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

Tomorrow we'll be arriving at the Top10, but not until someone loses their 11.

Oh yeah, and that was the last collaboration of Part III.

 

Sad to see AT THE WEEKEND & So Nice leave.

So Nice should be on everyone's playlist for hot passionate sex.

 

It's probably mine.

Please let me be wrong.

Yes it should.

By the way, I'm going on a date this weekend with boyfriend, since you asked @evilsin.

 

Nice, and I'll continue celebrating my birthday, now with my other group of friends.

 

Baby, can you feel I'm movin' on
Tell me how you gonna get it on
Now you bounce from the right to the left
If you feel me, try me again and again



















12
Step Into My World

Average: 8,61
Highest scorers: 10x4 (@Coming Century, @Ana Raquel, @Love Deluxe, @Music Is Life), 9,5x1 (@Cutlery)
Lowest scorers: 6x1 (@abael), 7x3 (@Remorque, @Weslicious, @mi|kshake)
My score: 9

Spoiler: Leaderboard History

5 voters: #14, 8,60 avg.
10 voters: #15, 8,35 avg.
15 voters: #11, 8,63 avg.
18 voters: #12, 8,61 avg.

​

And thus "UNIVERSE" is the only album track left in the rate. Written and produced by STY ("JUICY" !!!), the track served as an opening offering on the album "UNIVERSE". Looking at this from the perspective of both an opening track and just a banger, it managed to do both. The beat is crisp and fat, the synths are lush and precise, the message is clear and to the point and we all are ready to get into it after listening to this. I appreciate how it's hype enough to rile you up for the coming album and yet it's repetitiveness doesn't let it go to far away from it's function of an opening track. I also love those backing vocals in the chorus that are higher than Kumi's singing voice, especially coupled with the "hey, hey, hey" chant in the back. In the end, I couldn't give this a full score as it's a little too reminiscent of Kumi's other songs and it doesn't bring something new or more exciting. It's obvious that STY tried to recreate this sound for Kumi, as @Weslicious noticed in the previous Part, that this is very similar to "INTRODUCTION FOR TRICK", which was done by Daisuke"D.I."Imai. He even thought it was the reworking of the introduction into a full track, alas, it wasn't the case. Anyway, this is good and I'm not surprised to see it do so well in the rate. Lyrically, Kumi basically promises all the pleasures of the world to us, the mortals:

Once you throw everything off, now it's show time all night
Don't worry about time, I'm gonna make you high
(c) @otenkiame

Wanna step into my world or what?

@abael (6) wanted something more diverse, "Promising Start, but is a bit too repetitive."

@Weslicious (7) complained, "Meh, third go with this instrumental and it's nothing too major." Wait, third? I'm spacing out here, what was the other one?

Leave it to @Remorque (7) to want a reversed experience, "Although the production slaps in places, I feel like this song would have been better off as an interlude or something. Kuu gives us another great performance though." Dddd, not you wanting to cut the track, when usually everybody asks for a full version interludes.

@Eskiath (8) ended up being one of the victims of thinking this was the full version of "TRICK", "I remember hearing the preview for this and being so hype that Trick's introduction was getting the Black Cherry treatment. Sadly, it's not as good as the Trick intro but it's still a huge bop." Well, we did get full version of "TRICK" during "TRICK Tour" and it's not really that good, dddd.

Say what you will about the repetitive nature of the track, but it worked its magic on @Yeziirl (8,5), "it’s one of those Kumi songs that randomly pop up in my head for no reason. Great intro, gets you pumped up real good, but a bit too repetitive I guess."

At the same time @vague (9) thought it was one of Kumi's best, "Kumi's voice was made to sing this kind of song. she had pretty much mastered these hard-hitting hip-hop-leaning bangers at this point in her career, so it's no surprise this an insta-fave for me at first listen."

Despite the trickery hehe, @otenkiame (9) was ready to oblige and follow Kumi wherever she was leading him, "Isn't the melody like almost the exact same as "INTRODUCTION FOR TRICK"? Or that's what I've thought all these years. In any case, this screams all the gritty and heavy sounds that I love to hear. It's not even messy, either. Just gives me all that attitude and sass I want from her. So yeah, I will step into your world, Kuu."

@Cutlery (9,5) caught some sonic flashbacks listening to this, "An unapologetic, inviting bop that calls back to Best 〜Second Session〜 and Black Cherry's finest moments"

And apparently @Music Is Life (10) was hooked from the first song on the Rate's playlist, "Absolute banger/bop! Seriously fucking love the production and lyrics (that I understand – thankfully most of them) in this everything about it is amazing. The production alone makes this an 11 contender, it’s absolutely amazing."

Kumi appropriately opened "UNIVERSE Tour" performances with this and what a powerful opener that was! She would later open her own a-nation date in commemoration of her 15th anniversary with this.

And just for the kii, let's watch the opening for the "TRICK Tour".
​

 

So who's 11 doesn't get to appear in Top10?













































Is it @Music Is Life's?






















































Is it @Yeziirl's?






































Is it mine?





















































Nope.




kono mama Shake hip, shake hip (shake hip, shake hip)
Do you know my mind?
Do you know my mind? My, my, ma-ma-ma-my...
















11
Shake Hip!

Average: 8,63
Highest scorers: 11x1 (@mi|kshake), 10x5 (@Osiris, @lalaclairi_, @Eskiath, @vague and @me!), 9,5x2 (@Ana Raquel, @Music Is Life)
Lowest scorers: 6x1 (@Yeziirl), 6,5x1 (@Cutlery)
My score: lookie above

Spoiler: Leaderboard History

5 voters: #12, 8,80 avg.
10 voters: #9, 8,75 avg.
15 voters: #10, 8,72 avg.
18 voters: #11, 8,63 avg.

​

Looks like "Color The Cover" won't be continuing with us into the Top10. At least we got two covers from "ETERNITY". Written and produced by the members of Kome Kome CLUB, as well as originally performed by them in 1986, the song would later be rereleased in 1990 with Iishi Tatuya at the helm. Remember the guy? You know, the one seducing you in "KAMEN"? That's the very same. Kumi would slap her new coat of paint on this classic in 2013 with the release of her second cover album "Color The Cover". Talk about making a cover song your own! Whew. Kumi didn't come to play when it came to revitalizing this one. The responsible for the majestic synth-infused arrangement was Mitsu.J ("Dreaming Now!") and I can't thank the man enough. I melt everytime this starts playing, because those synths are so freaking good and on point, that I can't help but surrender. And don't get me started on the catchiest ending that won't ever leave you alone. Kuu's delivery is precisely what it should be for this energetic song, add a cute little dance and a colorful music video and we get a total package of a pop perfection. I love the two remaining covers, but there will always be a special place for this one in my heart. The song is about love and passion, of course:

Your heart is in fusion
Lasers are firing from your rouge
Shake hip, whenever you shake, oh! Sexy shock!

Your eyes are crazy
But they draw my heart in
Tear off your dress, mon amour
(c) @otenkiame

Let's shake some hips for the lovely @mi|kshake, who has her shake in the nickname already.

@Yeziirl (6) tried to be cute, "Shake hip? To this?" Begone.

@otenkiame (8) should have given this a higher score, yup, "A cover I enjoy so much! Kuu adds her own flavour, really making it her own. It's got so much sass and sex to it, and I love when she rolls her R's! In my opinion, it's better than the original, though I know a lot of Japanese who would totally disagree with me. Sorry, but the song just oozes Kuu to me." I guess it's all due to their love for the original and traditionalism and all that.

It's never perfect for @abael (8), always too little or too much, right? "The producers need to cool their jets a bit, but a great track is here aside from that." This is perfect, so shut it.

@Music Is Life (9,5) gets what I'm saying, "THAT INTRO! Wig. This entire song is a total bop. Amazing. The hooks are so infectious."

@vague (10) praises the vocals, "she sounds so good singing this" Indeed.

And finally @Eskiath (10) asks an age old question, "Why is she so good at covers tho?" I think it all stems from her love for the original songs.

Kumi performed this both on TV and on tour.

And you can see a pretty epic performance of the original here as well.

​

 

Ladies and gentlemen,









Your TOP10



Physical thing

ECSTASY

UNIVERSE

POP DIVA

Lollipop

Love Me Back

KO-SO-KO-SO

TOUCH DOWN

Megumi no Hito

BE MY BABY

Bop upon bop upon bop.
​

 

11(×1)
10(×3)
9.5(×1)
9(×1)
8.5(×2)
8(×1)
7(×1)​

It could be worse

 

Woohoo my 11 made top 10!

 

Yassss! Shake Hip being gone is the right thing to do!

 

A shame two covers made the top 10 instead of original songs but I love both BE MY BABY & Megumi no hito, so I can't complain!

 

Intro for Trick, Intro for the Trick tour and this. But, as you pointed out, it's not quite the same. And I guess the tour version was just the original intro expanded, but Step Into My World is similar enough for me to see them as three different songs with the same/similar as you mentioned instrumentals.

#PoorNosheen

And that Top 10 needs to be playlisted and taught in schools! Like, Queen!

 

Don't see any shame, considering how she made them her own.

Got it.

Also, hey @berserkboi, how're you doing?

 

Gutted to see In The Air go - it's one of Kumi's best songs. I remember watching the PV for the first time and thinking "don't let her love interest crash his car on the way home!".

And Boom Boom Boys, another great song and PV! It's my "going out" PV I put on if I'm going on a night out. Ugh that bridge!

Shake Hip! you did so well! It's one of those Kumi songs, like you mentioned earlier @evilsin , that feels so Kumi despite it being a cover. The song, the PV, the choreography all comes together to make a great pop moment!

Also, Pop Diva in the Top 10. Really?!

 

Pop Diva shouted "f*g rights!"

 

Pop diva and touchdown are the only real bops from this rate!

 

It's a stone cold bop, in the end, and people tend to love those.

What the actual fuck?

 

Did everyone die?

 

Yes, word has it we need to stream Pop Diva, Lollipop and Ko-So-Ko-So to bring the rest of the results back x

 

I sure did after your latest remark, so much so that I needed a bit of a break.

Now that's a plan!