Since then, Krystal has garnered a Dove Award nomination for New Artist of the Year, had three Top 10 singles ("The Way To Begin", "My Savior", and "Anticonformity"), and performed before more than 400,000 people.
Her music was used as a medium to reveal God's Word all around the world, including a country that has less than 1 per cent of Christians - Japan. Her song "Anticonformity" hit #1 on mainstream charts in Japan, which led her to visit the country herself and meet thousands who have been inspired by her songs.
Now 18, Krystal readies to shake the ground once again with her second album Dying for a Heart. In this interview with Christian Today, Krystal talks about her new album, her experience with Japan, and how she's grown since embarking on her music career.
How was the Japan tour?
That was just so much fun, oh my goodness. It's so cool to be around the Japanese people. There's something so refreshing about their culture. They're very soft-spoken and respectful towards one another. You don't have to know each other, but they're just so full of respect and love towards one another. It's just really cool to experience. And it's also a different story there than it is here. It's mainstream... your audience can be a lot more broad. It was just cool to be there and get to bring the Word into a place where there's less than 1 per cent of Christians.
Were you able to share your faith with the Japanese?
I had a translator. In my interviews, they asked about my faith, and I wasn't shy about it at all. They asked me, "what is 'Fire' about?," and there's not even a way to go around that! It's being on fire for God. What He has done for you, and His love. The cool thing is, they're not stand-offish about that. They're willing to learn, and they get excited about what my faith is and what it means to me. It's really cool.
What was their general reaction when you talked about Christianity?
They were interested. It's kind of one of those things where they keep asking more questions. They just want to know about it. God crosses all boundaries and waters, and He is using me to be able to do something, and I'm just so glad to be a part of it.
I get fan letters all the time, day after day. The label has to keep giving me all the letters and send gifts. I got one letter in particular from a girl, she started off with, 'I love your record, blah blah blah...' but when it got to the meat of the letter, she was just like, 'I just want to let you know that I was in a mental hospital for a long time, I'm clinically depressed. I get really really lonely each night and I cried myself to sleep.' And she said, 'ever since I got your record, I listen to it everyday, and it slowly calms me down. I don't know everything that you're singing about, but in your song, music, and your voice... there's this peace about them that calms me, and it's a breath of fresh air. There is a power behind your music.' She's like, 'Write me back and tell me what it is!'
Almost every single letter has the exact same reaction. 'I don't understand because of language barriers, but there's such a power behind your music.'
How cool is that? That's how God is using me over here. It's His ministry. He's the one who will reach out to all these people. I'm just so glad to be a tool for that.
