[Koda Kumi] The 188th Thread - NEW DOUBLE ALBUM ► W FACE inside/outside

[melissalove]

So glad new songs are getting promotion.

[abestfah]

Originally Posted by Isicio

Okey xD I can wait for my outside copy to come, and SuG MIXTAPE best too. Did you get Inside only? Where? In a store or trought the web?

About the booklet pics, why is she covering her eye in 6 photos? Reminds me the illuminati thing and mind control, maybe is to show the glitters and nails. Driving Hit's 7 cover is from outside photoshoot.

I mean i just speak what's INSIDE my mind out

[Next_Level29]

it's a concept, releasing two albums. it was very predictable that the one has more upbeat songs and the other one is filled with slower songs. combining both albums would definitely make a greater album but I love the concept ideas koda kumi and her stuff has. of course, the quality of the songs may lack here and there but it is the most normal case, for me. she released 18 (?) new songs on the same day.
One the one hand, I would love to see ayu doing those concepts but then, her lack of quality can be seen sometimes even when she releases an album with 10 songs on it. On the other hand, I'm such an ayu hardcore fan, sooner or later I will fall in love with all her songs.

i'm totally happy with both of the albums. at least we get new stuff!

[freedreamer]

OK FINALLY, i have time to digest both albums as wholes and its time to share my opinion:

Im going to give an overview first. I REALLY appreciate the step up this album is from WOML and Bon Voyage. I could never find something proper and conceptual in those two. I felt like, Kuu was trying to change it up but also got lost. But in W FACE, she finally had the time to put it all together. I like how experimental OUTSIDE is and how safe INSIDE is. It really comes full circle and there's 20 songs to go around so I had an enjoyable time.

Thing about OUTSIDE is, she seems to be doing this very very minimal background music style like from Shh! I always felt Shh! was kinda...hollow in production. Just a few layers of sounds, with Kuu's voice topped on them. I didn't tihnk this would be a defining style for OUTSIDE as a whole. Many times, I felt that the song could have been fuller and richer. That said, I guess its cohesive that way, and truth to be told, I didn't feel terribly overwhelmed by the music. Sometimes dance/r&b are really draining to me but this isnt.

INSIDE is so typical-Koda Kumi i cant even. So to hear that some people dislike BOTH albums is shocking. Nonetheless, the only issue I have with this is...THIS LACKS A BIG BALLAD LIKE YUME NO UTA!!! And i don't appreciate midtempo happy pop songs so songs like Sukideshite is definitely out. Stand by you and On my way are very midtempo ballads too but are alright.

INSIDE:

01 BRIDGET SONG - 9/10 - Loved it already when I saw the PV preview. So lighthearted and such a throwback to her IN THE AIR days which I adore.

02 Bring It On - 4/10 - Really didn't care for this lol.

03 喜びのかけら (Yorokobi no Kakera) - 10/10 - why doesn't this have a PV? This is, to me, the best song on the album! I love the chorus and how it all gels. This is a song with very full production. If you compare it with many tracks with OUTSIDE.

04 Stand by you - 7/10 - It's pretty sweet. This gave me K-OST vibes especially the piano. I may not be listening it in the long run but it's nice.

05 好きでして (Suki deshite) - 6/10 - Gave it one full listen, well it's not bad but not my style of song.

06 君想い (Kimi Omoi) - 9.5/10 - Loved it. Love it. But time has gone by, so its a 9.5.

07 On my way - 7/10 - This is one song I thought would bore me to death and depending on my mood, it could still do that. But I took a proper listen and its well, pretty alright. Mood-dependent.

08 What's Up - 8.5/10 - I'm such a sucker for such Summery rock tracks of Kuu. I'm glad she threw one in here. Very catchy WHAT'S UP in the chorus. I can imagine everyone jumping to it.

09 Promise you - 10/10 - The next walk. LOVE IT so much and the live probably made me feel, this is a very powerful track.

10 My fun - 6/10 - I'll give her points of the collaboration and inclusion of her son. But I didn't really listen to it with much attention because I just zoned off.

OUTSIDE:

01 W FACE - 9/10 - Though I would dislike this because it sounded so...lifeless in the preview but hey, NOT BAD. I like the additional sounds that came in halfway in the second chorus. And the TWO FACE dude is malicious and awesome.

02 Ultraviolet - 9.5/10 - I also thought this was a tad too repetitive when I heard it at first but I didn't know a bridge with a different tempo existed?! That really makes the song so much better (and it deserves a better PV LOL). Very K-Pop style imo.

03 Insane - 8.5/10 - Annoying preview but overall, very strong song. I dislike the synth voice they used on her in the bridge but other than that, there's some groove and attitude which I really like.

04 Damn real - 5/10 - Very modern piece I felt. Classic kinda genre in today's music but it didn't go anywhere for me. Reminded me a bit of K.A.R.D's style (which is also the style of many artistes). But yea..too flat.

05 Heartless - 9/10 - SURPRISED! Love the emotions captured here and how raw everything sounds. I do agree, that the chorus could be toned down a bit. Nonetheless, I like her insertion of this song here.

06 Bassline - 9/10 - Ooooo I love this! So different and unique but this is where the hollow songs begin.

07 Shhh! - 7/10 - I didn't really like it when it first came out so it's just okay for me. Definitely not a bad song but just didn't catch my attention.

08 Bangerang - 10/10 - DOPE TRACK! I love it. I loved it from the instrumental preview. This song actually has a sick melody and the trumpet sounds omg, I dig it so much. I love the bass when it hits the BANGerang part.

09 Wicked Girls - 8/10 - Honestly, didn't like it until the 2nd and 3rd listen. It's so fun and I like the verse and style. I could listen to this for a while.

10 Cupcake feat. AKLO - 3/10 - Hmm? What?

[KarenPang]

1st day sales/positions are out

#1 - W FACE ~outside~ ; 11,830
#2 - W FACE ~inside~ ; 11,812

Very surprised outside outsold inside by 18 copies . I would have thought inside would be the 1 that sold more than outside

[thinkingoutloud89]

^but it already won with the previews and inside is really lacking compared. I like the idea of both albums, but an full upbeat album is easier to handle than a full ballady album.

[Gustavopc]

Oh, so the cover for DH7 is actually an outtake of outside... Now I see why the effect lol

[KuuXAyu-fan]

Dreadful sales but expected. I hope she can grab the #1 but it could be tough.

[Corvina]

Another TV appearance!

【倖田來未テレビ出演情報】
3月22日（水）12:00〜12:30
テレビ朝日「徹子の部屋」に倖田來未が出演します！
http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/tetsuko/

And those sales are alright.
I'm curious how it will do in the long run.

And here some stats for the LINE Live broadcast earlier:

[pedronekoi]

Also her LINE account did a poll on which album you like the most and if I can recall Outside was winning by 78%. I'm so addicted to "W FACE"!!

If this album was released on the Western, I would see a lot of people talking about illuminati theories lol In almost every picture from the booklet she's covering one eye and also the triangles behind her hahah Sorry, I'm addicted to thoe theories!

[Corvina]

Yes, the poll is still active for 2,5h:



And lol. She's covering her eyes or one side on every pic cause of the two side concept!

[Minttulatte]

I'm just here to say that I love both albums equally and now I'm off to twitter to praise these songs in more detail because I'm not allowed to do it here. :'D

[pedronekoi]

Originally Posted by Corvina

And lol. She's covering her eyes or one side on every pic cause of the two side concept!

I know! hahah Just a fun fact (?)

_

Unboxing W FACE:

[KarenPang]

https://twitter.com/KODAKUMINET/stat...63999548735489

Yay for cake

[kaled kalil]

My thoughts about the album:
~inside~

BRIDGET SONG - 09/10 - Good opening
Bring It On - 07/10 - It could be a couple of seconds shorter, the end is a little draggy
Yorokobi no Kakera - 07/10 - It felt a little flat for me, but it's a good ballad
Stand by you - 10/10 - This is a 2006 ballad to me, the song is almost 6 min long but the vocals are so good that I can't. It's very Unmei-ish
Sukideshita - 10/10 - I'm a sucker for songs like Someday, and this is Someday ~to the future~, you can even sing the tchu tchu ru~ of the song that it fits
Kimi Omoi - 08/10 - Still a good ballad
On my way - 08/10 - Good ballad as well, but it doesn't go anywhere
What's Up - 09/10 - Pop-rock song gone right! Better than the LALALALALA ~ LIFE so GOOD! ~ Poppin' love cocktail formula
Promise you - 09/10 - Very cute midtempo ballad, it still feels a little b-side like to me but I do enjoy it
My fun - 10/10 - I can't with people calling this song creepy, bye. Such a pure and magical song, love Chara even more for this. Can this have a Studio Ghibli like animated PV?

~outside~

W FACE - 10/10 - YASS BITCH SLAY. That's it.
Ultraviolet - 10/10 - Love the pre-chorus, it reminds me of VIP's messiness
Insane - 06/10 - Not a fan, the chorus is a little annoying, but it's not a bad song
Damn real - 08/10 - If flows nicely, again the pre-chorus is great. This is the track I want to be the tropical house smash on Driving Hit's.
Heartless - 08/10 - How no one is comparing this song with Believe from Secret? It's basically the same but with better lyrics. I can see going really bad live, but interesting song either way
Bassline - 10/10 - Good chorus and the lyric is so sexy! "Feel the bassline, getting closer with my waistline. I'll take you to the bedtime, can you feel the bassline?" As sexy as Ima Sugu Hoshii
Shhh! - 09/10 - I still love this song. It still fresh to me
Bangrang - 10/10 - Can't wait to see a performance for this song
Wicked Girls - 10/10 - this gif just say everything I think about this song:



Cupcake - 10/10 - You know the song is good when you can imagine a PV for it. I can picture Kumi on an alley dancing on a "Under" kind of style, with a cat sitting on a roof at night. Something very "catwoman". haha

Overall, what a gorgeous project!

[ahtka-chan]

Still listening to Outside, but Inside is really, really, generic. I do like to think that is NOT who Kumi is in her private life (as the concept suggests), just like Britney Jean couldn't have been Brit's most personal album ever (as it was promoted)

[Irish_Ayu_Fan]

Insane is hands down my favourite from both albums, actually so surprised how much I love it!

[indigochild]

Love you Kuu but... ya lost it with me. Inside was the biggest snoozefest of an album I have ever heard (Besides Promise you and I suppose BRIDGET SONG). Outside on the other hand is definitely more my style but the second half of the album was just... bad :\ Oh well.

[Uknow!]

Originally Posted by Irish_Ayu_Fan

Insane is hands down my favourite from both albums, actually so surprised how much I love it!

Agree.

[Corvina]

Wohooo, outside is currently charting in the Top 200 on iTunes Germany!
And at #56 in Spain.