“My mother had a tough time trying to get accepted and I could feel that even as a child, because they were not very accepting of me as well,” Kay recalls.
BTS in 2023: K-pop group felt like they were here all along despite hiatus
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“She made a lot of effort to change their minds, visiting their house with me every Tuesday just to spend time with them. But from what I remember, my grandparents made us go home immediately after dinner.”
It took several years for them to accept their daughter’s decision and their granddaughter. The turning point came in 1993, the year Kay’s mother secured a record deal as a singer, when the grandparents invited both of them to join a family New Year celebration for the first time.
“That’s when my grandparents started paying attention to my mother,” Kay says. “In the case of my grandfather, he began engaging in conversation with me when I entered my college, Sophia University in Tokyo. Maybe that made him feel proud of me.”
Kay began her career as a singer at the age of 13 in 1999, following in her mother’s footsteps.
After debuting with the single “Eternal Memories”, Kay rolled out a string of smash-hit albums, including Almost Seventeen (2002) and All Yours (2007), becoming a marquee name in the Japanese R&B scene.
Almost Seventeen was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan after selling more than 400,000 copies.
Asked whether her multicultural background has had a profound influence on her life, the 37-year-old nods her head.
“I would say I am pretty privileged to have experienced three different cultures,” Kay says, adding that her background has broadened her perspective on music and life.
“My mother was a singer and my father was also part of a band. So, as a child, I was always surrounded by music and it was very normal for me to get immersed in it.”
Kay grew up listening to the music that her parents were fond of, such as soul, rock, R&B and pop. But that was not all – she was also mesmerised by the tunes on Japanese charts, especially those that were featured in TV shows or animated movies. “I had a culturally rich childhood,” the singer says.
Today, Kay is dubbed as an artist sitting at the intersection of East and West and she loves how people view her.
“I feel like I am a bridge between the East and West and this is actually my dream come true,” the singer says.
“I mostly sing in Japanese, but I try to infuse my cross-cultural experience into music and use more English. I make the sounds that everyone can enjoy, blending Western music and Asian melodies.”
The J-pop diva believes her 2012 release “Superman” best defines her musical style. “It has a vibe of what only I can do,” Kay says.
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Given that 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of her debut, Kay has a lot on her plate.
“I feel seasoned and grateful. In hindsight, it was a long and challenging, but fun journey that is about to get better,” she says. “As part of the celebrations, I am planning to tour and release a single, ‘That Girl’, on January 29. It is an uptempo song for anyone who is feeling down, telling them not to compare themselves to others.”
Kay, who previously collaborated with prominent Korean singers like BoA and Park Jin-young, hopes she can team up with more artists based in Korea, especially Yoon Mi-rae.
When I was a kid, there was no one else like me. But now, they are everywhere and our world is turning into a melting pot
Also known as Tasha Reid, Yoon is an acclaimed Korean-American hip-hop musician born to an African-American father and Korean mother.
Beyond her musical aspirations, Kay aims to be a role model for and inspire mixed-race people, drawing from her own experiences.
“When I was a kid, there was no one else like me,” she says. “But now, they are everywhere and our world is turning into a melting pot. So, I would like to be a role model for these people.”