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.
I Love you SAYONARA
倖田來未 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
どこまでも続く青空
振りかえればいつも虚しさだけが
わずかな願いを溶かしてゆく
いったいどれほど 想いを重ね
二人は 分かり合えるの
あなたの面影が 瞳の奥で
愛だけが 全てを包むから
もうこれ以上痛み合わないように
記憶の中で 追いかけてた
戻れないと わかっても
会いたいと 涙流す意味を
サヨナラだと受けいれられるように
この悲しみを 時とともに流してほしい
いつの日か 心から I love you
お互い許し あえたことや
どうしても 許せないこと
乗り越えては いつも側で想う
こんな日が続いてゆくと
来年の今日が
どんな日だって
また笑いあえるように
私今のうちに 涙流すよ
愛だけが 全てを包むから
もうこれ以上痛み合わないように
記憶の中で 追いかけてた
戻れないと わかっても
会いたいと 涙流す意味を
サヨナラだと受けいれられるように
この悲しみを 時とともに流してほしい
いつの日か
大切なことはわかってたけど
悲しみにおしつぶされそうで
もう一度だけ 時を止めて
離れた この手を
もう一度掴んで oh oh woo oh woo
愛だけが 全てを包むから
もうこれ以上痛みあわないように
記憶の中で 追いかけてた
戻れないと わかっても
会いたいと 涙流す意味を
サヨナラだと受けいれられるように
この悲しみを 時とともに流してほしい
いつの日か 心から I love you
These lyrics tell the story of a past love and the bittersweet emotions that come with letting go. The singer begins by reminiscing about their childhood, where they would often gaze at the endless blue sky. However, looking back now, they realize that all they feel is emptiness, slowly dissolving any remnants of their fleeting hopes and wishes. The question arises of how much their feelings have intertwined, and whether the two of them can truly understand and connect with each other. The presence of their former lover lingers deep within their eyes, a reminder of the love that once encompassed everything.
The chorus emphasizes that love alone can encompass everything, signifying the immense power it holds. Yet, to avoid further pain, they accept that they must say goodbye. Even though they are aware that they can never go back, the longing to see their loved one again brings tears to their eyes. They hope to reach a point where they can accept the sorrow of parting and let it flow away with time, genuinely saying goodbye and retaining the love in their hearts.
The second verse explores the complexities of forgiveness and what can and cannot be tolerated in a relationship. Despite the hardships they have faced, they continue to hold onto their love and support for each other. They express the desire for a future where they can still laugh together, even on a day as uncertain as the coming year's.
In the final section, the singer acknowledges that they were aware of what truly mattered, but the overwhelming sadness almost crushed them. They yearn for just one more chance to stop time and hold the hand of their lost love again. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the all-encompassing power of love and the longing to understand the meaning behind shedding tears for someone they still desperately want to see. They hope that one day, they can truly say "I love you" from the depths of their heart.
Line by Line Meaning
幼い頃によく見ていた
In my childhood, I often looked at
どこまでも続く青空
The endless blue sky that stretches as far as the eye can see
振りかえればいつも虚しさだけが
Whenever I look back, only emptiness remains
わずかな願いを溶かしてゆく
Melting away my faint wishes
いったいどれほど 想いを重ね
Just how much our feelings have intertwined
二人は 分かり合えるの
Can we truly understand each other?
あなたの面影が 瞳の奥で
The image of you lingers deep in my eyes
愛だけが 全てを包むから
Because love envelops everything
もうこれ以上痛み合わないように
So that we won't hurt each other anymore
記憶の中で 追いかけてた
Chasing after you in my memories
戻れないと わかっても
Even if I know we can't go back
会いたいと 涙流す意味を
The meaning of shedding tears because I want to see you
サヨナラだと受けいれられるように
So that I can accept it as goodbye
この悲しみを 時とともに流してほしい
I want this sadness to flow away with time
いつの日か 心から I love you
Someday, from the bottom of my heart, I love you
お互い許し あえたことや
The things we were able to forgive each other for
どうしても 許せないこと
And the things we just couldn't forgive
乗り越えては いつも側で想う
Overcoming them, I always think by your side
こんな日が続いてゆくと
Days like this continue to pass
来年の今日が どんな日だって
No matter what kind of day next year will be
また笑いあえるように
So that we can laugh together again
私今のうちに 涙流すよ
I will shed tears now while I can
大切なことはわかってたけど
I knew what was important
悲しみにおしつぶされそうで
But I feel like I'm being crushed by sadness
もう一度だけ 時を止めて
Just for one more time, stop the time
離れた この手を
Grab hold of these hands that have been apart
もう一度掴んで oh oh woo oh woo
And seize them once again, oh oh woo oh woo
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Kenji Kuriyama, Kumiko Kuriyama
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@failure_teaches_success...
＜歌詞＞
おまえは何も言わず 俺の夢を抱きしめ
小さな Bag に二人 すべてを詰め込んだ
時よ Come Back
革ジャンのPocketに こっそり金を押し込め
似合わない服を着て おまえはネオンへ消える
夢よ Come Back
ここは まぶしい砂漠 Desert town
掴めない 蜃気楼だね
自分で選んだ 道だからいいと
やつれたその手を 差し伸べた
もう俺のために 笑うなよ Baby
馬鹿だね 女って
嫌いと言うしかなかったよ Baby
馬鹿だね 男って
I love you だけど I love you I love you
SAYONARA
明かりを消せばそこに あの日の二人が映る
初めて流す弱さ 今のおまえ抱いた
好きさ Forever
こんなんに傷だらけさ Marriage Ring
どうしてそんなに輝く
強く隠した 愛の叫びを
心に誓うよ This is my Dream
辛いと涙を見せなよ Baby
馬鹿だね 女って
嫌いと言うしかなかったよ Baby
馬鹿だね 男って
I love you だけど I love you I love you
SAYONARA
I love you だけど I love you I love you
SAYONARA
@user-cf2hs8hi1e
凄いよね。この若さでこの色気。
指先まで全て魅せる表現力
敵なしだったのが解る
曲も大好きで全曲知ってる
ただのアイドルバンドではなく
歴史に残るバンドです
@matsumitokodai9120
もうイントロで、青春時代に戻ってしまう。メロディが最高。この7人が最高だよね。ほんと大合唱したくなる。
@user-cv1uj1gy1t
この曲はいつも会場全体で大合唱になって、何て言っていいか分からないが感動します。
これ昭和なんだけどやっぱり今より音楽業界が潤っている感じがします。
@cure5036
何度聴いても沁みる名曲。イントロを聴いた瞬間から涙腺が緩くなる曲なんてそうは無い。クロベエの繊細なドラムテクニックが光ってます。
@user-qx8tc4xb9q
美しく感動的なメロディーが心を和ませてくれる、この歌がとても好きです
@sea2659
『涙のリクエスト』や『ジュリアに傷心』を取り上げられる事が多いですが、私的にはチェッカーズシングルNO.1は、この『I love you ,SAYONARA』です。
歌詞といいメロディといい最高です❣️
チェッカーズは永遠です😭
@broyossi
オリジナル以降の作品が好きな人は本当のチェのファンだと思います。
もちろん自分もアルバム「GO」以降の楽曲の方が好き。
@user-mv2xz1vl1m
私もこの曲がNo.1です😄
@user-lj7yi9oe3y
失礼な事言います。チェッカーズ特別ファンではありませんが、この曲は本当に素晴らしいく大好きです。メロディアスでドラマチックで完成度高い！大土井裕二さん凄いね。
@kiue5563
完全に同意します