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.
Driving
倖田來未 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
今日という日を
どれだけ待ったか
ハヤル気持ちを押さえて
来たんだから
楽しませてくれなきゃね
君と行くんだ mid town
時間が来た そろそろ
How do you feel it?
1,2 カウントダウン始まる君と
未知の世界へ向かおう
Driving どこでも連れてくよ
行く先は 君が決めていい
Driving まわりのことは
気にしなくていいから movin' on
Driving ボリュームあげて
頭の中
オーバーヒートさせてよ お願い
Driving このまま
どこまでも行こう
夢の続きをみよう
時間の流れなんて 気にしない
ゆっくり流れていくものだから
心配はいらない だって君のため
どこへも逃げないずっと
Boys & girls 混ざり合う
初めての 感覚で
助手席は 君のもの
How do you feel it?
1,2 体中麻痺状態
未知の世界抜け出せない
Hands up まだまだ終わらない
今夜のパーティー 帰さないから
Hands up くびれに手を回し
抱く 背中越しに感じて
Hands up こっちを向いて
見せてほしい
笑顔を 私だけに
Hands up 消えない
フラッシュライト負けないで
高鳴る 鼓動隠して
1,2 カウントダウン始まる君と
未知の世界へ向かおう
Driving どこでも連れてくよ
行く先は 君が決めていい
Driving まわりのことは
気にしなくていいから movin' on
Driving ボリュームあげて
頭の中
オーバーヒートさせてよ お願い
Driving このまま
どこまでも行こう
夢の続きをみよう
The song "Driving" by Koda Kumi is a pop/dance track that creates an atmosphere of excitement and freedom. The lyrics are about taking a drive with someone special and enjoying the journey without any worries or responsibilities. The song starts by asking if everything has been prepared for the trip and expressing how much the day has been waited for. The singer wants to enjoy and have fun with her companion while going to unknown places.
The chorus talks about taking the listener, whoever they may be, anywhere they want to go, without any restrictions or limitations. The singer wants to move on, forget about the surroundings, and just enjoy the present moment. There are references to the passenger seat belonging to the person with her, who makes her feel alive and excited about the unknown. As the song progresses, it's clear that "Driving" is more than just driving; it's about freedom, adventure, and living in the moment.
The second verse mentions that for the singer, time doesn't matter on this special day, and it flows slowly. She wants to live the dream, leaving everyone behind and just focusing on the journey. The bridge is a nod to the audience, offering them to dance and enjoy life together, with the singer implying that they are in this moment forever, never looking back.
Overall, "Driving" creates an atmosphere of fun, carelessness, and excitement, with its energetic melody and lyrics about living in the moment and being free.
Line by Line Meaning
準備は 整ったかしら?
Are you ready?
今日という日を どれだけ待ったか
How long have we waited for this day?
ハヤル気持ちを押さえて
Suppressing our excitement
来たんだから 楽しませてくれなきゃね
We came here to have fun, right?
君と行くんだ mid town
Going to mid town with you
時間が来た そろそろ 助手席は 君のもの
It's time now, the passenger seat is yours
How do you feel it?
How do you feel about it?
1,2 カウントダウン始まる君と 未知の世界へ向かおう
Let's head to an unknown world with you as the countdown begins
Driving どこでも連れてくよ 行く先は 君が決めていい
I will take you anywhere, you can decide where to go
Driving まわりのことは 気にしなくていいから movin' on
You don't have to worry about anything else, just keep moving on
Driving ボリュームあげて 頭の中 オーバーヒートさせてよ お願い
Turn up the volume and overheat our minds, please
Driving このまま どこまでも行こう 夢の続きをみよう
Let's keep going anywhere and see the continuation of our dreams
時間の流れなんて 気にしない
We don't care about the passage of time
ゆっくり流れていくものだから 心配はいらない だって君のため
Because time passes slowly, we don't have to worry, it's all for you
どこへも逃げないずっと Boys & girls 混ざり合う
Boys and girls never run away, they mix together
初めての 感覚で 助手席は 君のもの
It's our first time feeling this, and the passenger seat is yours
1,2 体中麻痺状態 未知の世界抜け出せない
1, 2, our bodies are paralyzed and we can't escape from the unknown world
Hands up まだまだ終わらない 今夜のパーティー 帰さないから
Hands up, the party tonight is not over yet, so we won't go home
Hands up くびれに手を回し 抱く 背中越しに感じて
Hands up, put your arms around my waist and feel me from behind as you hug me
Hands up こっちを向いて 見せてほしい
Hands up, face this way and show me
笑顔を 私だけに Hands up 消えない
Show me your smile, just for me, and don't let it fade
フラッシュライト負けないで 高鳴る 鼓動隠して
Don't lose against the flashlight, hide our rising heartbeats
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kumi Koda
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind