Mai Kuraki (倉木麻衣, b. October 10, 1982) is a Japanese pop singer. She was influenced at an early age by Whitney Houston's singing and Michael Jackson's dancing. In her second year of junior high school, she submitted a demo tape to the GIZA recording label and won a contract. She debuted in the United States in 1999 with the song "Baby I Like," recorded under the pseudonym Mai K. Her first Japanese single, "Love, Day After Tomorrow," was released later in the year.
Kuraki's career has been somewhat overshadowed by that of her slightly younger contemporary, Utada Hikaru. Although Kuraki is often viewed as a better dancer (and sometimes as a better singer) than Utada, Utada's Japanese-American background and bilingual singing abilities have led many fans to view Kuraki as an inferior product. Despite this, Kuraki's album Delicious Way sold more than 4 million copies in 2000, and her second album, Perfect Crime, sold more than 2 million copies in 2001.
To date, Kuraki has recorded seven albums, seventeen singles, and three DVD's. She is currently a student at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto.