Perfect Crime | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 4, 2001 | |||
Recorded | 2000–2001 | |||
Genre | Pop, R&B | |||
Length | 56:37 | |||
Label | Giza Studio | |||
Producer | Kanonji | |||
Mai Kuraki chronology | ||||
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Singles from Perfect Crime | ||||
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Perfect Crime is the second studio album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki. It was released on July 4, 2001, by Giza Studio.
In Japan, the album debuted at number one on the Oricon chart, selling 800,210 copies in its first week [1] and has been certified 4× Platinum by RIAJ after shipping over 1.6 million copies. [2] As of February 2018, the album has sold over 1,319,970 copies in Japan. [1]
The album's lead single, "Reach for the Sky" was released on November 8, 2000. [3] The song debuted at number three on the Oricon chart, and went platinum for selling over 250,000 physical sales in Japan. The follow-up double A-side single, "Tsumetai Umi/Start in My Life" also performed successfully on the chart, peaking at number two. The third single from the album, "Stand Up" has sold over 476,000 physical copies and became her fourth best selling single. Also, the song became the thirty-second best selling song of 2001 in Japan. The fourth single from the album, "Always" was used as the twelfth ending theme to the anime series, Case Closed and the theme song to Countdown to Heaven , the fifth film in the series.
Kuraki stated that despite being completely absorbed in the production of her first album, Delicious Way , when compared to Perfect Crime, the latter felt like it had been created with so much diligence and character that listening to it was similar to watching a film.
"Reach for the Sky" was released as the lead single from the album in November 2000. The song was written by Kuraki herself, Aika Ohno and Cybersound (Michael Africk, Perry Geyer, Miguel Pessoa) and served as the theme song to the 2000 Japanese TV program Audrey. [4] The song debuted at number three and has sold over 468,320 copies in Japan. The song became her fifth best selling song of all time and has been certificated platinum by RIAJ. [5] The rearranged version of the song was released on August, 2013 as "Re:ggae Summer 2013 version". [6]
The double A-side single "Tsumetai Umi/Start in My Life" was released as the second single in February 2001. "Tsumetai Umi" samples R&B influences and is themed about juvenile delinquency, while "Start in My Life" adopts 80's pop influences [7] and themed about a farewell with her friends. Both songs were written by Kuraki herself, Aika Ohno and Cybersound (Michael Africk, Perry Geyer, Miguel Pessoa). The latter was used as the eleventh ending theme to the Case Closed anime. The single has sold over 356,310 copies and has been a certificated platinum by RIAJ.
"Stand Up" was released as the third single in April 2001. The song has become the biggest hit from the album to date and her fourth best selling song of all time. [5] It has sold over 476,000 copies and been certificated platinum by RIAJ. Also, the song became the thirty-second best selling song of 2001 in Japan. The song samples 80's American rock music influence and was written by Kuraki herself and Akihito Tokunaga. [8]
"Always" was released as the fourth single in June, 2001. The song was written by Kuraki herself, Aika Ohno and Cybersound (Michael Africk, Perry Geyer, Miguel Pessoa) and used as the twelfth ending theme to the Case Closed anime and the theme song to Countdown to Heaven , the fifth film in the series. The song has sold over 219,940 copies and been certificated platinum by RIAJ.
The title track of the album, "Perfect Crime" was released as "Perfect Crime: Single Edit" in August, 2001. It was released as a double-A side single with "Can't Forget Your Love" and peaked at number two on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart. The track was served as the theme song to the 2001 Japanese TV program Ikiru tame no Jonetsu toshite no Satsujin. [9] "Can't Forget Your Love" became the lead single of Kuraki's third studio album, Fairy Tale .
The ninth track of the album, "Think About" was a B-side track of her fifth single "Simply Wonderful". However, the title track of the single hadn't been included on any albums until the release of her first compilation album, Wish You the Best in January, 2004. The single has sold over 384,820 copies in Japan and has been certificated platinum by RIAJ.
The thirteenth track of the album, "The Rose ~Melody in the Sky~" was recorded on the limited edition of her 2009 double A-side single, "Puzzle/Revive" as "The Rose: Melody In the Sky (Acoustic Live Ver.)".
Perfect Crime debuted at number-one with 800,210 copies sold, making it Kuraki's second number-one debut. [1] The album stayed on the Oricon albums chart for a total of 17 weeks, of which the album spent 6 in the top 10, non-consecutively. [10] Perfect Crime was the 12th best selling album of 2001. [11]
All lyrics are written by Mai Kuraki except tracks 6 (Kuraki/Michael Africk), track 8 (Kuraki/Keith Bazzle) and track 9 (Kuraki/Yoko Black. Stone)
No. | Title | Music | Arranger(s) | Length |
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1. | "Perfect Crime" | Akihito Tokunaga | Tokunaga, Daisuke Ikeda | 4:37 |
2. | "Start in My Life" | Aika Ohno | Cybersound (Michael Africk, Perry Geyer, Miguel Pessoa) | 5:08 |
3. | "Reach for the Sky" | Ohno | Cybersound (Michael Africk, Perry Geyer, Miguel Pessoa) | 4:48 |
4. | "Brand New Day" | Ohno | Tokunaga | 3:47 |
5. | "Stand Up" | Tokunaga | Tokunaga | 4:38 |
6. | "Come On! Come On!" | Perry Geyer, Miguel Sá Pessoa, Michael Africk | Cybersound (Michael Africk, Perry Geyer, Miguel Pessoa) | 4:10 |
7. | "Always" | Ohno | Cybersound (Michael Africk, Perry Geyer, Miguel Pessoa) | 4:09 |
8. | "What Are You Waiting For" | Tomoo Kasahara, Yoko Blaqstone | Stone | 5:04 |
9. | "Think About" | Stone | Stone | 4:44 |
10. | "Tsumetai Umi" | Ohno | Cybersound (Michael Africk, Perry Geyer, Miguel Pessoa) | 4:42 |
11. | "Reach for the Sky (Gomi Remix: Radio Edit)" | Ohno | Cybersound, (Michael Africk, Perry Geyer, Miguel Pessoa) DJ Gomi | 4:12 |
12. | "Itsuka wa Ano Sora ni" (いつかは あの空に "Someday in That Sky") | Ohno | Cybersound (Michael Africk, Perry Geyer, Miguel Pessoa) | 4:32 |
13. | "The Rose ~Melody in the Sky~" | Ohno | Ohno | 2:00 |
Total length: | 56:37 |
Daily charts
Weekly charts
| Monthly charts
Yearly charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Japan (RIAJ) [2] | 4× Platinum | 1,600,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label |
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Japan | July 4, 2001 | CD | Giza Studio |
2008 | Digital download |
Mai Kuraki is a Japanese pop and R&B singer, songwriter and record producer. After releasing her US debut single "Baby I Like" in 1999, Kuraki signed with Giza Studio and released her Japanese debut single "Love, Day After Tomorrow" in 1999. In 2000, she released her debut album, Delicious Way, which debuted at number-one and sold over 2.2 million copies in its first week. The album has spawned four top-three singles, "Love, Day After Tomorrow", "Stay by My Side", "Secret of My Heart", and "Never Gonna Give You Up". Eventually, the album sold over 3.5 million copies nationwide and became the best-selling album in Japan in 2000, and has been the ninth best-selling album in Japan of all-time.
The discography of Japanese singer Mai Kuraki consists of fifteen studio albums, six compilation albums, twenty-three video albums, three remix albums, fifty-six singles, and sixteen promotional singles. Kuraki debuted in 1999, while she was still in high school, through Giza Studio. The label initially marketed Kuraki in the United States under the name Mai K, and released the single "Baby I Like" (1999). However, the single was a commercial failure which prompted the label to send her back to Japan. There, they released her single "Love, Day After Tomorrow", which peaked at number two on the Oricon Singles Chart and was certified million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). The second single, "Stay by My Side" became her first number one single on the chart. Kuraki's debut album, Delicious Way, topped the Oricon Albums Chart and was certified triple million by the RIAJ.
One Life is the seventh studio album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki. It was released on January 1, 2008. The album is Kuraki's first under the Northern Music label.
Fuse of Love is the fifth studio album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki. It was released on August 24, 2005, over two years after If I Believe.
Delicious Way is the debut album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki. It was released by Giza Studio and Giza Inc. in Japan on June 28, 2000. The album was entirely co-written by Kuraki herself, with the help of Michael Africk and Yoko Blaqstone in some tracks, while production was handled by Kanonji. The album's background and development started in mid-to-late 1999 after her American debut single "Baby I Like", where East West Records and Giza Studio sent her back to Japan. To promote the album, four singles were released; "Love, Day After Tomorrow", "Stay by My Side", "Secret of My Heart", and "Never Gonna Give You Up".
Fairy Tale is the third studio album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki. It was released on October 23, 2002 under Giza Studio label.
"Reach for the Sky" is a song by Japanese singer songwriter Mai Kuraki, taken from her second studio album Perfect Crime (2001). It was released on November 8, 2000 by Giza Studio, simultaneously with her first video album First Cut. The song was written by Kuraki herself and Aika Ohno, while the production was done by Cybersound and served as the theme song to the 2000 Japanese TV program Audrey. The rearranged version of the song "Re:ggae Summer 2013 version" was released digitally on August 17, 2013.
"Stand Up" is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Mai Kuraki from her second studio album, Perfect Crime (2001). It was released as the third single from the album on April 18, 2001. The lyrics to the song were penned by Kuraki and the track was produced by Akihito Tokunaga. The single peaked at number two on the Oricon Singles Chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). It has sold about 476,000 copies in Japan as of October 2014. The single's jacket image was compared to that of Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run (1975).
All My Best is the second greatest hits album by Japanese pop and R&B singer-songwriter, Mai Kuraki. It was released on September 9, 2009, to commemorate her tenth anniversary in the music business. The album was issued in seven formats: a regular 2CD, a limited 2CD+DVD, a limited microSD, a USB flash drive, a MiniDisc, a compact cassette and an LP album. The album debuted at the top of the Japanese Oricon weekly album chart with sales over 137,050.
"Can't Forget Your Love/Perfect Crime: Single Edit" is a double A-side single by Japanese singer songwriter Mai Kuraki, taken from her second studio album Perfect Crime (2001) and third studio album Fairy Tale (2002). It was released on August 29, 2001, by Giza Studio, and both songs were served as the theme song to the Japanese television series Ikiru tame no Jonetsu toshite no Satsujin. "Can't Forget Your Love" was written by Kuraki herself, Aika Ohno, Cybersound and Akihito Tokunaga, while "Perfect Crime: Single Edit" was written by Kuraki, Tokunaga, Daisuke Ikeda.
"Dancing" ("ダンシング") is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Mai Kuraki from her fifth studio album, Fuse of Love (2005). The song was written by Kuraki and her long-time collaborator, Akihito Tokunaga, and produced by Kuraki herself. The song served as Dwango's television commercial song. The single was released on 23 March 2005 through Giza Studio as the third single from Fuse of Love.
Future Kiss is the ninth studio album by Japanese singer and songwriter Mai Kuraki. It was released on 17 November 2010, by Northern Music. The album was originally scheduled to be released on 20 October 2010; however, it was pushed back to 17 November 2010.
Smile is the eleventh studio album by Japanese singer and songwriter Mai Kuraki. The album was released on February 15, 2017, by Northern Music. It is the follow-up to her 2014 compilation album, Mai Kuraki Best 151A: Love & Hope. The album was released on three editions: standard edition, fan club edition, and limited edition, which is accompanied with a bonus disc. Smile
Michael Africk is an American singer, songwriter, multi-platinum record producer and software entrepreneur. After signing with Disney's Hollywood Records and releasing a solo album in 1999, he toured with N'Sync and Britney Spears. He collaborated with Mai Kuraki on several singles, including the platinum Never Gonna Give You Up. Africk also collaborated with her on the album Delicious Way which debuted at number one on the Oricon Albums Chart and had the highest first week sales for a debut album in Japanese music history and sixth overall. In 2011, Africk released his second studio album with Japanese record label Northern Music/Being Music. The album was co-produced by Africk and Louis Bell.
"Togetsukyo (Kimi Omou)" (渡月橋 ~君 想ふ~, Togetsu-kyō Kimi Omou, lit. "Togetsu-kyō: Think of You") is a song by Japanese singer songwriter Mai Kuraki, taken from her fourth compilation album Mai Kuraki x Meitantei Conan Collaboration Best 21: Shinjitsu wa Itsumo Uta ni Aru! (2017). It was released on April 12, 2017 on physical format and April 19, 2017 on digital format by Northern Music and served as the theme song to the 2017 Japanese animated film Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter. "Togetsukyo (Kimi Omou)" is a Gagaku-inspired ballad. The song was written by Kuraki herself and her long-time collaborator Akihito Tokunaga. The song was later included on Kuraki's twelfth studio album Kimi Omou: Shunkashūtō.
Mai Kuraki x Meitantei Conan Collaboration Best 21: Shinjitsu wa Itsumo Uta ni Aru! is the fourth greatest hits album by Japanese singer-songwriter Mai Kuraki. It was released on 25 October 2017 by Northern Music, in celebration of Kuraki's long-time collaboration with the Japanese animation Case Closed. The album features all the songs Kuraki had written for the animation.
Secret of My Heart is the first English-language studio album by Japanese recording artist Mai Kuraki, under the name Mai-K. It was released on January 10, 2002 under Giza USA. Secret of My Heart consists of two songs from the lead single "Baby I Like" and English versions of 8 songs from her debut album Delicious Way, which sold over 3.5 million copies in Japan. However, her fourth Japanese single "Never Gonna Give You Up" is included as the original version.
Kimi Omou: Shunkashūtō is the first concept album by the J-pop singer and songwriter Mai Kuraki. It was released on October 10, 2018, via Northern Music.
Japanese singer-songwriter Mai Kuraki has released twenty-five video albums and three video singles, and been featured in sixty-six music videos, two television series, and eleven commercials. Kuraki debuted in 1999, while she was still in high school, through Giza Studio. The label initially marketed Kuraki in the United States under the name Mai K, and released the single "Baby I Like" (1999). However, the single was a commercial failure which prompted the label to send her back to Japan. There, they released her single "Love, Day After Tomorrow", which peaked at number two on the Oricon Singles Chart and was certified million by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAJ). The second single, "Stay by My Side" became her first number one single on the chart. Kuraki's debut album, Delicious Way, topped the Oricon Albums Chart and was certified triple million by the RIAJ.
Forever for You is the second EP by the J-pop singer and songwriter Mai Kuraki. It was released on July 3, 2024, via Northern Music. The album marks Kudo's first album in over three years and first EP in over 6 years.