Delicious Way
| Delicious Way | ||||
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| Studio album by Mai Kuraki | ||||
| Released | June 28, 2000 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 45:51 | |||
| Label | Giza Studio | |||
| Producer | Kanonji | |||
| Mai Kuraki chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Delicious Way | ||||
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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" (which sold over 1.3 million units in Japan), "Stay by My Side", "Secret of My Heart", and "Never Gonna Give You Up".
Musically, Delicious Way is a R&B album with influences of 1980s-inspired pop, hip-hop, and soul music. Upon its release, the album received positive reviews from music critics. They commended the composition and her songwriting skills, and a few critics selected the singles as some of the best material in the record. Commercially, the album was a huge success in Japan, peaking at number one on the Oricon Albums Chart. It was the second highest selling album based on first week sales for a solo artist at the time, and sold over 3.5 million units in Japan, making it the ninth best selling album in that region. The success of the album garnered Kuraki the Japan Gold Disc Award for "Rock Album of the Year".
While in high school in Japan, Kuraki sent a demo tape of songs to Giza Studio, who then signed her to their label. However, Giza Studio sent Kuraki to the United States to enter that region, which later attributed to her debut single "Baby I Like". The track impressed executives at East West Records, prompting the label to distribute it. However, it failed to chart on any Billboard chart there. There onward, Giza Studio's enlisted Kanonji to produce her debut record whilst Kuraki served as the albums primary songwriter, with the help of Michael Africk on the tracks "Baby Tonight (You & Me)" and "Never Gonna Give You Up", and Yoko Blaqstone with the track "Can't Get Enough (Gimme Your Love)". The record label also hired American engineers Cybersound to arrange and mix majority of the songs from Delicious Way, with the help of Stone. Delicious Way was not engineered in North America, unlike most of Cybersound's work.
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