Kumi Koda
Encyclopedia
, better known by her stage name , is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Kyoto
, known for her urban
and R&B
songs. Having debuted in 2000 with the single "Take Back
", Koda gained fame for her seventh single, "Real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba
", the songs of which were used as themes for the video game Final Fantasy X-2
. Her popularity grew with the release of her fourth studio album
Secret (2005), her sixteenth single "Butterfly
" (2005), and her first greatest hits
album Best: First Things (2005), reaching the number-three, number-two and number-one spot respectively.
Though her early releases presented a conservative, quiet image, since as early as 2003 Koda has adopted a sexier and more provocative style. Because of this image, she has become a fashion leader among young women, setting trends such as the ero-kakkoii
style. She has also won many fashion awards such as, the "Best Jeanist Award" and the title of "Nail Queen" all times since 2006. Since the rise in her popularity, Koda has lent her face and songs to many advertisements. In 2006 and 2007, Oricon awarded with Koda the title of best-selling artist. Jonathan Ross
has called her the Christina Aguilera
of Japan. Koda Kumi has sold more than 14,000,000 records in Japan
alone, as of November 2011, Making her the 45th Best Selling Japanese Artist of All Time.
master and her mother was a Koto
teacher; she is the older sister of Misono
, current solo artist and former lead singer of Day After Tomorrow
. Inspired by her mother, who performed in karaoke bars, Koda, from a young age, had aspirations of becoming a singer. Her school years were unhappy; she described her junior and high school years as "obscure times", as she was bullied due to her "fatness", "shortness", "ugliness", and other factors related to her appearance. During her second year of high school
Koda auditioned in Avex’s "Dream Audition", where she came in second out of 120,000 participants. She was then signed onto the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone
. Koda's first semi-biographical book, Koda-shiki ("Koda-style") was officially described as "a story about a girl who was filled with inferiority complex pursuing her way".
"; it was followed by "Trust Your Love
", "Color of Soul
" (both 2001), and "So into You
" (2002). "Trust Your Love" and "Color of Soul" were both Top 30 singles; the former reached #18 on the chart and became Koda's first Top Twenty single. Using the stage name Koda, Koda recorded "Take Back" and "Trust Your Love" in English and released the singles in the United States under Orpheus Records. "Take Back" peaked at #18 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
chart; "Trust Your Love" had more success, reaching the top spot on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart. The single also charted on the Hot Singles Sales chart and Hot Dance Club Play chart, at #19 and #35, respectively. After the September 11, 2001 attacks
, Koda recorded the charity single "The Meaning of Peace
" with Korean singer BoA
as part of Avex's Song+Nation project to raise funds for charity. In March 2002, Koda released her debut album Affection
under Rhythm Zone; it peaked at #12 on the Oricon album chart.
After the release of Affection, Koda released three singles. "Love Across the Ocean
", "Maze" (both 2002), and "real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba
" (2003). "Love Across the Ocean" and "Maze" peaked at #19 and #25 positions. Koda achieved minor success with "real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba", which peaked at #3 after three weeks on the charts. The songs were used as the opening and ending themes, respectively, of the video game Final Fantasy X-2
; in addition, Koda motion-acted
the dance moves of one of the characters and voiced the character Lenne in the Japanese version of the game. She released her second album, Grow into One
in March 2003. It debuted at #11 on the charts, and peaked at #8 in the fourth week of its run.
From then on, Koda continued a string of Top Twenty singles with "Come with Me", "Gentle Words
" (both 2003) and "Crazy 4 U
" (2004). She then released her third album Feel My Mind
(February 2004), which debuted at #7. Koda also covered the theme song of the anime
series Cutie Honey originally by Yoko Maekawa for the 2004 live-action film
and Re: Cutie Honey
. The song, which shared the same name as the show, was included as a bonus track on the album and became the title track of her eleventh single "Love & Honey" (2004), after the album's release. At the end of the year Koda released two more singles, "Chase
" and "Kiseki". Though Koda had always been known for her changing fashions in her music videos, the video of "Kiseki" marked the beginning of her incorporation of her sexy image into her music videos.
During her image change, Kumi stated her concern about what her parents would think. When they approved and supported her, she chose to keep the style that would become infamous with her name: "ero-kakkoi".
", from the album. Shortly afterwards, Koda released her first live DVD, Secret: First Class Limited Live. In 2006, Oricon reported that Secret: First Class Limited Live had set a new record on the music DVD charts by remaining at the top of the Oricon DVD charts for seven weeks in total.
Koda then released her sixteenth single, "Butterfly
". "Butterfly" debuted at #2 on the Oricon chart, her first single to do so. "Butterfly" was followed by "Flower" and "Promise/Star
"; both peaked at #4 in the weekly chart. In September, Koda released her first greatest hits
album, Best: First Things. The album debuted at #2 on the chart in its first week and rose to the top the following week, giving Koda her first number-one album. Best: First Things sold over a million copies and was certified million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
.
In December, Koda began the "12 Singles Project" in which for twelve consecutive weeks, she released one single per week (nine of which were labeled as limited editions). The first single of the 12 Singles Project, "You
", debuted at the top of the chart, giving Koda her first number-one single. Koda then released "Birthday Eve
", "D.D.D.
", and "Shake It Up
" before the end of the year. Koda released the remaining eight singles in the beginning of the new year. The first single was "Lies", followed by "Feel
", "Candy
", "No Regret
", "Ima Sugu Hoshii", "Kamen
", "Wind
" and "Someday/Boys & Girls". On the same day as she released the last single from the project, she released digitally Koda Kumi Remix Album
, which includes remixes of songs from project. "Feel", the fifth single from the project, debuted atop the charts. "You" remained in the Oricon Top Ten during the release of "Shake It Up" and "Lies", making Koda the first female artist to have three singles in the Top Ten of the Oricon Weekly Singles chart. Koda's fashion in this period, in which she wore skin-baring clothes, started the ero-kakkoii
trend in Japan. "Get It On", the thirteenth and last single of the "12 Singles Project", was Koda's first digital single; it was followed by her second greatest hits album, Best: Second Session. The album featured all twelve singles along with two new tracks and was released in three different formats: CD-only, CD+DVD, and CD+2DVD. Best: Second Session debuted at the top of the chart with 983,000 copies sold in its first week, making Koda the first female artist with the highest greatest hits album debut sales since Hikaru Utada's Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 1
. Like Best: First Things, Best: Second Session was certified million by the RIAJ.
After Best: Second Session, Koda released "Koi no Tsubomi
". "Koi no Tsubomi" was released online one day before its physical release and sold one million downloads. The single reached #2 in its debut week with 140,000 copies sold. This was the highest debut week sales for a female artist in 2006, until Ayumi Hamasaki
surpassed it with her single "Blue Bird". On July 26, 2006, Koda released her first photobook
, Maroc; the book, photographed by Leslie Kee, was tied with her thirty-second single "4 Hot Wave
", which was released on the same day. Koda reclaimed the title of highest debut week sales for a female artist in 2006 with "4 Hot Wave"; which also ranked second behind the KinKi Kids
. "4 Hot Wave" is Koda's nineteenth consecutive single to debut in the Top Ten since "Kiseki". Koda's next single, "Yume no Uta / Futari de...
" (2006), was a musical first for Koda, as she took full creative control over the production of the single and music video
; she wrote the lyrics, chose the outfits, and produced the concepts for the videos of both songs. Koda then recorded a cover of the Bubblegum Brothers' "Won't Be Long
" with label-mates Exile. "Cherry Girl/Unmei
" was the last single Koda released before releasing her fifth album Black Cherry
in December. Black Cherry became the first female studio album to stay atop the charts for four weeks since Ayumi Hamasaki's album Duty
. At the end of 2006, Oricon named her the best-selling artist of 2006 with ¥
12,702,200,000 profit (approximately $
136,465,304), and Yahoo! Japan
declared her to be the most-searched female artist and tenth most searched term overall in 2006.
On March 14, 2007, Koda released her thirty-fifth single ("But/Aishō
"), another greatest hits album (Best: Bounce & Lovers), and a DVD of her second tour Live Tour 2006–2007: Second Session. Her second single of 2007, "Freaky", reached the top spot on the Oricon, giving Koda her fourth number-one single. Koda performed at the Japanese leg
of Live Earth
in Tokyo on July 7, 2007, and attended Ap Bank Fes '07, an conservationist
-themed concert, hosted by Kazutoshi Sakurai
of Mr. Children
on July 15, 2007. At the end of 2007, Koda released two singles, "Ai no Uta
" and "Last Angel
", a collaboration with Korean boy band TVXQ
better known as Tohoshinki in Japan. "Last Angel" was used as the theme song for the Japanese release for Resident Evil: Extinction
. On December 1, she held her first performance at Tokyo Dome
for her third nationwide and first arena tour. Koda became the seventh solo female singer to perform at Tokyo Dome with an estimated audience of 45,000 people. Having sold more than 7.3 billion yen worth of CDs and DVDs, Koda was again the best-selling artist of the year in Oricon's 2007 year-end rankings.
Koda released her thirty-ninth single "Anytime
" on January 23, 2008; it was followed by her sixth studio album Kingdom
, which was released in the same format as her previous album. With a little over 420,000 copies sold in its first week, Kingdom debuted atop the Oricon. On January 31, Koda hosted All Night Nippon
; discussing her manager's recent marriage and plans on having children, Koda remarked that "When women turn 35, their amniotic fluid
goes rotten, so I'd like them to have a child by 35". Because of the controversy instigated by the comment, Avex released an apology stating that as a consolation, all promotion of Kingdom would cease. Additionally, several of Koda's commercial endorsements were placed on hiatus. Koda herself made a public apology on Fuji TV. Despite the controversy, Kingdom remained on top for a second consecutive week. Two months after her controversial statement, Koda released Live Tour 2007: Black Cherry Tour Special Final in Tokyo Dome, her fourth live DVD. Her fourth nationwide tour Koda Kumi Live Tour 2008: Kingdom commenced on April 12, 2008.
Koda's fortieth single "Moon" was released on June 11, 2008. Like "Freaky", "Moon" contained four tracks. The single contained "Moon Crying", used as the theme for Asahi Television drama
Puzzle, and a collaboration track with The Black Eyed Peas
' Fergie Koda again attended Avex's annual summer concert A-Nation '08. She appeared at all eight shows in Japan and performed with other Avex artists such as Every Little Thing, Ai Otsuka
, Namie Amuro
, Ayumi Hamasaki, TVXQ, and Maki Goto
. In October, Koda released her forty-first single, "Taboo
". With around 66,000 copies sold in its first week, "Taboo" debuted at the number-one position and became Koda's fifth single to reach the top. Koda released her forty-second single "Stay with Me
" on Christmas Eve
, which debuted atop of the chart selling 58,000 copies. Koda's seventh studio album, Trick
, was another number-one album for the singer, selling 253,000 in its first week. The album stayed at the number-one spot for a second week selling 56,000 copies. Although the album debuted at the number-one position, this was her lowest selling album since her fourth studio album, Secret.
On March 25, Koda released two albums, Out Works & Collaboration Best
and Koda Kumi Driving Hit's
. The former is a compilation of collaborations with other artists and the latter is a remix album
. Out Works & Collaboration Best and Koda Kumi Driving Hit's debuted at #7 and #6 respectively. Koda's forty-third single, "It's All Love!
", was released on March 31, 2009. The single, a collaboration with her younger sister Misono, debuted atop the Oricon, making the sisters the first siblings to have a single top the chart in its initial week. The second song from the single, "Faraway", was used as the theme song for the manga
-based movie Subaru. On July 8, 2009, Koda released her forty-fourth single, "3 Splash
". The single debuted at #2 on the charts making it Koda's thirty-third Top 10 single. Following the release of "3 Splash" was her forty-fifth single, "Alive/Physical Thing
", which took the number-one spot on the single charts.
", which is a cover of a bonus track on Kelly Clarkson
's 2009 album All I Ever Wanted
. On February 3, 2010, Koda released a new best album, Best: Third Universe, and her eighth studio album, Universe, which are packaged together under the name of Best: Third Universe/Universe
. On July 7, 2010, she released her 47th single, "Gossip Candy
," which peaked at number 4 on the Oricon chart. On September 22, 2010, she released her 48th single "Suki de, Suki de, Suki de./Anata Dake ga," two ballads and a rerecorded version of "Walk". The DVD release of her tour "Koda Kumi Live Tour Universe" was released on October 6, 2010. A week later Koda released her first cover-album Eternity: Love & Songs
, on which she covers songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Koda didn't release a number-one single in 2010, her first time since 2004 not to do so. On December 5, 2010, Koda held a concert celebrating her 10th Anniversary named "FANTASIA", where she performed a selection of songs from all over her career. The concert was filmed for DVD release and held at Tokyo Dome.
On February 2, 2011, her 49th single "Pop Diva
" was released and on February 23, 2011, Koda released "Eternity -Love & Songs- at Billboard Live" an audio DVD of her performance at Billboard Live Tokyo in October 2010, where she performed many songs from her Eternity: Love & Songs cover album. She released her ninth studio album named Dejavu
on March 2, 2011. Koda is planning to release Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 3
in March.
Koda Kumi is featured in the Far East Movement
song Make It Bump, which was only released on the Japanese edition of their album "Free Wired
". On May 18, 2011, Koda released the DVD of her "FANTASIA" concert entitled "KODA KUMI 10th Anniversary ～FANTASIA～in TOKYO DOME". Alongside DVD, the concert was also released in Blu-Ray format. Her previous concerts were also re-released in Blu-Ray format. Koda's 50th single was released August 17, 2011. The single is titled "4 Times
" and includes 4 songs as well as 4 music videos to accompany them (Such as her previous 2006 summer single, "4 Hot Wave
"). Since it is Koda's 50th single, it was released in 2 different special limited edition commemorative versions. One comes with 50 Koda Kumi 50th Anniversary post cards and the other with a special digital camera. Immediately after the release of "4 Times
", it was posted on her official website that her 51st single, "Ai Wo Tomenaide
" was to be released September 21, 2011. The song charted at number 4 on the Oricon
charts. Not much longer after the release, news of her next single was released: "Love Me Back". The single is set for release on November 30th, 2011.
, hip-hop, electropop and dance
.
and taboo
s in her lyrics. While listening to the music of "But", the first thing that came to Koda's mind was homosexuality
. Regarding the theme of homosexuality, Koda said in an interview: "I'm the type of person who thinks that [in a relationship] it doesn't matter what sex the other person is. No matter who they are, it doesn't change the 'I love this person' feeling, does it?" The video for "Taboo" portrayed homosexuality and other "taboo" subjects to deliver Koda's message of "there really is no such thing as a taboo". She also said of "Taboo"'s themes, "Instead of trying stuff out and experiencing it, we put up a 'No' sign, we never try to break the taboos" and "Sometimes we shouldn't retreat into safety, we should have courage to do things. Those are the feelings in the song." Such themes are also present in her music videos: she has incorporated her "sexy" image into her videos since "Kiseki" through sexually-charged dances and skin-baring outfits. The video of "Ima Sugu Hoshii" featured two males in sexual positions, and the video of "Juicy
", which also featured sexual posturing, was censored in Taiwan.
, Christina Aguilera
, and Beyoncé Knowles
as her inspirations; she has also stated that when she produces, she "is like a different person"; thus, she refers to herself in the third person and "looks at [herself] objectively".
Koda was not as involved concerning the composition of her songs. , from Black Cherry, marked the first time she composed a song. Her involvement in the composition stage grew during the production of her seventh studio album Trick.
for Butterfly on January 1, 2006, and was awarded "Triple Crown" at the Japan Gold Disc Awards on March 10, 2006, for pocketing three awards: "Pop Artist of the Year", "Pop Album of the Year", and "Music Video of the Year". She continued to win more awards for this song; on May 27, 2006, the MTV VMAJ's
awarded Koda with "Best Female Video" and "Best Video of the Year" for "Butterfly
", and "buzzASIA from Japan" for "Trust You", a track from her album Secret. Later in 2006, her song "Yume no Uta" from her 33rd single, "Yume no Uta / Futari de...
", garnered Koda more awards. She was a Grand Prix winner at the 39th Japan Usen Grand Prize.
On May 26, 2007, Koda won three awards from MTV Video Music Awards Japan
for the second year in a row. "Yume No Uta" was nominated in three categories and won "Best Female Video and "Best Video of the Year". Koda herself won a special award known as "Best Stylish Artist Award". At the 2007 Best Hit Kayōsai Koda's "Ai no Uta" earned her the Grand Prix in the pop category, also winning one of the golden awards for the 49th Nihon Record Taishō.
Koda, while having success on Oricon charts with physical CD sales, maintains success on online music sales as well. It is reported that twenty-two of her music videos chart the top 100 most downloaded videos, with four of her videos dominating the top five, and having "Koi no Tsubomi
" top the Overall Downloads Chart, which thirteen of her other songs chart.
She has sold more than 10 million records in Japan.
Koda Kumi won the "Hottest Asian Artist" at the MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Award) 2011.
, both known for their use of sexuality in the image, are inspired in part by Koda. Singaporean newspaper The New Paper
suggested that her sexy image was responsible for her sales—she outsold "reigning J-pop queen" Ayumi Hamasaki
in 2006 and 2007. In 2006, Koda began winning awards for being a new trendsetter in Japan, including the "Best Jeanist Award" on September 4, 2006, and the title of "Nail Queen" for her nail art on November 21, 2006, by Japan Nail Expo.
In 2006, when the popularity of Japanese singers was declining in Singapore due to the rising popularity of the Korean wave
, Koda's sexy image garnered her popularity in the region and renewed interest in J-pop. James Kang, marketing director for Warner Music in Asia, noted that Koda's sexy image is popular not only with men but also with women, even "Japanese aunties", because she uses her image to "make a feminist statement [...] She's constantly telling women to believe in themselves and do what they want to do". In 2007, it was proposed that the term "ero-kakkoii" be added to the Japanese Encyclopedia of Contemporary Words.
leader Masahiro Nakai
. The media questioned the artists' agencies on the matter, neither agency had confirmed or denied the rumors. In September, during a variety show that Nakai was a semi-regular on, socialite
Dewi Sukarno
was discussing her ideal boyfriend mentioned that Nakai and Koda were dating. It was also rumored that the two would get married before Koda's 25th birthday. In the December issue of Josei Seven, it was "confirmed" that the two were dating.
The couple has been dubbed as the "national couple", a nickname last used in the early 1960s when actor Akira Kobayashi
married enka
singer Hibari Misora
. However, some have denied that the relationship is real, claiming that Johnny Kitagawa
orchestrated the relationship in order to move SMAP to the Avex label; websites have claimed that Koda is just a cover up for Nakai's real girlfriend.
Cover albums
Compilation albums
Remix albums
Number-one singles
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, known for her urban
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
songs. Having debuted in 2000 with the single "Take Back
Take Back
"Take Back" is Japanese R&B singer Kumi Koda's debut single. It is her only single to date not to make the Oricon Top 50.-Japanese CD:#Take Back #Your Song #Take Back 3#Take Back...
", Koda gained fame for her seventh single, "Real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba
Real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba
is a double A-side by Kumi Koda, consisting of the songs "Real Emotion" and "1000 no Kotoba" , which are used as the opening and closing themes respectively of Square Enix's game Final Fantasy X-2, which was used in a cut-scene in the game as well as its ending credits."1000 no Kotoba" was arranged...
", the songs of which were used as themes for the video game Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy X-2
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X...
. Her popularity grew with the release of her fourth studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
Secret (2005), her sixteenth single "Butterfly
Butterfly (Kumi Koda song)
"Butterfly" is Koda Kumi's 16th domestic single. "Butterfly" was the theme of TBS's drama , and "Your Sunshine" was used in a televised advertisement for ."Taisetsu na Kimi e" being certified gold for full-length cellphone downloads.-CD:#Butterfly...
" (2005), and her first greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album Best: First Things (2005), reaching the number-three, number-two and number-one spot respectively.
Though her early releases presented a conservative, quiet image, since as early as 2003 Koda has adopted a sexier and more provocative style. Because of this image, she has become a fashion leader among young women, setting trends such as the ero-kakkoii
Ero kawaii
, or "erokawa", is a Japanese subculture that draws on Western notions of sexiness, in contrast to the popular cuteness trend. The term, coined in 2005, is a fusion of ero and the lighter 'kawaii', meaning something like 'cute'.-History:Ero kawaii started with singer Kumi Koda using...
style. She has also won many fashion awards such as, the "Best Jeanist Award" and the title of "Nail Queen" all times since 2006. Since the rise in her popularity, Koda has lent her face and songs to many advertisements. In 2006 and 2007, Oricon awarded with Koda the title of best-selling artist. Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross may refer to:* Jonathan Ross , English television and radio personality* Jonathan Ross , United States Senator, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court* Jonathon Ross , former Australian rules footballer...
has called her the Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
of Japan. Koda Kumi has sold more than 14,000,000 records in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
alone, as of November 2011, Making her the 45th Best Selling Japanese Artist of All Time.
Early life and music interest
Koda was born into a family of musicians. Her grandfather was a ShakuhachiShakuhachi
The is a Japanese end-blown flute. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in ABS and hardwoods. It was used by the monks of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism in the practice of...
master and her mother was a Koto
Koto (musical instrument)
The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese guzheng, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. Koto are about length, and made from kiri wood...
teacher; she is the older sister of Misono
Misono
, who performs under the mononym Misono , is a Japanese singer-songwriter from Kyoto. She is also the younger sister of Japanese singer Kumi Koda. Misono was the lead singer of pop band Day After Tomorrow, until the group disbanded in 2005. In 2006, Misono made her debut as a solo artist, remaining...
, current solo artist and former lead singer of Day After Tomorrow
Day after tomorrow (band)
Day After Tomorrow was a 3-member Japanese pop band under the Avex label. Due to their music being produced by former Every Little Thing member Mitsuru Igarashi, Day After Tomorrow's music took on a decidedly similar feel to that group's music, particularly the more synthpop-based music that...
. Inspired by her mother, who performed in karaoke bars, Koda, from a young age, had aspirations of becoming a singer. Her school years were unhappy; she described her junior and high school years as "obscure times", as she was bullied due to her "fatness", "shortness", "ugliness", and other factors related to her appearance. During her second year of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
Koda auditioned in Avex’s "Dream Audition", where she came in second out of 120,000 participants. She was then signed onto the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone
Rhythm Zone
is a record label in the Avex Records Group which releases all kinds of urban contemporary Japanese music.-History:The label was founded in 1999 by Max Matsuura to address the need for a new urban music label, signing M-Flo as its first artist, then followed by Exile.In 2000, Koda Kumi was signed...
. Koda's first semi-biographical book, Koda-shiki ("Koda-style") was officially described as "a story about a girl who was filled with inferiority complex pursuing her way".
2000–2004: Early career and image change
Koda debuted on December 6, 2000, with the single "Take BackTake Back
"Take Back" is Japanese R&B singer Kumi Koda's debut single. It is her only single to date not to make the Oricon Top 50.-Japanese CD:#Take Back #Your Song #Take Back 3#Take Back...
"; it was followed by "Trust Your Love
Trust Your Love
right|thumb|Cover of U.S. Version"Trust Your Love" is Kumi Koda's second single.-US Maxi CD:# Trust Your Love Hex Hector Main Club Mix# Trust Your Love Thunderpuss Club Mix# Trust Your Love Hex Hector Main Radio Mix...
", "Color of Soul
Color of Soul
"Color of Soul" is a song by Kumi Koda, released as her third single in Japan.-Track listing:# Color of Soul# It's Too Late# Trust Your Love # Trust Your Love # Color of Soul...
" (both 2001), and "So into You
So Into You
"So into You" is Kumi Koda's 4th domestic solo single.-Track listing:# So into You # Color of Soul # Take Back # So into You -References:#Avex Network ,...
" (2002). "Trust Your Love" and "Color of Soul" were both Top 30 singles; the former reached #18 on the chart and became Koda's first Top Twenty single. Using the stage name Koda, Koda recorded "Take Back" and "Trust Your Love" in English and released the singles in the United States under Orpheus Records. "Take Back" peaked at #18 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes...
chart; "Trust Your Love" had more success, reaching the top spot on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart. The single also charted on the Hot Singles Sales chart and Hot Dance Club Play chart, at #19 and #35, respectively. After the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, Koda recorded the charity single "The Meaning of Peace
The meaning of peace
"The Meaning of Peace" single was made to honor the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Kumi Koda collaborated with Korean pop singer BoA and fellow artists under the Avex Trax record label on the charity album Song Nation with the single "The Meaning of Peace", which was produced by Tetsuya...
" with Korean singer BoA
BoA
Boa Kwon , commonly stylized and known by her stage name BoA, which is a backronym for Beat of Angel, is a Korean singer, active in South Korea, Japan, and the United States and sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Korean Pop Music"....
as part of Avex's Song+Nation project to raise funds for charity. In March 2002, Koda released her debut album Affection
Affection (Kumi Koda album)
Affection is the debut studio album of Japanese pop singer Koda Kumi. It was released on March 27, 2002 and contains the singles "Take Back" and "Trust Your Love".-Track listing:Bonus Tracks-Charts and sales:...
under Rhythm Zone; it peaked at #12 on the Oricon album chart.
After the release of Affection, Koda released three singles. "Love Across the Ocean
Love across the ocean
"Love Across the Ocean" is Kumi Koda's fifth domestic solo single. "Love Across the Ocean" was used in a television advertisement for .-Track listing:# Love Across the Ocean# The Meaning of Peace# So into You...
", "Maze" (both 2002), and "real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba
Real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba
is a double A-side by Kumi Koda, consisting of the songs "Real Emotion" and "1000 no Kotoba" , which are used as the opening and closing themes respectively of Square Enix's game Final Fantasy X-2, which was used in a cut-scene in the game as well as its ending credits."1000 no Kotoba" was arranged...
" (2003). "Love Across the Ocean" and "Maze" peaked at #19 and #25 positions. Koda achieved minor success with "real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba", which peaked at #3 after three weeks on the charts. The songs were used as the opening and ending themes, respectively, of the video game Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy X-2
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X...
; in addition, Koda motion-acted
Motion capture
Motion capture, motion tracking, or mocap are terms used to describe the process of recording movement and translating that movement on to a digital model. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, and medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robotics...
the dance moves of one of the characters and voiced the character Lenne in the Japanese version of the game. She released her second album, Grow into One
Grow Into One
Grow into One is the second studio album released by Japanese Pop singer Kumi Koda, released on March, 2003. This album contains one of Kumi's best-selling singles, "Real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba". Combined with the single singles the album sold over half a million copies in Japan.-Track...
in March 2003. It debuted at #11 on the charts, and peaked at #8 in the fourth week of its run.
From then on, Koda continued a string of Top Twenty singles with "Come with Me", "Gentle Words
Gentle Words
"Gentle Words" is Kumi Koda's ninth domestic solo single. The title song was used in the advertisement for Sato Healthcare's sinus gel "Stona".-Track listing:# "Gentle Words"# "Without Your Love"# # "Gentle Words"...
" (both 2003) and "Crazy 4 U
Crazy 4 U
"Crazy 4 U" is Kumi Koda's 10th domestic solo single. The title song was the opening theme of the Japanese anime series Gilgamesh.-Video:...
" (2004). She then released her third album Feel My Mind
Feel my mind
-Charts and sales:...
(February 2004), which debuted at #7. Koda also covered the theme song of the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Cutie Honey originally by Yoko Maekawa for the 2004 live-action film
Cutie Honey (film)
is a 2004 Japanese tokusatsu film adaptation, produced by Gainax, of the 1970s manga and anime series Cutie Honey.The film stars popular Japanese model Eriko Sato as the hyperactive Honey. Directed by Hideaki Anno, the film loosely retells the classic story of Cutie Honey's battle to defend...
and Re: Cutie Honey
Re: Cutie Honey
is a three-episode OVA series based on the 2004 tokusatsu film Cutie Honey, both being adaptations of the 1970s manga written and illustrated by Go Nagai. The series was co-produced with Gainax and Toei Animation, directed by Hideaki Anno, and shown on the Animax satellite television network in...
. The song, which shared the same name as the show, was included as a bonus track on the album and became the title track of her eleventh single "Love & Honey" (2004), after the album's release. At the end of the year Koda released two more singles, "Chase
Chase (Kumi Koda song)
"Chase" is Koda Kumi's 12th domestic CD single. The title song is the ending theme for ANB's program "Samaazu to Yuka no ayashii××kashi chau no kayo!!".-Music Video:It Features two Kodas one koda what is a Hotel server, one that has stole money...
" and "Kiseki". Though Koda had always been known for her changing fashions in her music videos, the video of "Kiseki" marked the beginning of her incorporation of her sexy image into her music videos.
During her image change, Kumi stated her concern about what her parents would think. When they approved and supported her, she chose to keep the style that would become infamous with her name: "ero-kakkoi".
2005–2006: Growing popularity
Koda's first release of 2005 was her fourteenth single, "Hands" (January 19). Less than a month later, she released her fourth album, Secret. Secret debuted at #3 and became her first album to debut in the Top Five. The album was certified double platinum by the RIAJ for selling 521,000 copies total. Koda then released her fifteenth single, "Hot StuffHot Stuff (Kumi Koda song)
"Hot Stuff" is Koda Kumi's 15th domestic single. "Hot Stuff" was in April 2005 the ending theme to TX's television program . The single was a limited edition release, only 30,000 copies were pressed.-CD:#Hot Stuff...
", from the album. Shortly afterwards, Koda released her first live DVD, Secret: First Class Limited Live. In 2006, Oricon reported that Secret: First Class Limited Live had set a new record on the music DVD charts by remaining at the top of the Oricon DVD charts for seven weeks in total.
Koda then released her sixteenth single, "Butterfly
Butterfly (Kumi Koda song)
"Butterfly" is Koda Kumi's 16th domestic single. "Butterfly" was the theme of TBS's drama , and "Your Sunshine" was used in a televised advertisement for ."Taisetsu na Kimi e" being certified gold for full-length cellphone downloads.-CD:#Butterfly...
". "Butterfly" debuted at #2 on the Oricon chart, her first single to do so. "Butterfly" was followed by "Flower" and "Promise/Star
Promise/Star
-DVD:#Promise #Star #Making of "Promise" & "Star"-References:#Avex Network , #Oricon Style ,...
"; both peaked at #4 in the weekly chart. In September, Koda released her first greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album, Best: First Things. The album debuted at #2 on the chart in its first week and rose to the top the following week, giving Koda her first number-one album. Best: First Things sold over a million copies and was certified million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...
.
In December, Koda began the "12 Singles Project" in which for twelve consecutive weeks, she released one single per week (nine of which were labeled as limited editions). The first single of the 12 Singles Project, "You
You (Kumi Koda song)
"You" is Koda Kumi's 19th single. It went to #1 in the official Japanese top 200 singles chart making it her very 1st single to hit #1 on the Oricon single chart. It is the first of the twelve singles to be released in succession of twelve weeks. The single also includes the song Sweet Kiss...
", debuted at the top of the chart, giving Koda her first number-one single. Koda then released "Birthday Eve
Birthday Eve
"Birthday Eve" is a limited edition single by Kumi Koda, 50,000 copies available. "Birthday Eve" was used in a television advertisement for .-Cover:Each of the twelve singles' covers represent a traditional dress from a culture...
", "D.D.D.
D.D.D.
"D.D.D." is a J-Pop song which is written by Japanese R&B duo Soulhead and their producer Octopussy; Soulhead wrote the lyrics while the team wrote the music together and Octopussy made the musical arrangement. The song appears on Koda's 6th album Best: second session, and it is also the 3rd single...
", and "Shake It Up
Shake It Up (Kumi Koda song)
"Shake It Up" is a single by Koda Kumi and was used as the ending theme of Nippon TV's show .-Cover:Each of the twelve singles' covers represent a traditional dress from a culture. This single's cover represents Brazil.-References:...
" before the end of the year. Koda released the remaining eight singles in the beginning of the new year. The first single was "Lies", followed by "Feel
Feel (Kumi Koda song)
"Feel" is a J-pop song which lyrics are written by Japanese singer-songwriter Koda Kumi and Hitoshi Shimono; Koda & Shimono wrote the lyrics together while Shimono wrote the music and arranged the song. The song appears on Koda's 6th album Best: second session, and it is also the 6th single in the...
", "Candy
Candy (Kumi Koda song)
"Candy" feat. Mr. Blistah is the 7th of the 12 singles released in 12 weeks by Koda Kumi.-Cover:Each of the twelve singles' covers represent a traditional dress from a culture. This single's cover represents an African theme, as Africa is actually a large continent with many different...
", "No Regret
No Regret (song)
"No Regret" is a JPop song by singer Kumi Koda. The song's lyrics are written by Tōru Watanabe and the music is written and arranged by H-Wonder. The song is also the opening theme of the 2nd season of the Japanese anime series Law of Ueki. The song appears on Koda's 6th album Best: second session,...
", "Ima Sugu Hoshii", "Kamen
Kamen (song)
"Kamen" is the tenth single of Kumi Koda's 12 single releases. It is limited to 50,000 copies. The song features the Japanese band Kome Kome Club's frontman . As with the other 11 singles in this collection, the cover of the single represents a stylized version of a traditional dress from a...
", "Wind
Wind (song)
"Wind" is a JPop song by Japanese singer Kumi Koda. The song appears on Koda's 6th album Best: Second Session, and it is also the 11th single in the so-called 12 Single Collection. As with the other 11 singles in this collection, the cover of the single represents a stylized version of a...
" and "Someday/Boys & Girls". On the same day as she released the last single from the project, she released digitally Koda Kumi Remix Album
Koda Kumi Remix Album
Koda Kumi Remix Album is the first remix album by japanese singer Kumi Koda. It was released on February 22, 2006, on the same day as her last single from 12-singles project - Someday/Boys & Girls. It was available only for these, who bought all of 12 singles from Best: Second Session...
, which includes remixes of songs from project. "Feel", the fifth single from the project, debuted atop the charts. "You" remained in the Oricon Top Ten during the release of "Shake It Up" and "Lies", making Koda the first female artist to have three singles in the Top Ten of the Oricon Weekly Singles chart. Koda's fashion in this period, in which she wore skin-baring clothes, started the ero-kakkoii
Ero kawaii
, or "erokawa", is a Japanese subculture that draws on Western notions of sexiness, in contrast to the popular cuteness trend. The term, coined in 2005, is a fusion of ero and the lighter 'kawaii', meaning something like 'cute'.-History:Ero kawaii started with singer Kumi Koda using...
trend in Japan. "Get It On", the thirteenth and last single of the "12 Singles Project", was Koda's first digital single; it was followed by her second greatest hits album, Best: Second Session. The album featured all twelve singles along with two new tracks and was released in three different formats: CD-only, CD+DVD, and CD+2DVD. Best: Second Session debuted at the top of the chart with 983,000 copies sold in its first week, making Koda the first female artist with the highest greatest hits album debut sales since Hikaru Utada's Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 1
Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 1
-Charts:Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 1 - Oricon Sales Chart...
. Like Best: First Things, Best: Second Session was certified million by the RIAJ.
After Best: Second Session, Koda released "Koi no Tsubomi
Koi no Tsubomi
"Koi no Tsubomi" is Kumi Koda's 31st solo under the Rhythm Zone label. It is her first single since the release of "Someday/Boys & Girls" which ended off a 12 week project leading to the release of her second greatest hits compilation, Best: Second Session . "Koi no Tsubomi" was released on CD...
". "Koi no Tsubomi" was released online one day before its physical release and sold one million downloads. The single reached #2 in its debut week with 140,000 copies sold. This was the highest debut week sales for a female artist in 2006, until Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...
surpassed it with her single "Blue Bird". On July 26, 2006, Koda released her first photobook
Photobook
A photo-book or photobook is a book in which photographs make a significant contribution to the overall content. The most critically acclaimed photo-books celebrate the creative work of an individual photographer, but can also result from the collaboration between a photographer and a writer, an...
, Maroc; the book, photographed by Leslie Kee, was tied with her thirty-second single "4 Hot Wave
4 hot wave
"4 Hot Wave" is Kumi Koda's 32nd single under the Rhythm Zone label. This is a quadruple A-side single, a first for Kumi Koda. It was released on July 26; roughly 2 months after the release of her last single, "Koi no Tsubomi". The covers of this single were taken while Kumi was in Morocco to shoot...
", which was released on the same day. Koda reclaimed the title of highest debut week sales for a female artist in 2006 with "4 Hot Wave"; which also ranked second behind the KinKi Kids
KinKi Kids
is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. Although the members share the same surname, the only relation they have to each other is that they both hail from the Kinki region, hence the duo's name....
. "4 Hot Wave" is Koda's nineteenth consecutive single to debut in the Top Ten since "Kiseki". Koda's next single, "Yume no Uta / Futari de...
Yume no Uta / Futari de...
" is Kumi Koda's 33rd single under the Rhythm Zone label. Both songs have their own covers for both the CD-only version and CD+DVD version.Unusually enough, the songs both use the same melody. The arrangements differ, as well as the lyrics and vocals—whereas "Yume no Uta" is a piano-driven power...
" (2006), was a musical first for Koda, as she took full creative control over the production of the single and music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
; she wrote the lyrics, chose the outfits, and produced the concepts for the videos of both songs. Koda then recorded a cover of the Bubblegum Brothers' "Won't Be Long
Won't Be Long
"Won't Be Long" is a collaboration single by Japanese boy band Exile and Kumi Koda. It is a cover of the song originally sung by the Japanese band Da Bubblegum Brothers in the early 1990s. It is a midtempo song. Kumi Koda's album Black Cherry included two versions of this song , both different...
" with label-mates Exile. "Cherry Girl/Unmei
Cherry Girl/Unmei
Cherry Girl / 運命 is Kumi Koda's 34th single under the Rhythm Zone label. This was her last single released before the release of her 2006 album, Black Cherry. "Cherry Girl" is a catchy, upbeat song while "Unmei" is a ballad...
" was the last single Koda released before releasing her fifth album Black Cherry
Black Cherry (Kumi Koda album)
Black Cherry is Koda Kumi's 5th studio album. Much like the two best collections before it, this album came in three editions; a CD only, a CD+DVD and a CD+2DVD version. The first DVD included all but one of Koda Kumi's post: second session solo PVs and the second DVD featured a drama called...
in December. Black Cherry became the first female studio album to stay atop the charts for four weeks since Ayumi Hamasaki's album Duty
Duty (album)
-Credits:#"Starting Over" – 1:36Music: Ken HaradaArrangement: Ken HaradaProgramming: Masayuki Kumahara#"Duty" – 5:15Words: Ayumi HamasakiMusic: Ken HaradaArrangement: Naoto Suzuki & Ken HaradaKeyboards: Naoto SuzukiGuitar: Naoki HayashibeB.G...
. At the end of 2006, Oricon named her the best-selling artist of 2006 with ¥
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
12,702,200,000 profit (approximately $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
136,465,304), and Yahoo! Japan
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
declared her to be the most-searched female artist and tenth most searched term overall in 2006.
2007–2010: Decline in sales and controversy
But/Aisho
"But" / "Aishō" is Kumi Koda's 35th single and was released on March 14, 2007. It was her first single of 2007. The single was a time-limited purchase, only being sold from March 2007 to May 2007. "", meaning "love proof", is a love ballad. But is also the theme song for the Japanese edition of the...
"), another greatest hits album (Best: Bounce & Lovers), and a DVD of her second tour Live Tour 2006–2007: Second Session. Her second single of 2007, "Freaky", reached the top spot on the Oricon, giving Koda her fourth number-one single. Koda performed at the Japanese leg
Live Earth concert, Tokyo
The main Live Earth concert in Japan was held at Makuhari Messe, Tokyo on 7 July 2007.-Running order:*Genki Rockets - "Heavenly Star", "Breeze"...
of Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
in Tokyo on July 7, 2007, and attended Ap Bank Fes '07, an conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
-themed concert, hosted by Kazutoshi Sakurai
Kazutoshi Sakurai
is a Japanese musician and entrepreneur. He composes and writes almost all of the songs for his band Mr. Children, in addition to writing lyrics and singing for his solo project group Bank Band. In 2006, Sakurai ranked #8 in HMV's "Top 30 Best Japanese Singers of All Time" and in 2007 was voted #4...
of Mr. Children
Mr. Children
, commonly called , is a Japanese rock band formed in 1988 by Kazutoshi Sakurai, Kenichi Tahara, Keisuke Nakagawa, and Hideya Suzuki. As a group, they are one of the most successful Japanese rock artists, having sold over 50 million records and creating the in the mid 1990s in Japan...
on July 15, 2007. At the end of 2007, Koda released two singles, "Ai no Uta
Ai no Uta (Kumi Koda song)
is the 37th single released by Japanese pop singer-songwriter Kumi Koda.Ai no Uta was released on September 12, 2007 in Japan. It follows 2006's Yume no Uta as an autumn/wintertime love ballad. It was released in two versions: a CD+DVD version and a CD only version. The first press comes with an...
" and "Last Angel
Last Angel
"Last Angel" is Kumi Koda's 38th single and is a collaboration with Korean boyband Tohoshinki which was released on November 7, 2007 in Japan.The B-side "Dear Family" is solo, and is a love ballad. "Last Angel" was used as the image song to the Japanese release of the movie Resident Evil:...
", a collaboration with Korean boy band TVXQ
TVXQ
TVXQ, an acronym for Tong Vfang Xien Qi , is a South Korean pop group formed in 2003 under SM Entertainment. In South Korea they are known as Dong Bang Shin Ki , often abbreviated by international fans as DBSK; they were later introduced in Japan as Tohoshinki under the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone...
better known as Tohoshinki in Japan. "Last Angel" was used as the theme song for the Japanese release for Resident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Extinction is a Canadian-British 2007 science fiction action horror film also categorized as a doomsday and zombie film, and is the third installment in the Resident Evil film series, which is based on the Capcom survival horror series Resident Evil...
. On December 1, she held her first performance at Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
for her third nationwide and first arena tour. Koda became the seventh solo female singer to perform at Tokyo Dome with an estimated audience of 45,000 people. Having sold more than 7.3 billion yen worth of CDs and DVDs, Koda was again the best-selling artist of the year in Oricon's 2007 year-end rankings.
Koda released her thirty-ninth single "Anytime
Anytime (Kumi Koda song)
"Anytime" is the 39th single released in Japan on 23 January 2008, just a week before her 6th studio album Kingdom. "Anytime" was the originally scheduled to be released on her 2007 summer single Freaky, but for unknown reasons was removed and replaced by "Run for Your Life".-CD version:-DVD...
" on January 23, 2008; it was followed by her sixth studio album Kingdom
Kingdom (Kumi Koda album)
Kingdom is the sixth studio album by Koda Kumi released on January 30, 2008. The album debuted at number one on the Oricon Weekly Chart with sales of 421,302...
, which was released in the same format as her previous album. With a little over 420,000 copies sold in its first week, Kingdom debuted atop the Oricon. On January 31, Koda hosted All Night Nippon
All Night Nippon
All Night Nippon is a Japanese radio program broadcast by Nippon Broadcasting System and other radio stations from 1–5 am . It preempts broadcasts from TBS Radio's programming.The highest ratings were achieved on the night of October 1, 1967.-DJs:...
; discussing her manager's recent marriage and plans on having children, Koda remarked that "When women turn 35, their amniotic fluid
Amniotic fluid
Amniotic fluid or liquor amnii is the nourishing and protecting liquid contained by the amniotic sac of a pregnant woman.- Development of amniotic fluid :...
goes rotten, so I'd like them to have a child by 35". Because of the controversy instigated by the comment, Avex released an apology stating that as a consolation, all promotion of Kingdom would cease. Additionally, several of Koda's commercial endorsements were placed on hiatus. Koda herself made a public apology on Fuji TV. Despite the controversy, Kingdom remained on top for a second consecutive week. Two months after her controversial statement, Koda released Live Tour 2007: Black Cherry Tour Special Final in Tokyo Dome, her fourth live DVD. Her fourth nationwide tour Koda Kumi Live Tour 2008: Kingdom commenced on April 12, 2008.
Koda's fortieth single "Moon" was released on June 11, 2008. Like "Freaky", "Moon" contained four tracks. The single contained "Moon Crying", used as the theme for Asahi Television drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
Puzzle, and a collaboration track with The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
' Fergie Koda again attended Avex's annual summer concert A-Nation '08. She appeared at all eight shows in Japan and performed with other Avex artists such as Every Little Thing, Ai Otsuka
Ai Otsuka
is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and actress from Suminoe-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. She is a popular artist on the Avex Trax label and is best known for her 2003 hit "Sakuranbo," which stayed in the Top 200 Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for 103 weeks.A piano...
, Namie Amuro
Namie Amuro
is a Japanese R&B and pop singer, entertainer, and former actress who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's...
, Ayumi Hamasaki, TVXQ, and Maki Goto
Maki Goto
is a Japanese singer, lyricist and former actress. Born and raised in Edogawa, Tokyo, Goto began her musical career in 1999 when she joined Morning Musume as the only third generation member. Her first single with the group, "Love Machine", topped the Oricon singles charts and sold over a million...
. In October, Koda released her forty-first single, "Taboo
Taboo (song)
Taboo is the 41st single released in by Koda Kumi.The single was released on October 8, 2008, containing "Taboo", "Always", a remix of "Taboo" and instrumentals of "Taboo" and "Always". The Playroom special edition of the CD, contains an alternate front cover, and was specially released to Koda...
". With around 66,000 copies sold in its first week, "Taboo" debuted at the number-one position and became Koda's fifth single to reach the top. Koda released her forty-second single "Stay with Me
Stay with Me (Kumi Koda song)
Stay with Me is the forty-second single by Koda Kumi. It is described as a "winter love ballad," by her official site. It features an orgel of "Stay with Me," and the B-Side "Winter Bell." The first press editions includes a poster and a draw card, much like "Taboo"...
" on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
, which debuted atop of the chart selling 58,000 copies. Koda's seventh studio album, Trick
Trick (album)
Trick is the seventh studio album released by J-Urban singer Kumi Koda. It was released on January 28, 2009, available in CD and CD+2DVD format. The CD contains ten previously unreleased songs as well as the CD singles Moon Crying, That Ain't Cool, Taboo, and Stay with Me...
, was another number-one album for the singer, selling 253,000 in its first week. The album stayed at the number-one spot for a second week selling 56,000 copies. Although the album debuted at the number-one position, this was her lowest selling album since her fourth studio album, Secret.
On March 25, Koda released two albums, Out Works & Collaboration Best
Out Works & Collaboration Best
Out Works & Collaboration Best is the fourth best-of album by Japanese pop star, Kumi Koda. The CD contains only Koda's previous collaborations with other artists: BoA, Lisa, Heartsdales, Jhett a.k.a. Yakko for Aquarius, KM-Markit, D.I., Mr.Blistah, Soulhead, Tatsuya Ishii, TRF, Exile, M-Flo,...
and Koda Kumi Driving Hit's
Koda Kumi Driving Hit's
Koda Kumi Driving Hit's is the second Remix album by Japanese pop star, Kumi Koda. The album is remixed entirely by electronic duo House Nation. The CD contains only Koda's previous hit songs. The album was released on the same day as Koda's fourth Best-of album, Out Works & Collaboration Best...
. The former is a compilation of collaborations with other artists and the latter is a remix album
Remix album
A remix album is an album consisting mostly of remixes or re-recorded versions of a music artists' earlier released material.One of the earliest remix albums was 1971's Aerial Pandemonium Ballet by Harry Nilsson, which was released by Nilsson after the successes of Everybody's Talkin and The Point!...
. Out Works & Collaboration Best and Koda Kumi Driving Hit's debuted at #7 and #6 respectively. Koda's forty-third single, "It's All Love!
It's All Love!
"It's All Love!" is a collaboration single by Kumi Koda and her younger sister Misono. The single was originally set to be released on March 4, 2009, but was pushed back to March 31, 2009...
", was released on March 31, 2009. The single, a collaboration with her younger sister Misono, debuted atop the Oricon, making the sisters the first siblings to have a single top the chart in its initial week. The second song from the single, "Faraway", was used as the theme song for the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
-based movie Subaru. On July 8, 2009, Koda released her forty-fourth single, "3 Splash
3 Splash
"3 Splash" is the forty-fourth single released by Kumi Koda on July 8, 2009. It is a triple A-side with a music video for each track on the DVD. Like her previous singles, "3 Splash" is released in CD-Only and CD+DVD versions. A limited edition CD+DVD comes with an accessory pouch, whereas the...
". The single debuted at #2 on the charts making it Koda's thirty-third Top 10 single. Following the release of "3 Splash" was her forty-fifth single, "Alive/Physical Thing
Alive/Physical Thing
"Alive/Physical Thing" is Kumi Koda's forty-fifth single. It was released on September 16, 2009. This is Koda's sixth double A-side single. The CD+DVD edition of "Alive/Physical Thing" include the music videos for the songs. "Alive" was used as the theme song for the film-adaptation of "Kamui the...
", which took the number-one spot on the single charts.
2010–present: Celebration of the 10th Anniversary
On January 20, 2010, Koda released a new single titled, "Can We Go BackCan We Go Back
Can We Go Back is a song recorded by Kelly Clarkson during the sessions for her 2009 album, All I Ever Wanted. It appears as track 17 on the iTunes pre-order for the deluxe version of the album, as well as track 17 on the Japanese deluxe version of the album...
", which is a cover of a bonus track on Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
's 2009 album All I Ever Wanted
All I Ever Wanted (album)
All I Ever Wanted is the fourth studio album by American pop rock singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson, released on March 6, 2009 in Australia and Germany and the United States on March 10. It was her second album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200...
. On February 3, 2010, Koda released a new best album, Best: Third Universe, and her eighth studio album, Universe, which are packaged together under the name of Best: Third Universe/Universe
Best: Third Universe/Universe
Best: Third Universe is Kumi Koda's fifth greatest hits album, following Best: Bounce & Lovers and Out Works & Collaboration Best. The covers resemble those of Best: Second Session, and Koda can be seen looking through the booklet for that album on the 2CD & 2CD+DVD edition cover. The album...
. On July 7, 2010, she released her 47th single, "Gossip Candy
Gossip Candy
"Gossip Candy" is the forty-seventh single by J-Pop singer Kumi Koda, released on July 7, 2010. Like her previous singles "4 Hot Wave," "Freaky," and "Moon," this single includes four songs. One song has two versions on the single. This is the first single by Kumi Koda since her last studio album,...
," which peaked at number 4 on the Oricon chart. On September 22, 2010, she released her 48th single "Suki de, Suki de, Suki de./Anata Dake ga," two ballads and a rerecorded version of "Walk". The DVD release of her tour "Koda Kumi Live Tour Universe" was released on October 6, 2010. A week later Koda released her first cover-album Eternity: Love & Songs
Eternity: Love & Songs
Eternity: Love & Songs is the first cover album by Japanese pop star, Kumi Koda. It contains hip-hop and electronic arrangements of mostly older songs from the 1970s to the 1990s, as well as a cover her sister misono's 2010 single "0-ji Mae no Tsunderera"...
, on which she covers songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Koda didn't release a number-one single in 2010, her first time since 2004 not to do so. On December 5, 2010, Koda held a concert celebrating her 10th Anniversary named "FANTASIA", where she performed a selection of songs from all over her career. The concert was filmed for DVD release and held at Tokyo Dome.
On February 2, 2011, her 49th single "Pop Diva
Pop Diva
"Pop Diva" is the limited, forty-ninth single by J-pop singer Kumi Koda, released on 2 February 2011. And the Audio sneak peek was shown on 16 December 2010 and some Information was shown in December 2010 and the rest in January 2011 with the music video...
" was released and on February 23, 2011, Koda released "Eternity -Love & Songs- at Billboard Live" an audio DVD of her performance at Billboard Live Tokyo in October 2010, where she performed many songs from her Eternity: Love & Songs cover album. She released her ninth studio album named Dejavu
Dejavu (Kumi Koda album)
- Oricon Sales Chart :- Other charts :- Release History :- References :...
on March 2, 2011. Koda is planning to release Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 3
Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 3
Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 3 is the fourth Remix album by Japanese pop star, Kumi Koda. The album is remixed entirely by electronic duo House Nation. The CD contains remixes of songs from previous albums and songs from her last album DejaVu...
in March.
Koda Kumi is featured in the Far East Movement
Far east movement
Far East Movement is an Asian American electro hop quartet based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and consists of Kev Nish , Prohgress , J-Splif , and DJ Virman...
song Make It Bump, which was only released on the Japanese edition of their album "Free Wired
Free Wired
Free Wired is the third studio album and major label debut of Asian-American electro hop group Far East Movement, released on October 12, 2010 by Cherrytree Records and Interscope Records....
". On May 18, 2011, Koda released the DVD of her "FANTASIA" concert entitled "KODA KUMI 10th Anniversary ～FANTASIA～in TOKYO DOME". Alongside DVD, the concert was also released in Blu-Ray format. Her previous concerts were also re-released in Blu-Ray format. Koda's 50th single was released August 17, 2011. The single is titled "4 Times
4 Times
"4 Times" is the 50th single by J-pop singer Koda Kumi. It was released on August 17, 2011. It includes 4 new songs and each song will have a music video .-Information:...
" and includes 4 songs as well as 4 music videos to accompany them (Such as her previous 2006 summer single, "4 Hot Wave
4 hot wave
"4 Hot Wave" is Kumi Koda's 32nd single under the Rhythm Zone label. This is a quadruple A-side single, a first for Kumi Koda. It was released on July 26; roughly 2 months after the release of her last single, "Koi no Tsubomi". The covers of this single were taken while Kumi was in Morocco to shoot...
"). Since it is Koda's 50th single, it was released in 2 different special limited edition commemorative versions. One comes with 50 Koda Kumi 50th Anniversary post cards and the other with a special digital camera. Immediately after the release of "4 Times
4 Times
"4 Times" is the 50th single by J-pop singer Koda Kumi. It was released on August 17, 2011. It includes 4 new songs and each song will have a music video .-Information:...
", it was posted on her official website that her 51st single, "Ai Wo Tomenaide
Ai Wo Tomenaide
"Ai wo Tomenaide" is the 51st single by J-pop singer Koda Kumi. It was released on September 21, 2011. This was released in three different versions: a CD only edition, a CD only movie edition, and a CD+DVD edition that comes with a DVD of the music videos of the title song and the B-side "You Are...
" was to be released September 21, 2011. The song charted at number 4 on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
charts. Not much longer after the release, news of her next single was released: "Love Me Back". The single is set for release on November 30th, 2011.
Musical style
Koda's musical style is mainly Japanese Urban and R&B; however, it was only after Koda signed to Rhythm Zone that Japanese Urban and R&B became her main musical styles. But throughout her career her musical style has spanned additional styles such as rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, hip-hop, electropop and dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
.
Themes
Koda has even explored the themes of sexualityHuman sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
and taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
s in her lyrics. While listening to the music of "But", the first thing that came to Koda's mind was homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. Regarding the theme of homosexuality, Koda said in an interview: "I'm the type of person who thinks that [in a relationship] it doesn't matter what sex the other person is. No matter who they are, it doesn't change the 'I love this person' feeling, does it?" The video for "Taboo" portrayed homosexuality and other "taboo" subjects to deliver Koda's message of "there really is no such thing as a taboo". She also said of "Taboo"'s themes, "Instead of trying stuff out and experiencing it, we put up a 'No' sign, we never try to break the taboos" and "Sometimes we shouldn't retreat into safety, we should have courage to do things. Those are the feelings in the song." Such themes are also present in her music videos: she has incorporated her "sexy" image into her videos since "Kiseki" through sexually-charged dances and skin-baring outfits. The video of "Ima Sugu Hoshii" featured two males in sexual positions, and the video of "Juicy
4 hot wave
"4 Hot Wave" is Kumi Koda's 32nd single under the Rhythm Zone label. This is a quadruple A-side single, a first for Kumi Koda. It was released on July 26; roughly 2 months after the release of her last single, "Koi no Tsubomi". The covers of this single were taken while Kumi was in Morocco to shoot...
", which also featured sexual posturing, was censored in Taiwan.
Lyrics and composition
Since the start of her career Koda has been writing the lyrics to her songs.Some of the lyrics are either co-written or written by others. Koda co-composed "Bling Bling Bling", "Just the Way You Are", "That Ain't Cool" and "This is Not a Love Song". On her second studio album, Grow into One, Koda wasn't as much involved with the writing of the lyrics, as only four songs were written by her. Koda's control over the writing of the lyrics grew with her thirty-third single "Yume no Uta / Futari de... ". The single was originally intended to be a single song about "happy love", however Koda felt the melody had represented both the elements of happiness and sadness. She wrote the lyrics for both songs to represent the sadness and the happiness. In doing so Koda ended up creating two songs with the same melody. She remarked, "It was a first time experiment for me, but I was able to convey how happiness and sadness are two sides of the same coin."Original text: 「初めての試みでしたが、幸せと悲しみが表裏一体だってことが表現できた」 Koda lists Janet JacksonJanet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, and Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
as her inspirations; she has also stated that when she produces, she "is like a different person"; thus, she refers to herself in the third person and "looks at [herself] objectively".
Koda was not as involved concerning the composition of her songs. , from Black Cherry, marked the first time she composed a song. Her involvement in the composition stage grew during the production of her seventh studio album Trick.
Awards
Koda won her first award at the 47th Japan Record Awards47th Japan Record Awards
The 47th Annual Japan Record Awards took place at the New National Theatre in Shibuya, Tokyo, on December 31, 2005, starting at 6:00PM JST. The primary ceremonies were televised in Japan on TBS.- Awards winners :*Japan Record Award:**Kumi Koda for Butterfly...
for Butterfly on January 1, 2006, and was awarded "Triple Crown" at the Japan Gold Disc Awards on March 10, 2006, for pocketing three awards: "Pop Artist of the Year", "Pop Album of the Year", and "Music Video of the Year". She continued to win more awards for this song; on May 27, 2006, the MTV VMAJ's
MTV Video Music Awards Japan
The MTV Video Music Awards Japan are the Japanese version of the MTV Video Music Awards.Like the MTV Video Music Awards in the United States, in this event artists are awarded for their songs and videos through online voting from the same channel viewers...
awarded Koda with "Best Female Video" and "Best Video of the Year" for "Butterfly
Butterfly (Kumi Koda song)
"Butterfly" is Koda Kumi's 16th domestic single. "Butterfly" was the theme of TBS's drama , and "Your Sunshine" was used in a televised advertisement for ."Taisetsu na Kimi e" being certified gold for full-length cellphone downloads.-CD:#Butterfly...
", and "buzzASIA from Japan" for "Trust You", a track from her album Secret. Later in 2006, her song "Yume no Uta" from her 33rd single, "Yume no Uta / Futari de...
Yume no Uta / Futari de...
" is Kumi Koda's 33rd single under the Rhythm Zone label. Both songs have their own covers for both the CD-only version and CD+DVD version.Unusually enough, the songs both use the same melody. The arrangements differ, as well as the lyrics and vocals—whereas "Yume no Uta" is a piano-driven power...
", garnered Koda more awards. She was a Grand Prix winner at the 39th Japan Usen Grand Prize.
On May 26, 2007, Koda won three awards from MTV Video Music Awards Japan
MTV Video Music Awards Japan
The MTV Video Music Awards Japan are the Japanese version of the MTV Video Music Awards.Like the MTV Video Music Awards in the United States, in this event artists are awarded for their songs and videos through online voting from the same channel viewers...
for the second year in a row. "Yume No Uta" was nominated in three categories and won "Best Female Video and "Best Video of the Year". Koda herself won a special award known as "Best Stylish Artist Award". At the 2007 Best Hit Kayōsai Koda's "Ai no Uta" earned her the Grand Prix in the pop category, also winning one of the golden awards for the 49th Nihon Record Taishō.
Koda, while having success on Oricon charts with physical CD sales, maintains success on online music sales as well. It is reported that twenty-two of her music videos chart the top 100 most downloaded videos, with four of her videos dominating the top five, and having "Koi no Tsubomi
Koi no Tsubomi
"Koi no Tsubomi" is Kumi Koda's 31st solo under the Rhythm Zone label. It is her first single since the release of "Someday/Boys & Girls" which ended off a 12 week project leading to the release of her second greatest hits compilation, Best: Second Session . "Koi no Tsubomi" was released on CD...
" top the Overall Downloads Chart, which thirteen of her other songs chart.
She has sold more than 10 million records in Japan.
Koda Kumi won the "Hottest Asian Artist" at the MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Award) 2011.
Fashion
Koda has been known for her "sexy" image. In 2003, she started a cleavage-baring trend when she appeared in advertisements wearing a metallic bra. Her 2004 work with the anime movie Cutie Honey continued this image, and in 2005, she began the "ero-kakkoi" or "ero-kawaii" trend in Japan and was partially responsible for making the wearing of lingerie in public more acceptable in Japan. Koda's image has inspired other artists: Korean singer Ayumi Lee and American Japanese expatriate model-singer Leah DizonLeah Dizon
Leah Dizon is an American-born former gaijin tarento, singer, and model in Japan. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, she moved to Tokyo, Japan in 2006 to pursue a career in entertainment...
, both known for their use of sexuality in the image, are inspired in part by Koda. Singaporean newspaper The New Paper
The New Paper
The New Paper is Singapore's second-highest circulating paid English-language newspaper, first launched on July 26, 1988, by Singapore Press Holdings . According to SPH, its average daily circulation for August 2010 was 101600....
suggested that her sexy image was responsible for her sales—she outsold "reigning J-pop queen" Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...
in 2006 and 2007. In 2006, Koda began winning awards for being a new trendsetter in Japan, including the "Best Jeanist Award" on September 4, 2006, and the title of "Nail Queen" for her nail art on November 21, 2006, by Japan Nail Expo.
In 2006, when the popularity of Japanese singers was declining in Singapore due to the rising popularity of the Korean wave
Korean wave
The Korean Wave, also known as the Hallyu , refers to spread of South Korean culture around the world. The term was coined in China in mid-1999 by Beijing journalists surprised by the fast growing popularity of Korean entertainment and culture in China...
, Koda's sexy image garnered her popularity in the region and renewed interest in J-pop. James Kang, marketing director for Warner Music in Asia, noted that Koda's sexy image is popular not only with men but also with women, even "Japanese aunties", because she uses her image to "make a feminist statement [...] She's constantly telling women to believe in themselves and do what they want to do". In 2007, it was proposed that the term "ero-kakkoii" be added to the Japanese Encyclopedia of Contemporary Words.
Personal life
In August 2007, it was rumored that Koda was dating SMAPSMAP
SMAP is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori...
leader Masahiro Nakai
Masahiro Nakai
is a singer, actor and host for music events and variety shows such as the long-running music show Utaban. He is the leader of the Japanese idol group SMAP.-Early life:...
. The media questioned the artists' agencies on the matter, neither agency had confirmed or denied the rumors. In September, during a variety show that Nakai was a semi-regular on, socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
Dewi Sukarno
Dewi Sukarno
, born , is a Japanese socialite and one of the wives of former Indonesian leader Sukarno.- Biography :Dewi Sukarno met the 57-year-old Sukarno when she was 19, when the then-Indonesian president was on a state visit to Japan. Prior to becoming Sukarno's wife, she was an art student and...
was discussing her ideal boyfriend mentioned that Nakai and Koda were dating. It was also rumored that the two would get married before Koda's 25th birthday. In the December issue of Josei Seven, it was "confirmed" that the two were dating.
The couple has been dubbed as the "national couple", a nickname last used in the early 1960s when actor Akira Kobayashi
Akira Kobayashi
is a Japanese actor. His nickname is .- Biography :He successfully became an actor in the Nikkatsu Corporation. He attended Meiji University but left before graduating. Kobayashi made his debut in 1959 in the film Nangoku Tosa o Ato ni Shite . He also starred in the TV series "Wataridori" and...
married enka
Enka
is a popular Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern enka, however, is a relatively recent musical form which arose in the context of such postwar expressions of modern Japanese nonmaterial nationalism as nihonjinron, while adopting a more...
singer Hibari Misora
Hibari Misora
was an award-winning Japanese enka singer and actress. and was the first woman in Japan to receive the People's Honour Award, which was awarded posthumously for her notable contributions to the music industry. Misora recorded 1,200 songs, and sold 68 million records. After she died, consumer demand...
. However, some have denied that the relationship is real, claiming that Johnny Kitagawa
Johnny Kitagawa
, born , is the founder and president of Johnny & Associates, a production agency for numerous popular boy bands in Japan. Kitagawa assembled, produced and managed more than a dozen popular bands, including SMAP, Arashi, Kanjani8, Hey! Say! JUMP, V6, NEWS and KAT-TUN. Kitagawa's influence has...
orchestrated the relationship in order to move SMAP to the Avex label; websites have claimed that Koda is just a cover up for Nakai's real girlfriend.
Discography
Studio albums- 2002: AffectionAffection (Kumi Koda album)Affection is the debut studio album of Japanese pop singer Koda Kumi. It was released on March 27, 2002 and contains the singles "Take Back" and "Trust Your Love".-Track listing:Bonus Tracks-Charts and sales:...
- 2003: Grow into OneGrow Into OneGrow into One is the second studio album released by Japanese Pop singer Kumi Koda, released on March, 2003. This album contains one of Kumi's best-selling singles, "Real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba". Combined with the single singles the album sold over half a million copies in Japan.-Track...
- 2004: Feel My MindFeel my mind-Charts and sales:...
- 2005: Secret
- 2006: Black CherryBlack Cherry (Kumi Koda album)Black Cherry is Koda Kumi's 5th studio album. Much like the two best collections before it, this album came in three editions; a CD only, a CD+DVD and a CD+2DVD version. The first DVD included all but one of Koda Kumi's post: second session solo PVs and the second DVD featured a drama called...
- 2008: KingdomKingdom (Kumi Koda album)Kingdom is the sixth studio album by Koda Kumi released on January 30, 2008. The album debuted at number one on the Oricon Weekly Chart with sales of 421,302...
- 2009: TrickTrick (album)Trick is the seventh studio album released by J-Urban singer Kumi Koda. It was released on January 28, 2009, available in CD and CD+2DVD format. The CD contains ten previously unreleased songs as well as the CD singles Moon Crying, That Ain't Cool, Taboo, and Stay with Me...
- 2010: UniverseBest: Third Universe/UniverseBest: Third Universe is Kumi Koda's fifth greatest hits album, following Best: Bounce & Lovers and Out Works & Collaboration Best. The covers resemble those of Best: Second Session, and Koda can be seen looking through the booklet for that album on the 2CD & 2CD+DVD edition cover. The album...
- 2011: DejavuDejavu (Kumi Koda album)- Oricon Sales Chart :- Other charts :- Release History :- References :...
Cover albums
- 2010: Eternity: Love & SongsEternity: Love & SongsEternity: Love & Songs is the first cover album by Japanese pop star, Kumi Koda. It contains hip-hop and electronic arrangements of mostly older songs from the 1970s to the 1990s, as well as a cover her sister misono's 2010 single "0-ji Mae no Tsunderera"...
Compilation albums
- 2005: Best: First Things
- 2006: Best: Second Session
- 2007: Best: Bounce & Lovers
- 2009: Out Works & Collaboration BestOut Works & Collaboration BestOut Works & Collaboration Best is the fourth best-of album by Japanese pop star, Kumi Koda. The CD contains only Koda's previous collaborations with other artists: BoA, Lisa, Heartsdales, Jhett a.k.a. Yakko for Aquarius, KM-Markit, D.I., Mr.Blistah, Soulhead, Tatsuya Ishii, TRF, Exile, M-Flo,...
- 2010: Best: Third UniverseBest: Third Universe/UniverseBest: Third Universe is Kumi Koda's fifth greatest hits album, following Best: Bounce & Lovers and Out Works & Collaboration Best. The covers resemble those of Best: Second Session, and Koda can be seen looking through the booklet for that album on the 2CD & 2CD+DVD edition cover. The album...
Remix albums
- 2006: Koda Kumi Remix AlbumKoda Kumi Remix AlbumKoda Kumi Remix Album is the first remix album by japanese singer Kumi Koda. It was released on February 22, 2006, on the same day as her last single from 12-singles project - Someday/Boys & Girls. It was available only for these, who bought all of 12 singles from Best: Second Session...
- 2009: Koda Kumi Driving Hit'sKoda Kumi Driving Hit'sKoda Kumi Driving Hit's is the second Remix album by Japanese pop star, Kumi Koda. The album is remixed entirely by electronic duo House Nation. The CD contains only Koda's previous hit songs. The album was released on the same day as Koda's fourth Best-of album, Out Works & Collaboration Best...
- 2010: Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 2Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 2Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 2 is the third remix album released by japanese singer, Koda Kumi. It was released on March 31, 2010.-Track listing:-Oricon Charts :...
- 2011: Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 3Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 3Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 3 is the fourth Remix album by Japanese pop star, Kumi Koda. The album is remixed entirely by electronic duo House Nation. The CD contains remixes of songs from previous albums and songs from her last album DejaVu...
Number-one singles
- 2005: "YouYou (Kumi Koda song)"You" is Koda Kumi's 19th single. It went to #1 in the official Japanese top 200 singles chart making it her very 1st single to hit #1 on the Oricon single chart. It is the first of the twelve singles to be released in succession of twelve weeks. The single also includes the song Sweet Kiss...
" - 2006: "FeelFeel (Kumi Koda song)"Feel" is a J-pop song which lyrics are written by Japanese singer-songwriter Koda Kumi and Hitoshi Shimono; Koda & Shimono wrote the lyrics together while Shimono wrote the music and arranged the song. The song appears on Koda's 6th album Best: second session, and it is also the 6th single in the...
" - 2006: "Yume no Uta / Futari de...Yume no Uta / Futari de..." is Kumi Koda's 33rd single under the Rhythm Zone label. Both songs have their own covers for both the CD-only version and CD+DVD version.Unusually enough, the songs both use the same melody. The arrangements differ, as well as the lyrics and vocals—whereas "Yume no Uta" is a piano-driven power...
" - 2007: "Freaky"
- 2008: "TabooTaboo (song)Taboo is the 41st single released in by Koda Kumi.The single was released on October 8, 2008, containing "Taboo", "Always", a remix of "Taboo" and instrumentals of "Taboo" and "Always". The Playroom special edition of the CD, contains an alternate front cover, and was specially released to Koda...
" - 2008: "Stay with MeStay with Me (Kumi Koda song)Stay with Me is the forty-second single by Koda Kumi. It is described as a "winter love ballad," by her official site. It features an orgel of "Stay with Me," and the B-Side "Winter Bell." The first press editions includes a poster and a draw card, much like "Taboo"...
" - 2009: "It's All Love!It's All Love!"It's All Love!" is a collaboration single by Kumi Koda and her younger sister Misono. The single was originally set to be released on March 4, 2009, but was pushed back to March 31, 2009...
" - 2009: "Alive/Physical ThingAlive/Physical Thing"Alive/Physical Thing" is Kumi Koda's forty-fifth single. It was released on September 16, 2009. This is Koda's sixth double A-side single. The CD+DVD edition of "Alive/Physical Thing" include the music videos for the songs. "Alive" was used as the theme song for the film-adaptation of "Kamui the...
"
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Final Fantasy X-2 Final Fantasy X-2 is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X... |
Lenne | Video Game |
| 2006 | Cherry Girl Cherry Girl Cherry Girl is a J-Drama featuring Japanese artist Kumi Koda. The film was directed by Shuta Takahata and is written by Osamu Suzuki Cherry Girl was Kumi Koda's acting debut.- Information :... |
Kumi | Main Role |
| 2011 | Ikemen Desu Ne Ikemen desu ne is a 2011 Japanese television series. It is the Japanese remake of the Korean television drama You're Beautiful. The original Korean version aired in 2009 and starred Park Shin Hye, Jang Keun Suk, Lee Hong Ki, and Jung Yong Hwa. The story revolved around a fictional boy band named A.N.JELL... |
Herself | Episode 1 |