The Koda Kumi Rate: Part III, COMPLETE. See you in Q1 2020

I actually thought It's All Love was generally not liked so it did a bit better than I expected. Taste won as much as a Top 60 placement can be considered a win so, yas!

 

55b
Hashire!

Average: 7,14
Highest scorers: 10x1 (@RUNAWAY), 9x1 (@Music Is Life)
Lowest scorers: 4x1 (@Osiris), 4,5x1 (@Yeziirl)
My score: 8

Spoiler: Leaderboard History

5 voters: #60, 6,70 avg.
10 voters: #53, 6,65 avg.
15 voters: #56, 7,10 avg.
18 voters: #55, 7,14 avg.

​

Another pop-rock extra has to go. Written by Kumi and produced by Ooshima Kousuke (Arashi's "Dear snow", "ever", "wanna be..."), the track remains a sole b-side from "3 SPLASH" that has yet to appear on any kind of album. It's kinda like "Run For Your Life" in that regard. Even when Kumi released her "SUMMER of LOVE" compilation, she omitted the song, but included the music video on the DVD. Weird. Anyhow, this is a summery guitar-led ditty. It's pretty great, the twangy guitar does a lot for me here and the double chorus that goes bigger the second time around is nice. I have to mention the basketball choreography from the music video though, we know who Normani was inspired by for "Motivation". Funnily enough, Kumi managed to drop the ball a lot during live performances of this, I remember they even made a video about all the times she failed, dddd. The message of the song is about the desire to be close to you loved one:

The sweet wind tickles my heart
Any words are unnecessary now

I'll go to where you wait right now
And dive into the wave of parasols
I'll jump over this puddle
And hurry up, aiming for your heart

I'll kick away the rainy sky
And go on the rainbow bridge
Now even one second earlier
I'll hurry to where you wait, yeah
(c) @otenkiame

What do you all think about running?

@Cutlery (7,5) didn't mind this country funk, as he put it himself, "Another summery song in her extensive repertoire. This one's a bit country, a bit funky though"

@abael (8) believe it would have been even better with a different vocal take, "A lively track, though while you can tell KK threw herself into the performance, vocally it’s not one of her better tracks. Catchy enough to be overlooked, though."

Apparently @Eskiath (8) isn't a fan of "UNIVERSE", "Far better than a lot of UNIVERSE. Idk why this didn't make it." It's a mystery, hun.

@otenkiame (8,5) is preeching to the choir, "I do not understand the hate for this song. Because her voice is nasally? Okay, yeah, but so are the majority of Japanese singers'? I'm just in love with the funkiness of this pop-rock tune. And then we get to the hooks, and the love gets turned up even more! So yeah, hate this all you want, because I'll be enjoying this summer tune." I don't really remember people hating it, they mostly didn't talk about it at all, dddd.

@RUNAWAY (10) reminds me of the crime we witnessed in the early stages of the rate, "another awesome song that should’ve had a place on the album. Also it is fucking HOMOPHOBIC that this is not on spotify. I’m actually mad about this." No, really, it's like the only song of hers that's missing. The level of unprofessionalism...

I've mentioned that she used the basketball choreography from the music video in the live performances for this, but as you might think, I can't find any uploaded online, so we'll have to opt for the music video.

 

I'm still really sick, so I'm sorry the pace had to be slowed down, I just don't have the strength to do... anything actually. Hope I will be able to do a couple of eliminations tomorrow, so that we arrive to Top50 a day after tomorrow.

 

Awww feel better @evilsin

As a non-Little Hashire-ite I got a bit of a kii that you guys pointed out it wasn't on Spotify.
Like, in doing so the single is a bunch of interludes. 2 and a bit Splash!

 

I noticed this while looking for the single version of V.I.P. and seeing 4 Times is only interludes ddd. What's the point of adding them on Spotify like that, then?

 

Get well soon baby!

 

Thanks, huns.

 

Hope you'll get better soon!!

 

You've put a lot of work into the rate already, no one would hold it against you if you took some time off. Feel better soon!

 

Late but... My fondest memory of "Poppin' love cocktail" is when I went to her live last year. For the encore, a fan got to choose out of three songs - "Poppin' love cocktail", "Lady Go!", and another I can't remember. Anyway, the fan chose "Poppin' love cocktail" and the Kuu fans around me were all like, "Seriously? Should've been "Lady Go!" dddddd

 

Thanks! I'm already feeling better, at least the fever seems to have subsided. Which means I probably will be able to post more eliminations today.

Oh yeah, fans are in love with "Lady Go".

 

Lady lady hoe here we here we go!

 

Pump it up, pump it up
Te wo agete hora!

















54
Stands Up feat. Koda Kumi / Clench&Blistah

Average: 7,26
Highest scorers: 9,5x1 (@Music Is Life), 9x1 (@me!)
Lowest scorers: 5x2 (@Coming Century, @lalaclairi_), 6x2 (@soratami, @abael)
My score: lookie above

Spoiler: Leaderboard History

5 voters: #44, 7,20 avg.
10 voters: #41, 7,30 avg.
15 voters: #52, 7,22 avg.
18 voters: #54, 7,26 avg.

​

Extras keep on dying like flies. Written by Kumi, Clench and Blistah and produced by Hans.W (SUPERNOVA's "U are the ONE", Secret's "TWINKLE TWINKLE"), the song was released in 2011 on Clench and Blistah's 10th anniversary album "Love & Message". It's really cute of them to invite Kumi for a celebratory track, considering how they worked together a couple of times, especially when it comes to Blistah. I adore the bouncy instumental for this. The best part for me is the middle 8 as I can't help but get down listening to that EDM breakdown. I wish Kumi's parts were a bit longer, still she is only a feature here. The lyrical content is all about becoming one and partying, I guess:

I play, change sadness and suffering into hope now
I play, we'll prove that
I play, stand up
It's becomes one.

Pump it up pump it up
Raise your hands, hey
Ba ba ba baby, bo bo boon
Connected bonds and love, I'm by your side
C'mon, stands up
(c) @otenkiame

So does anything stand up for you, while you listen to this?

@abael (6) decided to play the ageist card, "This was good for it’s time, but is the epitome of aging badly." Never really got this critique, but werk.

@Cutlery (7) gives credits, where credits are due, "This song is much better than "Make It Bump - Far East Movement (featuring Koda Kumi)", because Clench & Blistah always know how to put more Koda Kumi's voice in their songs with Kumi. -
jinhwa wang, YouTube user, 2011"

@Weslicious (8) fancy's himself a bit of an archeologist, "A bit of a hidden bop, actually." Unearthing hidden gems and all.

Somehow @Yeziirl (8) found this one "even more random, but enjoyable" than "Make It Bump".

@otenkiame (8) was getting down with me to this, "I like this song a lot. Kuu gets a lot of airtime, and I've always loved her songs featuring Mr.Blistah. The two just work well together. Plus it bops hard with lots of fun in the mix. Definitely here for this."

@RUNAWAY (8,5) gives himself a pat on a back, "really like Kuu’s vocals on this song, and I could actually stand Blistah on this track. That’s growth."

​

​

This has hever been performed live, even if they did have a couple of apportunities. Oh well.

​

 

I just had to quote that comment because it was too good not to highlight it!

 

Glad Hashire is out, it's always been a bit meh to me.

Hope you feel better soon!

 

Ah, ah, ah, ah...
Tameiki...











53
Aitakute

Average: 7,28
Highest scorers: 10x1 (@otenkiame), 9x4 (@Cutlery, @vague, @RUNAWAY and @me!)
Lowest scorers: 5x3 (@Weslicious, @Coming Century, @Ana Raquel), 5,5x1 (@Yeziirl)
My score: 9

Spoiler: Leaderboard History

5 voters: #40, 7,30 avg.
10 voters: #53, 6,65 avg.
15 voters: #57, 7,07 avg.
18 voters: #53, 7,28 avg.

​

"Dejavu" had a bit of a break, but not for long. Written by Kumi and produced by Noritaka Izumi (Sowelu's "I Wonder", VANNESS' "Purple Rain") the song was one of the new album tracks and was used in commercials for "Ichikami" shampoos gorgeous promo pics by the way. This is so good, y'all. It's like a sister to "feel", only a less horny one, dddd. I love this adult contemporary R'n'B sound for Kumi. Her voice works wonders for this kind of soundscape and I always get super excited when she makes songs like this. It's still a dream of mine for her to make a cohesive R'n'B album, but it's Kumi we're talking about, so... Despite the warmest of feelings this invokes in me, this is about missing somebody:

If I lined up the memories, there'd be no end
It was more precious than any other time
Really, I'm sorry...

Once more, spread both arms out
Once more, hey embrace me

The truth is I want to see you, I still want to see you
but I can't see you, my face's tear-stained, I'm alone
When I dream, I think of you again anytime
Inside my heart like in those days
(c) @otenkiame

Anyone wanna cuddle? I'm contegious *wink*.

@Weslicious (5) is all types of wrong, "This could be any of her other ballads, just with an R&B beat slapped on to differentiate it." How dare you, this is sublime!

@Yeziirl (5,5) is trying it, "an interesting chorus, but nothing else." Interesting nickname, but nothing else.

@abael (6) was trying to analyse the whole market, "It seems any Asian act even vaguely pop requires one of these easy listening quasi-ballads on every release, regardless how much it fits the album." Hm... didn't really notice this.

It was really nice for @Music Is Life (8,5), "A nice little R&B song. It’s really good."

Stanning the vocals is @RUNAWAY (9), "another stunning Kumi ballad. I just love her voice on this so much."

The song rendered @Cutlery (9) into a warm fluffy puddle, "This is suuuuuuuper pretty. One of her most minimal R&B numbers, stripped down without being lacking. Verses are the best part, make me feel like I'm listening to a laidback, 2005 lifestyle videogame soundtrack, sense of nostalgia included"

And lastly our full mark scorer @otenkiame (10) knows what's he's talking about, "I adore "Aitakute", and I cannot say that enough. It sounds so adult and mature - the kind of ballad I want Kuu to do more of. I love how I can totally imagine her singing this in a lounge setting or something. It just gets the mood so right, and Kuu does absolute wonders with her vocals. What an underrated track."

This was performed exclusively during the "Dejavu Tour":

P.S. Look at that wig from 2011. Ava Max who? Kumi invented everyone.​

 

ROBBED!

Prayer circle for the remaining 2, perfect Dejavu ballads

 

Im very happy with this rate yall!

 

I'm prepared to argue this, even with your fever

 

*cough* Binch. *cough*