I have to admit this album for me will probably be rubbish. The singles were some of her worst in an era. Honestly... I don't see what's so exciting about this era, product wise, that everyone keeps throwing that out there. Other than the fact it's her first original album in a while, the material itself is just so forgettable.

^ in your opinion. For me Summer Trip is one of her best singles

Yeah, and I`m still so much in love with Go to the top single! :heart

If she has a song like "No Way," then I'll be happy. But I just feel like the singles of this era haven't been as impressive as her previous ones. I am really hoping for some strong album tracks (although she doesn't always have the best track record on that).

Yeah she usually has like one or two AMAZING album tracks which for me generally blow the already enjoyable singles out of the water. So far, I haven't been as pleased with the singles, and the promotional tracks we've received so far from this album (and the previews and demos) don't even surpass the mediocrity of the singles.

All other album tracks > all other singles > all this eras singles > this albums material ... SO FAR.

I agree. I only enjoyed Touch Down very much ..............I love Darling! (too bad she didn't included it in Bon Voyage..I'm sure it wouldn't have fitted at all..but still :( )
SHOW ME YOUR HOLLA sounds very good (at first I didn't like it) and the pv is great. So I still have hope with the album tracks. .

MTV special Interview Bon Voyage part 2
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/KaFjF-0v_-Y/

PW: 140226

With U KNOW in the background for the first part, preview for Let´s Party Vol.2 FC Tour, and Imagine in the last part.

She's very sweet in the interview..but I wonder what she's saying. She's talking exclusively about Bon Voyage? Or she also mentions the 2014 tour?

I liked so much that Imagine preview!! <3

Agreed. This album feels like a rehash of TRICK, and while I liked TRICK back in 2009, music has moved on. Everything I've heard from this era is so dated it hurts. I love Kuu but this is the first time I've been genuinely disappointed in her, she can do better :(

I just share the same opinion. It's been 10 years i'm a (huge) fan of Kumi.
I always love her but her music since her comeback is a disappoitment.
Of course she released some nice songs (is this TRAP?, SHOW ME YOUR HOLLA) but everything about her is just boring lately... I have noticed that for the first time in 10 years, she is not the artist i listen the most (point on my last.fm account).

I have the opportunity to be in Japan while she is touring, while i always wanted to see her live, i'm not so excited to come so far...
But anyway, i think to see her live might be the thing which will make me into her music again.

She is still my diva with some many hits. Her career from 2004 to beginning of 2007 is still the most perfect thing ever to me (+ TABOO) :-)

^ I think the problem is she's just too safe this era and she's not really progressing. Instead, she's just retreading everything she did a couple years ago, and it all feels like old news at this point. It's not interesting at all. :\

The new album isn`t even out yet, just saying.
And I personally don`t see the new stuff as boring.
I do understand why people maybe don`t like the singles. She did take a step closer to western influences again. Less JPop like. That might be a reason for some older fans. Or maybe you`re just tired of her.
Also do have artists always to progress? I don`t see it bad to stay with something they like and do good.

Actually, for me, the album stuff looks amazing so
far. Better than Japonesque, which was a good album, but lacks something for me, as an album. This new one seems to be very consistent in sound at least.

And a funny sidenote... people over on JPC are mostly positive so far. And they`re mostly harsher and more critical than here. Or they`re just waiting for the full album. Lol.

I don't know, i don't feel her music is that outdating. SHOW ME YOUR HOLLA is quite refreshing, it's just, i don't know... lack of something.
You compared this era to TRICK, so far, it makes me think of Dejavu, don't know why.

I said nothing about the quality of Bon voyage.
I just share my opinion from the stuff she released so far, just saying.

Progression doesn't necessarily mean she has to change her style, though. :) It's just, to me, her music still sounds like it's stuck in 2008 or 2009. SHOW ME YOUR HOLLA especially sounds like it was meant for TRICK imo. She could progress but still stay in her niche which works for her, and that's what I felt she did with JAPONESQUE, but everything from this era so far feels like a regression to me. Music DOES change with time; she can't keep making the same songs now as she did several years ago because pop trends change so fast. And like Darkifrit pointed out, we're not talking about the album as a whole yet, just the era and how its songs are shaping up so far.

Actually, to be honest, I find this era waaay less westernized than JAPONESQUE was. LALALALALALALALALALA is basically late 90s American pop but I'm not going to count that lol. Everything else is incredibly jpop.

I can't deny she's keeping it quite safe (if you don't count TOUCHDOWN -which a lot of people disliked anyway- and SHOW ME YOUR HOLLA).
I think what she's doing is standard Kumi stuff, and, you know, somebody's bound to like it, somebody's not. People like me, since I'm not overly concerned with sound evolution and I'm not really picky either, have more chances to enjoy it. I guess.
Apart from finding everything well made, I'm just into the songs. And, after JAPONESQUE, which I found AMAZINGLY GOOD, Bon Voyage till now feels simplier and fresher.

it's always the same...
if there's something "new" -> oh no i want old Kuu back, those were the gold days...
if there's the same style -> oh no why can't she do new things, she's boring...

and seriously i can't at people saying a song is "dated"...
i mean then Namie's FEEL is a boring and dated EDM mess, Justin Timberlakes 20/20 thing is beyond old RnB meets Timbaland crap and even Daft Punks Random Access Memories would be a hella dated 70s&80s disco/funk/soul/electronics disaster...

music is like fashion!
everything is coming back at some point and becoming trendy again, even with new things out sometimes (most of them are just old things in a new design/modern sound)

like Björk once said:
“ either you do a good song or a bad song , and that's it . formats are just illusions , and it's about the relationship between the person that makes music and the person that listens to music . ”

i wish people would just enjoy music, BUT nowadays it's just about selling, Records, is it a copy from another artist and the list goes on...
they don't care about the music anymore or looking whats behind it.
for someone "Dejavu" is a crappy album, cause it's so full of ballads and cute songs...
for me it's sure not her best one!
BUT for an Alice in Wonderland/Fairy Tale themed album i think she did a great job with this kinda dreamy&sweet sound.

i can't wait for Bon Voyage, cause everything has pleased me so far! :o

Certainly not. Actually, I hate when people complain about an artist not "moving on" from a sound that has garnered then success and still works for them. However, if you're going to rehash material, you better make damn sure that if it's not BETTER than what you've done with it in the past, it's at least AS GOOD AS. Anything less than will just sound like a watered down version of your past material that actually sounded good.

Why can't I find anything bad to say about this era? Why am I always loving everything Kuu releases? I seriously see everything flawless so far. It's also very funny that people are calling Bon Voyage rubbish judging by the singles she has released. It's just stupid. Everyone should just calm down and just wait the album, listen to it and then say what you think. :D And if this one sucks, I wait for the praise for Dejavu and Japonesque to begin. ;3