The Koda Kumi Rate PART I: The End. Onto the next part we go

None of my big ones has gone, but I feel like a lot of my 9s have gone already.

 

61 (2 track tie) Yume With You
Average: 6,39

Highest score: 9x1 (@me!)
Lowest score: 5x3 (@GhettoPrincess, @Ceir, @Eskiath)
My score: look above​

Ah, yes, with this elimination only one cover remains in the rate. Yume With You was originally performed and written by Kubota Toshinobu who is known as the King of J-Soul (the guy is no joke). Even though his most popular hits are LA LA LA LOVE SONG and Missing, Kumi opted for a bit of a sleeper hit, probably because she liked it. The song itself is about dreaming about a person all the time with a bit of a boner-induced anguish. The original is definitely a classic, but Kumi's version did bring a tad of oomph to it. My 9 though totally goes to the fantastic remix by pretty amazing Yamaki Ryuichiro, which just envelops me with it's R'n'B beats and urban flavor, hence rendering the track that much sexier. I might find the original version a bit limp, still the gorgeous melody of the chorus is undeniable.

Only one person submitted commentary for the poor thing. @Sprockrooster was initially utterly flabberghasted while giving this a 10, "OH MY FUCKING GOD. I wasnot ready. I simply wasnot ready. This classically styled powerballad is right of my street. Girl is serving and that production is faultless. Heavy prominent guitar is a big plus. Watching the video and my heart just stopped with that car crash. So over the top. So overly dramatic. But so damn good. OH MY GOD. I love this so much. I have to stop re-watching this cause I have to continue rating." ................and then I had to bring the guy back to earth by explaining that he mistook Yume With You for Yume no Uta... In the end @Sprockrooster (6) was not that amused, "Well this is no 'Yume No Uta', now is it. A bit out there." Basically my reaction was something like this:

​

Here's a video for the live performance of the original:

Unfortunately there are no links for the fabulous remix.​

 

You did lose four 9s, I believe.

 

Let me state clearly that it wasnot spotify and while searching on YouTube I only found a link with Asian sign language which I also put through google translate and looked similar to the song we were supposed to rate. But yes, I think my 11 is exposed for the rate that one is exposed. Cause it is the only song I am still listening to and it wasnot even part of this rate.

 

Oops.

It's a great contender for an 11. Although I already have something a bit mischievous prepared for it's elimination, oh my. Hope you'll find some more worthy songs in the Part II if you participate.

 

I am sure there are more gems in her discography. But it already is a bar set high. But if she is going to top this one, consider me a fan.

 

YAS. Let her top you.

 

She's tipsy.


Okay we have another tie, just like I promised!


59 (2 track tie) Sweet love...
Average: 6,46

Highest score: 8x1 (@RUNAWAY)
Lowest score: 4x1 (@Sprockrooster)
My score: 7,5​

feel my mind loses it's first album track. Produced by aforementioned KAIDO the song is a little old school R'n'B number that seemingly speaks of the sweetest love we ever heard off specifically mentioning caramel lattes and vanilla ice cream. Although I believe there is something a lot more raunchy on the inside if you read some of the lyrics:

Your fingers reach out, and with your smooth skin
You leave a secret on my body
Everything I feel drowns
In your honey

The sweet vanilla icecream we bought together just now
Melts in a leisurely way in my throat
In our private space
It feels just like a goddess has awoken…
(c) kimi musume

What... is this actually about? I see you, girl. I mean I like how this sound a bit retro soundwise, and Kumi does sound happy singing it.

@send photo (7) had to go there and say it, "Sweet amniotic fluids...", while @Sprockrooster is probably describing the taste of that concoction @send photo speaks of, "This is very bittersour".

​

 

She's even tipsier.






59 (2 track tie) BELIEVE / DJ YUKATA feat. Koda Kumi
Average: 6,46

Highest score: 9x2 (@Sprockrooster, @ThisIsRogue)
Lowest score: 4x1 (@Ceir)
My score: 7​

And the other 'believe' song leaves us, the extra one this time. So naturally I believed (hehe) that this one is produced by this DJ YUKATA, still the official credits for the song say that it was actually someone named Ikoman (?) and Kuu herself (???). Weird. As far as we know though, Kuu's first dabble into producing was only on her 5th studio album on a track Milk Tea. What's even weirder is that I don't know anything about that DJ YUKATA guy, only that somehow this song was on his 4th (!!!) album. Another funny thing that stems from all this is that in spite of being a huge Kumi fan back in the day (and still being a bit of a stan, thank you) I've actually listened to this song for the first time not that long ago. All because I believed (hehe) that it was the same track as the Believe from secret only remixed by some DJ, so I didn't even bother downloading this one... This paragraph was brought to you by the parentheses (also know as round brackets).

The track itself is a one note early 2000s R'n'B slice of pop about believing (hehe) a person. Shocking.

Looks like the highest scorer @Sprockrooster was hoping for exactly that, "Very millenium transition-style R&B and yes for that!" while @RUNAWAY (6,5) was disappointed, "this was not worth tracking down." Oh yeah, people did have problem finding this one.

No links, because of the thing I just said.​

 

In case y'all didn't realize: I gave like 75% of the songs a 4.

 

More like 25%...

 

She's tipsy again, don't @ me.





58 My Dream
Average: 6,50

Highest score: 9x1 (@lalaclairi_)
Lowest score: 5x5 (@send photo, @Ceir, @Eskiath, @mi|kshake, @Weslicious, Jesus, people)
My score: 8​

Here we have returned to affection for another album cut's departure. This time it's the one produced by motsu (his STILL IN LOVE is already ousted). If we are to compare it to motsu's other track in Kumi's discography than we can clearly see that this one is much more robust. Kuu sings about grasping to the fragments of her dream no matter what. I certainly appreciate the upbeat attitude and the message, although it is still all about him and his love. What can you do, Kumi loves love. I especially like the second verse and pre-chorus where she learns from her lover that you should dream despite your age:

I can't concentrate on anything...
I felt like
I was like a child, always dreaming
Far away dreams, but

You taught me...what we felt
Together wasn't a waste
(c) Otenkiame

@Remorque gave this a 6 and a half and was a bit confused, "This is nice in an early Britney-esque way, but I'm left wanting just a little more... Maybe it's the language barrier? Idk." Ugh, not the LB narrative! At the same time @RUNAWAY (8,5) heard some similarities with another song of hers, "I'm getting a bit of Crazy 4 U realness like this was a precursor to that song. Cute bop." I don't see it for me, but okay. @Sprockrooster's (8,5) vision is more to my alignment, "Very eurovision from the early 00's. So yes I am a fan." It does sound a bit like it, yes. And one of the low scorers @Weslicious was trying to be cute, "Her dreams are boring". How dare you?

Here's a fanmade music video, from which I took the screenshot for the artwork:

​

 

Oh, yeah, she's tipsy, because we went out to watch Justice League, I really liked it.




57 Hearty...
Average: 6,57

Highest score: 9x2 (@Monkey0, @Eskiath)
Lowest score: 4,5x1 (@BoomBoX)
My score: 5,5​

This round secret loses another album track. Produced by [email protected] Ohtani (flower) and written by Kumi, the overly cute little ditty is about the starting point of the serious relationship when she confessed and he confessed back. It is a cute song and the Japanese female demographic would totally eat it up. To me it's quite alright and I don't mind it, although the melodies are pretty nice here. The lyrics are as sugary as they can get. The official CD booklet even has emoticons in them:

The night we met, only the moon
Floating in the sky saw our start
And the night we kissed
Yeah (^_^) it was only the moon that saw us

There are also passages like this:

I drank up a can of coffee in one gulp
It gave me courage
(c) Otenkiame

@send photo (7) didn't miss the opportunity, "Hearty amniotic fluids..." ...indeed. The high score giver @Monkey0 gave a rare comment, "Perfect heartwarming midtempo", it is heartwarming, no doubt. His partner in crime @Eskiath appreciates the simplicity of the track in question, "I like it more for how understated it is compared to the previous 4 songs in the album". I guess this might be why some people, me included, gave this a lower mark as well. @RUNAWAY (8) shares my sentiment on this account, "cute. kind of gets lost with all the other iconic tracks on this album."

No hearty video or hearty link for a hearty song sadly.​

 

YAS at @me being the villain here. That song is a... NO.

 

Still far from her worse though.

 

56 S.O.S. ～sound of silence～
Average: 6,61

Highest score: 8x3 (@Sprockrooster, @mi|kshake, @Weslicious)
Lowest score: 5x2 (@lalaclairi_, @ThisIsRogue)
My score: 7​

We continue our program with grow into one losing it's 3rd track. Produced by previously mentioned Suzuki Daisuke and written by quite popular lyricsist Kato Kenn, S.O.S. brings a slice of quirky R'n'B to the table. Lyrics wise the song is about the uncomfortable silence between the lovers that might have been provoked by some action from either of the parties. All throughout the track there is a nice metaphor (Sia who?) of crescent moon reflecting the status of the relationship with it being fainter then before and Kumi hoping it'll be full someday again. Guess it still wasn't enough to get this track higher.

"AND I KEEP ON CALLING, CALLING, KEEP CALLING, CAA-AAAALING. AND NOW MY HEART AWAKES TO THE SOUND OF SILENCE. AND IT BEATS TO THE SOUND OF SILENCE........ eaux. different song. And no fair to compare most songs to the Dami Im masterpiece. So let's not. This song is actually quite the bop." yells at the top of his lungs our top scorer @Sprockrooster, who turned out to be the only commentator.

Unsurprisingly, there is no link for this one, but y'all heard it.​

 

55 Till Morning Comes feat. VERBAL (m-flo)
Average: 6,64

Highest score: 10x2 (@Remorque, and @me *cries the tears of comradery*)
Lowest score: 2x1 (@Sprockrooster, ew, Michelle)
My score: motherfucking 10!​

Sadly affection loses one of it's best tracks here at number 55. Produced by Okubo Kaoru, who is most known for working on a lot of songs for Hello!Project groups (actually hilarious in terms of this song) and written by Kumi and VERBAL, we have a sexy and rather explicit track about, well, sex. Speaking of the music itself, overall this one isn't the most innovative, still the melodies in Kumi's verses and chorus are simply magnificent. Add the fact that she allowed herself the risk of singing so openingly about a bit of a taboo subject and we get an album highlight. VERBAL is here as well, and while he is my favorite rapper, I have to admit that for some reason he sounds a lot more lifeless and robotic. Oh well, we always have Simple & Lovely for better rap parts.

Personally Till Morning Comes was a little rediscovery for me not so long ago and I found it to be a total hoot. So naturally I was a little upset that not all of you shared my opinion and I decided to show it in the artwork, which was a screenshot from Cutie Honey movie that for some reason is in Google's picture search for the song's title.

Someone surely wasn't boned for quite some time. I'm talking about @Sprockrooster here, "Okay, that is not a good rap. And not a strong hook from miss Koda Kumi, so this is not it." Other's had better luck getting laid apparently. Like @RUNAWAY (8) for example, "I fucking love VERBAL, so even though this song is mostly trash, it's elevated to a higher level because of him. I do love Kuu's verses in this song though, and her pre-chorus." Always a pleasure to see VERBAL praise even though he's not at his best here. @Weslicious (7) agrees with us on the account of the end product, "This is an adequate little ditty". Lastly, the-last-minute-score-submitter and a fellow 10 giver @Remorque is ecstatic, "Gimme those summer vibes I'm incredibly longing for! I don't even mind VERBAL on this one, although he's a bit unnecessary... Kuu herself gives us a great performance as usual..."

No link once again, because people don't like to have sex.

Damn it, it's my first 10 to leave!!!​

 

Believe it or not, we have another tie!



































53 (2 track tie) Can't Lose
Average: 6,79

Highest score: 9x1 (@mi|kshake)
Lowest score: 5x2 (@Ceir, @Sprockrooster)
My score: 7,5​

affection can't catch a break and loses another album track. This time it's Can't Lose (ironic) which was written by Kuu and produced by Harada Ken, who has worked with god knows who, although most of the artist are from avex. The song itself does sound right at home on the album and I really appreciate how it was put at the end to dilute the extensive ballads a bit. I would also like to praise the bassline in the back all throughout the song. Sublime! Lyrically here we have a tale of people falling out of love but one of them still holding on saying they can't lose the other person even for a bit.

What did you guys have to say about this one? @Eskiath (6) praises the vocals, "She definitely sounds nicer on this song than most of the rest of the album", why that score then? @Remorque (6) hopes for more, "Flows along quite nicely, yet I do get the feeling this is quite filler-y..." and @RUNAWAY (8) hears something familiar, "this song sounds literally just like So Into You, but not as good?". Oh and @send photo (6,5) couldn't resist, "Can't Lose my amniotic fluids".

Nobody liked it hard enough to upload...​

 

53 (2 track tie) Super Sonic / Koda Kumi & D.I.
Average: 6,79

Highest score: 9x1 (@Remorque)
Lowest score: 5x3 (@Ceir, @Eskiath, @lalaclairi_)
My score: 8,5​

A great extra track leaves and I feel a little sad. Produced by and featuring Daisuke "D.I." Imai it's officially the first song of his to go. Originally it was released on some compilation album titled DAIS presents 573 original compilation 'KONAMIHANABI' (like what?) and after that was included in Kumi's Out Works & Collaboration Best. Oh, if only you knew how I desired for that track back in the day when I learned about its existence. Just the thought of Kumi and D.I. on one track thrilled me to no end and when it finally surfaced, I wasn't disappointed. Slick production, courtesy of D.I. of course, and masterful line slinging between the two make quite a fun song. Looking at the lyrics we have a charming flirtatious conversation on the dancefloor.

@GhettoPrincess gives a rare comment and proclaims, "This is cute", I agree and @Eskiath (5) does so as well, "Pretty cute but the man's voice is annoying." Man's a genius though. Meanwhile @Sprockrooster's (8) cheeks were busy, "Bop that makes me clap along.", I wouldn't mind seeing that clapping. And @RUNAWAY (8,5) once again hears some similarities with other songs, "really like this one. gives me a little I'm Real/Firecracker realness." That mash-up sounds unholy, to be honest.

No link for this as well, sadly.​

 

In a surprising turn of events next up we have a 3-track tie...




















Which means...






















We have 52 tracks in our Top50!


Trust Your Love
Go Together
feel me
COLOR OF SOUL
So Into You
TAKE BACK
walk

real Emotion
BOY FRIEND?
one
One night romance
1000 no Kotoba
m.a.z.e
Pearl Moon
Nasty girl
To be one
love across the ocean

Break it down
Crazy 4 U
Rock Your Body
Rain
Without Your Love
Talk to you
Hana
Get Out The Way
Gentle Words
magic
COME WITH ME

SWITCH

Cutie Honey
Hot Stuff
Selfish
hands
SHAKE IT
Kiseki
Trust you
Chase
LOVE HOLIC
24
Let's party

Into your heart
Heat
life
Just Go

NO TRICKS
Butterfly
flower
Promise
Star
the meaning of peace

Your Sunshine
Taisetsu na Kimi he​