Koda Kumi

Kumiko Kōda (神田 來未子), known professionally as KODA Kumi (倖田 來未), is a Japanese singer from Kyoto, known for her urban and R&B songs.

After debuting with the single "Take Back" in December 2000, KODA gained fame in March 2003 when the songs from her seventh single, "Real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba", were used as themes for the video game Final Fantasy X-2.

KODA debuted on December 6, 2000, with the single "Take Back"; it was followed by "Trust Your Love", "Color of Soul" (both 2001), and "So into You" (2002).

"Trust Your Love" and "Color of Soul" were both Top 30 singles; the former reached number 18 on the chart and became KODA's first Top Twenty single.

Using the stage name KODA, KODA recorded "Take Back" and "Trust Your Love" in English and released the singles in the United States under Orpheus Records.

"Take Back" peaked at number 18 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart; "Trust Your Love" had more success, reaching the top spot on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart.

The single also charted on the Hot Singles Sales chart and Hot Dance Club Play chart, at No. 19 and No. 35, respectively.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, KODA recorded the charity single "The Meaning of Peace" with Korean singer BoA as part of Avex's Song+Nation project to raise funds for charity.

In March 2002, KODA released her debut album Affection under Rhythm Zone; it peaked at number 12 on the Oricon album chart.

After the release of Affection, KODA released three singles.

"Love Across the Ocean", "Maze" (both 2002), and "real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba" (2003).

"Love Across the Ocean" and "Maze" peaked at the number 19 and 25 positions.

KODA achieved minor success with "real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba", which peaked at number 3 after three weeks on the charts.

The songs were used as the opening and ending themes, respectively, of the video game Final Fantasy X-2; in addition, KODA motion-acted the dance moves of one of the characters and voiced the character Lenne in the Japanese version of the game.

She released her second album, Grow into One in March 2003.

It debuted at number 11 on the charts, and peaked at number 8 in the fourth week of its run.

From then on, KODA continued a string of Top Twenty singles with "Come with Me", "Gentle Words" (both 2003), and "Crazy 4 U" (2004).

She then released her third album Feel My Mind (February 2004), which debuted at number 7.

KODA also covered the theme song of the anime series Cutie Honey originally by Yoko Maekawa for the 2004 live-action film and Re: Cutie Honey.

The song, which shared the same name as the show, was included as a bonus track on the album and became the title track of her eleventh single, "Love & Honey" (2004), after the album's release.

At the end of the year, KODA released two more singles, "Chase" and "Kiseki".

During her image change, KODA stated her concern about what her parents would think.

When they approved and supported her, she chose to keep the style that would become infamous with her name: "ero-kakkoi".

Her popularity grew with the release of her fourth studio album Secret (2005), her sixteenth single "Butterfly" (2005), and her first greatest hits album Best: First Things (2005), reaching the number-three, number-two, and number-one spots respectively.

Though her early releases presented a conservative, quiet image, she has become a fashion leader among young women, setting trends such as the ero-kakkoii style.

KODA's first release of 2005 was her fourteenth single, "Hands" (January 19).

Less than a month later, she released her fourth album, Secret.

Secret debuted at number 3 and became her first album to debut in the Top Five.

The album was certified double platinum by the RIAJ for selling 521,000 copies total.

KODA then released her fifteenth single, "Hot Stuff", from the album.

Shortly afterwards, KODA released her first live DVD, Secret: First Class Limited Live.

In 2006 and 2007, Oricon named KODA as the top selling artist of the year.

KODA was born into a family of musicians.

Her grandfather was a Shakuhachi master and her mother was a Koto teacher; she is the older sister of Misono, current solo artist and former lead singer of Day After Tomorrow.

Inspired by her mother, who performed in karaoke bars, KODA, from a young age, had aspirations of becoming a singer.

Her school years were unhappy; she described her junior and high school years as "obscure times", as she was ridiculed due to her "fatness", "shortness", "ugliness", and other factors related to her appearance.

During her second year of high school KODA auditioned in Avex's "Dream Audition", where she came in second out of 120,000 participants.

She was then signed onto the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone.

KODA's first semi-biographical book, KODA-shiki ("KODA-style") was officially described as "a story about a girl who was filled with inferiority complex pursuing her way".

In 2006, Oricon reported that Secret: First Class Limited Live had set a new record on the music DVD charts by remaining at the top of the Oricon DVD charts for seven weeks in total.