{"id":257170,"date":"2025-09-26T22:36:19","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T22:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/257170\/"},"modified":"2025-09-26T22:36:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T22:36:19","slug":"25th-anniversary-set-at-miracle-theater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/257170\/","title":{"rendered":"25th-Anniversary Set at Miracle Theater"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tLast month, Crystal Kay realized her longtime dream of touring in North America with her CK25 THE TOUR, celebrating 25 years in music. Born in Yokohama \u2014 one of Japan<\/a>\u2019s gateways to Western culture since the 1850s \u2014 to an American father and South Korean mother, the singer made her debut at 13 and has built a career as a bridge between Japan, the U.S., and South Korea, seamlessly blending the American music she grew up on and the J-pop she has released as a professional artist.<\/p>\n

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\n\tAfter initially gaining prominence in the R&B genre early in her career, Kay shifted gears in 2005, trying her hand at J-pop music with \u201cKoi ni Ochitara\u201d (When You Fall in Love) and scoring a massive domestic hit. Since then, she has continued to expand her activities and genres through J-pop covers, jazz, voice acting and acting (Happy Feet Two, Netflix\u2019s Earthquake Bird), and appearances in the Japan production of the musical Pippin and the Japan\/U.S. co-production of the musical RENT.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe singer had set her sights on the world stage from the beginning of her career. Armed with her overwhelming vocal prowess and native-level English skills, she traveled repeatedly to the U.S. in-between her activities in Japan, actively pursuing music production with local producers and creatives. Her signature collaborative track is \u201cKirakuni\u201d (2006), produced by Jam & Lewis \u2014 the hitmaker duo behind No. 1 smashes by Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Usher and more \u2014 sung entirely in English. This number brought authentic R&B dance tracks dominating the U.S. market at the time to Japan and remains one of the most popular songs in her extensive catalog. \u201cKirakuni\u201d was unavailable on streaming platforms for a long time, but fans rejoiced when it was finally released ahead of her recent tour.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe 39-year-old songstress\u2019 long-standing friendship with Tremaine \u201cSix7\u201d Williams, the music producer who worked as an engineer on her \u201cColor Change\u201d album made her North American trek possible. Having also served as stage manager for artists including Mariah Carey, Bruno Mars, Swedish House Mafia and more, Trey provided full support as Kay\u2019s U.S. Management and Tour Director for this outing. Adding further flair to the shows was a powerhouse three-piece band that included Josh Baker, a drummer who toured with Carey, along with Montez Garner on bass and Keith Phelps on keyboards.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tFor the Los Angeles stop during her seven-concert North American tour in as many cities marking her 25th anniversary, Kay chose a venue in Inglewood \u2014 The Miracle Theater \u2014 and not Hollywood or the downtown area. Formerly considered one of the city\u2019s roughest neighborhoods, this area has seen significant redevelopment in recent years, including the opening of SoFi Stadium, which hosts NFL games and concerts by some of today\u2019s biggest acts, and Intuit Dome, a multipurpose arena serving as the home of NBA\u2019s Los Angeles Clippers. While only a few sports bars in the area were open for business and the streets in the vicinity were quiet, the words \u201cCRYSTAL KAY CK25 THE TOUR SOLD OUT!\u201d lighted up the theater entrance and inside, the packed crowd brimmed with anticipation and excitement for the show about to begin.<\/p>\n

\n\tFive minutes past the scheduled starting time, Crystal Kay appeared from stage right dressed in a chic, sophisticated ensemble composed of a sequined black top, black pants, and black gloves, to the live performance of \u201chard to say\u201d by her backing band. The audience jumped to their feet and applauded enthusiastically the moment she began to sing. Supported by the trio of musicians playing keyboards, drums, and bass\/keyboards positioned in that order from stage right, Kay went on to perform the up-tempo \u201cEx-Boyfriend\u201d and \u201cGirl U Love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe singer took a moment to address the crowd, mixing Japanese with her impeccable English. \u201cL.A., Los Angeles\u2026 Good evening! It\u2019s so so good to be back,\u201d she said as the excitement in the venue surged. \u201cWelcome to the show. We have super fun show for you guys and I really want you guys to sing your a** off and dance your a** off and just have the best time. I wanna make this an unforgettable moment!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tNext, she lovingly performed \u201cEternal Memories,\u201d a song she first sang when she was only twelve years old. Noting that \u201cI feel like I finally caught up to the lyrics,\u201d she poured her heart into every word, captivating the audience. During \u201cNo Pressure,\u201d she masterfully sang from the quiet piano intro to the energetic mid-section, drawing cheers from the crowd.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cAre y\u2019all having a good time? I love your energy, L.A.!\u201d Kay said, before declaring, \u201cI wanna take it all the way back.\u201d The vocalist launched into a gorgeous medley of throwback numbers starting with \u201cTEENAGE UNIVERSE ~ Chewing Gum Baby,\u201d followed by \u201cthink of U,\u201d \u201cGirl\u2019s Night,\u201d \u201cWhat Time Is It?\u201d and \u201cSweet friends,\u201d bringing a sense of togetherness in the venue.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI want to take this moment to tell you how much I appreciate your love and support over the past 25 years \u2014 now 26 years,\u201d said, visibly overcome with emotion. Conveying her gratitude, she added, \u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to spread my wings to the world and connect with everyone around the world, and I\u2019m here seeing you guys in person is a dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter performing \u201cONE,\u201d the anime movie theme song that she said expanded her fanbase, the singer showcased the breadth of her range with \u201cGimme Some,\u201d displaying her rap skills in red lighting and strobes. \u201cI\u2019ve come all the way from Yokohama to Inglewood. I love it!\u201d she gushed.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe artist then performed a couple of covers, including Michael Jackson\u2019s \u201cHuman Nature\u201d and Janet Jackson\u2019s \u201cI Get Lonely,\u201d sharing that she had aspired to be a performer since she was two years old.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tKay interacted with her fans during her live rendition of \u201cBoyfriend -part II-,\u201d encouraging them to jump, participate in call-and-response, and make heart shapes with their hands. The excitement in the venue reached its peak when she delivered \u201cKirakuni\u201d \u2014 available to stream 19 years after its release \u2014 \u201cCandy,\u201d and her smash hit \u201cKoini Ochitara.\u201d She closed her main set with \u201cThat Girl,\u201d inviting two fans onstage to dance alongside her for the performance.<\/p>\n

\n\tChants of \u201cCrystal Kay!\u201d erupted from the crowd before the encore, and the singer returned to perform the final song of the evening. Lights from smartphones illuminated the venue as the artist sang \u201cMotherland,\u201d and the approximately 90-minute concert ended on a high note amid thunderous applause. \u201cLos Angeles, thank you so much. I love you. Can\u2019t wait to see you guys again. Good night,\u201d she said before leaving the stage.<\/p>\n

\n\tCrystal Kay\u2019s L.A. show featured a well-rounded selection of songs from her albums to date, condensing her career into a comprehensive showcase that included everything from hit singles to covers. The concert was enjoyable for both longtime fans and listeners who had only recently discovered her, and much fun was had by all with lots of singing and dancing, as she promised at the start.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile there were Japanese fans in attendance, the overwhelming majority were local fans and young audiences, reaffirming how music from Japan is reaching more listeners worldwide. While many Japanese artists experience difficulties in communication and struggle to convey their thoughts effectively when addressing their fans during shows outside their home country, Kay\u2019s fluency in English enabled her to accurately express her feelings and share personal stories, fostering a strong sense of unity with the audience. Hopefully she\u2019ll continue to expand her fanbase and broaden her horizons through performances on the global<\/a> stage in the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Last month, Crystal Kay realized her longtime dream of touring in North America with her CK25 THE TOUR,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":257171,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5123],"tags":[135262,1582,276,2126,170,2961,224,5337,5499],"class_list":{"0":"post-257170","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles","8":"tag-billboard-japan","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-california","11":"tag-global","12":"tag-japan","13":"tag-la","14":"tag-los-angeles","15":"tag-losangeles","16":"tag-music-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115272993292405165","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=257170"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257170\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/257171"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=257170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=257170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=257170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}