she does get styled to look way less pretty than she could be. especially her hair. they make it do gross sometimes and it can make her look So Nice. obsessed with her hair in Lay Down and Ai wo Tomenaide.

I think that all singers have periods in their careers that seem "stale" and predictable it's called a "rut" and everyone goes through one from time to time. I mean after all you can't be innovative all of the time. The album still did really good on the charts #1 probably for the week- so what if it didn't sell as much as the last or that the songs aren't doing good on the digital charts right now, lets just appreciate the new album and stop trying to find things to complain about plz.

I think a lot of people's main concern is that they don't want Kuu to fall into the BoA/Crystal Kay/BENI/Ai Otsuka, etc category.

man these sales are depressing, bad, sad and whatever, but no good at all. it's seriously one of her best albums in her whole career.

got my copy from CD Japan a few days ago, listenin to the album non stop since than. ****ing amazing. I think it's gonna beat Kingdom for me. and it's my #2 fav al by Kumi.


ps: someone deserves a good slap for the weakest track on the album. Yes HIRO I'm looking at you with your Everyday. :shakehead

and who did this amazing photoshot? Kazuyoshi Shimomura. so u can't blame Ayu's duck face on him. this guy is a real pro.

Yeah, idk. When AKB started selling millions, I stopped caring about Japanese sales.

I think Im fine if koda went the way of Beni or something, she'd probably have a lot more input for many things.

And I dont think we can compare her to Miliyah, I think people forget that miliyah is an incredibly successful model...I never even thought about her as a singer first lol

I can see koda going the way of Ai Otsuka...people used to call her the next Ayu :/

Anyway, who knows what will happen. If this is the end, at least she went out totally awesomely lol, sales or no sales.

I don't think we really have to worry about that with Kuu. The examples you gave most of them made pretty generic music, had generic personalities, and their popularity died after a few years when people finally sick of them. Which Kuu is the complete opposite everyone loves her personality and her music (even though the last 2 albums were kinda bleh). I say if Kumi's popularity were to take a nose dive it would have taken it a long time ago because Namie was only around for like 5 years before her "unpopular" era began - I'm just using as an example. But even if I'm wrong and she does end up not being able to even the chart - it was a pretty good 12 years.

Oh god no. I don't really mind Kuu not selling amazingly I just don't want people to be calling her a has been and things like that. She's just too good for that imo. :(

hsienko, I so agree with you.
I mean, what's this drama all about?
The last years her current album always sold less than the one before. So far JAPONEQSUE is doing the absolute same route.
With the exception of Namie, every female solo artist doesn't strike with her sales anymore. Miliyah Kato had some nice ones with her Best album, but her last single just sold 5k.
Kana Nishino still has good sales for her albums, but she had her peak in 2010 already and since then her sales are falling as well. And she's a fresh face for people.
Ayu sells less and less with every album as well. Though Kuu's falling faster, that's true and a pity.
To make it short - it's a trend for female solo artists, no matter how good they are.
Also last year not one album, not even from AKB48, Arashi or EXILE, was able to hit the million mark. And we all know how static the yearly single chart 2011 looked.
Yeah it is sad - but for the whole music market in Japan.
And nobody knows how it will end.

And for recochoku - actually the album songs are doing good compared to e.g. Dejavu's.
We don't know yet if Brave is able to go the same successful route like Aitakute last year.
But overall the album songs do better than last year.


Sales for today:
2 *7,407　倖田來未

Estimated total so far:
84,691

I want to be a positive fan and believe Kuu will rise again someday. Maybe she has that Namie "unpopular era" but I think she might get back to the top one day. It would be so cool if female solo artists became amazingly popular. *__* I'd like to see the second peak of Ayu (it would've been too awesome to be her fan during 2000-2002) and Kuu~ 8D

THIS

BoA had such a future laying in front of her, but suddenly she switched to boring ballads/repeptitive 294704837 millions of poppy songs. she got so boring and the quality of her music dropped hugely, followed by a huge drop in sales.
at the time everyone thought that she'd be the second Ayu too in terms of success, idk what happened but her hard work didn't really seem to pay off afterwards. the same goes with Ai, "second Ayu", whatever, but the hype with her passed a way too soon as well. :shakehead

so - no. I don't want Kuu to repeat this.

Namie reinvented herself. that's her main plus. she changed composers, style, concept, music & everything to go with the fashion. but she also got some amazing music done. she had hip-hop and now she's just makes a good pop/electro. maybe her composers are the key, idk. or the management team

Ayu goes the same old path. that's very surprising to see, knowing how much versatile she was in the past. :thud

Kuu is amazing, and she has many styles, and I do not understand the sales at all. maybe it is really a sign that to make the people ineterested again she should change the music or something a bit to get that fresh feeling. on the other hand, I just can tell "this is Koda Kumi style', she does have her own style....

More translations~

All for you (translation)



So Nice feat. Mr.Blistah (translation)

Also debating about Kuu changing...
I think Kuu won’t change.
Why should she?
She doesn’t have to proove herself anymore and she said herself in an interview that she doesn’t care about sales anymore.
Also she found herself as an artist – her diversity in music is what she is, it shows her personality!
Maybe she will proove me wrong when she's coming back, but I do have the feeling she's absolutely happy now with her career and her private life.

@tenshi no hane, thank you so much for your effort!

Yeah, thank you so much, tenshi!^^
Slow surprised me, those are some nice ones Kuu wrote.

Yes, why should Kuu change? She's happy with the way she is. She's honest with herself and her music is "Koda Kumi". I don't think she really needs to change. Of course, after the eargasmic No Man's Land I wonder if she'll do a rock album one day, but she'd still be Kuu. :)

And thanks for the translations, tenshi. <3 All for you made me cry. It's so beautiful. ;___; <3

tenshi no hane thank u once again 4 the lyrics translation! u r amazing as always!

I love All for you lyrics, simply yet have very warm & kind feeling.

btw what is she saying in the intro? "for me" booklet doesn't say anything bout it.

It's "follow me".

:shakehead it's really weird IMO... With other models, Shimoko makes incredible shootings, but when it comes to Ayu, DISASTER (not always though) ! Maybe it's just Ayu... Maybe it's just Shimoko who can't "beautify" her like he does with others...

O wow..So Nice is so XXX hahahha!!
All for yu is gorgeous :)

I just read the lyrics.... Huh it's a song about ... b*l*o*w*j*o*b ?! O_o