[Koda Kumi] The 178th thread - Summer of Love 2015

[KarenPang]

Channel News Asia - Motherhood teaches Japanese singer Koda Kumi 'meaning of love'



SINGAPORE: Japanese singer Koda Kumi will perform her first solo gig in Singapore on Saturday (Jul 18), but ahead of the show, she shared how motherhood has changed her life and taught her the "meaning of love".

The show in Singapore is part of her Koda Kumi Asia Live 2015 concert series, which marks her 15th anniversary in the business. And while she looks much the same as the last time she visited in 2011, the singer said much has changed since.

For one, she tied the knot with Kenji03 from Japanese rock band Back-On in 2011 and they have a three-year-old son. Having a family has changed her life in ways big and small, but the changes are most pronounced with her music and dressing, she said through a translator at a media conference on Friday (Jul 17).

“My husband is a rocker so it would look strange if I dressed all cool like this all the time. For example, I am wearing 15cm heels, but nowadays I wear flats or sneakers when I am with him," she said.

“As for my music, I try to keep my personal life separate from my music. But after I gave birth to my son, I feel that I now really understand the meaning of love. The word ‘itoshi’, which means affection and love toward someone precious, comes up a lot in my songs now. I think that is the biggest change in my music,” she added.



"I HAVE LOW SELF ESTEEM"

When asked her secret for staying popular all these years, the singer replied: “I believe that being yourself is the most important thing.

“After 15 years in the business, many people will talk and they will say whatever they want to say, but we can’t stop that. It is important that you maintain your stance, know where you stand, and be yourself no matter what.”

Although she is known in the J-Pop scene for her provocative dance moves and sexy image, the singer said she “never really felt sexy”.

“I have low self-esteem and there are things about myself I am not comfortable about, but I use fashion and other things to cover that up and boost my confidence. As I grow older, I think inner beauty counts more instead of how I look.

“Rather than having gentlemen call me sexy, I would rather be considered a cool figure by the female fans. So I think about how to bring that across through fashion, and be seen as a strong, independent female by women, rather than (be seen as) sexy, from a guy’s point of view,” she said.



KEEPING A PROMISE TO VISIT SINGAPORE

As for holding her concert here, she said the Lion City had left a very deep impression when she last visited in 2011 for the Mnet Asian Music Awards. It was a whirlwind visit, but she became so enamoured by the city-state that she vowed to return.

“The beauty of the city, its skyline, its good food and the smiles of its people really impressed me,” said the 32-year-old.

“I said to myself I would love to come to Singapore, but then I got pregnant and every year, something kept popping up. So I felt very excited and looked forward to meeting my fans in Singapore when I finally got the chance to hold my first solo concert here.”



The singer added she still loves connecting with her fans, and has no intention of calling it a day.

She said: “I really like the feeling of being close to my fans. In Japan, when I perform at big arenas, I miss performing at concert halls, because it is a more intimate setting. So if I perform at an arena, I will perform at a concert hall next, then at another arena.

“I look forward to performing at The Ground Theatre here because it is smaller than a concert hall, and it is going to be more intimate. I think I will be able to see each fan’s facial expression and connect with them.”

“I really believe that dreams do come true, because I am here today after so many years. I also think that where there is a will, there is a way. Fifteen years down the road, I will still be saying to my fans ‘Did you enjoy my performance?’. That is what I envision myself doing in the future.”

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/mobil....html?cid=fbsg

[Corvina]

Thanks, Karen!
That's my favourite article about the press conference so far.

Photos of all the pages in Happie Nuts:
https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbi...4994&source=48

[Minttulatte]

It's hard to believe that she has low self-esteem. She's so damn cool, confident and amazing all the time that it just doesn't show at all. Well done, Queen Kuu, you have amazed me once again~

And the Happie Nuts photoshoot is bloody gorgeous. Glamorous and cool and the same time. She really knows how to amaze me with every photoshoot she does~ *__*

[tenshi no hane]

She looks great. I personally don't consider her a natural beauty, but she's really learned how to use her hair, makeup and outfits to look beautiful.

--

Her website mentions she's also in the September issue of JELLY but JELLY's table of contents doesn't mention her at all.

[KarenPang]

My younger sister & I are at *SCAPE now

Photos at the venue that I took :

https://twitter.com/iamkarenpang/sta...104117762?s=09
https://twitter.com/iamkarenpang/sta...293024256?s=09

Photos that my sister took

https://twitter.com/ayame_murasaki/s...556316672?s=09

Concert goods that I bought



Waiting for the doors to open now

[Corvina]

Summary of Happy Nuts:

Thanks to Emi Takahashi and KK Spanish Fan page on FB

[KarenPang]

My younger sister & I are inside The Ground Theatre now



We are in the 2nd row centre omg faints D:

[maze]

woah! enjoy everything KarenPang, and other guys who can attend this concert. You are lucky!

pictures of SoL Bluray edition

Spoiler:

and a better photo of the happy nuts shot thanks to a chinese friend:

Spoiler:

[ayu_ready?]

she's so awesome

[oaristos]

Originally Posted by KarenPang

““Rather than have guys call me sexy, I would like to be considered a cool figure by my female fans. I have been thinking how my fashion can reflect that strong and independent female image," she says

QUEEN!

[freedreamer]

Fan selection: suki de, suki de, suki de!!!! Same tracklist as Taiwan

Her voice was AMAZINGGGGG!!!!!!!

HURRICANE's PV was kinda mostly set in a room. She didnt sing the chorus as it was kinda a dance tune. i LOVED the verses, where the bass hit so harddd <3

[se7entheaven]

On my way home from the concert. Setlist was the same with Taiwan and song of the day was SUKI DE... I screamed my heart out. Her vocal was amazing, she was so gorgeous and I was totally starstrucked when she came out. I was only 3m away from the stage.

[KarenPang]

Today's setlist in Singapore

1) Introduction ~WALK OF MY LIFE~
2) POP DIVA
3) Mercedes
4) House Party
5) Poppin' love cocktail Feat TEEDA
6) IS THIS TRAP?

Concert dvds montage

7) Ai no Uta
8) Sometimes Dreams Come True
9) WALK OF MY LIFE
10) Suki de, Suki de,Suki de.
11) Someday
12) Dance In The Rain

Albums montage

13) HURRICANE
14) Like It
15) real Emotion

Dance battle

16) TABOO
17) Song Medley == COMPLEX's BE MY BABY / LOADED Feat Sean Paul
18) LIFE so GOOD!!

ENCORE

1st Encore

Song Medley
- Cutie Honey
- Lady Go！
- WIND
- I'll be there
- Butterfly
- LALALALALA

2nd Encore
walk

===

OMG KUU was AMAZING . Being 2 rows centre from her away onstage was to die for

When she sang HURRICANE the PV was played behind her . All in all superb & Kuu was in tip top form !

And I'm so pleased she sang Suki de x3 when she invited a female fan onstage *______*

Kuu looked geniunely surprised when the entire audience sang her songs together with her

I took this before I left the venue



Thank you Kuu ! Singapore thanks you for gracing your presence here ;_______;

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

She always sings my favorite songs during a medley -_-

But glad you had a good time
I'd love to see her one day

[Cloudsoldier]

Omg! It was so so amazing and surreal! freedreamer, Dumbellz and I really lost our voice! It's so nice to see Singaporean fans so supportive of her.

[KarenPang]

Kuu wore 6 outfits today , 7 if you count the trenchcoat & bikini combo as 1 xD

It was only her & 5 dancers onstage . No fancy props , just her & her dancers to command the stage

I couldn't have asked for more

[kaled kalil]

No new outfit then? Glad to know you guys had a blast!

[KarenPang]

I think the only new outfit Kuu wore today was when she did the encore segment , she came out wearing a large white tour T-shirt , a camouflage hat with brown boots

Did she wore in last weekend's Taiwan duo concerts ? that I'm not sure

Aside from that , her other outfits she wore were the same as what she wore last weekend

Kuu was so cute when she tried her best to speak in English which she did a little bit before she sang the final song of today , which was walk

After that she was like can she speak in Japanese ? Everyone all said Daijoubu xD

Before she sang walk , Kuu said she was really glad to see so many fans from different walks of life who attended her concert today . She was trying her best not to cry when she sang walk but she still soldiered on like a true professional

All in all , she was amazing . I will write my concert report later on after I shower LOL

[jiarongisme]

The concert was AMAZING! I was 2metres away!!

Also, during Lady Go!, she looked at me and did the dance with me. I'M DYING.

Proper review soon!!

[KarenPang]

I forgot to say that during the encore , she & her dancers were throwing balls to the audience

My younger sister managed to get 1 from 1 of her male dancers who was right in front of her . Sadly it wasn't autographed by Kuu T_T

Oh well xD