Aren't those images from KKBOX? Looks more like a fan graphic?

They`re fan made.

not even they believe that these are the covers of fc xDD

kumiland sometimes posts rumours/fakes (and a time ago some baddly translated stuff), you should always take things there with a pinch of salt... I remember when someone made a joke saying that some summer single was going to be "3 DILDOS" and they posted that lol

all previews are out!

MONEY IN MY BAG is... well my first reaction was... ok lol? BUT with the second listen i already like this! it's really cool and fun!! love the beat! i can't wait for the PV!

TURN AROUND is "woah"nderful!
really love this! it's like darling BUT even 1000 times better than it already was!

overall this seems like a perfect summer single for me!!
i'll probably end to like this more than Summer Trip, Gossip Candy, 3 SPLASH & MOON!

oh and i think kiのtrumpet @ baidu mentioned that HOTEL PV is listed on M-ON!

Here are the previews for all three songs:
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/oeeSU3wqZ3o/
PW: 140806

Thanks to Baidu.

MONEY IN MY BAG and Turn Around sound both great!

MONEY IN MY BAG is awesome <3

Is it just me or has Kuu become more and more western with her music since 2011? :D Not that it really annoys me. I like westernized J-Pop the best♥

HOTEL will be a amazing single. All songs sound awesome, and also very different to what I'm used to hear from the Queen of Summer~ I can't wait for the single to be out omg. I'll be overplaying all songs in a week♥

//there will be interludes (as expected) on the single:

【CD】
01. Introduction 〜Check IN〜
02. HOTEL
03. Interlude 〜Secret Room〜
04. Money In My Bag
05. Interlude 〜Last Night Dream〜
06. Turn Around

【DVD】
01. HOTEL (Music Video)
02. HOTEL (Making Video)
03. Money In My Bag (Spot)

【DVD (Koda Gumi / Playroom)】
01. Money In My Bag (Music Video)
02. Money In My Bag (Making Video)
03. HOTEL (Spot)

Source: Koda Kumi french fans page @ facebook / Kuu's official website

MONEY IN MY BAG is definitely the banger of this release, very typical and energetic Kuu song! Turn Around sounds sweet but kind of forgettable, not bad at all though.

Hotel is the weakest for me, mainly cause of how flat and horrid her vocals come across on the verses. But overall it seems to be a really decent single!

Songs are not bad, but I don't think the sales will be good..
Hope she sings Money in the Bag on concert!!
YAY! 11 more days left!!

After repeating, i choose Hotel is my most favorite track of all.

Money in my bag is like Touch Down+Bling*3 heavier beat version for me and i prefer two later songs , but i think PV will help it after regretting that Bling*3 has no PV.

Turn Around is so beautiful but i think it will be like For you and Farway, forgettable songs

This time i still don't understand why she separates Pvs in two editions that makes it's no worth enough to buy and why isn't it 3-A sides? no more 3splash and 4times?

HOTEL is the best track in my opinion and honestly I didn't like this single that much, I expected more of a Kumi summer release :\

MONEY IN MY BAG is awesome.
HOTEL is kinda nice.
Turn Around so far sounds extremely boring.

Why not?

Love the previews :)

Not for Japanese liking i guess..

I really like MONEY IN MY BAG preview, but TURN AROUND captured me!
It sounds so intriguing, it surely is the song I'm most excited about!

her sales will be lower most likely but like everyone is losing, so who cares

anyway MONEY IN MY BAG chorus kinda sucks but the verses are HOTTT!

and Turn Around is beautiful, so happy Kuu just blew Summer Trip out of the water and we didn't even get the full versions yet!

Love all the songs. Really different for Kuu. I'm just not happy about how they released it.

This single is gonna be a blast, at least for me. Can't wait for the whole thing

i like the prewiews wait for the full songs:yes

im really diggin' this single.
not excited about money, but the other tracks, and the covers! oh god the covers! make this the first summer single i've wanted to buy since 4hot wave.

Small question. I'm only getting the CD Only of the single, so it sorta doesn't matter too much personally. However, if I understand all this chat right, they're making MVs for HOTEL and Money In My Bag, so why is the +DVD version only including the MV for HOTEL?

^ the normal DVD version includes HOTEL MV+Making, the FC(DVD) edition includes MIMB MV+Making

I love all the previews, this is gonna be another perfect summer jam!

^thats a first. Hope both will be on the next album.

I am just not feeling this single at all. And I love Kuu's summer singles. But HOTEL and Money are annoying. Turn Around is nice, but a little forgettable.

Money In My Bag doesn't sound bad, but it's repetitive

I wish Money in my bag will perform good dance to make song feel better for me

songs are ok. I wanted money to be more edm-y, but she went with this sound instead lol It's alright.

The other song is pretty, but I wasn't feeling the melody so much.

My initial interest in this single has faded.

The videos might renew it, but songs like Money do absolutely nothing for me no matter who were to sing it. It's similar to Bling bling bling, which I'm also not a fan of).

Hotel isn't bad at all, and I'll listen to it--I just need to see the video for the excitement to build haha. Turn around is probably the best for me.


Actually... I feel like all of her summer singles have always had one song I definitely don't like/never listen to lol. Ningyohime (too heavy a song for summer, PV had no connection, and I find it too noisy), the fergie song, touchdown, vip, both fishbowls, hashire, and freaky. I know some of these are fan favorites, but it's just not the type of music I like (or at least, that I like from Kuu).

In the air, for example, is one of her BEST summer songs, imo. It's perfectly uplifting and light and poppy and awesome. Girls as well. Perfect. Chase remains one of my favorite songs as well. I just like these types of songs haha.

First promo pic in bigger size (1000x750):
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/280...673/cae39d.jpg

Source: Baidu

I LOVE Chase!
Actually my favorite songs are songs like the ones you dislike haha.
My favorite kuu summer songs are JUICY, Lollipop, V.I.P., TOUCHDOWN, Chase, With your smile and kinda Lick me, ECSTASY is nice too but I don't like it like the others. Fishbowl songs are nice, IN THE AIR and Poppin' love cocktail are nice too... Moon Crying is a good ballad but not really a summer song, That Ain't Cool was kinda nice but it sounds kinda... not special. My least favorite summer singles by her are definitely FREAKY and MOON. I know a lot liked them but it wasn't a good summer succession singles in these 2 years for me. FREAKY the song is kind of annoying.
girls and Lady Go! are like With your smile but Lady Go! was sort of nice too... not to keen on girls. I used to not like ningyo hime but I like it now, it's not a summer song though lol.

My problem was back in 2007 when she just spammed FREAKY and girls in lives, and I don't (or didn't) like them much.

My most favorite summer singles of her are 4 TIMES, 4 hot wave and Gossip Candy (just that For You is boring).. HOTEL seems nice with Hotel and Money In My Bag, especially the latter.

That's what's so great about her discography though. She caters to all different tastes. :)

I think my favorite summer single is 4 hot wave, the original haha. Even though I don't love ningyo hime, I recognize her effort. And despite the lack of video connection, it was a good video. That single was the peak of her popularity, so it'll always be memorable for me. :)

Guys what is this??

https://soundcloud.com/mrwind1990/koda-kumi

it says it's an old demo, has anybody else heard it before?

^ It's Kiroro's song, Nagai Aida.
I think it was before her debut..

Isn't it a cover of nagai aida? Probably unreleased cover, from how her voice sounds it's from affection era.

Nagai Aida is so beautiful when Kuu sings it. I've listened to it countless of times ever since I downloaded it♥ I kind of hope she would include it on a cover album. A HQ version would be awesome♥

Ahh thanks, I've never heard it before. And yeah, it's even before affection era, it says 1998!

Her voice was so rough and unpolished ahhh baby lol

It's so difficult to choose just one Kuu summer single as my favourite... they're all special for one reason or the other! XD
I think my favourite is 3 SPLASH... It was just PERFECT for Summer! But MOON was unique, maybe not the most indicate for the season, but damn, it was special!
Whatever, I love them all, lol.

I dislike all the songs you listed too, except I love FREAKY.

ECSTASY is still her best summer A-side

FREAKY does nothing for me lol. Her summer singles are pretty hit and miss personally. I stan for 4 TIMES, Gossip Candy (don't judge plz) and 4 hot wave while 3 SPLASH, MOON, FREAKY, and Summer Trip do absolutely nooothing for me overall lmao. :(

Not feeling the HOTEL previews either. That ballad is a nonentity, the money song is not my style, and HOTEL just isn't... interesting enough I guess :shrug

For me, this single is more interesting than Summer Trip. From that single I only like IS THIS TRAP ? And she didn't make a PV.

I don't actually buy any of her singles but 4 Times is my favourite! Every song is great!

Well, I adore FREAKY, and like RFYL, but the other two songs on the single are two of her least memorable tunes for me, alongside For You from Gossip Candy :P Overall I tend to enjoy most of her summer single tracks. I may not find them in-kuu-redible, but I guess I never hated a summer song from hers, sometimes I just don't get into them. My favorite btw is 4 TIMES, even tho I find KSKS to be a bit too repetitive (the Beach Mix remix is waaay better), but PLC is her best rockish-summer song for me, V.I.P. is HOT and IN THE AIR is just superb, everything fits so perfectly in the song, whenever I listen to it I end up smiling while singing it :laugh

Chase is one of my favorite songs ever! I would love another song along those lines.

4 Hot Wave, always and forever. :laugh

There's only 2 songs in her ENTIRE discography including covers that I have not been fond of, Best Friend Of Mine from affection and TAC from Trick album/MOON single. However I can still listen to them. Rest are just awesomeness for me. :D

V.I.P > everybody else's discographies

I love the ecstasy era. And Physical thing damn.


Her summer singles were always somewhat hit or miss with me too. I usually only liked the sexy songs...but I always loved the production of her summer singles. Lots of versions, lots of PVs, different types of songs, interludes for days, and her always lookin fine. That's how you do summer right.

4 times is the best

My favorite summer song from Kumi will always be Bounce <3 So underrated!!

^ Bounce came out in the winter with anytime before Kingdom was released...

girls is my favorite, I think. always puts me in such a good mood because her live peformances of it were always so energetic and it had such a summer vibe.

I agree, the production always seems high.

3 splash, in particular, I remember because those pachinko cm's were ALWAYS on tv haha

But when I say summer song, I'm not refering to songs that were release in summer only, I'm talking about songs that I use to listen a lot during summer and my vacations :)

I also listen to Bounce a lot during summer. It fits summer. :)

My favorite summer singles are 4 hot wave, Gossip Candy and 4 TIMES... funny, these three are the summer singles of my top 3 favorite Kuu albums (Black Cherry, Dejavu & JAPONESQUE). :D Epic♥

I have a very large Summer Songs playlist featuring songs I feel suit summer from numerous artists I listen to and TBH, a very large chunk of those are Kuu songs. She has SOOOOO MANY GOOD ONES!! :heart

the real summer song by her is Once Again, in my opinion.

Kuu performed MONEY IN MY BAG on tour today! They also showed a short version of the HOTEL PV. Thanks to kinotrumpet.

i get little regretted that i decided to not go Taiwan tour that she might perform this single.

yeeeeeeeeeeeesssssss!!
this song is the perfect kickin' back with a corona type of song..
it is sooo forgotten by the general fandom.

Best summer songs

Whatchu Waitin' On (#1)
Lady Go!
Good Day
With your smile
girls
Sora (Yukihiro Fukutomi Remix)
Koi no Tsubomi (early and late summer - not so hot days but warm days)

Maybe Love Technique is good for hot days too.

I would throw in IN THE AIR for warm summer evenings while sun is starting to go down. Late summer afternoon/early evening summer song.

IN THE AIR also makes for good cruising music on the highway with your windows down

Yes, especially if trees surround highway and about 5pm. I would add Lollipop to days where it is scorching. Hot sexy body dripping with sweat type of song.

I see a pattern in your top songs :laugh And how could I forget, WWO is amazing as well :yes

lol Zeke, your songs are too bubblegummy for me.


I wish Love Technique had been a summer single -_- best song ever :P

Lol, I just think Kumi pulls those off so well. And that type of aura is so fun for summer time. Summer represents fun, warmth, happiness, and upbeat optimism. I feel those type of songs capture that feeling so well, and when I listen to them at the right time of year, in the right type of environment, I don't feel as if I'm merely listening to the songs - I feel as if my surroundings reflect the songs themselves, in turn giving me the illusion that I am living within them. The songs have crossed over into the physical dimension. That's how I listen to all music - as a reflection of my current surroundings, visuals, and senses.

And emi, Love Technique might be considered the most bubble-gummy song from her, lol.

ikr lol i think that was the wrong word for your songs~ idk what to call them, but I think she does those really well, even if I don't care too much for them on a daily basis.

I feel like, those are the type of songs that SHE likes to listen to.

Well they definitely have a bubblegum aura among them. I'd say:

Whatchu Waitin' On = Beachtime Electro Bubblegum DancePop
Lady Go! = Magically Synthesized Bubblegum
Good Day = Bubblegum Pop
With your smile = Festive Bubblegum
girls = Summer Sailing Festive Bubblegum
Sora (Yukihiro Fukutomi Remix) = Laid-back summer lounge grooviness
Koi no Tsubomi = Oriental Summertime Sugarsweet Bubblepop

Love Technique = Electro Bubblegum SugarPop

At the Osaka show today, Kuu sang HOTEL and MONEY IN MY BAG. She also showed the PV for MONEY IN MY BAG.
From fb and Baidu.

Also, she`s scheduled on MTV 81 for 17th July:
http://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%...G-w-SagOj5&s=1

^How do you know its July 19? I don't see it on the schedule

Sorry, it`s 17th July, today!
It says, the show premiers every Thursday on MTV Japan. It was wrong on fb. xD

And we already have a screencap:
https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbi...4994&source=46

I love so much this type of songs!

Kuu at MTV 81 Spotlight (with english subs):
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/bozN0wsYHkE/
PW:81
From kinot on Baidu.

Here`s a fb link, so that everybody can watch:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...66296173504994

Its nice to have an interview with English subs but I was hoping she'd talk more about her 15th anniversary and other future plans.

Hope we get the HOTEL PV soon....

aaah, its so nice to see a subbed interview!
makes me love her even more to hear what she has to say so fresh like that.

seems the idea behind bon voyage was along the lines i thought too!

omg the bug part i laughed so hard :laugh

Bit off-topic, but today I picked up some posters I plaque mounted. One of them was Kuu. :D
Btw, the glare is just bad camera and the packaged plastic wrap they sealed it with when I picked it up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ps4ac4e1a4.jpg

Why does hotel get less promotion? No any TV performance!

Our Kumi is a bit stressed. ;)
http://imageshack.com/a/img631/3249/767628.jpg

From Koda Kumi French Fans page on Fb
Original probably from playroom

I'd say that's cause she's still touring, and in August there's the Taiwan live as well :P At this point, I guess she thinks TV promotion is the least important thing hahaha

Found Kumi Kehova's parfum at the top of shibuya 109 today. Love Note smells awful and one of them smells EXACTLY like Calvin Klein's Dark Obsession, my favourite cologne.

I think my favorite summer song is With your smile, this song has the word summer all over it. I love when she performs it the way she did at the 4 hot wave koda beach event and Dream music park!

You gaaaaaaaizzzz, Kuu's hubby, Kenji posted a picture of cake a couple days ago with the number 2 on it. Wasn't it her son's (Kairi?) second birthday on the 17th? So kyoooooote!

There is also a picture of a young boy with a Back On hat! Maybe its him?

^ Where did he post it? Instagram? And iirc their son was born in mid July, so yeah, that's probably it :)

^Oops, yeah. Instagram. I got a little carried away~

So... what is his instagram? LOL

^_^
http://instagram.com/kenji_three

I want that cake too. :D Strawberries♥

No pictures with Kuu? hm
And that baby is soooo cute, my guess is their son too

So very carried away~

That baby boy photo isn`t their son.
Kenji commented that it`s the son of a close friend.^^
And there`s one photo, where he`s listening to Crank Tha Bass. Seems to be his favourite song from Bon Voyage. :D
Also there isn`t one with Kuu, but with Fuko, one of her female dancers.
Big thanks for his account! :)

Koda was never popular in the same way. She's too....bold, sexy, outspoken, etc.

Namie was always very popular, and very cool seeming. It's just the culture.


Ayu is Ayu. She's her own can of worms.

The last hit from Koda is Go to the top, right ?
Anyway, after KINGDOM, her popularity decreased a lot.

Depends on what you`re calling a hit.
Physically her best selling single after her maternity leave is Go to the top.
Koishikute didn`t sell that much physically, but it was certified Gold for digital download.

Honestly, I like Koda for her energy, the fantastic timbre she has to her voice and for the classic pop hits she releases from time to time. Furthermore she is a beautiful woman with charisma. But why do 99% of the pictures of her look like poor porn parodies? Her facial expression, gestures and pose really just look like cheap porn parodies. But the problem is: she's serious about it. It's not sexy, it's not cool, it's just embarrassing. Especially how she always has her mouth open... The woman has the potential to be so damn fierce and sexy, but everytime I see new pictures of her I'm about to cry. I LOVE fierce and sexy women and I also love it if they go all out, but Koda manages it that everything looks so staged and sadly embarrassing. From time to time there is this one picture of her I see and think "damn, that's it!", but most of the time I can't decide which one is worse.
I know that people in this thread mostly think she's hot and sexy, but I feel the total opposite and had to let out my frustration just once. xD I mean, isn't there maybe one person out there who also feels this way? lol

Anyway... "HOTEL" doesn't impress me, it's one of those songs everyone could release and would be just good enough for a b-side. "Money in my bag" sounds more interesting, I have to hear the full thing before I can say more, I think. "TURN AROUND" is somehow a new style for her, but I don't think I will like it, I think it's boring. So far this will be her worst summer single for me.

Well, the open mouth is kind of her trademark.
For me it often works (e.g. all three HOTEL covers look fine with it, especially CD only, where it feels kind of mysterious - her stare is just fascinating). But I wish for some more variety. Seriously, sometimes I roll eyes. Kuu, get out of your comfort zone! :irked :laugh
But I can totaly see, where you`re coming from and that you don`t like it. We`re sadly just able to ignore it. I guess I`m used to it. Or often I don`t associate it like that, cause of the whole (mostly normal) setting of the pics, I assume. And overall I`m pretty open to sexual pics and images. As long as it`s somehow tasteful and combined with a strong woman. I totally don`t like sexual mixed with cute e.g. I always get a weird feeling with that...
Summer Trip covers were flat out porn. :laugh

There was one photo of her for Universe that was used where she had her mouth closed. I honestly couldn't recognize her. It's pretty much her trade mark.

I guess she got used to shooting with an open mouth cause it's both "sexy" and maybe cause she has a round face, so keeping it open fakes it a bit. You can see how that makes a difference on the CD+DVD / CD+2DVD covers of Kingdom :P

Thank you!!! <3

I think her open mouth looks good. A lot of people can't pull it off, but she does. She never ends up look like fish lips/duck face Ayu, or like Tomochin on her recent covers.

I do also think what Gustavo said is right. Having the mouth open makes her face a little longer, and shows off more of the jawline. Her face is definitely round. To me, it also makes the pictures more dynamic. Like she's mid motion, or, about to change positions.

I don't mind her hypersexualization, one, because I like it, and two because...it's really different from the other dominant types of sexuality in Japan.



I think she looks good more often than she looks bad. And when she does look somewhat questionable, I just laugh or shrug it off. She's always had a really weird sense of style...to me anyway. I try my best not to take her so seriously.

Like, remember those giant overall things and jersey from that one tour, I think Kingdom. wth was that lol Or her cutesy song outfits. omg Kuu.