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

Me, seeing I've been tagged:



Me, seeing Hot Stuff's out:

 

I hate you for doing this to me. I also hate you for not voting in my rate. However I love you because I was iconic enough to be in the title and @Alouder98 wasn't.

 

The Meaning of Peace - WHAT A SONG! Glad to see it reach the Top 20 as I wasn't sure how well it would do.

I'm not expecting to be eliminating anything for a while then...

 

Poor @Alouder98. Oh you know you love me, boo. I'm sorry I wasn't able to take part, I only like around 2 songs of Fifth Harmony though, hah. The lastest (or is it last) album was fine, by the way.

 

Sorry, huns, no eliminations, she's drunk and sulking.

 

Yeah, only something more substantial might take you... like a broken hip or something.

 

12 (4 track tie) SWITCH feat. Koda Kumi & Heartsdales / LISA
Average: 8,25

Highest score: 10x4 (@GhettoPrincess, @Sprockrooster, @Remorque and @me!)
Lowest score: 6x1 (@Eskiath)
My score: it says it above​

OH MY GOD! I love this so freaking much. If you still haven't noticed, I'm a big LISA fan. Hurrah at her return to m-flo! A quintessential track of LISA's discography and a really nice collab in Kumi's, it was produced by LISA herself with help from Yamaki Ryuichiro and written by her and Heartsdales. Sonically the song is as slinky and slicky as those latex underwear you've drunkenly bought online one night and were so surprised by when you've got them sober. The thumping beat and the understated bass are crafted so masterfully here, I cream. Heartsdales and Kumi both bring some needed flavor to mix it up and we got overselves a winner. Well, at least of my heart. If it wasn't an extra track, I would've gladly given this my 11. Seriously I can never listen to this only once, it's always on the loop for at least half an hour. With singing and dancing naturally. Lyrically the song is about being confident in yourself and finding you way in this world and then staying true to who you are no matter what:

Life's what you imagine,
Like the endless universe
Even if what I found is lost
Searching for the moment
I want to keep searching,
Yeah, until I'm satisfied
Life's what you imagine,
Even if you overlook it, there's a beginning
Looking back is a hint for living, so
Searching for the moment, tightly embrace the truth,
I'm not afraid, I'll become free
(c) @otenkiame

Let's give the floor to our lowest scorer first, @Eskiath "Actually quite like it but I don't want a feature to rank high." I get your judgement on the matter, but I still have to politely please, hit your big toe on a table disagree. @RUNAWAY (9) found another reason to be happy that he took part in this shenanigans, "great collab!! haven't heard this one in a while, but re-listening to it made me remember how much i like this one!" It's certainly one of Kumi's best, yes. @Sprockrooster was brief does he wear briefs? "Club anthem. Kii a bit" Kii a lot, please. At the same time @GhettoPrincess was living and I don't have to purposefully tag ha, "Ooh a bop, love it." Despite giving this only an 8, @Monkey0 surely can appreciate ART, "Such amazing example of early 00s blend of pop and r&B, truly “urban” classic." YAAAS!

Sadly this was never performed live, otherwise I would've been dead.
Lastly, I live for how the highest LISA-produced track in the rate is her own. Thank you, huns.

​

 

Hi guys, I’m guest eliminating.

Isn't technology amazing. There I was, chilling in my home in the UK when I got a PM from @evilsin from his place in Russia asking me wether I wanted to do an elimination. It's amazing that we can instantly communicate from...














*Double checks map*















Oceans Apart!!!!






#12 (4 track tie) love across the ocean
average: 8,25
Highest score: 11x1 (me), 10x1 (@Remorque )
Lowest score: 6x1 (@Sprockrooster)
evilsin's score: 9

It's odd. I always thought Jesus was betrayed at Easter but some of y'all have decided to use your loose lips to give Judas kisses this Christmas by stopping this masterpiece making the Top 10.
Composed by Tsukasa with lyrics by Kumi, ‘love across the ocean' was released as 'grow into ones' lead single in the summer of 2002. It only charted at number 19 but as it’s placing in this rate proves, art isn’t always appreciated as it should be.

The video had a space theme because it was the early 2000’s when it was cheaper to CGI the cosmos than it was to film something with a nautical theme using the oceans that cover 70% of the planet. I guess she knew even then she was Queen of the Universe* (any less than a 10 for Universe during its rate will be reported for crimes against Kuu-manity).

So, shall we see what y'all thought? @send photo retitled this as
"love across the ocean of amniotic fluids". Sounds rotten. @Eskiath is taken back to a time when the question on everyone’s mind was 'A/S/L?', telling us ' I used to have an msn sound with this playing in the background, so I have pretty fond memories of it'. @RUNAWAY seems like a smart person with great taste, writing ' okay now this one I love! yes!! it’s so incredibly 2000’s in its sound but somehow it still works today'. @evilsin is on the same page ' This one has always stood out to me. It's somehow different, even though it does sound like some songs from her debut. The melody in the chorus is so powerful especially coupled with Kumi's emotive vocals'.

The commentary I initially wrote when sending my scores is essentially the TL;DR write up of this post ' Should have been her breakthrough, should have sold millions, should have topped Oricons year end charts, should be performed in full at least once Koda, you wonderful demon!'.

She's performed parts of it a few times during medleys including her first? a-nation:

PV:

And with that guys,

Merry Kuu-ristmas!!!

Cheers.


​

 

Amazing job, @Weslicious! I knew I could count on you, and yes, happy Christmas Eve even though ours is on January 7th.

 

I'm genius. I mean, guest eliminations are nothing new, but still.

 

Oh my god @Weslicious , what an intro!

Love Across the Ocean was my first favourite song of Kuu's!

 

You know, huns, I've decided to give this a bit of a break, holidays and all.
So...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!


We'll resume on December 26th, I guess.​

 

And so we return!
































































Yes, another one.






























































































10 (2 track tie) Star
Average: 8,29

Highest score: 10x4 (@Ceir, @lalaclairi_, @RUNAWAY, @Remorque)
Lowest score: 5x1 (@Sprockrooster)
My score: 9​

Best ~first things~ has to say buh-bye to a single. Star was produced by Morimoto Kosuke, who already graced this rate with his presence when we were saying our goodbyes to Kiseki, and written by Kumi. So here we have a straight up futuristic bop about how Kumi loves embarrassing her lover, because his red face gives her great satisfaction. Kinky. The song is so high energy you just can't help but move to it or start feeling energized and positive. Sonically I live for the sprinkes of guitar and cosmic blips and bloops, while the exclusion of a singing middle 8 and inclusion of a extended ending makes for some unique tricks, that are no always present in Kumi's songs. Weirdly enough, this only got a short music video that just cut to black after the first chorus. The fans speculated that the full version will be released on Best ~first things~, alas nothing materialized.

You, huns, pretty much loved Star, but didn't bother writing any commentary for it. Only our constant high scorer and occasional traitor @RUNAWAY found words to describe how he felt, "I think I gave all 4 of these songs 10s in the singles rate as well, but they still hold up for me. This song is giving me real Emotion REALNESS and it's SO SO GOOD. I really wish the full video would leak." Oh yeah, it does have a bit of an overall similarity music wise, huh? I've never noticed before.

Kumi did perform this at Best ~first things~ Tour, but I can't find the link of the footage, so we'll have to deal with the music video.

Rewatching this I start to realize why they scrapped it, ddddd.​

 

Lastly today we lose a classic...






















































And our first album leaves the race!





















10 (2 track tie) TAKE BACK
Average: 8,29

Highest score: 10x6! the highest number of 10s so far (@send photo, @Monkey0, @Ceir, @BoomBoX, @RUNAWAY, @Remorque)
Lowest score: 3x1 whut‽ (@Eskiath)
My score: 9​

YAS! TAKE BACK is an iconic debut single that surely deserve a place in the Top10 even though it could've gone higher and I'm so freaking happy, that all of the albums made their presence seen in it! Having said that we, expectedly, have to bid our farewell to affection. Produced by aforementioned Kikuchi Kazuhito and written by Kumi, TAKE BACK is an early 2000s guitar-led R'n'B number that is full of heart, warmth and catchy hooks. From the striking intro, to gentle verses, to engaging pre-chorus, to the melodic choruses the track is pretty much perfection, while Kumi's young vocals add a note of aspiration of a starting singer, who strives for success and recognition. And the rest is, well, history.

Lyrically Kumi expresses how much she depends on the guy and how she wants to be only with him:

It’s only because of you
That I can be direct again
Even your ordinary words
Gives me a feeling
So I want you to entrust your body to me

I want you to wrap me
In your tenderness
As I embrace
Your tenderness

It’s only because of you
That I can be direct again
Just that look
Stains me
All of me, right to my fingertips
(c) kiwi-musume

Only people who really liked this commented and we'll start with @Monkey0, "Iconic song from her debut. One of few songs from her teen idol period which have legendary status to this day." Agree, teen idol though? I don't think she managed to be one, unfortunately. @RUNAWAY sends out a warning, "if you all do this song wrong, I will find you, and I will destroy you. This is the easiest ten I've ever given, and I've loved this song from first listen back in 2007. How it flopped in Japan is beyond me. It's fucking ICONIC." People throw the word "iconic" rather loosely nowadays, but I can't disagree with the usage this time. @Weslicious (9) boasts his knowledge of Kumi's deeper cut's once again "YAS, the birth of a Goddess (although, as with Trust your Love, I prefer the remix)", if we're still talking about the Sunset In Ibiza Remix, then YAAAAAAAAS! With the last song from affection going, we're not going to hear from @Remorque anymore due to him managing to comment only on the debut album tracks, "I love the summer vibe this one had. Her performance is top notch and the production's fantastic, but (I've said it before) her team needs to learn what a good radio edit is... Those dancers in the video doing the absolute least though." That music video is a bit funny with those random guys just chilling with her.

Speaking of iconic performances and remixes - here is a 2-in-1 deal!

​

 

YOU gave it a 9?!

You're canceled.

 

Average: 6,94

73 Your Song
71 come back
58 My Dream
55 Till Morning Comes feat. VERBAL (m-flo)
53 Can't Lose
50 Go Together
46 COLOR OF SOUL
45 feel me
38 So Into You
24 walk
19 Trust Your Love
10 TAKE BACK

Highest scorers:
@RUNAWAY 8,29
@evilsin 8,17
@Remorque 8

Lowest scorers:
@Eskiath 5,46
@Ceir 5,67
@lalaclairi_ 6,38​

 

A "@beyoncésweave giving Formation a 9" moment. I certainly did, because Trust Your Love is a superior single.

 

Considering the tie we just had, we'll have to opt for a Top9 update.
So here it is.


real Emotion
1000 no Kotoba

Crazy 4 U

Cutie Honey
Selfish
SHAKE IT
Chase

NO TRICKS
Butterfly​

 

When you are so average you do not end up in both highest or lowest.