[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