A personal singing concert of Mai-K will be held up in Shanghai on Nov. 11th this year. 10 years has passed since Mai-K, a popular Japanese R&B singer, came into my eyes when I was just a primary school student.

Mai-K, who seems to be one of the most successful and welcome singer in Japan, started to sing professionally at the age of 16. When her first song came out, it brought about a fantastic storm in Japan. Almost everyone who had heard her voice kept asking questions like “Who is the girl?””How could she sing so sweet and beautiful?””What does she look like? I have never saw her anywhere…” In fact, that’s just Mai-K’s charm. During the first two years of her career, nobody knew anything about her except her wonderful voice while they were all addicted in her music. In addition, she is also a creative singer for all lyrics are written by herself and every song of her has been the Top 10 on the Oricon, the rank of Japanese Pop Music.

What attracts me first, with no doubt, is her particular voice, which is sweet but full of strength. Musicians from the USA say that it sounds like sunshine piercing clouds and straight into audients’ hearts and souls. Her lyrics are amazing as well because she abandoned general themes of Pop Music like love, personal sorrow and wishes. Instead, she got the idea from every detail in her daily life and most of them are about her life experience, hard work, journey and scenery. No matter concrete images like flowers, rivers, wind, snow or abstract things like peace, concernment, sympathy, and happiness, you can find out her optimistic attitude to the life and the world from her music, her lyric and her performance.

Forgive me that I can’t translate her words into English since I am not very good at Japanese. However, it is easy for me to understand her feelings and thoughts. Happiness, sorrows, tears, smiles, audaciousness, leisure… all of these constitute an integral person, a Mai-K, or anyone else who exists in this world.

Besides, Mai-K is not only welcomed for her music but also her characteristics. As a superstar, she has no condescension or smug expressions but humble postures and attitudes, just like a girl from neighborhood. People who have cooperated with her all speak highly of her personalities. It is probable one of the most important reason why she has so many fans.

From this year on, Mai-K is going to introduce herself and her music to the whole world, as a gift, or to say, an “answer paper” for her 10-year career as a singer. Like her 10-year memorial album’s theme “All the Best”, she is sure to provide us a new Mai-K with her all the best.