The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi (#1!)

[X/S]

Welcome to Part III of the Ultimate J-Pop Queens Singles rate!

We've just finished with Ayumi's thread, which means its time for another Queen to have her thread opened. This time around we'll be scoring none other than...

... Koda Kumi!

Born November 13, 1982, Kumiko Kōda (神田來未子, Kōda Kumiko), known by her stage name Koda Kumi (倖田來未), is a popular Japanese singer and occasional songwriter from Kyoto. Musically her style is mostly pop and R&B, though she has delved into almost every genre, including rock, hip-hop and electronic.

Koda is largely known for her provocative and sexy image, often exploring themes of sexuality and taboos in her music and videos. She is seen as a style icon in Japan, forging her own trend known as 'ero-kakkoii' (エロ可愛い), meaning 'erotic-cute'. This style would catch on with huge popularity and become Koda's trademark, rocketing her to fame in the mid-2000's.

Since her debut, Koda has gone on to become one of the most successful and influential artists of her time, having sold more than 12 million records in her home country alone, as well as being declared the best-selling artist for both 2006 and 2007 by Oricon. She has released 9 #1 albums, and has 8 #1 singles.

Kumi has 76 songs in this rate, coming from 52 singles (including 2 AAAA-side singles, 2 AAA-side singles, and 11 AA-side singles) as well as 1 digital-exclusive single, and 1 DVD release.

HOW THIS WORKS

Below is a list of all the songs in the game. Rate each song from 0 - 10, with 0 being absolutely the lowest score and 10 being absolutely the highest. SUBMIT YOUR VOTES TO ME VIA PRIVATE MESSAGE; DO NOT POST THEM IN THIS THREAD. You'll also notice every song is hyperlinked to video or audio, so please take advantage of this before you rate each song. Voting will be open for the next 2 weeks, after which point all scores will be combined and averaged. The song with the highest average score will be declared the winner. Simple enough? Have at it!

SCORES WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7 AT 6 PM US EST, 11 PM BRITISH GMT (UTC 23:00).

TAKE BACK
Trust Your Love
COLOR OF SOUL
So Into You
love across the ocean
m・a・z・e
real Emotion
1000 no Kotoba
COME WITH ME
Gentle Words

Crazy 4 U
Cutie Honey
Chase
Kiseki
Selfish
SHAKE IT
24
hands
Hot Stuff feat. KM-MARKIT
Butterfly

flower
Promise
Star
you
Birthday Eve
D.D.D. feat. SOULHEAD
Shake It Up
Lies
feel
Candy feat. Mr.Blistah

No Regret
Ima Sugu Hoshii
KAMEN feat. Ishii Tatuya
WIND
Someday
Boys♡Girls
Get it on
Koi no Tsubomi
Ningyo-hime
I'll be there

JUICY
With your smile
Yume no Uta
Futari de...
Cherry Girl
Unmei
BUT
Aishou
FREAKY
Run For Your Life

Ai no Uta
LAST ANGEL feat. Tohoshinki
anytime
Moon Crying
That Ain't Cool feat. Fergie
TABOO
stay with me
It's all Love! (with misono)
Lick me ♥
ECSTASY

Hashire!
Alive
Physical thing
Can We Go Back
Lollipop
Inside Fishbowl
Outside Fishbowl
Suki de, Suki de, Suki de.
Anata Dake ga
POP DIVA

Poppin’love cocktail feat.TEEDA
V.I.P.
KO-SO-KO-SO
IN THE AIR
Ai wo Tomenaide
Love Me Back


IF ANY OF THE LINKS GO DOWN, PLEASE ALERT ME SO I CAN REPLACE THEM.

P.S. - The easiest way to do this is to copy + paste the above list into the body of a PM with your scores next to each song.

 

[Rmx]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

Wow, I thought I hardly knew anything pre-TABOO but I still know well over half of those songs. However, it's still such a vast amount I can't possibly do this now, I'll have to take my time to listen to all the songs I don't know yet. It's still basically two albums worth of songs!

 

[mi|kshake]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

I'm getting on it! Though will possible do it over a couple of days!

mi|kshake~

 

[X/S]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

Well take your time! Just not too much time... Looking forward to your votes rmx and mi|kshake.

Listening to her earlier songs again I was surprised by just how much better many of them were than I remembered. I guess when I was first getting into Kuu I was more there for the slut jams and dance stuff ala TABOO, ECSTASY, JUICY, etc, but her singles starting from Grow into One are almost all really good. The run of songs from love across the ocean to about Hot Stuff is all at least 7-worthy. And even some 10's for me (SHAKE IT, Selfish, Cutie Honey, and Crazy 4 U i.e. the ultimate crazy b***h anthem!)

 

[Rmx]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

Luckily I already stan for Best ~Second Session~, which saves me a whole lot of listening, and that is just an amazing album! But I'll also be rating her slut-jams very highly, I'm here for that.

 

[Sophon]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

I gave a lot of average rates... That ain't hikki!

 

[Monkey0]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

This is going to be so much fun and drama!

 

[X/S]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

This is going to be so much fun and drama!

Yesssss. Only for the legendary Miss Kumi. I've been looking forward to this one maybe the most out of all 4.

 

[Aime]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

I prefer her to Ayumi but I've got to admit that Koda's singles are never as good as her own album tracks. Yes, there's TABOO, BUT and FREAKY, but there are far too many AMAZING tracks left out (No Way, Driving, UNIVERSE, Lady Go!). Sad.

 

[X/S]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

To be honest for the amount of amazing album tracks there are, she has about the same amount of amazing A-sides, I think. Some truly LEGENDARY songs in the above list you have to admit. If someone can't find at least few 10's in there then it's time to just give up on J-Pop altogether.

 

[X/S]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

(Not to sound like I'm pressuring any of you to give 10's, vote with your heart please... *shifty eyes*)

 

[_hazzie_]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

YAS! Cannot wait, I will have to do this later!

I wish Under had been a single, it's one of my favourites.

 

[Aime]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

3Xs, my dear friend, you know I NEVER hesitate to give 10s! I dunno, I guess it's the fact that you can find it on her Best album, but for me something like Lady Go! is just as essential as JUICY. Yes, I'm still not over it, haha.

 

[X/S]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

^Oh I wasn't saying YOU, just speaking generally.

And there's already enough cute songs in this rate for you to stan over dammit! haha.

 

[Aime]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

Don't forget sappy ballads! You just know I gave Anata Dake ga 10 points, haha.

 

[X/S]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

Anata Dake ga is great though. And more of a mid-tempo anyway.

 

[MiChiMadNesS]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

I may force may way through this one. The Ayu one was overwhelming! Such injustice in the final result will not be repeated thanks to my flawless voting. ~~~~~

 

[Aime]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

Anata Dake ga is great though. And more of a mid-tempo anyway.

Okay, what about Stay With Me? Even I find it too sickly sweet!

 

[X/S]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

Anata Dake ga is great though. And more of a mid-tempo anyway.

Okay, what about Stay With Me? Even I find it too sickly sweet!

Who?


Looking forward to your votes MiChiMadNesS. Hopefully ALL of them this time, hehe.

 

[mi|kshake]

Re: The ULTIMATE J-Pop Queens Singles Rate, Part III: Koda Kumi

Already got at least two 10s in mind and I managed to rate all the way up to Butterfly last night.

mi|kshake~