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

My first 9 - ouch! Can't Lose is one of my favourite songs from Affection and so underrated. I would love to see a live performance of it.

 

Queen of numbers and statistics!

 

affection is underrated as a whole as far as I can see. Thank you for commenting! I'm sad there is lack of discussion here, oh well.

Why, thank you.

 

So what 3 tracks were happen to be extra ones in the Top50 due to a tie?



































50 (3 track tie) Go Together
Average: 6,82

Highest score: 8x4 (@GhettoPrincess, @send photo, @Sprockrooster, @me)
Lowest score: 5x1 (@ThisIsRogue)
My score: look above​

First in the tie is yet another album track from affection. The track was produced by Hara Kazuhiro who is one of the main Hamasaki Ayumi collaborators and who has quite a streak of bops behind his back. The production does shine here and I usually can't get enough of the amazing melodies in the chorus. Kumi wrote the song about the enormous love she feels for the guy, but for some reason they are not yet fully together so she eggs him on and urges him to finally go together.

Y'all were all over the place with your commentary. @Remorque (7) bopped in confusion, "Nice, in a Eurovion-kinda way. The chorus is really strong and she definitely has the chops to deliver a song like this. But I can't help but feel this kinda goes on a bit? Idk." Yes, you don't know. @RUNAWAY gave it half a point more and mused, "I've always bopped to this one. It's one of my favourite album tracks of hers actually, at least in this first part of her career. I'm gonna be honest here, she doesn't have many great album tracks in this early period. The singles were all perfectly chosen, and apart from a few outliers, everything is pretty disposable." Well, you're wrong. And we finish with @Weslicious (6) who was on the verge, "Bland", on the verge of being smacked, that is.

People really didn't bother uploading a lot of her earlier songs, did they?​

 

Hmmm. Losing 8's fast now too after a 9 cull. I feel like my scores are mostly flipped compared to the other voters. However most of my 10s and my 11 is hanging on though.

 

50 (3 track tie) 24
Average: 6,82

Highest score: 10x1 (@RUNAWAY)
Lowest score: 4x2 (@Ceir, @lalaclairi_)
My score: 7​

After a bit of a break secret loses another track and a single one at that (kinda). Produced by Shimono Hitoshi and written by Kumi the relaxing R'n'B number contains Kumi's first chorus sung fully in English. Funnily enough, one of the other times she worked with the guy (feel) she wrote another chorus completely in English. In the song Kumi gently coos to her other half how much she wants to be with him 24/7, duh! And let's be honest, who wouldn't want to spend all day in bed fooling around with their loved one. For some reason the chorus never really bothered me with a bit of mangled English and I even find it endearing, because Kuu emotes so well here.

@Eskiath (9) decided to show his face at our party, "I really appreciate how different this is in her discography and how memorable it makes it." It does stand out in a good way, yeah. The only other comment we have for 24 is from it's 10 points giver @RUNAWAY, let's hear him out, "I've always loved this one as well. Stumbled upon it on Vimeo just like Selfish and I fell hard in love with her voice." Ah, Vimeo, once the land of the unsupervised.

​

 

Just you wait. Muahaha.

 

50 (3 track tie) Pearl Moon
Average: 6,82

Highest score: 9x2 (@Eskiath, @me)
Lowest score: 4x1 (@Ceir)
My score: look above​

We finish entering out Top50 with a classic. Say what you want, but this is such a gem even if often forgotten. Produced by LISA (eternal love to this queen) and written by Matsuraba Ken, piano-led Pearl Moon is a pure moment of vulnerability on grow into one. Thematically the song is close to it's too late with it's main message of realizing that you've missed your chance. What's different here is that Kumi sings about remembering all the lost love gave her. A bittersweet feeling. A true highlight for me is the beginning of the second chorus:

If you fall in love and get hurt
You even start to love your wounds
(c) kimi musume

Oh wow, you weren't bothered by this loveliness, like, at all. Only my fellow 9 giver @Eskiath managed to comment, "Wayyyyyy better than Moon Crying", now hold on a minute, let's not get ahead of ourselves. There is always Part II of the rate to actually find out if it is!

Once again I've made the artwork using the screenshot from live performance during the secret 〜FIRST CLASS LIMITED LIVE〜, so I decided to post a later one here.​

 

Well. By this time you lost your 11 already in the Solange rate. So props to my 11. Muahaha.

 

No probs. That's usually why I don't send in any comments with my scores - I prefer to wait and post it when the songs are eliminated so I have something to say haha.

24 is one of Kumi's better ballads. I'd be up for more like this.

It's all about the piano instrumental in Pearl Moon. In fact, I wish the song featured that section in it more than once.

Pearl Moon always reminds me of FFX2 because I bought Best Second Session just before FFX2 was released, partly due to me exploring JPop and the Final Fantasy connection. (And also because the style of the song makes me thing of Memories of Wave & Light.)

 

So where are the comments though?

I think she should try this kind of jazzy laid back ballads more, she has a few, but it's always nice to have more.

Oh my god, it does sound a bit like it. Kuon is probably my favorite non-Kumi Final Fantasy song, the piano in it is just freaking chills down my spine every time.

YES! It's hard to remember all of her songs when she has such a vast discography not to mention a lot of b-sides and extras that never got put onto an album. That's one of the main reasons I decided to make this one a 4 (oh gosh, maybe 5) parter, because I want to shine the light on all of her songs.

 

On a related note, there is a high chance I won't be able to write today's elimination due to my brother's birthday, so hang tight and discuss, kuchies!

 

She's tipsy again, well, you know.

49 Rain
Average: 6,89

Highest score: 10x1 (@GhettoPrincess, ouch)
Lowest score: 4x1 (@Ceir)
My score: 7,5​

feel my mind hasn't lost anything lately, has it? Well, here we go! Produced by the already mentioned Yamaguchi Hiroo and written by Kumi, Rain is a gentle ballad perfect for a dreary melancholic night in a warm blanket by the window. Simple guitar-led track with not that much else going on, but what sad pretty melodies! Kuu wrote the song from a perspective of a broken-hearted girl (reference!), who understands that she's at fault for losing the guy, but she couldn't love him any other way, try as she might.

Honestly though, what a great vocal performance. Kumi's voice got better with time and she went even further by the time of Kingdom, but even at this stage it was so nice hearing her go higher.

You guys were pretty sweet on this one. @RUNAWAY (8) was trying to show off, "really love this song. love the unplugged version of the Shake it up(?) single too!", it was on No Regret! FLOP FAN! @send photo (7,5) just has to get it out of his system, "Rain Amniotic Fluids"... @Eskiath (9) knows what's up, "I like this a lot in her later concerts." YES! It's really nice live. We'll finish this round with out high scorer @GhettoPrincess (FINALLY!), "Loving her vocals especially on the chorus. Simple but effective." She really does, right?

Speaking of later lives:

​

 

I guess it was bound to happen to me eventually for all those low scorer mentions.

 

Exactly. Reap what you sow, hun, reap what you sow.

 

Spoiler: EODIYAAAAA

 

Looks like I won't be able to fulfill my plan of at least 1 elimination a days. Sorry, guys, the weather is awful here and I suffered from high blood pleasure a bit today. Will certainly try to get a couple songs out tomorrow.

 

OH MY GOD. 8th in my Google...