Air Koda Large Images

Thanks to YesAsia, larger versions of Koda Kumi's 'Air Koda' posters are now available. =^-^=

Koda Kumi - BEST ~third universe~ Album Review

This is definately one of Koochan's best albums! A lot of the songs have a vibe from her affection days, which, personally, is one of my favourite Koda Kumi albums.

So Koda Kumi's 8th album was one I was excited to get.

Who am I kidding? I'm ALWAYS excited for a new Koda Kumi album! I was especially exicted for this album, being another BEST album and whatnot. Considering Best ~first things~ and BEST ~second session~ are two of my all time favourite Kuu albums, naturally I'd be just as stoked for BEST ~third universe~.

The covers of the album even resemble her album BEST ~second session~ from 2006!

So let's start this review off with the CD designs, okie? :3

What I love about the covers to the 2CD and 2CD+DVD versions is that she's holding the booklet to her BEST ~second session~ album. :3 You can tell just from that, that this is going to me an AMAZING album. Throughout the booklets, it references images from one booklet to the next - kinda of showing her past self to her present self and how far she's come: from being a singer that hardly anyone knew about to one of the largest stars in Asia.

It shows her style from her affection, grow into one and feel my mind eras in one booklet and then her current style.

It's always the booklets that make me fall head-over-heels for Koochan. ^-^ She's so pretty!!

Now! Onto the songs - the reason I'm a fan!

We'll go in order, kk?

01. Step Into My World: This song is definately the full version of 'Introduction to TRICK from her TRICK album last year and it's so much fun! This song is very electronica and basically gives you a heads up on what's to come. It's kinda of like electronica meets R&B meets Rock. Koda Kumi's old style (before secret) was very R&B-oriented. Then it slowly grew to be pop/rock (and the ocassional hip-hop like on her TRICK album).

02. Can We Go Back: Definately the hardcore rock song of the album! Some of you might know Kelly Clarkson's song Can We Go Back. Well, this song has the same arrangement - but let me make this clear: KODA KUMI DID NOT STEAL IT. The writer of the song sold it to both artists; Kelly's just came out first. However, Koda Kumi actually has the voice suited for the song. I like Kelly and all, it's just that she cracks a lot when she sings her song. Koda Kumi's powerful vocals definately make her able to pull off this song. :3 As far as the PV, it has a Joan of Arc theme and even has a dancebreak in the middle of the video. Let me state: You are not a TRUE Kuu-fan unless you know this dance! (I know it!)

03. SUPERSTAR: This is the first pop song from the album - the style that made Koda Kumi famous (her secret era was what made her known). This song is very upbeat and cutesy. Even the PV is adorable! Koda Kumi's vocals are perfect throughout this song and the end of the song is absolutely adorable. X3

04. You're So Beautiful: Koda Kumi is the only artist that can make me fall in love with a ballad. I've never been a ballad-oriented person, but Koochan makes me one. This song is very soft and flows beautifully. It's amazing how she can go from hitting those hardcore rifts in Can We Go Back and then do something so soft as this. Even the PV has the same beautiful flow as the song. It's very simple, but beautiful, nonethess. Koochan looks positively stunning. It shows her sexiness while showing how simple beautiful she is.

05. Lick me♥: When we first heard the title to this song, our minds went straight to the gutter. X3 Koda Kumi is ero-kawaii (sexy-cute), so naturally, we're not thinking this song to be modest - WRONG! It's a very upbeat and poppy song! The song itself is about ice cream and the 'Flavours of Summer'. This song was nominated for 'Best Song of the Year' in Japan. :3 The PV is even adorable! Koda Kumi portrays the different flavours of ice-cream and the personalities to follow, while her and her friends work in an ice cream parlour (rollerskates!).

06. Work it Out!: This song is VERY 80s-oriented! You hear this song and you can't help but feel like you just took a step back in time. I guess after her cover of Venus went well, she decided to do another 80s-styled song - AND IT WORKS! This song actually makes you want to do what every 80s song made you want to do: GET UP & MOVE!! (pun intended!)

07. No Way: This is another ballad from our beloved singer and, like many others, it had me bawling less than sixty seconds into it. It's VERY powerful and practically drags you back to her single releases for Final Fantasy X-2 back in 2002. It's like a mixture between '1000 no Kotoba' and 'hands'. The song is BEAUTIFUL. Koochan is the ONLY person that can make me bawl over a ballad! ...well...a few DBSK songs have done that to me, too, but that's another story.

08. Stay: A very soft and pretty ballad that flows quite nicely after 'No Way'. This song kind of drags you back to her secret era (really!). The chorus in this song made me cry. "I know feeling your heart oshiete hoshii kono kimochi no imi wo...." That part always gets me. It's so sad! I can't help but cry when I hear it. I'm a sap, I'll admit it!

09. Comes Up: This song sounds like it just stepped off of her FREAKY single! X3 It reminds me of Lady Go! and whenever I hear it, I automatically want to listen to Lady Go! right after it. It's Pop/R&B and, as usual, her vocals are PERFECT for it. :3 You listen to this song and you think of waking up in the morning on a perfect day: early morning and the smell of dew is still lingering. :3

10. Physical Thing: We ALL know about this song! Koda Kumi released this song after meeting Lady Gaga and you can tell that the PV for it was inspired by Lady Gaga's Just Dance video. It has the tunnel vision and it's a very risque Koochan. I like the song (it's addicting), but the video (to me) was just so-so. It didn't look like a lot of effort went into it. The reason Gaga's Just Dance video was the way it was because she wasn't famous, yet and didn't have the funds to make a high-scaled video. However, Gaga's videos are heavily influenced by Koda Kumi, too. Look at Bad Romance! It's just a mix of Koda Kumi's Trust You video and Ayumi Hamasaki's Ladies Night video.

11. ECSTASY: YAY FOR ANOTHER HARDCORE ROCK SONG! :D I'm in LOVE with this song and dance! It's so addicting! With hardcore rifts throughout the song and Koda Kumi's flawless vocals and dancing, why wouldn't this be a hit? The video is freaking SWEET! In that blue outfit and when she's in the 'tub' - ARGH! It's awesome! Plus the dance is so much fun in this song! X3 Every time I hear it, I have to get up dance to it. :3

12. UNIVERSE: UNIVERSE is definately the perfect song to follow after ECSTASY! This song is so addicted! It's electronica/dance and it's a bad-ass song! I'm so glad there was a song specifically designed for this album! I wish this song had a video! I could picture how sweet it would be!

13. Alive: Okay. This is gonna sound HORRIBLE, but this is the first time - THE FIRST TIME - I've ever heard a Koda Kumi I just didn't like. Since 2002, I've been saying that I've never heard a Koda Kumi song I didn't like, but I just don't like Alive. It's too slow and sounds very Disney. The PV is absolutely gorgeous, but it doesn't make up for the boring song. And here's what gets me: People keep saying they LOVE this song, and then they say they don't like Ai no Uta or Yume no Uta and it's like, "WHAT?!" Those are two of her most FAMOUS ballads and people don't like them, but those same people love this song. Urgh.

14. Moon Crying [Live Ver. in Taiwan]: This is one of my favourite Koda Kumi ballads. It was the first song she released after the whole issue in 2008 and she always sings it with so much emotion - because there's emotion to have in this song. She did this song SPECIFICALLY for fans. Seriously. She did this song just for her fans - to show how much she cares about us and hopes that we never leave her (how could we?!). You can't listen to this song and feel nothing - it's impossible (less you're a sociopath). Her vocals are amazing in this song and sound even better (if that's possible) live. I bawl my eyes out when I hear this song. WE'LL NEVER LEAVE YOU, KOOCHAN! YOUR FANS WILL ALWAYS STICK BY YOU!!! This was the perfect song to end the album. Her fans in Taiwan were so lucky to have the chance to see her. I'm jealous.

Well. That wraps up the review for BEST ~third universe~! I'll be doing another review for Driving Hits II!

Point is this with the album: GO BUY IT!! It's AWESOME!!