:roflmao When I read the title of this thread as "Koda Kumi facing..." from the main page of the forum, I thought it was going to be a thread on her facing charges. :laugh

Anyway, I don't see what the big deal is. I don't really care if something is a rip-off or not. Besides, as Ryoko said, it's highly possible that two songs can end up sounding quite similar to each other. It has happened before, and it will always continue to happen.

Have you seen the credits? I'd be interested to know. I thought someone mentioned that she sometimes wrote her own songs...?
No-one thought it was, that's why I was referreing to Otsuka. It's not any better or worse to take one chorus of an old song and combine with the chorus of a different song. It's just as bad as ripping an entire song, there's really no difference. However this time the chorus isen't totally similar either..

music nowadays only had a chance of 0.1% of it being original i think... so many musicans in the world n u expect every piece of music they make is original? of cos there would be a very very high possibility that some part of the tune r similar...

Who's the singer from the first part of the clip? Her voice is awesome! Hanako's......not so much. I'd love to hear the full version (not Hanako's).

I'm pretty sure it will be credited in the single. No harm done.

I saw the credits that were written in CD Data...
No she doesn't compose her songs... She writes her own lyrics but she doesn't compose the music...

Oh well.. I think it should be ok.. I mean a tonne of other artists have the same problem and nothings arisen so whatver~
I prefer Kuu's version either way... the other songs weren't that appealing... the 1st one was alright though...

It's probably better not to jump to conclusions, since none of us really know the particular relationships between composers and labels and singers, or what deals get made behind the scenes. Music companies do have lawyers though, and if they felt they were being infringed upon surely it would be in court. I'd just enjoy the music and leave the legalities to the copyright owners.

Damn...this stuff kind of happens all the time in the US; your just have to know your music-history to catch it. I'm actually kind of curious about it because it seems J-Pop fans take this stuff seriously. Didn't know "walking proud" was similar to a KinKi Kids song. But I guess I kind of expected Kuu's song to really be a rip off. Mainly because mostly ALL her stuff I have heard/been bombarded with are in-some way grand-thefted material.

LOL in cases such as these, I did learn one thing from America's Next Top Model...cycle 6? (it was the one before the ongoing one):

IF YOU'RE GONNA COPY SOMEBODY...MAKE SURE YOUR VERSION IS WAAAAAAAAAY BETTER THAN THEIRS CAN EVER BE! ^-^ But hey, I'm not a musical fan of Kuu's so I guess that's ya'lls desicion on whether or not it's fair/right/blah-blah-blah/other stuff.

You know, since Yume no Uta is like, boring to me now, all I could think of is: if you're going to rip of (hypothetically) a song, let it be at least a good song.

I smell another "Janet Jackson + Superbowl" scandal!

I actually agree very highly with this. It's not like chords and chord progressions are highlighted. There similarities - sometimes downright striking - that I find in music but it's completely inconcievable that all of them are rip-offs.

I mean, In The Corner... I found parts of it very similar (both Jade's and Ayu's versions) to Mary J. Blige's Family Affair, but I doubt it was done intentionally (now Sarah Connor's Bounce, that may be another story altogether).


I didn't even realize it could be picked up so easily with Kuu's songs, though.... they're so bland and forgettable (I mean these two particular songs, just so you know. I do love Kuu, quite a lot, but this single sucks)

^ I don't see why though... nothings wrong with it...

I don't know why it would give you a good laugh. It IS the melody from Close Encounters. But that is on Sweetbox, not Ayu.

:D sorry i gonna edit the title now

I heard Ayu's "Will" is a ripoff of the theme song of Kiki's Delivery Service ( CHIBLI) or whatever

It wasn't really..

It's the hirahirahirahira part that was sort of similar with the BGM of Kiki's Delivery service, but it was probably coincidence. I mean come on. It's just like two notes XD

yea, i checked it on youtube
the hirahirahirahira part is a little bit similar with that one
but kuu's new single is absolutely a ripoff now
sigh.......

From what I recall, it was five notes. That's not a ripoff.

Anyway, I'll listen to the Close Encounters track again, then I'll let you know. Thank you again, Amazon samples.

What probably disturbs me more is that people jump the bandwagon and carelessly toss around accusations of ripoffs (a very, very serious charge that people here take too lightly) and then use that to justify a criticism of the artist.

Could any kind soul please upload or name the KinKi Kids song that's compared with walking proud? :) The links in the old thread are already dead, and I don't trust hearsay.

It looks like the song in question was KinKi Kids' Angel.

エンジェル
(作詞:浅田信一　作曲:谷本新　編曲:白井良明　コーラスアレンジ:松下誠)

From their 'D' album.
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/D_album

Thank you very much, truehappiness :D You're my Obi Wan Kenobi.

By the way, would you know the particular Kiki's Delivery Service BGM simonlau was referring to? :)

What's this Otsuka Ai business? I didn't know she ripped off someone. Could I ask what songs she ripped off from?