Secret (Koda Kumi album)
| Secret | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 9, 2005 April 13, 2005 (special editions) | |||
| Recorded | 2004–2005 | |||
| Genre | J-pop, R&B | |||
| Length | 1:03:23 | |||
| Label | Rhythm Zone RZCD-45181/B (Japan, CD+DVD) RZCD-45182 (Japan, CD) RZCD-45208/B (Japan, CD+SpecialDVD+Tank Top) RZCD-45209/B (Japan, CD+SpecialDVD+T-Shirt) RZCD-45210/B (Japan, CD+SpecialDVD) | |||
| Producer | Max Matsuura | |||
| Kumi Koda chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Secret | ||||
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Secret (stylized as secret) is the fourth studio album by the Japanese R&B-turned-pop singer, Kumi Koda, released in February 2005. It charted at #3 on Oricon in Japan, her highest charting album at the time, and stayed on the charts for fifty-six weeks.[1]
This album also jump-started Kumi's ero-kawaii/sexy-cute image, with which she became synonymous. This style later spread throughout Japan's high school community upon her release of "Butterfly".
Information
Secret is the first predominately-pop album by Kumi, with her first three albums, feel my mind, grow into one and affection, being R&B. Due to Kumi feeling most comfortable with the style she donned in "Crazy 4 U", she created the "sexy-cute" style (known as ero-kawaii) for her A-sides used in secret. This is the style that she became famous for and received both positive and negative attention. During her performance for "Cutie Honey" at Music Station, she donned the outfit she wore during the jazz parlor scenes in the music video. The outfit was heavily criticized, when revealing clothing was not worn by mainstream artists in Japan at the time.[2]
On April 13, 2005, three special editions of the album were released, which contained the music video for "Hot Stuff", which featured the rapper KM-MARKIT and, depending on which special edition was purchased, came with a T-shirt or a tank top.[3]
The DVD contained the music videos originally released on her first DVD single, "girls ~Selfish~": "Selfish", "Shake It" and "24". The song "24", which was written and composed by the arranger Hitoshi Shimono, was the first song released by Kumi with an entire chorus in English.[4] She worked with Hitoshi again for her 2006 song "Feel", which also contained a chorus completely in English.
Packaging
Secret was released in four editions: CD, CD+DVD and a special CD+DVD edition. While the standard editions of the CD and CD+DVD combinations contained the fifteen musical tracks, the special editions contained two bonus songs and a bonus music video. This edition also had achoice of either a tank top or a t-shirt.
The two bonus tracks contained on the special editions were "It's a Small World", which featured the female duo the Heartsdales, and a remix of "Hot Stuff", which featured the rappers KM-MARKIT and UZI. The bonus music video on the DVD of this version was the music video for the latter track.
Each edition contained different cover art.The CD only contained a blue heart, the CD+DVD contained a pink heart and the special edition contained a holographic heart.
Music videos
Two new music videos were released on the DVD: the album version of "hands", which was the first time a different version of a music video was released, and "Trust You". There was a different version of "Trust You" released on her "Hot Stuff" single, titled "Thanks to MAM & GRAMMA Version".
While there were only two new music videos, the music videos from "girls ~Selfish~" were also placed on the album, because of "girls ~Selfish~" being unsuccessful as a DVD single. These videos were "Selfish", "Shake It" and "24".
- Trust You: set in the future where men use technology to set women to perform. The A.Is, Kumi along with two others, are able to become sentient and reclaim dominance.
- "Selfish": carries a story of female vampires luring men to their hideout so they are able to live off their life force.
- "Shake It": carries a story of a man breaking into a tent, owned by Kumi. Kumi and her followers seduce him and convince him to leave. It is shown at the end he makes a phone call to an unknown source.
- "24": a soft and sensual video, showing Kumi in her downtime as she fantasizes about a lover.
The music video to "Hot Stuff" was later placed on the DVD when the special edition was released two months later. The music video carried a dance battle theme, which had been inspired by the North American film You Got Served, which featured Omarion Grandberry and Marques Houston. Kumi later featured Omarion in 2012 "Slow" from her album Japonesque (2012).
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro: Get Down" | Daisuke "D.I" Imai | Daisuke "D.I" Imai | Daisuke "D.I" Imai | 1:27 |
| 2. | "Cutie Honey" | Claude Q. | Takeo Watanabe | h-wonder | 3:05 |
| 3. | "Hot Stuff feat. KM-MARKIT" | Kumi Koda • KM-MARKIT | Daisuke "D.I" Imai | Daisuke "D.I" Imai | 4:07 |
| 4. | "Selfish" | Miki Watanabe | Miki Watanabe | Miki Watanabe | 3:56 |
| 5. | "hands" | Kumi Koda | Katsumi Ohnishi | h-wonder | 4:24 |
| 6. | "Hearty..." | Kumi Koda | Yasuo Ohtani | Yasuo Ohtani | 3:32 |
| 7. | "SHAKE IT" | Kumi Koda | Daisuke "D.I" Imai | Daisuke "D.I" Imai | 3:48 |
| 8. | "Kiseki" | Kumi Koda • Kosuke Morimoto | Kosuke Morimoto | Reo Nishikawa | 4:59 |
| 9. | "Trust You" | Kumi Koda • Toru Watanabe | Toru Watanabe | Daisuke "D.I" Imai | 4:27 |
| 10. | "Chase" | Kumi Koda • Kazuhiro Hara | Kazuhiro Hara | h-wonder | 5:00 |
| 11. | "LOVE HOLIC" | Kumi Koda | Tsutomu Yamasaki | h-wonder | 4:25 |
| 12. | "24" | Kumi Koda • Hitoshi Shimono | Hitoshi Shimono | Hitoshi Shimono | 5:40 |
| 13. | "Let's Party" | Hinaco | Junpei Takada | h-wonder | 4:40 |
| 14. | "Believe" | Kumi Koda | Kaido | Masaki Iehara | 4:30 |
| 15. | "Through the Sky" | Kumi Koda • Hiroo Yamaguchi | Hiroo Yamaguchi | Hiroo Yamaguchi | 5:34 |
Special Edition Bonus Tracks
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16. | "It's a Small Word feat. Heartsdales" | Richard M. Sherman • Robert B. Sherman | Richard M. Sherman • Robert B. Sherman | 2:46 | |
| 17. | "Hot Stuff feat. UZI & KM-MARKIT" (確変無想転生 Remix) | Kumi Koda • KM-MARKIT • UZI | Daisuke "D.I" Imai | Sub-Zero | 4:17 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cutie Honey" (Music Video) | |
| 2. | "Chase" (Music Video) | |
| 3. | "Kiseki" (Music Video) | |
| 4. | "Selfish" (Music Video) | |
| 5. | "SHAKE IT" (Music Video) | |
| 6. | "24" (Music Video) | |
| 7. | "Hands [Album Version]" (Music Video) | |
| 8. | "Trust You" (Music Video) | |
| 9. | "Hot Stuff feat. KM-MARKIT" (Music Video) |
Charts
Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)
| Release | Chart | Peak position | First week sales | Sales total | Chart run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 9, 2005 | Oricon Daily Charts | ||||
| Oricon Weekly Charts | 3 | 186,377 | 600,201 | 56 weeks | |
| Oricon Monthly Charts | |||||
| Oricon Yearly Charts | 22 |
Alternative versions
Let's Party
"Let's Party": Found on the album (2005)
"Let's Party [KOZM® Remix]": Found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 5 (2013)
Trust You
"Trust You": Found on the album (2005)
"Trust You [Dub's Trust me Remix]": Found on single "Hot Stuff feat. KM-MARKIT" (2005)
Selfish
"Selfish": Found on the album (2005)
"Selfish [D.I's C&B MIX]": Found on single "Hot Stuff feat. KM-MARKIT" (2005)
"Selfish [ALKA-LINE Remix]": Found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 8 (2018)
Promotional advertisements
"Selfish" was used as the theme to the 20th East Women's Ekiden[5]
"Hearty..." was used as the promotional theme for the KOJIMA Ltd. product Fresh Gray 2005.[6]
"Trust You" was used as MTV Japan's buzz ASIA theme for March 2005.[7]
"24" was used as the theme song for SANCTUARY/Otona no Seiiki (サンクチュアリ/大人の聖域)[8]
"Let's Party" was used for the television advertisement of Shueisha's MORE.[9]
"It's a Small World feat. Heartsdales" was used as the theme song for Japan's release of the 2004 film 80 Days.[10]
References
- ^ "secret / KODA KUMI". Oricon. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "Koda Kumi - Cutie Honey". Youku. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "secret special edition for live (men's one-size black t-shirt included)(with DVD)". Amazon Japan. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- "secret special edition for live (women's one-size turquoise tank-top included)(with DVD)". Amazon Japan. Retrieved January 28, 2016. - ^ "Koda Kumi - 24 (lyrics)". JPopAsia. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "20th East Women's Ekiden". Dwango. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "[CM] Kojima fresh gray 2005 (BMG: Koda Kumi Hearty)". Tudou. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "TAIAPPU MYUJIKKU". Seesaa Music. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "SANCTUARY/Otona no Seiiki". NTVM. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "Let's Party (Koda Kumi) animelomix". Animelo. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "80 DAYS (2004)". All Cinema. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
