Almost one year after J-pop phenomenon Hikaru Utada released her first single, unknown singer Mai Kuraki dropped her own debut. This only fueled their fans' rivalry. For Mai's first year or two, she was labeled as an Utada clone. In all honesty, I think Kuraki had the more promising start up. Her first few singles were more cohesive, and had an old school R&B vibe that I appreciate today more than ever. In 1999, Kuraki recorded an English single under GIZA's U.S. division. It went unnoticed and has become a hidden gem in her discography. GIZA went ahead and put out an "album" to house the single and its B-sides. It was mostly a best collection because it used her older songs, just with new arrangements and English lyrics. The remix of "'s All Right" is vastly different from the original as it's smoother and darker. It's heavy with that nineties R&B sound mentioned before, and her aloof, unsure vocals add a wonderful charm.
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