After 10 years, she became one of the best-selling artists of the decade and one of the most popular and influential artists in Japan.
Koda officially debuted with the single TAKE BACK in December 2000.
In 2002, after the release of several singles, she released her first studio album affection, which charted at #12.
Some success came her way when she was asked to do the main songs for the video game, "Final Fantasy X-2", with real Emotion/1000の言葉 (1000 words), Koda also provided the voice for the character Lenne in the Japanese version of the game as well as the character, "Yuna's", opening sequence dance via motion capture. The single proved to be a success, debuting at #3 and becoming Koda's first release to enter the top ten. It sold 282,734 copies and became the #24th highest-selling single of 2003. A few weeks later, Koda released her second studio album, grow into one, which debuting at #9.
In 2004, Koda released three more singles before the release of her 3rd studio album, feel my mind which again showed Koda's determinated progress, charting at #7.
From here on, Koda's success increased and her popularity rose with the release of her 11th single, a cover of 1970's anime opening, キューティーハニー, debuted at #4. This single also marked the start of Koda's to be trademark, new style: "ero-kakoii" (or "ero-Kawaii") which roughly translates as: "sexy-cool" or "sexy-cute". Koda's fourth album secret was released in February 2005. The album debuted #3 with 505,600 copie sold, making it the #22 album of 2005.
With Koda's popularity reaching new heights, she held her first live show, "secret ~FIRST CLASS LIMITED LIVE~", (later becoming one of the top 10 selling DVDs in Japan) and released her sixteenth single, Butterfly. Debuting at #2, it became her highest charting single of her career to date and was very well received by the Japanese public. Following this success, she released her first best-of compilation, BEST ~first things~. This is the album which is said to have skyrocketed her career, reaching #1 on the weekly charts and selling 1,207,793 copies, making it the #6 album of the year and the highest selling female album of 2005.
In December 2005, Koda Kumi began her 12 Singles Project in which she released one single each week for twelve consecutive weeks. The first single, you, became Koda's first ever #1 single. Each of the remaining singles from the project charted in the top five of the weekly singles chart. The success of the project was celebrated with the release of Koda's second best-of compilation album BEST ~second session~ which sold over a million copies in just over a week. It became the #2 album of 2006 with 1,768,628 copies sold. During this time, Kumi also won the 47th Nihon Record Taishō (best award prize in Japan) with Butterfly.
Her 30th single, 恋のつぼみ, the first single to be released since the 12 singles project, was released in May 2006 and debuted at #2 with 140,000 copies sold. The track became one of the most downloaded single of the year, with more than 2 millions legal downloads in just a few weeks. After the release of several successful singles, including 4 hot wave (a maxi summer single) and 夢のうた, which had become her #1 and #2 best selling singles with more than 300,000 copies sold, Koda released her fifth studio album, Black Cherry which remained at the #1 position for four weeks, selling more than 1 million copies. By the end of 2006, both BEST ~first things~ & BEST ~second session~ had nearly sold two million copies. Koda Kumi became the highest selling female artist of the year.
In 2007, Koda Kumi released several singles including 愛のうた, which became one of the most sung songs in Karaoke and one of the biggest hits from Koda’s discography. On the December 21st 2007, Koda Kumi became the seventh Japanese female artist to hold a solo concert at Tokyo Dome. During the concert, she celebrated the 7th year anniversary since her debut in front of 35,000 fans. By the end of the year, Kumi became, for the 2nd time running, the highest selling female artist of the year.
In January 2008, during the promotion of her 6th album, Kingdom, Kumi appeared as a guest on TBS radio show, "All Night Nippon". During which Koda mentioned her manager had recently got married and that she had asked her manager, "whether or not they would have children". When her manager replied that they wouldn't for the time being, Koda responded with her opinion that they ought to have children as soon as possible, as, "when women are around 35 years old their amniotic fluids go bad."
The comment was deemed so offensive that many radio shows and newspapers received angry complaints from women around the country. Koda's official website was shut down, along with endorser websites featuring her. Despite the public backlash, the album reached #1 on the Oricon charts for two weeks, selling over 600,000 copies.
4 months later, Koda made a return to the market with Moon Crying. Through the song, Koda expressed her real feelings and her apologies. The song quickly became a success and Koda was able to make a return to performing her songs on TV and radio. Shortly after the release of her 40th single, Koda released the upbeat single TABOO (to become one of the most popular song with her overseas fan-base) as well as the winter ballad single stay with me (which reached 2,000,000 downloads in few weeks) before the release of her 7th album : TRICK, which topped the Oricon Charts at #1 for 2 consecutive weeks.
In 2010, Koda celebrated the 10th anniversary of career beginnings, making it know that she wished to make the year special for her fans, the first project of the year was the release of her 8th album, UNIVERSE, coupled with a best album containing the biggest hits from her 2006~2008 works. During the year, she released several singles, including Lollipop & 好きで、好きで、好きで。, the later became her biggest digital success since 2008. She later released her first cover album, ETERNITY ~Love & Songs~, and held her first Stadium Tour in Summer 2010. In December, 2010, Koda Kumi hold a special concert in Tokyo Dome, for the 2nd time, in order to close the first chapter of her career with her fans.
Koda released her ninth studio album named Dejavu in March 2011. Shortly after its release, the singer started her national tour. Although Koda decided to perform in hall in order to be closer to her fans, this live tour is so far her longest tour to date with 72 dates from April to October.
Koda's 50th single was released August 2011 titled 4 TIMES. It included 4 songs as well as 4 music videos (first time since Summer 2006). The main song of the single is Poppin' love cocktail feat.TEEDA, a summer song produced by the pop rock band BACK-ON. The same year, she released 2 more singles where Koda shows the sexiest image of herself. In November 2011, Koda performed in Singapore for Mnet Asian Music Awards. She was the only Japanese star to perform and won the "Hottest Asian Artist" award. Koda's tenth album album was announced on December for a release in the beginning of 2012. Entitled , JAPONESQUE, the album includes a music video for each song, 17 in total. In the same time, Koda surprised everyone by writing on her official site that she is engaged to Kenji03 from BACK-ON. She announced her wedding by the end of the year. Few days after, Koda also confessed that she was 8 weeks pregnant.
Dear Family
倖田來未 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
本当に知ることはない
どんな気持ちで
心を動かされてきたのか
まるで思い出せない
Close to my heart
カメラのレンズに目を当てて
Close to my heart
Close to my heart
嫌なことがあれば
都合のいい武器にして
景色や空気や街の色
幸せ溢れている
少しレンズを通してみれば
新しい自分になれる気がして...
周りのことを気にしすぎていた日々
あなたにもいつのまにか
何も相談できずに過ぎてゆく涙
心が割れそう
Dear Family, baby
いつでも気付いてくれていたね
Dear Family, baby
何をして欲しいわけじゃない
Dear Family, baby
そばにいてくれればいい
笑い声であたためて
はじめから諦めることはない
近すぎて気付けなかった
あのひとが 私の心の闇を
一緒に泣いて溶かしてくれるから
必死に頑張っている
自分も 休んでるのも
すべて私なんだから
あせらず 鼻歌並べてお気軽に★
一度の人生なんだから
後悔はしたくない
この気持ちが薄れない限り
笑い続けられると 教えてくれた
一度の人生なんだから...
この気持ちが薄れない限り...
These lyrics express the singer's personal pain and the difficulty of others understanding it. The first paragraph acknowledges that no one else can truly understand the singer's pain and the intense emotions that have moved their heart. The line "Close to my heart, looking through the camera lens" implies that the singer tries to find solace in capturing moments and changing their perspective to see the world in a different way. The lyrics suggest that if there are unpleasant things, the singer can turn them into convenient weapons, perhaps implying that they can find strength or motivation in difficult situations.
The second paragraph reflects on the days when the singer was too preoccupied with the opinions and concerns of others. They may have missed the opportunity to seek advice or consolation, resulting in tears that go unnoticed or unaddressed. The phrase "heart feels like it's breaking" indicates the emotional strain and longing for support. The chorus, addressed to the singer's family, signifies the closeness and understanding they have always provided. The singer expresses gratitude for being noticed and understood by their family, emphasizing that they don't necessarily need anything from them other than their presence and warmth.
The next paragraph reveals that someone close to the singer, who they may not have realized was there for them, has helped them through their darkest moments. This person cries with them, helping to dissolve the darkness in the singer's heart. The lyrics also highlight the singer's determination to work hard and take breaks when necessary, emphasizing that they are in control of their own efforts. The mention of humming a tune lightly while taking it easy signifies a carefree attitude and a reminder not to rush, as they have only one life and don't want to have regrets.
The final lines reiterate that as long as the singer's feelings remain strong, they will continue to find joy and be able to keep smiling. It conveys the message that they have learned from life to not let their emotions fade and to cherish every moment without regret. The repetition of "one life" emphasizes the finite nature of existence and the importance of maintaining a positive outlook. Overall, these lyrics speak of the singer's personal journey, the support of their family, and the importance of staying true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
私の痛み 他の誰かにはきっと
No one else can truly understand my pain
本当に知ることはない
They will never truly know
どんな気持ちで
What emotions
心を動かされてきたのか
Moved my heart
まるで思い出せない
I can't remember as if it was a memory
Close to my heart
Close to my heart
カメラのレンズに目を当てて
Looking through the lens of a camera
Close to my heart
Close to my heart
少し角度 変えて世界見る
Changing the angle, seeing the world
Close to my heart
Close to my heart
嫌なことがあれば
If there are unpleasant things
都合のいい武器にして
I use them as a convenient weapon
景色や空気や街の色
The scenery, the air, the colors of the city
幸せ溢れている
Are overflowing with happiness
少しレンズを通してみれば
Looking through the lens for a moment
新しい自分になれる気がして...
I feel like I can become a new self...
周りのことを気にしすぎていた日々
The days when I cared too much about what others think
あなたにもいつのまにか
Without realizing it, even you
何も相談できずに過ぎてゆく涙
Pass by without being able to confide in anything, tears flowing
心が割れそう
My heart feels like it's about to break
Dear Family, baby
Dear Family, baby
いつでも気付いてくれていたね
You always noticed, right?
Dear Family, baby
Dear Family, baby
何をして欲しいわけじゃない
I don't want you to do anything
Dear Family, baby
Dear Family, baby
そばにいてくれればいい
Just being by my side is enough
笑い声であたためて
Warm me with laughter
はじめから諦めることはない
I won't give up from the start
近すぎて気付けなかった
I was too close and didn't realize
あのひとが 私の心の闇を
That person, they melt the darkness in my heart
一緒に泣いて溶かしてくれるから
Because they cry with me and dissolve it together
必死に頑張っている
I'm desperately trying
自分も 休んでるのも
To take care of myself and to rest
すべて私なんだから
Because everything is me
あせらず 鼻歌並べてお気軽に★
Stay calm, hum a tune, and feel at ease ★
一度の人生なんだから
It's only one life
後悔はしたくない
I don't want to have regrets
この気持ちが薄れない限り
As long as these feelings don't fade
笑い続けられると 教えてくれた
You taught me that I can keep laughing
一度の人生なんだから...
It's only one life...
この気持ちが薄れない限り...
As long as these feelings don't fade...
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Koda Kumi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind