[article] Kumi goes 'modest' at Live Earth

[nmskalmn]

Excerpt:

An exodus followed the end of Linkin Park's set, which meant many missed out on the event's unofficial "battle of the divas" between J-pop superidol Kumi Koda and Barbados-born pop sensation Rihanna.

Koda, who is currently riding high on the Japanese singles charts with her song Freaky, sported a sultry, vampish look: black hat, suit jacket, shirt with dog collar, sequined hot pants and knee-length black boots.

Not be outdone, headliner Rihanna followed up Koda's brief set of high-energy dance pop with her own remarkable outfit — a figure-hugging cat suit. She played the 2005 summer smash Pon de Replay and the Justin Timberlake-penned Rehab. Judging by the number of lensmen homing in on her, Rihanna won this battle of the divas hands down.

Earlier in the day, a buff Xzibit had the crowd putting their hands up. The West Coast rapper — who a few days ago was hanging out in the city of Nagoya with sumo grand champion Hakuho, no less — wore black baggy slacks, a sleeveless vest and Live Earth towel wrapped around his head. "Answer the call," read the poster beside the stage. And that's what the crowd did when Xzibit demanded the crowd "put 'em up!"

Xzibit's antics helped make up for the lackluster start to the event, futher complicated by the swelteringly hot venue. Despite kicking off in surreal style with an obligatory appearance from Al Gore — by hologram — and a rabble-rousing set from homegrown rap-metal act RIZE, by the early afternoon some of the crowd — mainly young professionals in their 20s and 30s — had taken to sleeping on the venue's concrete floors.

Ai Otsuka is another cute J-pop idol, but her set, like that of Ayaka's ballad-heavy selection before her, underwhelmed the crowd. Otsuka largely forsook any boring "save the earth" talk and instead took time to plug her new single. Only her hit Chu-Lip induced mass handclapping and waving of fans.

Read it: Live Earth dispatches from around the world

[nmskalmn]

USUALLY she goes all out to raise temperatures with her skimpy outfits.

But J-pop siren Kumi Koda was restrained in the Japan leg of the Live Earth music marathon that was held in seven countries and broadcast worldwide over the weekend.

As she gyrated on stage, she teased the audience in a translucent white blouse over conspicuous black bra and sequined hot pants.

Perhaps she was doing her part to fight global warming.

Kumi, 25, was indisputably the biggest Japanese performer in the Japan segment headlined by US rock band Linkin Park.

The nine-hour concert, powered by a solar generator, reportedly drew a crowd of 10,000.

But apparently Kumi was no fight against sizzling R&B sensation Rihanna from Barbados.

USA Today called their face-off the 'unofficial battle of the divas', and Rihanna won for the 'number of lensmen homing in on her'.

Kumi was said to be 'sultry, vampish', but Rihanna's figure-hugging catsuit was 'remarkable'. Still, UK-based music website Nme.com described Kumi as the 'Japanese Britney Spears'.

In her green message to the world, she said: 'It's like a diet. We shouldn't try to do drastic things, but do small things that we can continue every day.

'It may be small, but if everyone here does it, it would add up to something big.'

Perhaps the least notable Japanese performer was cutesy Ai Otsuka, 25.

Clad in a baby doll dress that seemed too big for her, she reportedly 'underwhelmed' the crowd.

USA Today said she 'took time to plug her new single' instead of giving any 'boring 'save the earth' talk'.

Fortunately, her delivery of her new single, Chu-lip, managed to induce 'mass handclapping and waving of fans'.

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/st...135476,00.html

[ayumisrael]

Are they nuts!?

KUMI IS A LOT BETTER THAN RIHANNA AND BRITNEY SPEARS!!!!

[Kodayumi]

OMG they are comparing Rihanna and Koda Kumi together. Im glad they mentioned Ai Otsuka

[Weslicious]

The only reason Rihanna and Linkin Park got more lensmen is because I doubt there was ever anything in the plans to show the Japanese singers to the world. Same goes for all the other non UK, U.S. dates. They only showcased names big in the West. I think it's a shame. They let German, Japanese artists etc perform to lure their Countries to watch them.

[ayu_fan929]

After reading this, I want to see that USA Today article now.

[minna]

KODA JAPANESE BRITNEY SPEARS??
WHAT IS THEIR PROBLEM!!!!?????
there is no way they are similar!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by ayumisrael

KUMI IS A LOT BETTER THAN RIHANNA AND BRITNEY SPEARS!!!!

Totally agree with you!!!!!
KODA IS THE BEST!

[salina]

britney sucks koda is great

[Cloudsoldier]

I don't like this article! =(

[Beauty4123]

kuu is 10,000 times better than rihanna.

but the dress that was too big for ai otsuka part made me laugh.

[alt.total-loser]

"Perhaps the least notable Japanese performer was cutesy Ai Otsuka, 25. Clad in a baby doll dress that seemed too big for her, she reportedly 'underwhelmed' the crowd."

HAHA. xD JAPANOPHAIL.

Didn't people used to call Ayu the Japanese Britney Spears? Lame.

It seems that whenever a Japanese female singer gets fairly popular they are then classed as the Japanese Britney.
It's pretty pathetic.

[sora2522]

hmm...lesse...


ayu = madonna (that's not bad, but how are they similar again?), britney spears (ew)
kuu = britney spears (EW)
yui = avril lavigne (EEEWWWWWW)






yea...and this is exactly why i don't listen to american music

Originally Posted by meerkitty

Didn't people used to call Ayu the Japanese Britney Spears? Lame.

Yeah, they used to call her that. Then she totally dissed Britney and was all: I don't want to be compared to her. She doesn't seem to do things her way... or something like that. Then she said she'd rather be like Madonna and now that she's getting older and reinventing herself, they call her the Japanese Madonna.

Koda is like Britney Spears since she barely ever writes her own songs and her record company tells her what to do. And we all know how that turned out for Britney...maybe Koda will shave it all off soon. T_T Oh noes!

I love how they called her modest...with her bra showing in sparkly hot pants. Sometimes...I don't like Koda. -sighs-

[ayumisrael]

I listen only to Japanese music - it's superior!!

ayu, kumi, hikki, namie, BoA are all the best in the world for me xD

No one is better than them ^_^.

[everlastingRAINBOW]

J-artists are the best by far!

You have to realize stupid Americans only like people from their own country, people have way too much patriotism

poor Ai..
but chyah, she was really boring, and she only did 1 good song!

[sora-kara]

haha...this article is a little muddled.

i wouldnt say kuu was 'modest' exactly. more so than usual, but not overly so.
and when watching the concert, i had to laugh when otsuka ai plugged her new single.....like really.....


thats awesome it was powered by a solar generator though........i was wondering about that...

[Kogepan_19]

Lol...even though some parts of the article were poorly written, I'd agree that Rihanna is a lot better than Koda. Umbrella and Shut Up And Drive is nice. So much better than Cherry Girl or FREAKY.

[Coelacanth]

USA Today article:

TOKYO

Linkin Park caused a commotion at Live Earth Tokyo.

"We've got some hardcore fans in the house tonight," the band's frontman Chester Bennington said. He wasn't kidding. The fans caused some damage to the protective barriers at the cavernous Makuhari Messe Convention Center, forcing a temporary halt only a couple of songs into the band's set.

But twenty minutes later Linkin Park was back.

"You guys still with us?" asked Bennington, and the crowd definitely was. Fans roared when they heard the opening keyboard riff of the hit Numb and the crowd screamed when the band played Crawling.

But the biggest roar came when vocalist Mike Shinoda read a note in Japanese, talking about how global warming "is the defining issue of our time."

It's a theme Shinoda expanded on in the dressing room backstage. "We're in this for the long haul," Shinoda said, adding that Al Gore personally called the band to persuade them to play Live Earth. Shinoda said he also does what he can at home: "I have a hybrid car that I try to use more than my other car," he said.

An exodus followed the end of Linkin Park's set, which meant many missed out on the event's unofficial "battle of the divas" between J-pop superidol Kumi Koda and Barbados-born pop sensation Rihanna.

Koda, who is currently riding high on the Japanese singles charts with her song Freaky, sported a sultry, vampish look: black hat, suit jacket, shirt with dog collar, sequined hot pants and knee-length black boots.

Not be outdone, headliner Rihanna followed up Koda's brief set of high-energy dance pop with her own remarkable outfit — a figure-hugging cat suit. She played the 2005 summer smash Pon de Replay and the Justin Timberlake-penned Rehab. Judging by the number of lensmen homing in on her, Rihanna won this battle of the divas hands down.

Earlier in the day, a buff Xzibit had the crowd putting their hands up. The West Coast rapper — who a few days ago was hanging out in the city of Nagoya with sumo grand champion Hakuho, no less — wore black baggy slacks, a sleeveless vest and Live Earth towel wrapped around his head. "Answer the call," read the poster beside the stage. And that's what the crowd did when Xzibit demanded the crowd "put 'em up!"

Xzibit's antics helped make up for the lackluster start to the event, futher complicated by the swelteringly hot venue. Despite kicking off in surreal style with an obligatory appearance from Al Gore — by hologram — and a rabble-rousing set from homegrown rap-metal act RIZE, by the early afternoon some of the crowd — mainly young professionals in their 20s and 30s — had taken to sleeping on the venue's concrete floors.

Ai Otsuka is another cute J-pop idol, but her set, like that of Ayaka's ballad-heavy selection before her, underwhelmed the crowd. Otsuka largely forsook any boring "save the earth" talk and instead took time to plug her new single. Only her hit Chu-Lip induced mass handclapping and waving of fans.

About 10,000 people attended the nine-hour extravaganza.

Ai Tsuchiya, a 30-year-old office worker from nearby Kanagawa, said she'll take more than her memories of her favorite band Linkin Park's set home with her. "We came to see bands that we like. But seeing these artists taking part in this kind of event, where everybody's talking about recycling and the planet, I think that's going to influence the actions I take in my everyday life."

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/n...s_N.htm?csp=34