Koda Kumi’s 10 Best Songs
Completing 20 years in the Japanese music business is truly a marvel when you analyze the status of the current J-Pop scene, where idol groups rein supreme and the more seasoned songstresses have slowed down their pace or even retired. But Kumi’s career is still kicking, as it has done since December 7th, 2000 when she debuted with her first single “TAKE BACK.” As a toast to 20 years of knowing this mega-superstar, I’ve compiled what I believe to be her 10 best songs ever.
For anyone being introduced to Kumi through this list, know that you’re in for more than a treat, as these 10 songs provide a fantastic overview of the singer’s career. It consists of both mega hits and fan favorites, songs beloved in Japan and songs praised by fans outside of the country, and considers the full spectrum of Koda Kumi, from raunchy lyrics to bubblegum goodness. For any Kuu fans, this list is not meant to be an objective ranking, but simply an homage to the queen from one single fan’s perspective. Let’s party!
Lyric translations can be found by searching for the songs on this fan blog.
10. Pink Spider (2013)
When it was announced that Kumi would be recording a cover of hide’s hard rock hit, no one expected tart, electro-pop indulgence. The song is believed to be hide’s final goodbye as it was the last song scheduled for release before his suicide in 1998. Discourse began as to whether or not EDM was too vacuous a genre to adorn such an epitaph. But Kumi did more than walk on sacred ground — she floated above it like a goddess. The song is easily both the apex of her electro-pop radio hits (following songs like “TABOO” and “ECSTASY”) and the quintessential cover song of the queen of covers.
9. Ai no Uta (Love Song; 2007)
Kumi’s most decorated song is a sparse ballad that swells into a melodramatic requiem of unrequited love. A song with a description like that is a dime a dozen, especially in Japan, but “Ai no Uta” is an example that reinventing the wheel isn’t always necessary to touch the hearts of listeners. After several awards, tribute covers by fellow musicians, and an invitation to perform it ad nauseam year-round, Japan will never tire of this modern classic.
8. Heat (feat. Megaryu; 2004)
There are many stories about singles from the 60s and 70s that had a stronger B-side that eventually became the more massive hit. This is the storyline that “Heat” was robbed of. Released alongside “Chase,” just as she was entering the peak of her career, Kumi showed further versatility as an artist by making a J-Pop-filtered reggaeton song. Though it was the perfect way to continue her ero-kakkoii transition in that moment in time, the song still holds up as one of her strongest tracks.
7. Tsuki to Taiyou (The Moon and Sun; 2006)
This mid tempo album cut is the perfect fusion of cutesy J-Pop and soulful R&B. Though long forgotten in Kumi’s tour setlists over the years, the song’s pseudo attempt at being stripped down and its lullaby-like English chorus will keep you hitting the replay button. Essential listening? The bona fide unplugged version performed at a fan’s request on her Kingdom Tour 2008, found only as a bonus clip on the DVD release.
6. Driving (2009)
Yes, Kumi did make a name for herself as the J-Pop sex symbol. But don’t be fooled, she’s never afraid to go full on bubblegum. “Driving” is more than a bubblegum track though, creating an atmospheric experience through sonic means. True to the song’s name, it takes you for a ride in cinematic style, which is probably why Kumi named her remix series after it (Driving Hits).
5. hands (2005)
Though not as ubiquitous as “Ai no Uta” or as genteel as “Tsuki to Taiyou,” “hands” holds up as the quintessential Kumi ballad for its amalgamation of all the elements that make her ballads special: a stirring orchestra, an R&B cadence, and Kumi’s husky vocals. Coupled with a music video featuring the singer styled in ero-kawaii head to toe, “hands” best represents Kumi in serenade.
4. BUT (2007)
Kumi’s big band live rendition of the song is fun, but nothing beats the industrial bang of the studio recording. The lyrics are arguably Kumi’s most sexy — its a subtle invitation to a hesitant lover to explore rapture on the dance floor and behind closed doors. Its music video gives the song a homosexual reading, further marking Kumi as an unashamed LGBTQ+ ally in Japan.
3. Butterfly (2005)
Riding the sudden wave of continued success Kumi was finally seeing, she and her label took a page from her previous hit “Cutie Honey,” a song with a double bass as the focal point, and created this bossa nova tinged smash. A concert staple and signature song (before “Ai no Uta” came around), “Butterfly” exposed Kumi and ero-kawaii to teens and young adults who took Kumi’s career straight to the top. It’s no wonder this song earned Kumi the Japan Record Award — equivalent to the Grammy’s Record of the Year Award.
2. Dance In the Rain (2014)
Described as a “dance ballad” upon release, just before Kumi would enter her 15th year in the music business, “Dance In The Rain” touches on themes of overcoming sorrow and dancing through an onslaught of struggle. The lyrics are a reflection of a career of ups and downs, with the chorus serving as a mantra for the artist. Breaking barriers in VR entertainment with its 360° Oculus Rift music video, “Dance In The Rain” stands monumental as Kumi’s last song to truly cut the edge.
Crazy 4 U (2004)
The song that changed (and saved) Kumi’s career and introduced Japan to the ero-kakkoii fashion trend, “Crazy 4 U” was the blueprint for what would become a signature Koda Kumi sound. One can even argue that ero-kakkoii became a music subgenre in itself, and if we’re looking for the line of demarcation, it starts here. Though 2000’s “TAKE BACK” was her debut single, “Crazy 4 U” is where the artist known to the world as Koda Kumi was born.
To further commemorate Kumi’s 20th anniversary, click here to check out my list of 6 reasons why her career is special.
