 1, 2004 | Wish you the best | 1 | 956,000 | 1st compilation | ||
| August 24, 2005 | Fuse of Love | 3 | 185,000 | 5th studio album | ||
| August 2, 2006 | Diamond Wave | 3 | 132,000 | 6th studio album | ||
| January 1, 2008 | One Life | 14th | 89,000 | 7th studio album | ||
| January 21, 2009 | Touch me! | 1 | 90,000 | 8th studio album | ||
| September 9, 2009 | All my best | 1 | 257,000 | 2nd compilation | ||
| October 20, 2010 | Future Kiss | 3 | 65,000 | 9th studio album | ||
| January 11, 2012 | Over the rainbow | 2 | 50,000 | 10th studio album | ||
| May 30, 2014 | Request Best: My & Mai | - | - | 3. Compilation (only for fan club members) | ||
| November 12, 2014 | Mai Kuraki Best 151A: Love & Hope | 2 | 67,000 | 4. Compilation | ||
| 15th February 2017 | Smile | 4th | 30,000 | 11th studio album | ||
| October 25, 2017 + January 2, 2019 |
Kuraki Mai x Meitantei Conan Collaboration Best 21: Shinjitsu wa Itsumo Uta ni Aru! 倉木麻衣 × 名 探 偵 コ ナ ン COLLABORATION BEST 21 - 真 実 は い つ も 歌 に あ る！ - |
4 (47 weeks) |
75,000 | 5. Compilation | ||
| October 22, 2018 | Kimi Omofu: Shunkashūtō 君 想 ふ ～ 春夏 秋冬 ～ |
3 (12 weeks) |
30,000 | 1. Concept album | ||
| "-" means no chart entry, no information or no publication. * Charts and sales for Japan only . |
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Singles
| publication | title | Chart position * | Sales * | annotation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 20, 1999 | Baby I like | - | - | US single as Mai K | ||
| December 8, 1999 | Love, Day After Tomorrow | 2 | 1,385,000 | 1st single as Mai Kuraki | ||
| March 15, 2000 | Stay by My Side | 1 | 922,000 | 2nd single | ||
| April 26, 2000 | Secret of My Heart | 2 | 969,000 | 3. Single | ||
| June 7, 2000 | Never gonna give up | 2 | 434,000 | 4. Single | ||
| September 27, 2000 | Simply wonderful | 2 | 385,000 | 5. Single | ||
| November 28, 2000 | Reach for the sky | 3 | 468,000 | 6. Single | ||
| February 7, 2001 | Tsumetai Umi / Start in my Life 冷 た い 海 / Start in my life |
2 | 356,000 | 7. Single | ||
| April 18, 2001 | Stand up | 2 | 476,000 | 8. Single | ||
| June 6, 2001 | Always | 2 | 220,000 | 9. Single | ||
| August 29, 2001 | Can't Forget Your Love | 2 | 180,000 | 10. Single | ||
| January 17, 2002 | Winter Bells | 1 | 258,000 | 11. Single | ||
| April 24, 2002 | Feel fine! | 2 | 452,000 | 12. Single | ||
| September 4, 2002 | Like a star in the night | 2 | 120,000 | 13. Single | ||
| 4th December 2002 | Make My Day | 2 | 108,000 | 14. Single | ||
| March 5, 2003 | Time After Time: Hanamau Machi de Time after time ~ 花 舞 う 街 で ~ |
3 | 144,000 | 15. Single | ||
| April 30, 2003 | Kiss | 3 | 112,000 | 16. Single | ||
| May 28, 2003 | Kaze no La La La 風 の ら ら ら |
3 | 96,000 | 17. Single | ||
| October 8, 2003 | Imitation gold | 1 | 80,000 | Tak Matsumoto feat. Kuraki May | ||
| May 19, 2004 | Ashita e Kakeru Hashi 明日 へ 架 け る 橋 |
3 | 91,000 | 18. Single | ||
| January 19, 2005 | Love, needing | 5 | 68,000 | 19. Single | ||
| March 23, 2005 | Dancing ダ ン シ ン グ |
5 | 57,000 | 20th single | ||
| June 1, 2005 | PS My Sunshine | 8th | 42,000 | 21. Single | ||
| November 9, 2005 | Growing of My Heart | 7th | 62,000 | 22. Single | ||
| February 8, 2006 | Best of Hero ベ ス ト オ ブ ヒ ー ロ ー |
5 | 58,000 | 23. Single | ||
| June 21, 2006 | Diamond Wave | 7th | 31,000 | 24. Single | ||
| December 20, 2006 | Shiroi Yuki 白 い 雪 |
4th | 44,000 | 25. Single | ||
| February 14, 2007 | Season of love | 6th | 31,000 | 26. Single | ||
| November 28, 2007 | Silent Love: Open My Heart / Be with U | 9 | 31,000 | 27. Single | ||
| March 19, 2008 |
Yume ga Saku Haru / You and Music and Dream 夢 が 咲 く 春 / You and Music and Dream |
5 | 29,000 | 28. Single | ||
| July 9, 2008 | Ichibyou Goto ni Love for You 一秒 ご と に Love for you |
7th | 30,000 | 29. Single | ||
| November 26, 2008 | 24 Xmas Time | 4th | 27,000 | 30. Single | ||
| April 1, 2009 | Puzzle / Revive | 11 | 48,000 | 31. Single | ||
| June 10, 2009 | Beautiful | 6th | 36,000 | 32nd single | ||
| March 3, 2010 | Eien Yori Nagaku / Drive Me Crazy 永遠 よ り な が / Drive me crazy |
7th | 30,000 | 33.Single | ||
| June 9, 2010 | Chance for You: Cinema Version | - | - | 1. Download single | ||
| August 31, 2010 | Summer Time Gone | 4th | 33,000 | 34.Single | ||
| March 9, 2011 | 1000 Mankai no Kiss 1000 万 回 の キ ス |
4th | 25,000 | 35th single | ||
| April 11, 2011 | Anata ga Iru Kara あ な た が い る か ら |
- | - | 2. Download single | ||
| May 25, 2011 | Mou Ichido も う 一度 |
7th | 23,000 | 36th single | ||
| September 7, 2011 | Anata ga Iru Kara: Fantasy on Ice 2011 あ な た が い る か ら ~ Fantasy on Ice 2011 ~ |
- | - | 3. Download single | ||
| October 19, 2011 | Your Best Friend | 6th | 25,000 | 37th single | ||
| November 23, 2011 | Strong Heart | 7 ‡ | 20,000 | 38th single / 1st video single | ||
| August 15, 2012 |
Koi ni Koishite / Special Morning Day to You 恋 に 恋 し て / Special morning day to you |
7th | 22,000 | 39.Single | ||
| February 6, 2013 | Try again | 7th | 20,000 | 40th single | ||
| 17th August 2013 | Reach for the Sky: Re: ggae Summer 2013 Ver. | - | - | 4. Download single | ||
| February 26, 2014 | wake me up | 2 | 12,000 | 41st single / 2nd video single | ||
| August 27, 2014 | Muteki na Heart / Stand by You 無敵 な ハ ー ト / STAND BY YOU |
5 | 30,000 | 42nd single | ||
| May 20, 2015 | Serendipity | - | - | 5. Download single | ||
| July 30, 2016 | Sawage Life | - | - | 6. Download single | ||
| January 11, 2017 | Yesterday Love | - | - | 3. Video single | ||
| April 12, 2017 | Togetsukyou: Kimi Omofu 渡 月 橋 ～ 君 想 ふ ～ |
5 (42 weeks) |
76,000 | 43.Single | ||
| 2nd March 2018 | We are happy women | - | - | 7. Download single | ||
| March 9, 2018 | Do it! | - | - | 8. Download single | ||
| March 16, 2018 | Light Up Your Life | - | - | 9. Download single | ||
| August 8, 2018 | Koyoi wa Yume wo Misasete 今宵 は 夢 を 見 さ せ て |
- | - | 10. Download single | ||
| 20th March 2019 | Kimi to Koi no Mama de Owarenai Itsumo Yume no Mama ja Irarenai / Barairo no Jinsei き み と 恋 の ま ま で 終 わ れ な い い い つ も 夢 の ま ま じ ゃ い ら れ な い ／ 薔薇 色 の 人生 |
4 (8 weeks) |
35,000 | 44th single | ||
| "-" means no chart entry, no information or no publication. * Charts and sales for Japan only. ‡ Placed on the Oricon Music DVD Charts. |
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Vinyls
- Baby I Like (November 27, 1999)
- Love, Day After Tomorrow (March 8, 2000)
- Never Gonna Give You Up (June 19, 2000)
- Reach for the Sky (November 22, 2000)
- Stand Up / Yes or No (May 3, 2001)
Video publications
DVD format
- First Cut (November 8, 2000)
- Mai Kuraki & Experience - First Live Tour 2001 Eternal Moment (November 21, 2001)
- Mai Kuraki: Loving You ... Tour 2002 Complete Edition (May 15, 2002)
- My Reflection (January 7, 2004)
- Mai Kuraki 5th Anniversary Edition Grow, Step by Step (January 5, 2005)
- Mai Kuraki Live Tour 2005 like a Fuse of Love and Tour Documentary of "Chance for You" (February 15, 2006)
- Brilliant Cut: Mai Kuraki Live & Document (August 22, 2007)
- May Kuraki Live Tour 2008 “Touch Me!” (May 6, 2009)
- 10th Anniversary Mai Kuraki Live Tour Best (December 23, 2009)
- Happy Happy Halloween Live 2010 (October 19, 2011)
- Mai Kuraki Premium Live One for All, All for One (March 14, 2012)
- Mai Kuraki Symphonic Collection in Moscow (December 19, 2012)
- Mai Kuraki Symphonic Live: Opus 1 (July 3, 2013)
VHS format
- First Cut (November 8, 2000)
- Mai Kuraki & Experience First Live 2001 in Zepp Osaka (November 21, 2001)
- Mai Kuraki & Experience First Live Tour 2001 Eternal Moment (November 21, 2001)
- Mai Kuraki: Loving You ... Tour 2002 Final 2.27 Yokohama Arena (April 3, 2002)
Awards for music sales
Note: Awards in countries from the chart tables or chart boxes can be found in these.
| Country / Region |
 gold |
 platinum |
 diamond
|
Sales | swell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards for music sales (country / region, awards, sales, sources) |
|||||
 Japan (RIAJ)
|
21 × gold21st
|
10 × platinum10
|
8 × diamond8th
|
16,136,000 | riaj.or.jp |
| All in all |
21 × gold21st
|
10 × platinum10
|
8 × diamond8th
|
||
Web links
- Official Website (Japanese)
- Official Fan Club (Japanese)
- Nippop profiles | Mai Kuraki (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ World Record for Mai Kuraki: Most Theme Songs in an Anime. In: ConanNews.org. July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2017 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kuraki, May |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 倉 木 麻衣 (Japanese) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Japanese J-pop singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 28, 1982 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Tokyo |