Introducing...Kumi Koda

Ahh Kumiko. There really are no words to properly encapsulate this firecracker of a woman. Whilst she didn’t necessarily hit the ground running in the way some of the other icons in this series did, Kuu slowly but surely worked her way up to be a cultural revolution, and an icon within her own right. Her signature ‘ero-kakkoii’ (meaning ‘SexyCute’) style, mixed with banging pop tunes, heart wrenching ballads and gorgeous visuals have created a career that is nothing if not iconic. Long before Miley was being outrageous with her tongue and wiggling her bum on stage Kumi was taking it there and further, pushing the envelope on what a female performer should look like in the conservative japanese culture. This selection of ten songs act as an introduction to the wild, wacky and never boring musical world of the singer songwriter, dancer and performer Kumi Koda, a discography as unique, fun and free spirited as the artist herself.

Ko So Ko So- (2012)

Taken from 2012’s Japonesque, ko so ko so (meaning Sneaky Sneaky) might be an odd choice to start off a list of songs that appeal to the Western ear-Jjaponesque was Kuus shot at creating music that was distinctively Japanese, to show to the worldwide stage that it could still be trendy when the Korean hallyu wave was eclipsing. None the less, this song is so good it translates to a bop no matter the culture. A slinky, pulsating electro beat carries the song, with lyrics detailing how Kumiko has you under her spell and you’re going to love what she’s going to do next- with vocals that swing between cooing and commanding this is a song that shows that Kumi Koda is a woman on top, and that’s just how she likes it. A video that was touted as her most controversial yet, and was banned on TV before 10pm shows how Kuu is unafraid to take risks and do whatever the hell she wants- she knows we’re gonna be into it anyway.

Juicy- (2006)

A HIT! One of Kuus most iconic song, the only word I can think of to describe Juicy is ‘skanky’. And I mean that in the absolute best way possible. Sweaty, bombastic and outrageous, think Dirrrty and I'm A Slave 4 U times 100. ‘Juicy’ boldly sees Kumi declaring herself as the most succulent of all, ripe and ready to be squeezed. With plenty of double entendres, moans and a choreography routine that would make even Rebecca Moore blush, Juicy perfectly shows Kumis iconic sexy, nasty attitude, that makes everyone want a piece.

Moon Crying- (2008)

The other side of the Kumi Koda coin- heart wrenching, soaring pop ballads. For whilst she may be the best pussy popper I’ve ever seen, Kumi also has hella pipes and an emotive ability few can match. Her ‘comeback single’ post her big controversy (look it up, it’s kinda hilarious), Moon Crying presents Kumi in a more conservative, demure light. A beautiful orchestral ballad, the combination of well paced piano and light harp strings, along with a soft cymbal in the chorus gives a light, angelic quality to the whole song. Speaking of angels, the chorus highlights an absolutely gorgeous vocal performance from Kuu- her transition into head voice shows her natural skill and ability. She sounds so beautiful there I thought it was a feature, then had to check it wasn’t a ghost singer- and no she really can do that live. A pop power ballad in every sense of the word, this is the type of song Mariah would be proud of, and a personal favourite for me to dramatically get into my feelings too. (Thank you to my vocal expert bestie Reiss for helping me distinguish its head voice and NOT falsetto here- snaps for him!)

Real Emotion- (2003)

Gaymers lemme hear you make some noise!! I knew this song before I even knew what a Kumi Koda was and it slaps as much then as it does now. The ICONIC title song of final fantasy x-2, Kuu was actually green suited into the Yuna’s sequence performance. A high octane, preppy, optimistic pop song, Real Emotion follows the story of FFX-2, and Yunas character development, to bravely move forward following the disappearance of Tidus and continue her great adventure. Kumis very first top ten hit, this song really showed what she can do for us- and that is slay.

Puff- (2020)

What did she just call me?! For real though, this is probably my least favourite song on this list. However I want to specify that I don’t think this is a bad song and that’s why it’s here. The newest song on this list, and also the first Kumi Koda song I’ve liked in a while. These days, Kuu seems to be obsessed with following trends- trap in particular seems to be her thing now- and also pumping out as much as she can, without taking time to create music that is truly unique to her and well...good. Puff however, is a bit of a ray of light. A fun, cheeky, tongue in cheek pop song, Puff is light on the substance and heavy on the silly- but that’s what makes it work. Instead of Kuu taking herself so seriously it sounds here like she’s just having fun, creating a product that is effortless and enjoyable, as opposed to calculated and uniform. More of this please Kumiko!

But- (2008)

A song about gay sex? You know I had to put it on here! Solidifying Kumiko as the gay icon she was born to be ‘But’ is a fun dance tune, lyrically describing the sensuality of man on man love, encouraging the listener to let go of their woes and embrace that, if it’s what they want. With a slightly wacky, wild video with two beautiful androgynous twink back up dancers to boot, ‘But’ really shows Kumis fearless attitude to her career- instead of kowtowing to the general public of conservative japan she decided to follow her own path and pay homage to the bright, beautiful and fun figures of the LGBT community that inspired her. And a yaas Queen was heard all round.

Go To The Top- (2014)

Taken from Kumis 11th studio album, Bon Voyage, I was initially disappointed it wasn’t a cruise ship themed single like the album aesthetic. However, what we got instead is a high octane, fast paced anime theme song esque electro dance floor anthem. Featuring an actual 8 bit sound sample that sounds like it directly lifted from an 80’s arcade game, Go To The Top embodies a stereotypically japanese aesthetic- a bright burst of colour and technology. This fits I perfectly with Kuus natural exuberance- instead of drowning under such a busy beat, she rises to the challenge, riding it like an expert surfer on the open sea. The overall result is a non stop up tempo banger, perfect for showing just how much of an impact Kuu can make when she wants.

Never Enough- (2018)

Another ballad from Kuu! This however, is a departure from the theatrical dramatics seen previously in Moon Crying- by comparison Never Enough is a stripped back, RnB tinged piano driven fest of raw emotion. If Moon Crying evokes the diva-isms of Mariah Carey and Céline Dion, then Never Enough is the Alicia Keyes equivalent- rawer, raspier and more real. There’s a sense of maturity this time round, with a focus on lower harmonies than hitting all the high notes. She doesn’t sound perfect, you can feel the damage and hurt in her voice, but that lack of polish just serves to make it more real.

So Into You- (2002)

Baby Kuu! Taken from her debut album affection, So Into You is your fairly standard early 00s pop/RnB dance song. Whirling synths make way for a smooth jazzy beat, with the drums and guitars allowing for a sense of beat and rhythm, perfect for some cookie cutter choreography and vocals that, whilst sweetly carrying over the melody, with a nasal twang showing off Kumis age, are nothing career defining. However, what makes this song special, and the reason it has made this list, is not only because it showcases Kuus humble beginnings, but also, in my opinion, it was a glimpse of the greatness to come. Before So Into You's release, Kumi, depressed at her lack of immediate success, had turned to comfort eating and thus gained considerable weight. Label bosses, horrified at this, threatened Kuu, informing her at the video shoot for previous single Color of Soul that if she didn’t lose weight, her next video would be animated (the Color of Soul video itself only shows kuu from the neck up). Never one to give up, Kumi showed that determination and grit that has carried her through her career and dropped the weight for the video of So Into You- I like to think the crop top she chose to wear was her own F you to those who doubted her. Problematic behaviours by label bosses aside, this was the first time Kuu was really showing the sexy side she later became famous for and as such, I feel so into you is a real turning point in her career- digging deep to find the confidence in herself she went on to give so many others. That and the blonde hair with pink tips and baby face are just so adorable!

Butterfly- (2005)

Kuus biggest hit...but it took me a little while to understand why. It’s not a sexy thot bop, nor is it a heart wrenching ballad, nor is it a sweat dripping dance anthem- which as this list shows so far are all things she excels at. Instead, Butterfly has a sound that I can only describe as kitschy retro. A mid tempo, guitar driven track, it wouldn’t sound out of place being the soundtrack to a montage in an 80s slapstick action film, or a Persona game. It has a slightly campy, hammy feel, perpetuated by the building of guitars and an excitable, bouncy vocal. Lyrically Butterfly is pretty expectable- a metaphor of one breaking free of their own cocoon to show their colours. It feels fitting to end this list with it, as it was once Kumi began showing her true self she saw huge success.

In conclusion, trying to quatinfy Kuu into just ten songs was hard, but it allowed me to dive deep into her discography and find some hidden gems. Kumi's career is certainly nothing to scoff at which is why I find it slightly bemusing that people tend to view her beneath other icons. Although she is currently at a strange point in career and seems to lack the creative drive of her heyday, I have hope and faith in her talent she can get back on the right path. And if not, she can always keep on popping her pussy to Juicy! Cheers to Kuu- the weirdest, campiest, funniest diva in the game! I hope you enjoyed this read and look out for next weeks.