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.
Outside Fishbowl
倖田來未 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
毎日が
退屈なのよ もう限界
もっと本当の私を
見てほしいだけなのに
出たい fishbowl growing old
邪魔されたくないわ
Cause I am mean to fly
I wanna fly I wanna fly
out of fishbowl growing old
指図はされない主義なのよ
押し込まないで 見て欲しい
声が枯れるまでお願い
叫ばせて
Inside a fishbowl growing old
誰にもね no control
くだらない 言い訳
どうでもいい およしなさい
出たい fishbowl growing old
邪魔されたくないわ
Cause I am mean to fly
このままで終わらない
I wanna fly I wanna fly
out of fishbowl ...
out of fishbowl ...
out of fishbowl ...
out of fishbowl ...
あの太陽が眠りにつき
輝き失う その夜に...
I'm gonna try!
出たい fishbowl growing old
邪魔されたくないわ
Cause I am mean to fly
このままで終わらない
Inside a fishbowl growing old
誰にもね no control
くだらない 言い訳
どうでもいい およしなさい
出たい fishbowl growing old
邪魔されたくないわ
Cause I am mean to fly
このままで終わらない
I wanna fly I wanna fly
out of fishbowl growing old
I wanna fly (I wanna fly)
I wanna fly (I wanna fly)
out of fishbowl
I wanna fishbowl
The song "Outside Fishbowl" by Koda Kumi expresses a sense of frustration and a desire for freedom and autonomy. The lyrics convey the feeling of being trapped and bored in a monotonous routine, symbolized by the metaphor of a fishbowl. The fishbowl represents a confining and limited space, where the singer feels restricted and wants to break free from.
The repetition of the phrase "Merry merry round & round" emphasizes the repetitiveness and tedium of daily life. The lyrics express the singer's frustration with being judged or controlled by others, desiring to be seen for who they truly are. They want to be able to express themselves without constraints or interference.
The line "Cause I am meant to fly, this is not how it ends" embodies the longing for personal growth and the rejection of a life that feels stagnant. The lyrics convey a determination to break free from the fishbowl and explore new possibilities. The singer wants to fly, both metaphorically and literally, symbolizing the desire for freedom and independence.
The repeated phrase "out of fishbowl growing old" underscores the urgency and longing for escape. The singer resents being hindered by others and insists on being allowed to express their true self. They long for their voice to be heard and for their desires to be acknowledged, even to the point of exhaustion.
The closing lines of the song suggest a turning point or a moment of decision, where the singer resolves to try to break free from the fishbowl. They express a determination to escape the confinement and to not let their life end in complacency. The repeated wish to fly reflects a yearning for personal growth, self-discovery, and life beyond the limitations of the fishbowl.
Line by Line Meaning
Merry merry round&round
In a continuous cycle of monotony
毎日が退屈なのよ もう限界
Every day is boring, I've reached my limit
もっと本当の私を見てほしいだけなのに
I just want to be seen for who I truly am
出たい fishbowl growing old
I want to escape from this stagnant fishbowl
邪魔されたくないわ
I don't want to be disturbed
Cause I am mean to fly
Because I am meant to fly
このままで終わらない
I won't end up like this
I wanna fly I wanna fly
I want to fly, I want to fly
指図はされない主義なのよ
I have a principle of not being controlled
押し込まないで 見て欲しい
Don't confine me, just look at me
声が枯れるまでお願い 叫ばせて
Please let me shout until my voice goes hoarse
Inside a fishbowl growing old
Trapped inside a stagnant fishbowl
誰にもね no control
No one has control over me
くだらない 言い訳 どうでもいい およしなさい
Useless excuses, just leave me alone
あの太陽が眠りにつき 輝き失う その夜に...
On the night when the sun goes to sleep and loses its shine...
I'm gonna try!
I'm going to try!
I wanna fishbowl
I want to be a fishbowl
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kumi Koda/Niclas Lundin/Joakim Hahlin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
倖田來未
【20周年イヤー記念スペシャル <MVフル尺大公開>】
KODA KUMI(倖田來未)の20周年イヤーを記念し、
これまでの楽曲のリリース日に合わせて、MVのフル尺を大公開!
今だに進化し続ける国内トップのパーフォーマーKODA KUMI(倖田來未)
20年間を振り返りながらお楽しみください
メグ嬢
くぅちゃん大好き♥スタッフさんいつもありがとうございます
ヘムヘム
insideと同じ曲なのにこうも変わるのかと当時驚きました。かっこいい👌
s u
曲も好きだけどこういう世界観のPV大好物
メグ嬢
ほんと私の青春全て♥くぅちゃんと出会えて幸せ。これからも一緒に駆け抜けて行こう。
ゆぅ〜
ボロボロの衣装で踊るゾンビダンスのシーンに当時めちゃくちゃ衝撃受けたの覚えてる!
やっぱりくぅちゃんは曲もMVも何年経ってもカッコイイよね!
X iPhone
この歌、Dream music park思い出す!!
めちゃ好きな歌❤️
Love Love
懐かしい!
中2の頃にくぅちゃんのCD、いっぱい買ったなぁ…‼️
この曲が入ったミニアルバムと、ベスト盤+ユニバースのやつ借りてウォークマンに入れて聞いてました!
ねこごりら
この曲inもoutも大好きだけどわりとマイナーで悲しい😭
Hayato Koda
ドリパのOPを思い出します😍
車に乗って飛び出して来たときは
さすがだなと思いました(笑)