倖田來未 – 好きで、好きで、好きで。 / あなただけが
Artist: 倖田來未 (Koda Kumi)
Single: 好きで、好きで、好きで。 / あなただけが
Release Date: 09.22.10
Sex goddess Koda Kumi‘s brand new single is evidence she’s still the breath-taking songstress she’s always been and can pull off a triple ballad single like no other! It’s yet another fantastic addition to the list of singles Kumi released this year (along with Can We Go Back and Gossip Candy) to celebrate her 10th anniversary. I have a feeling that her next original album will be beyond words and nothing short on quality! 好きで、好きで、好きで。 / あなただけが proves all J-Pop fans who believe Kumi can’t pull off ballads otherwise, and she reveals a set of 3 breath-takingly beautiful masterpieces, 2 of them being completely new, 1 of them being a 10th anniversary rearrangement of one of the most meaningful songs in Kumi’s entire discography, not only to her fans, but to herself, walk.
好きで、好きで、好きで。, the opening song, is a beautiful, sweet ballad that reveals all its beauty straight off the bat. The composition of the instrumentals is extremely rich, and the orchestra is golden. Kumi’s vocals are full of emotion and the strength in her voice brings the song to a whole other level. The strings are beyond beautiful, and this type of ballad is exactly what I missed from Kumi! It’s been a while since she released a ballad as an a-side, so this is a real treat, since it’s perfection!
Out of both new tracks, あなただけが has to be my favorite, though. Kumi’s softer higher notes are magic in contrast with the chimes and magical feel of the song. The intonation of the verses and the emotion conveyed through Kumi’s singing make this song so breath-taking! It’s a lot more R&B than the first song, but it has a sort of richness all the same. Its smoothness is a lot more pleasing to me and the piano on this song is beyond epic. Must I say this is perfection too?
walk ～to the future～ is so beyond perfection I think I like it more than the original. This has got to be the best rearrangement of all time. Kumi didn’t make any other 10th anniversary versions of older hits so far, so it makes this song in particular a million times more meaningful and beautiful. Not only does her voice sound smooth, clear and natural singing it, but the orchestra and the chorus behind it brings it to a whole other level. The instrumentals remain faithful to the original song, but are a lot more organic and hold a lot of natural beauty to them. It’s a tear-jerker for sure, and it definitely ties with あなただけが as my favorite song on the single! This song obviously holds meaning beyond its beauty, and just the overall feel of it makes shedding tears so easy.
好きで、好きで、好きで。 / あなただけが is a spectacular release by Ms. Koda Kumi, who spent the day as #1 on the ORICON charts today, selling over twice as many copies as Ayu’s new single, crossover, released on the same day. Hopefully Kumi makes it to the #1 weekly position, because this single is golden and by far one of the best this year (If not the best). Style-wise, it’s something the J-Pop industry has been lacking lately, and it’s all organically rich orchestral goodness with amazing composition and arrangements. A fantastic release to celebrate Kumi’s approaching 10th anniversary day this December.
Final Score:
100 / A+
倖田來未 - walk ～to the future～
Yes I agree with you! ^^
Anata Dake Ga is a better track and is much sweeter, I absolutely love the MV too!
Suki De, Suki De, Suki De is also a great track. It’s been a while since I liked a ballad from Koda Kumi must have been since Moon Crying I think.
I’m a huge fan of her ballads ~ :P But it’s been a while since I fell in love so deeply with any of them too! “Moon Crying” was probably the last for me too :P
I know right? Moon Crying was so emotional, I wasn’t food of Alive. :(
Oh, me neither o.o I thought “Alive” was too boring and had none of that Kumi ballad charm.
Im happy I found this blog. You express yourself in the very same way I feel about Kumi. I could never express my feeling this way in english =)
Aww ~ I’m so glad you enjoy my writing! :D I’m sorry I’ve been a little bit late in terms of posting ;-; But I promise that soon I’ll have everything up and running again ^^~ There will certainly be more Kumi posts on the way :P