Tracklist

1. Introduction For Kingdom
2. LAST ANGEL Feat.TOHOSHINKI
3. Amai Wana (甘い罠; Sweet Trap)
4. Himitsu (秘密; Secret)
5. Ai no Uta (愛のうた; Love Song)
6. anytime
7. Under
8. BUT
9. Koi no Mahou (恋の魔法; The Magic of Love)
10. Aishou (愛証; Proof of Love)
11. Anata ga Shite Kureta Koto (あなたがしてくれたこと; The Things You Did for Me)
12. Wonderland
13. FREAKY
14. MORE
15. Black Cherry (Bonus Track)

This is Koda Kumis 6^th album and was released on January 30, 2008. It reached #1 on the Oricon Charts and has sold 607,305 copies in Japan, but in total 1,159,263 throughout Asia. The song “Amai Wana” was used as Honda’s “ZEST SPORTS” CM song and “Under” was used as VISE’s “KOSE” CM song.

Opening Kingdom is apparently Koda Kumi’s take on the amazing whistle note, or something like it. I’m not really sure what the hell that sound is in the beginning. But anyway, the Introduction For Kingdom is a very pretty one. Nice and relaxing with the constant repetition of “love”. Although I really don’t get this introduction, or at least the track they placed after.

So why the hell did they place Last Angel right after the introduction? They clash horribly together. Nice sweet R&B (or whatever the intro was) and futuristic pop just don’t work together. Anyway, I’ve found myself never being able to make up my mind on this song. I love it one time, I hate the other time, I think it’s okay the next, then I decide it’s the worst song from Koda Kumi. So really, instead of making my mind, I’m just going to say Last Angel is a good song at times, but it could have been much better if Tohoshinki didn’t overemphasize their vocals at times, and if the music was just a bit more aggressive.

And up next, possibly one of my all time favorite songs on the album. Amai Wana has made an amazing playcount of 80 on my iTunes, and for a very good reason. I absolutely love Arabian works, and that what Amai Wana is. A hot Arabian track. Filled to the brim with sexy almost belly dancing like music and excellent vocals from Koda Kumi who finally shows us her nice range, this is a song to lookout for on the album. Although I question the live performances for this song. Apparently, Koda suddenly lost the ability to sing and dress properly (baggy hip hop clothing isn’t something for an Arabian song silly)

Ah Himitsu. It’s a nice sweet little R&B/Pop track, that doesn’t sound like Koda and her producers were in the Morning Musume mood. The little piano was nice, along with Koda’s vocals, but at the same time, this song feels horribly average.

And this is where we get to one of my favorite parts of the album. The ballad phase, starting with Ai No Uta. Even though this song is horribly typical of any J-pop artist and Koda Kumi (I guarantee you that EVERY SINGLE ARTIST out there has done song) it’s still very nice. Mainly because of Koda’s vocals, which were very well controlled (unlike in Aishou).

There’s just something so likeable about anytime. I’m guessing it’s because we all forget about the Britney Spears of Japan image Koda Kumi has and we get to see a much more adorable gentle side of her. This song is just really adorable and relaxing, and even though it sounds like something a little girl would sing to her so called “lover”, I liked it anyway. I really want to learn how to play those strings.

After 2 sweet slow songs, you guys were getting comfy huh? I bet you were lying down just getting ready to take a nice little nap at the park right? Well YOU’RE WRONG. Koda Kumi decides to give us a little wake up call. If you get into the comfy mode, the transition from anytime to Under can be freakishly scary (I should know). It’s like when you’re a guy, chatting with a sweet woman, you know, nice and all. Then she suddenly decides to strip down to her underwear and does a lapdance for you, but you’re gay.

….

Well anyway, if you guys thought Amai Wana was hot, Under is smoking center of the sun hot. This song features this really hot and “down and dirty” heavy industrial beat, and yet again, Koda is back to her really sexy vocals. Everything is just really hot about this song (can anyone say strip club music?), and I especially enjoyed those rap sections in the song. You might have a hard time pointing out where the chorus is exactly, and it may drag on for a while, but really, who cares? This song just breezed by for me.

Even more sexiness emanates from Koda, just in a more pimp cane and hat kinda way. Even after constant listens and repeats, But is still by far the best single that was released for this album. It’s still insanely catchy and danceable.

…And Koda Kumi is back with clothes on. When I heard those high pitched vocals in the beginning of Koi No Mahou, I was ready to give this song up. It’s quite a lot like Himitsu. Meaning, happy upbeat pop. This time around though, it’s not as average. Still average, just not as much.

So, Koda Kumi actually decides to take things seriously for once with Aishou huh? This song is actually very good, and a very emotional one too. The arrangement is pretty good, with the acoustic guitar and sudden bursts of electric guitar. But there is one big flaw of this song, and that is Koda Kumis vocals. It’s just all over the place in this song, as if she was slightly drunk (or trying too hard to add emotion) while she was singing this song.

This is where we reach the lowest point in the album. Anata Ga Shite Kureta Koto is the dullest song on the album, and there’s really nothing eye opening of this song. Just skip it. Really, the only thing that made this song even listenable was how she sang the title a few times during the chorus, but that gets old really fast.

Oh lovely, Koda Kumi is dipped in sugar yet again, but hey, at least it’s the kind of sugar that doesn’t make you nauseous. Wonderland is the happiest and poppiest song on the album, but god damn, it’s pretty good. It is still a horribly typical song, but I enjoyed the crazy “I won $10928430928490234 at the casino!” feel it had to it.

Possibly the weakest single released for this album, I actually forgot that Freaky was actually a single in the first place. Here’s the reason why, I find Freaky rather…average too. I mean, it’s good, but I really don’t find anything too eye opening about this song. I still enjoy singing along to the “get freaky” lines though. XD

And we finally get to see a side of Koda that I have never seen before. Bye bye sexy image, bye bye “I’m a little Morning Musume girl”. HELLO diva. More is one of the most unique songs on the album because of it’s very jazzy diva like arrangement. Plus, there’s a certain power to Kodas voice in this song, but I think she should have really belt it out a bit more, since it felt like it was lacking. I gotta say though, I enjoyed the background vocals, and it was entertaining listening to the constant of repetition of “more”. I like this jazzy side of Koda.

Hey, remember the introduction to Black Cherry? Well I sure don’t! But whatever. Apprently, Black Cherry is actually an extension of the introduction from Koda’s pervious album Black Cherry. This song sticks out like a sore thumb, but it’s pretty damn good. Very danceable, and tons of English lyrics. The song tends to feel very repetitive after a while though, which is why I was glad the song ends in a very surprising unexpected way.

You know what’s funny? I really didn’t want to review this album. For some reason, in my head, I kept telling myself that this was a really really crappy mediocre album that didn’t even deserve my attention. However, when I finally got off my butt to review this, man was I wrong. I was pleasantly surprised to find that a lot of the songs on this album are worth a listen. Almost every song here is of high quality, and has something good about them. Really, this is the very first album by Koda Kumi that I have listened too fully, and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a bit sad though, that all that stupid controversy with Koda Kumi made things harder for this album. Still worth a listen though.

Overall Rating

4 out of 5

Thanks to baka_tenshi for the scans!