It looks like Ms. Amniotic Sac is coming back into the spotlight this summer. After facing national scrutiny for a little radio interview comment, Kumi Koda is returning with a new single release for June. The single, entitled “MOON”, will be much like “4 HOT WAVE”, with four different songs within one release. One of those songs will finally feature the collaboration with Fergie Ferg that we saw her recording like two years ago, called “That Ain’t Cool”, as well as a video. Exciting.

I suppose there’s no better time to break out the big guns than when the country hates you. Click “read more” for the full release information.

Credit: Tokyo-Nights

After a national scandal which forced her to stray away from the music spotlight, chart topper Koda Kumi returns with her first single of 2008. Titled, MOON, the four track MAXI single is described as a “4 elements single” and will include a collaboration with American singer song-writer, Fergie, promoninent for her solo and group (with the Black Eyed Peas). MOON will be available in CD+DVD and CD-Only editions; also first press editions come with a bonus track. The first track, “Moon Crying”, will be used as “the theme song for the TV Asahi drama, PUZZLE, starring Ishihara Satomi” (Thanks, xxihiroxx!), while the third track “features PUSHIM and is described as “Lover’s Reggae”" (Thanks, MackeyHiromu!).

Three tracks are still untitled so stay tuned for more information to come!

KODA KUMI – NEW SINGLE
4 elements single 「MOON」
6月発売

（CD+DVD）RZCD-45934/B　¥1,890（tax in）
（CD）RZCD-45935　¥1,260（tax in）

CD Tracklist:
1. Moon Crying
2. That Ain’t Cool feat. Fergie
3. Untitled
4. Untitled
5. Moon Crying (Instrumental)
6. That Ain’t Cool (Instrumental)
7. Untitled (Instrumental)
8. Untitled (Instrumental)
9. Untitled (First Press Only Bonus Track)

DVD Tracklist:
1. Moon Crying PV
2. That Ain’t Cool feat. Fergie PV

It’s funny what can turn the public against you nowadays. For one of my J-Idols, Koda Kumi, the answer is…amniotic fluid. During a radio show interview on “All Night Nippon,” Kumi was casually talking about her manager who had gotten married, she began talking about her manager’s child-filled future, which is where the situation got a little…weird. “After a mother turns 35, her amniotic fluid becomes spoiled,” “True, true! It gets dirty. That’s why I want her to have a baby before she turns 35.”

That was it. The joke hit the blogs, hit mainstream media, and a furor took off. People were outraged at Kumi’s notion of “spoiled goods” post-35, and demanded an apology. Not only that, Avex (her record label) has ceased promotion for her album, and two advertising companies have already pulled out of deals with her.

All this from an off-handed, crudely worded comment about age and pregnancy. Apparently, some talk shows are hosting gynecologists to dispel the rumors of pregnancy at an older age.

Do I think what she said was wrong? Not especially. I think the point she was making was fairly uncontroversial…that once you reach a certain age, it can become dangerous to have children. Her wording is what gets me. I thought it was a Japanese translation that came off as really odd, but it wasn’t. Japanese outlets are agreeing that using “amniotic fluid” was one of the main, perplexing aspects of her comment. Despite that, the comment was nothing short of ill-wording and improvisation gone a bit fucked.

Kumi has since publicly apologized, but they ain’t having that. A sensitive bunch, aren’t they?

One of the new PV’s for Koda Kumi’s album track “Amai Wana” from her new album Kingdom. The song is like a mid-tempo Indian-flavor tinged R&B shaker. I don’t quite know why, but I like both the video and the song. I think its because I’ve been so overstimulated with the over-gyrating lady parts and barely-there outfits in her latest videos that watching her stay still for a moment is a bit of a rare treat. She’s definitely not for everyone, but she’s been one of the most popular acts in Japan for the past few years. Certainly nothing deep about her music, just some fun to be had. Her voice grates on most people, but I quite like it. It disguises her lack of range quite well. I don’t know how long the video will last, as Avex is sort of hell-bent on never allowing their artist’s music videos to be played on YouTube. Anyway, watch above.

And here I was, thinking Kumi had been reforming her ways. As leader of the Coalition of All Things Asian, Smutty, & Slutty (CATASS for short), Koda Kumi is known for being atrociously over-sexualized in her videos. Whether it’s giggling her fun bags, caressing her lady area, or utilizing a bottle in a particularly clever way, she always seems to keep it classy. And use whatever it takes to distract the viewer from the actual quality of the song. I like her integrity. The new PV for “Under” has just surfaced, and while it’s a bit too boring (why is she not nude here, director?), the song is nice bit of downbeat hip-hop. Most people dislike her, so proceed cautiously.

DL: Koda Kumi – Under

And just for kicks, I defy you not to watch this clip for hours at a time. Note the resourceful way in which Kumi uses this woman’s hand:

Clever.

MP3 Source: 7amad@Hikaru Forums
And you, what do you think?

As promised, I present my picks for the top tunes that did a fair share of tickling my fancy throughout 2007. As a result, my fancy is currently in the process of pressing charges. This list involved a lot of thinking, which is usually against my better judgment. But in the meantime, I shall present the culprits (in no particular order, but just assume any and all Britney entries to be considered first):

Flavor of Life – Utada Hikaru – Don’t be fooled by the CD art. This song involves neither pastel colors, nor rice balls, NOR sheep (a bit disappointed by the latter exlusion). Nay, Flavor of Life was a major tickler during the first quarter of 2007. Floating on top of simple piano chord progressions and string accompaniment, Utada’s breathless vocals made the song both haunting and beautiful.

Gimme More – Britney Spears
I can’t actually describe what happened when I heard the song for the first time, besides a lot of jumping, followed by complete stillness to listen closely, followed by giddy hand clapping, again by intense silence, and then manic laughter. No need to introduce this one. It’s not her best, but it’s damn good. Even the haters couldn’t shake the impossibly catchy chorus. If only she was aware. Come back BB.

. The One – Kylie Minogue
Sometimes I wonder if Kylie wrote this little ditty especially for me. I wrote about this song a few entries ago. It’s timeless, iconic, and especially hypnotizing.

Cry For You – September / I Won’t Be Crying – Infernal
During the lonely winter months of the first quarter, music was a bit dire. By now I’ve learned, there’s only one multi-vitamin supplement jam packed with cheap thrills to fill the void of talent: Euro-Dance! Fun, defiant nothings about getting over him and being the bigger man/lady. September’s entry is more heartfelt, but the vocals in Infernal are much more raw sounding. Equally distracting until the pop wheels began to churn once again.

BUT – Koda Kumi – Wait, why isn’t she lyrically gyrating and riffing nonsensically?? I don’t know, but I think I like it…a LOT. It’s as if she’s trying to make a new sound, instead of regurgitating her songs over and over. Dark, broken electronic beats and vocal aerobics. Now this is the kind of Kumi I want.

Umbrella – Rihanna
We’re tired of it. Accept its brilliance, nothing else to see here.

Declare Independence-Björk
Volta was not good. At least, not to me. Too much ballad, and the ballads were too monotonous. It sounds very harsh and judgmental, but Björk has produced “Joga” and “Hidden Place” for goodness sake. She isn’t exactly dull. This one rocked the socks off of the album, though. Using a new instrument called the ReacTable, Björk elicited electric noises never before used in such an interesting way. Her inherently guttural voice is wonderfully excitable throughout the song. Watch a live performance of this to understand how cool the process actually is.

Bamboo Banga – M.I.A.
I’ll admit. I don’t love Kala as much as everyone else does. I myself am an Arular advocate. But I do happen to enjoy many of the tracks off of her second album. Most notably (XR-2 is perfect, but I heard earlier versions for almost a year already), Bamboo Banga. When I heard the song, I was ecstatic to think that the album would build off of this more jungle-esque electro. However, it just doesn’t flow for me like Arular did.

Foundations – Kate Nash
Didn’t want to like it. Didn’t want to like anything by someone who shared similarities to Lily Allen, but lo and behold, I was addicted. It’s like a much more lemon tart-filled version of Lily, with more tongue-biting and less egotism. The spoken bits are genius, and bonus points have been added for the opportunity to sing with a British accent. A pissed off British accent, no less.

Sober – Kelly Clarkson
If only the album could live up to its impossible expectations, this song would have received so much more deserved attention. It truly is the rawest experience on the album, and one that was sorely misrepresented in the public atmosphere. Though at the same time, it would have never performed on radio. The song is by far the most haunting and riveting song of the year. By the end, the listener’s ears are practically pleading for that oh-so-necessary shouting that only Kelly could provide. But as a favor: Please stop straining your voice so much on every other song Kelly. Save it for the best moments, such as the finale of this very song. Thank you. I love you. Why don’t you call?

True Believer – Dragonette
I didn’t get it at first. But then I kept listening. I absolutely love the carousel effect of the chorus, dizzyingly obnoxious and catchy at the same time. The track picks up and slows down, but it was a great tune to relax with during the last of the summer.

Lips Are Unhappy – Lucky Soul
Around the same time as Dragonette’s release, I discovered Lucky Soul. The throwback -band’s album contains many care-free songs resembling great pop music from the 1960′s. This pleading number, though short, is one of my favorites. The intro is pretty much representative of who they are as a group: a simple tambourine intro followed by the ever-increasing drum lead-in, leading up to the ultra-delicate vocals of lead singer Ali Howard. The lyrics are unapologetically dated. However, the shake-shimmy breakdown after the two minute mark is particuarly impossible to resist.

State of Grace – Britney Spears
Without a doubt the injustice of the year, Britney’s true soul-searching and almost-adult mid-tempo love croon is without a doubt one of her best works. Yet it was left of the album in order to keep the Donna Summer vibe afloat. The song is beautiful and sincere. The background sound is somewhat Bohemian. VERY Ray of Light Madonna. I’m thinking “Frozen”-ish. And she uses words that are way beyond her vocabulary like “transient” (not a stretch, but work with me). You have to hear it. Such a shame that the song was not released. It’s not B-Side material, so I fear this track may never see the light of day. And P.S. I would add nearly all of the Blackout tracks and outtakes to the list, from the blip-filled “Radar” to the over-sexualized “Pull It,” but that would be too expected.

Bleeding Love – Leona Lewis
I don’t particularly find her interesting, nor did I bother to catch her debut album, but I could not ignore the massive success of her first single. Well, except for the United States. But seriously, it was so big that she’s even being released here. That’s hard to do nowadays. It’s a page out of the Mariah hand book, but the craft is immaculate. I know Leona’s voice is near perfect…if only she’d do something unexpected.

Call The Shots – Girls Aloud
I’ve spoken about this track already as well. Haunting, convincing, and heartfelt. It’s nice and wintery, yet I see purple and pink when the song plays. Which may be the signs of looming epileptic episodes. Just saying.

And you, what do you think?