50k is possible! *-*

I love TRICK. At first I though is was weak, but now I realise I actually love everything about it :)

It seems it may actually hit 50k! :D
That's great, I had given up lol

What made TRICK so weak during the release was the fact that Kumi herself was leaking the whole albums weeks before the release. I remember that only three songs were left to the actual HQ leak, and those were the weak songs.

TRICK was a weird era, overall. The tracklist almost everyone thought it was fake, "there is no way she has a song called Driving / This is not a love song / Hurry Up! HAHA I call it fake.", but the album actually has some songs that are really strong - Introduction, Driving, show girl, JUST THE WAY YOU ARE, TABOO, and the presentation is flawfree (awesome booklet, covers, pamphlet).

The only album that I can't enjoy as much as the rest is grow into one. It has some cool songs, but the album simply just doesn't go nowhere for me, it keeps going on and on, and nothing spectacular happens. Some tracks stand out, but those aren't that great neither: Teaser, real Emotion, one, BOYFRIEND?, m.a.z.e, Pearl Moon, To be one and love across the ocean. I learned to enjoy the album because of those songs, but I'm always skipping the others.

--

I think the new best will be around 45k.

Yeah, back in the day she still had her radio show.
I remember Kuu said about the year 2009 and the TRICK album in an interview, that she had to deal with a lot of insecurities, fears and anger and that she didn't know at that time, where her career should head - cause of the "scandal" the year before. She also said, when she's looking back now, it's pretty obvious in TRICK, the album. Whatever she specifically meant with that, she didn't say that.

Personally I love half of the album and pretty much don't care at all for the rest, lol.
Though I love the theme and the clown cover/pics! So creative!
I'd actually love to get an album theme and photoshoot creative like that again as the last ones are so plain compared.

Really? I love grow into one I think it's flawfree.

Btw it has Nasty girl that has some kinda sexy lyrics which I only noticed today when I went to work.

grow into one is one of the world's best albums imo. It's really cohesive, it has two of kuu's best ballads (Pearl Moon, 1000nokotoba), it has real Emotion (the song that got me into kuu/jpop), cool songs like one, To be one and Teaser, and cool r&b jams like love across the ocean, Nasty girl, BOYFRIEND?, ranahansha, one!!
Your only one which is a pretty r&b ballad and my long time most favorite kuu song, m.a.z.e (which desparately needs more lives!!!!) I just LOVE grow into one.

For me, feel my mind is a hard album for me to get into. Not really sure why, because the songs are good. But I feel that the album moves really slow? Lol. I'm not a big fan of all her albums pre-Black Cherry though. As for TRICK, I was a major Kuu stan when I first bought that album a couple years back and I really loved it. I remember how CRAZY the J-Pop community went when she released TBAOO.

I'm not a big fan of her first albums...
Grow into one is the best of them though if I had to choose.
But I enjoy her latest ones the most.
Secret and TRICK are my favorite ones.

somehow i'm not digging the new tracks. I'm getting deja-vu with them lol

Totally agree I love grow into one!!

I find TRICK one of her weakest albums, but Driving is absolutely amazing and I still listen to it pretty often.

I agree about grow into one
Love across the ocean is legendary. Oh just a fart.

I'm with ya! I do like a fair few songs from the album but I find it tends to drag a bit after the first few tunes.

When Taboo came out it was epic for me, lol. But, since I stopped listening to Trick in general I don't often listen to it.

I agree the Feel My Mind is a slow album, but I think because its mostly mid tempo and ballads that are rather long. Even the upbeat songs aren't her fastest. But, I love the album so much, it just feels like I'm savoring it. Its easily my favorite album from her.

#TeamFeelMyMindForever :laugh

I'm not a big fan of TRICK either. Another Kuu album I can't really get into is secret. It has some epic tunes, but the album as whole just doesn't work for me.

Black Cherry is, for me, the equivalent of I am... to Ayu.

It was her peak, her at her highest point in terms of exposure and influence. So for me, Black Cherry will always be the album I have most Kuu memories with. :heart

I think it was also when her sound was the most interesting. Best production, best promotion, etc etc.

^Just less flow on the album itself lol. ningyo hime and yume no uta together :P
But it has some of kuu's best songs and it was really exciting around the time of its release.

I agree with the overall consensus about feel my mind. I used to hate that album because of its slowness, most up beat songs were slower, it had a lot of mid tempo/ballads in it but it can fit a certain mood. I love most songs on there too. feel my mind does have jams like Break it down, Rock Your Body, Rain and Gentle Words, which are a few of kuu's best songs.

I never compared Black Cherry to I am..., but your post makes so much sense. Plus, they were the first albums of both to feature songs composed by them (too bad Kuu has never got further on this as ayu did)

I'm also #TeamFeelMyMind! haha
My problem with the first two albums is that they have a strong 80s/90s feeling. They are really "pop old school". In affection it works, because the album feels like it's 20 years old (which almost is haha) but with grow into one... The album feels like there is no identity.
I don't feel that with feel my mind, it's the first album that I feel it's a "Koda Kumi album". Great production, some songs sounds really timeless (Crazy 4 U, Gentle Words, magic, COME WITH ME), others still try to bring some old school feel (Without Your Love, Get Out The Way), the album has some great ballads (Rain, Hana and magic) and even the cute songs has a maturity (Sweet Love... and Talk to You). So yeah, five stars for me.

It's funny because now I'm trying to think of the albuns and which one I like less, but everytime I go to the tracklist and start to listen, it gets to a good song and I'm like "well, I like that enough, so yeah, it's not a bad album". haha

I'm doing this with Black Cherry, because I don't listen to the album very often, but then I started to remember the songs and stuff, I love all the singles; Get Up & Move!! it's not her best song but it's okay; Tsuki to Tayou is so cute, so I like it; Puppy is definitely my favorite album track of this album; Candle Light is a good ballad; Milk Tea is soooo cute, like it a lot; and GO WAY!! is good for the summer... I think my problem with this album is the fact that WON'T BE LONG has two version, which I care for none of them.

Candle Light is one of her best ballads ever imo, too bad it doesn't get any attention. There was a time I could relate so bad to the lyrics and I realized how beautiful the song is, and since then I love it

TRICK was really dark for me, so I can see what she means. It's weird because some of my favorite songs are on there.

My favorite albums are Kingdom and Japonesque.

I remember the Japo love. I think it was the one time the majority of the forum agreed that a Kuu album was better than an Ayu album.

I don't even remember what Ayu album came out that year...

Wasn't it Next Level?

It was Party Queen. JAPONESQUE is one of kuu's best albums (but Party Queen had some unbeatable jams). I personally don't like these kind of comparisons though as they are pretty different things.

I still don't get the hype for JAPONESQUE... It's a good album, but she has so much better (UNIVERSE, Bon Voyage, Black Cherry, secret, Second Session, TRICK... all better than JAPONESQUE imo). But then again, I still don't get the hype for Kingdom either, it's one of her weakest imo, but so many people think it's one of her best.

ˆ Blasphemy

The hype is because of the project itself. It's a bold thing for an artist to do music videos for all the tracks, even if they are simple. For example: Marina and the Diamonds said that the production to all the music videos for the Electra Heart era "led her record label into bankruptcy". Of cource I'm not comparing the budget or even the direction that both projects had, but the fact that it's not something easy to have music video for everything.

Also, the package was amazing, with a lot of different versions and stunning covers. The music of album is good, not spectacular, but good enough. And I'm actually saying this to both Kingdom and JAPONESQUE albums.

My personal problem with JAPONESQUE is that awful 2DVD with only CMs/Digest of random live performances. I'm not here for that when you have concerts to put on DVD, honey.

Kumi said during the TRICK promotion that, at some point, she was thinking about the all the songs having music video as well, but at the end she was having a good vision of the songs as live perfomances, and TRICK was her first album to have ~almost~ all the songs performed on TRICK Tour (only Ai no Kotoba was missing, which she performed a couple of times after that).

JAPONESQUE sucked. The production was great but the songs were all not very good. They all sounded like they never really hit that high, with watered down choruses and such. LOVE TECHNIQUE and IN THE AIR are the only songs I listen to from that album. Sometimes No Mans Land but it took a while to get over that Engrish.

I agree with that, the packaging of both albums are definitely gorgeous, makes me more than happy to own copies of both haha
I do like both albums, but when I compare them to her other albums (music wise) they're just weak for me.

As for the PVs, JAPONESQUE's ones are all ok, but some of Kingdom PVs could not exist and I would never miss them...

V.I.P. is my jam though. And Everyday is one of her best cute songs. But I don't think JAPONESQUE is her best album. Tbh I don't really have a favorite Kuu album lol

My feelings exactly. I also felt the album was the epitome of incohesive. The covers were the best part. I loved kosokoso for a while though.

For me the big problem with JAPONESQUE is that the "Japan" part of it is totally missing from it lol It was there only for the photoshoot and interludes, while half of the songs were from Western producers.

I think the idea behind Japo was to show the world that Japan could compete musically on a global scale. Not to showcase Japanese music.

Also, I so do not get the hype with "cohesive albums". Maybe because I rarely listen to albums straight through.

^wasn't that the idea? To introduce her sound to western artist?
I loved the album tbqh..only dispise Everyday and Brave and maybe that acoustiv version in between + the awful recording of all for you, but as a whole it just rocks. especially love me back, kosokosoko, in the air, so nice and love technique

Check check... bling bling!

I LOVE Love Me Back, it's one of kuu's best songs I heard it endlessly.

JAPONESQUE had many jams like Love Me Back, So Nice, ESCALATE, Lay Down, V.I.P., Love Technique (probably her best and most tolerable cute song), No Man's Land, KO-SO-KO-SO and Slow.

Uh, I dunno where the misunderstanding is. I'm saying she wanted her sound to be Western so when actual Western people heard it they would be amazed that a Japanese artist could sound like them. And I feel that Kuu does often go for a more Western sound, as opposed to strictly J Pop, like some other acts. I think the album was named Japonesque because she wanted people to know instantly where the album was from. Like a "Made in Japan" kind of label. Japanese Western music :P

I could listen to it in one shot minus two songs. Kuu's other albums didn't do that for me. It also did sound different to me compared to her previous work.

lol same here i only listen to like 3 songs from that album. IN THE AIR, No Man's Land and sometimes i listen to Slow. That's about it. The best part was definitely the promo photoshoots.
I know a lot of people really disliked Bon Voyage, but it was deal barker for me, it got me into Kuu. But then again i have a thing for 50-60s inspired sh*t, and Show Me Your Holla with all the covers and photoshoots was what got me. I do actually listen to the whole album, i have to say. even though i think a few songs are megh, i still can totally listen to them.

Oh party queens not even in my phone haha.

Japonesque is about 10 songs too long. The only songs I listen to from that album are so nice, Lay Down, slow, escalate, boom boom boys, and no man's land.

And even though Lay Down ~lyrically~ is a fucking train wreck.
I can't get over the juicy bass, vocal mixing, and instrumental.
Especially since I have surround speakers for my computer with a subwoofer the size of a small suitcase.
When that bass kicks in. Ungh, my god.
http://i.imgur.com/xbMSEdY.gif

I can completely forgive the lyrics just for the overall sound and experience.

^bye lol

I agree about Lay Down. That gif is exactly how I feel.

I think japonesque is one of kumi's best album ever. Lay down though is my cousins club song. I love party queen too for some odd reason. :)

I'm sorry, but Driving has more intricate layering and a much better well-rounded sound to it. Bass is just not enough, and Lay Down can't even be considered in the same league as Driving.

Lay down is pure eargasm, I listen to it at least once when working out I liiiiiive for that pre-chorus
The live version is even better

http://i.imgur.com/xbMSEdY.gif

Take you, rape break u, make u miiiiine

I just wish that Ku-chan comeback with more coesive albuns, albuns that don't have filler songs
Until Venus on Trick is an ok song, but i don't like the Everydayish type of song, More Love Technique, less Everyday

I agree

off topic, but i just discovered this amazingness, what a great production, green is the only one i hate

I want kuu's new songs in full, I'm dying of excitement haha

lay down's good for a good grinding section. but driving, that song's on another level musically and vocally. :yes

How could I forget Boom Boom Boys!? It's also a jam.

The only sore thumb on JAPONESQUE is You are not alone (acoustic version). The original version is way better. I think that did it because the only ballads/mid tempos are ai wo tomenaide and Brave (and kinda Slow).

All this JAPONESQUE hate... :cry

Lmao Everyday is the best song on the album.

Everyday sounds like Himitsu when I sing it in my head.

I enjoyed the album more than I though I would do. Still though, it would be miles better if most of the songs were in Japanese.

Funny enough, green is my favorite song on that album :tipsy

Boom Boom Boys is muh shiiiiiiiit. Love that song.

Boom Boom Boys is epic, both song and PV. A shame I didn't like the live performance in the tour (No Man's Land otoh was eeeeeepic)

I feel the same, the performance was good, but somehow it wasn't as badass as the song and PV are.

Still need to watch so many of her tours...

I love it! :) and the art direction is flawless.
I need o rewatch the tour again sometime, it was really good :love

need....download...

check...the download...thread...

2012 was so good to me. JAPONESQUE and Party Queen at the same time. I almost die with happiness :heart
For me it's the best album of Kuu in overall regarding theme, package and music. There are so many hits in that box and oh my, music videos for each one. That was unbelievable hahaha

JEWELian@jpopcentral

"omg so Kuu was at ayu's show tonight with her baby!! I lost my shit, I noticed them in the VIP section half way through and kept staring at her for the rest of the show, I felt bad but really she was on my mind the whole night. They left after the main show. I was gonna wave at her but I guess they left before encore so other people wouldn't notice them (and it was a long show). She was just sitting, didn't participate really. She had a nanny with her I think, her kid got upset at one point and had to go out with the lady (probably ayu's shouting haha). But arrhhhh Kuu. She was dressed in a t-shirt and snapback with her hair out."

kuu is such an ayu stan.

ˆ
Would die with a collab of them seriously hahaha :heart
But I would prefer a maxi single with multiple collab songs and styles because one song wouldn't do justice for these girls xD

Bffs for life tbh.
Now they sell basically the same so they're sales buddies (and concert buddies).

^ that's so accurate

I completely agree!

Well kuu and namie have been spotted several times going to ayu's shows but I'm not sure ayu has even gone to theirs except for sending respect final flowers :rolleyes lol
jokes aside, they are probably all love each other.

I wonder if it's really just so they can steal ideas, haha. Although I enjoy Kuu's concerts more, Ayu is quite dramatic.

I doubt they are super great friends, but have respect as label mates.

Yep, that sums up why Japonesque is so good for me!

Quite dramatic ?
Hahahaha, ayu is the DRAMA QUEEN, lol.

Yea I've honestly found it strange that we never have reports about Ayu going to other concerts for -female- singers. She's went to like, AAA? And like....there was a pic with her and a male Kpop group from awhile ago (not a-nation)... But it's certainly interesting lol.

^ This is so true, we have reports of other artists attending Ayu's concerts every year, but I can barely remember any mention of Ayu attending someone else's concert except TVXQ lol

I still dream with the day Ayu and Kuu will do a collaboration together...

They used to chat all the time on the back when they attended the same music programs. I remember one time Kuu even switched places with someone else so she could be sitting next to Ayu and later they could be seen chatting and laughing together on the background xD

I still doubt they are super great friends, like I think some people want to believe. More than acquaintances, but not best friends. I can't imagine they call each other up in the middle of the night, but will have a good time if they are at the same function.

don't think they can be best friends, but they are colleagues, sort of.

Kuu and Ayu collab ugh I'd sell some of my organs to see that happen...

I just saw the covers and man, does she look stunning. CD+DVD one is too pretty for words.

Eevee Morgan @youtube
walk of my life tour !!!
http://i60.tinypic.com/119mm9g.png

https://youtu.be/KnP04I9Wk1Y?t=1m41s


ALL IS EPIC <3

If Ayu had the time, I'm sure she probably would. But Ayu is always on tour, working on an album, or doing some other related work. I don't know how Koda can pull off raising a kid, a marriage, plus a new album every year, plus singles. But she often doesn't tour as extensively as Namie or Ayu.

I'm sure a part of it also has to do with fans. A lot of fans crossover between these artists, and Ayu is the most recognized out of all three.

I think the comparison between them went something like:

Namie tours very frequently, releases new material infrequently.
Ayu tours frequently, releases new material frequently.
Koda tours infrequently, releases new material very frequently.

Kuu and Ayu are buds. They have been on HEY!x3 and other programs several times together. I think they've also been photographed buying each other's albums (?)

The only one that never really fit in among the group was Utada. She went very experimental around 2002 and stepped away from a lot of the pop artists she knew. But then again, Utada is a weirdo. I love her to death, but no reasonable individual would go quiet in the industry for two years then come back just to announce that they were going to go quiet in the industry indefinitely... :rolleyes

SPEAKING OF KODA.

The CD-Only and CD+DVD covers for SUMMER of LOVE, I have decided, are the best photos I have seen of Koda since at least Kingdom era. I love how relaxed and carefree she looks in both.

My only gripe with the Blu-ray cover is that pose. She did that pose on BEST ~first things~ promo photos. It looked derpy then. And it still looks derp, just from the front.

Anyway, I'm excited for this release. I love the covers, and though I'm sure this won't sell 800,000 copies, I'm going to pretend that it will.

Thanks!
The stage and the screens look spectacular!
Actually didn't expect that from the reviews so far
Can't wait.. just about 3 weeks!

The stage looks quite fancy, didn't expect it to be like this either

There are so many screens it looks like an ayu stage lol :laugh

That's not true. Kuu's Bon Voyage tour last year had over 50 dates as well as the Dejavu tour in 2011. She tours every year although she may not play to as many people but she spends more time touring with more dates during her hall tour than any of Ayu tours since she wants to be close with her fans.

So many reports about kuu and amuro attending ayu's concert. but, yet no visuals to confirm it :rolleyes.

Namie Amuro + Hatsune Miku? I don't know what to think.

That stage is insane @_@ I love my kuu :heart

whoa the screens!!! eveyrthing looks so flashy and epic!

Kuu just got her very own a-nation date for this year!

h http://rhythmzone.net/koda/news/index.php

or here the special a-nation site:
http://a-nation0802koda.com/

08/02
start 5 pm
Yoyogi National Stadium

Guests: Sean Paul, Teeda, Blistah, AK-69, DJ Hasebe and more.

So lots of collab performances coming! :D
And great promotion for Summer of Love!

Sooo cool. This will be awesome.Even Sean Paul will be there!?!? WOW

So we will most defninitely see LOADED, Poppin' love cocktail, ?Candy?, Bling Bling Bling, etc.

When I saw the Koda Gumi email this morning I almost started hyperventilating lol :laugh Sounds awesome! I hope it gets released or at least shown on TV :yes

That sounds SO COOL! Does it say how long the show is gonna be? I'm so curious about this omg

btw tour ends this month, then there's Asia Live and then this, she's working the hell out of her on concerts

No, it doesn't say anything about length.
But it will probably be at least the length of a normal concert (2,5 - 3 hours) or she wouldn't even got a seperate date to begin with.

I wonder - all those collab guests, will they get time to perform own songs as well? I thinl so or it would be a bit of a waste. With that the date might be even longer than 3 hours.

I googled DJ HASEBE and Ima sugu hoshii appeared as one of the related songs, but I can't listen to it rn. Maybe he remixed the original song or Kuu's and that's how they'll collab? Or could it a "DJ Time" like on Premium Night?

Ima sugu hoshii is actually his song - it's from one of his albums from 2000, he wrote it.^^
As I said, they'll probably add more stuff fotr the concert together.

And there are still more guests to be announced.
Excited!

It would be cool if we got a new collab at the show or even Ayu at the show. (let me dream :tipsy)

Hopefully it'll be released on DVD with the next album/single.

Ooooh, nice, thanks for clarifying :D I knew Kuu's wasn't the original, but had no idea who did it hahah

maybe he could be present for the music and the songs transitions (like on the remix albums...)

in collaboration we could wait :
TEEDA (Poppin’love cocktail)
AK-69 (Bling Bling Bling)
Blistah (Candy, So nice)
Sean Paul (Loaded)

MISONO (It's all love)
Tohoshinki (Last angel)
MEGARYU (Heat)
OVDS (Crank Tha Bass)
KM MARKIT (Hot Stuff, Rainy Day)
EXILE (WON'T BE LONG)
Ishii Tatsuya (Kamen)
LISA (SWITCH)
TRF (Joy)
M-flo (Simple & Lovely)
Soulhead (XXX, DDD)
BoA (meaning of Peace)
Heartdales (It's a small world)
Verbal (Till Morning Comes)
Fergie (That ain't cool)
peabo bryson (A whole New World)
B. HOWARD (Passing By)
Omarion (Slow)
Show (Twinkle)
...

Others collaboration with Color the cover and eternity songs/artists, or maybe live featuring (Chara, ...)

I'm sure I forgot some... but I'm already excited !

^ Sometimes I forget how many collabs she has omg :laugh If I could chose two other guests, I'd want her to perform either Swallowtail Butterfly or Atashi Dakishimetai N Darou with Chara again, and also Fergie :)

It'd be interesting if the guests performed a solo song before/after singing with Kuu, so she could have time for breathing and changing outfits... Can't wait to see how this concert is gonna work omgg

to keep japanese artists I will see KM MARKIT and MEGARYU ♥

Let's get EXILE, they're lablemates, and the concert would be sold out within a minute. xD

If I could make a wish, I'd love MEGARYU for Heat and LISA. I mean LISA wrote one from grow into one for Kuu and she's the one rapping in it, would love see them perform it together in full!

A~ I guess I can just forget my plan for a trip in August..
Definitely can't miss this out..
money... summer bonus.. bye~

Probably Misono will be in the event, because -via LINE- she (misono) mentioned something like that.

(I can't remember the words in the message, but it was something like that xD )