Kumi Koda article

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Tokyo traffic tangle
November 22, 2005

A 23m-tall poster of Japanese bombshell Kumi Koda clad in a cleavage-baring, peacock feathers-adorned dress has been bringing traffic to a standstill at a crowded intersection in Shibuya.

It was a strategic move by her record label, Axex Trax, to plug her first album of singles, Best - First Things, which released in September.

It seems to have worked with the album shifting over 1.2 million copies in a month and ousting the ever-popular B'z on the Oricon chart.

Critics have called her the most likely successor to J-pop queen Ayumi Hamasaki. And fans voted her as the Sexiest Female Singer in a poll by Oricon magazine.

Ever since she stormed the J-pop scene in 2001 with a Japanese-turned-English single, Take Back, that peaked at No 18 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music chart, Kumi has been flaunting her shapely curves in skimpy outfits.

Sex is her middle name and the chameleon-like 23-year-old knows how to grab attention.

Fans - especially men - have loved her sex-bomb image, with some saying that even her brand of hip-hop-infused J-pop oozes sex appeal.

For instance, she turned herself into the Final Fantasy X-2 Lolita when she did the Japanese versions of the two theme songs of the popular video game. Both songs became hits.

Another time, Kumi turned up as a guest on the popular TV show, Music Station, clad in just leopard-print lingerie.

She looked so hot that members of the rock band Tokio, who were also present, were rendered speechless.

Early this year, she again set the media buzzing with the release of her fourth album, Secret, which contained a 28-page booklet with sexy photos of her posing topless.

Kumi also has a reputation for saying the most outrageous things.

She declared that she would be a mamasan for a day if her Best - First Things album hits the one-million mark.

When it did, she graciously fulfilled her promise in a pub in Ginza - much to the amusement of the Japanese media.

BITTEN BY LOVE

Kumi recently confirmed rumours that she is in love. She did not reveal who her beau is, but she did say that he is not from showbiz circles.

'My boyfriend is very important to me,' she told reporters.

'It's also to please him that I've been working so hard on my stage performances.'

Earlier, she had revealed that she is very determined when it comes to love. Regardless of any obstacles, she said she charges ahead like a 'wild boar'.

Given her brazen ways, Kumi has ruffled quite a few feathers.

Some have accused her of being ****ty, exploiting her physical assets and cheapening herself. Others have wondered whether her sexy image changes are publicity stunts.

But she seems to have escaped unscathed and judging by her CD sales and upcoming engagements, her star is certainly rising.

She has just completed a concert tour in Japan and is slated to perform with Ashley Simpson at the upcoming Cool MTV Christmas 2005 concert in Yokohama on 16 Dec.

She is also trying to break into the South Korean market. Her latest album was released there last Wednesday.

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/st...,97688,00.html