and peaked at number 60. 2002–2006: rise in popularity Nine months after her last single, Crystal Kay released her eighth single, "Hard to Say", on August 7, 2002, and sold over double than her previous best selling single, "Ex-Boyfriend". It became her first top thirty single when it debuted peaked at number 26 on the Oricon chart. The single was followed by the release of Crystal Kay's next single "Girl U Love" and her third studio album Almost Seventeen, on October 23, 2002. Almost Seventeen became Crystal Kay's breakthrough album, exceeding expectations and debuting at number 2 on the charts behind Mai Kuraki, selling 51,360 in its first week. The album spent a year on the charts, quickly being certified platinum by RIAJ. Three months later Crystal Kay released "Boyfriend (Part II)" on January 22, 2003. It peaked at number 23. Her next single came five months later, and was another collaboration with M-Flo. The single, called "I Like It", was released as "Crystal Kay loves m-flo" and was notably the first in a long-running hit series for m-flo. It was also Crystal Kay's first top ten hit. "I Like It" peaked at number 8, becoming Crystal Kay's first top ten hit and eventually sold around 50,000 copies. Another single, "Candy" was released a month before her fourth studio album, 4 Real, on October 22, 2003. "Candy" debuted inside the top thirty of the Oricon charts at number 21, her fourth single in-a-row to do so. 4 Real was released on November 27, 2003, along with Crystal Kay's thirteenth single, "Can't Be Stopped". 4 Real debuted at number 6 on the charts behind household names in Japan such as Aiko, Do As Infinity and Mika Nakashima and sold 86,310 copies in its first week. Crystal Kay's first English-language album, Crystal Kay (released as Natural: World Premiere Album in Japan), was released several weeks before 4 Real on November 7, 2003, in Asian territories including South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand. The album was her first to be released outside Japan, and compiled English language songs from her previously released albums and singles, such covers of Gladys Knight, Cyndi Lauper and Judy Garland songs. On May 12, 2004, released her fourteenth single, "Motherland", the first of two that year. "Motherland" was used as the third ending theme for the anime adaption of Fullmetal Alchemist. It was the ending theme from