Re(cord) (stylized as re(CORD)) is the sixteenth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Koda Kumi. It was released on November 13, 2019, which coincided with Kumi's 37th birthday. It was released in four editions: CD only, CD+DVD, CD+Blu-ray and a CD+3DVD fan club edition.

Re(cord)
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 13, 2019
Recorded2019
GenreJ-pop
LabelRhythm Zone
ProducerKoda Kumi
Koda Kumi chronology
Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 9 -Special Edition-
(2019)
Re(cord)
(2019)
Re(mix)
(2020)
Singles from Re(cord)
  1. "Eh Yo"
    Released: July 3, 2019
  2. "Summer Time"
    Released: July 10, 2019
  3. "Do Me"
    Released: July 17, 2019
  4. "Goldfinger 2019"
    Released: August 14, 2019
  5. "Put Your Hands Up!!!"
    Released: September 13, 2019
  6. "OMG"
    Released: September 18, 2019
  7. "Strip"
    Released: October 16, 2019
  8. "Get Naked"
    Released: October 23, 2019
  9. "Again"
    Released: October 30, 2019

Prior to the album, Kumi released nine digital singles to help promote the album: "Eh Yo", "Summer Time", "Do Me", "Goldfinger 2019", "Put Your Hands Up!!!", "OMG", "Strip", "Get Naked" and "Again". Of those released, three had corresponding music videos. "Goldfinger 2019", "Strip" and "Again".

It debuted at number four on the weekly Oricon Albums Chart.

Background

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The album was preceded by nine digital singles: "Eh Yo", "Summer Time", "Do Me", "Goldfinger 2019", "Put Your Hands Up!!!", "OMG", "Strip", "Get Naked" and "Again". All nine singles were placed on the album.[1]

The album was released in four editions: CD only,[2] CD+DVD,[3] CD+Blu-ray[4] and a limited fan club CD+3DVD edition.[5]

The CD contained four new tracks, along with the previously released digital singles and the unreleased cover of Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca", which had been released on avex's official YouTube in July. The first DVD and Blu-ray contained the corresponding music videos for "Again", "Goldfinger 2019" and the aforementioned "Livin' La Vida Loca", and the album exclusive "k,", along with a dance version. The second and third DVD were only released on the CD+3DVD fan club edition. The second DVD housed the behind-the-scenes making videos for the music videos "Goldfinger 2019" and "Livin' La Vida Loca", and the overall making video for the album. The third DVD held the making video for "Again".

To help promote the album, four of the nine singles were used for promotional purposes. "Eh Yo" was used as the Hanazono support song for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. She performed "Summer Time", "Eh Yo" and "Do Me" during a-nation 2019 on August 18, 2019. On August 10, She performed the cover of Hiromi Go's "Goldfinger '99" at the 2019 Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival. "Strip" was used as the theme song for part two of Otona no Tsuchi Dora series.

Promotional activities

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To help promote the album, some of the songs were used for promotional purposes.

"Eh Yo" was used as the Hanazono support song for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.[6] Koda Kumi debuted the song on June 15, 2019, with a performance at Tennōji Park in Tennōji-ku, Osaka for the "100 Days To Go" event.[7] She also performed "Eh Yo" during TV Tokyo's Music Festival 2019, along with her 2007 song "Ai no Uta".[8]

She performed "Summer Time", "Eh Yo" and "Do Me" during a-nation 2019 on August 18, 2019.[9][10] On August 10, Kumi performed the cover of Hiromi Go's "Goldfinger '99" at the 2019 Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival.[11][12]

"Strip" was used as the theme song for part two of the Tokai TV and Fuji TV series Otona no Tsuchi Dora (オトナの土ドラ), titled Rika (リカ).[13] A special promotional video was uploaded on avex's official YouTube on October 15, 2019.[14] The album exclusive track "Merry Go Round" was used in a television commercial for T-Garden's loveil contact lenses.[15]

Commercial performance

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Re(cord) debuted in the top five of the daily Oricon Albums Charts at No. 4, becoming Kumi's third consecutive album to not take the number one spot (AND charted at No 6 and DNA charted at No. 2).[16][17][18] Within the first week, the album sold 13,533 copies.[19]

By the end of the second week, the album had dropped in rank to No. 49, selling an additional 940 units.[20]

Single: Eh Yo

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"Eh Yo"
Single by Koda Kumi
from the album re(CORD)
ReleasedJuly 3, 2019
Recorded2019
LabelRhythm Zone
Songwriter(s)Koda Kumi, Hi-yunk
Producer(s)Koda Kumi
Koda Kumi singles chronology
"Never Enough"
(2017)
"Eh Yo"
(2019)
"Summer Time"
(2019)

"Eh Yo" is the first single released by Japanese artist Koda Kumi post her studio albums DNA and And, and sixty-third overall. It became her first single in nearly two years, with her last being "Never Enough" (2017). It also became the first of three digital singles she would release in July 2019, alongside "Summer Time" and "Do Me".

The single was released as a digital single on July 3, 2019.

Information

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"Eh Yo" is the sixty-third single released by Japanese singer-songwriter Koda Kumi on July 3, 2019. It was officially announced on June 17, 2019, having debuted on June 15 with a performance at Tennōji Park.[21] The single became her first in nearly two years, with her prior being Never Enough in December 2017.[22]

Due to having no physical release, the song did not chart on the Oricon Singles Chart. However, the song was given a five star ranking on the popular digital music store RecoChoku.[23] The single was released as a digital download, and distributed among sites like RecoChoku, iTunes[24] and Amazon Music.[25]

The song was written and composed by Kumi's husband, Back-On lead vocalist Kenji, who is credited at "Hi-yunk". The lyrical portion was written by Kumi herself.[26]

To help promote the song, "Eh Yo" was used as the Hanazono support song of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.[27]

Cover art

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The single's cover art was inspired by her 2019 concert tour Live Tour 2019 ~re(LIVE)~, which held a dual concept from her Black Cherry and Japonesque concert tours.[28][29]

Track listing

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Digital download
No.TitleLyricsMusicArranger(s)Length
1."Eh Yo"Koda KumiHi-yunkHi-yunk4:11

Music videos

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While two of the corresponding singles had their music videos placed on the first DVD/Blu-ray, there were two that were not added: "Strip" and "Get Naked".

"Strip" featured Koda Kumi in the stylized kimono she wore during promoting and the tour for Live Tour 2019 re(LIVE), which carried a dual concept from her Black Cherry (2006) and Japonesque (2012) studio albums. Other scenes included her in a glass box, donning a dress similar to the one she wore during her introductory performance for Live Tour 2007 ~Black Cherry~. "Get Naked" was filmed on the same set the album covers were shot. In the video, Kumi is shown entangled in the cords, symbolizing being a "slave to music". She is also shown carrying a blacklight, which is typically used to find substances that cannot be seen by the naked eye. A preview of the video was uploaded to Avex's official YouTube.[30]

The music video for "k," is an upbeat dance number. Kumi said the dance was based on her workout routine, which typically includes yoga and light strength training. In the video, Kumi and her dancers wear bright colors (lime green and orange in one segment and pink and yellow in the other) while performing the dance with similarly colored backdrops. Other scenes include Kumi donning braids with balloons tying off the ends, lifting her hair. The style gained coverage on various sites, becoming known as "colorful balloon hair". The style received predominantly positive comments, though some were questioning the young style on the seasoned artist.[31][32][33] The video was uploaded on her official YouTube a week prior to the album's release on November 5 to assist promotion.[34] An alternate dance version was also released on the album, which omitted the scenes of her "balloon hair" and only focused on the dances between the two sets.

For "Again", Kumi revisited past styles, taking from two of her most popular winter-time ballads, "Ai no Uta" (2007) and "You" (2005). The teardrop crystals and a similar dress from "Ai no Uta" were used, as was walking in the snow wearing a knit cap and large shawl from "You". The message, overall, was to grow with the past, instead of from it. The music video was uploaded on the official YouTube on October 29, 2019.[35]

The videos for "Goldfinger 2019" and "Livin' La Vida Loca" were predominantly the same. On July 20, 2019, Koda Kumi released the cover of Ricky Martin's hit "Livin' la Vida Loca" via Avex's official YouTube.[36] Three weeks later on August 13, she released "Goldfinger 2019", which was the Japanese remake."[37] Both videos were nearly identical, with only slight changes. Both videos open with Kumi spinning down onto the stage via a cloth rope while donning bright, translucent yellow garb. As the song picks up, people begin to dance on the dance floor as various signs light up. During the chorus, both Kumi and the dancers perform the same choreography. An alternate version of Kumi is approached by a Caucasian male. After he treats her to a night out, she leaves him, watching on in satisfaction as he tries and fails to find her. It then breaks to an aggressive beat where Kumi and the dancers perform a modern hip-hop dance. This portion of the video was performed in black and white. When it picks up to the prior set, the dancers, including Kumi, are shown dancing in the rain. The video ends with Kumi performing the tango with another dancer as the credits roll.

Track listing

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CD
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Do Me"Koda KumiT-SK • HIROMI • Joleen Belle3:23
2."Get Naked"Koda KumiErika Nuri • Michael Anthony Naylor • Ronald M. Ferebee Jr. • Lindsay Johnson3:20
3."Strip"Koda KumiDWB • Katerina Bramley3:33
4."k,"Koda KumiMatt Wong • Paulina Cerilla • G'harah "PK" Degeddingseze • Jamie Jones3:29
5."Rich & Famous" (featuring Sean Paul)Koda Kumi • Sean PaulToby GadTy Dolla SignLady GTulisa4:09
6."Again"Koda Kumi2SB5:20
7."Merry Go Round"Koda Kumi • Henrik Nordenback • Christian Fast • J-SonHenrik Nordenback • Christian Fast • J-Son4:10
8."Eh Yo" (-re(CORD) edit-)Koda KumiHi-yunk4:24
9."Goldfinger 2019"Desmond ChildDraco Rosa • Kan Chinfa (Japanese translation)Junnosuke Fujita • Baba Osuke • Yuto Shimizu • Shouya Matsuzaki • Hikaru Teraya • Makoto Nagatomo • Yoshihiro Tsujimoto4:33
10."Put Your Hands Up!!!"Koda Kumi • 2SB2SB4:24
11."Summer Time"Koda KumiJustin Reinstein • Maria Marcus3:36
12."OMG"Koda KumiT-SK • HIROMI • Joleen Belle • SIRIUS • Jasmine Anderson • Johan Johan Ramström3:56
13."Shutout"Koda KumiAndreas ÖbergKanata Okajima • Soma Genda3:38
14."Livin' la Vida Loca"Desmond Child • Draco RosaDesmond Child • Draco Rosa4:32
Total length:56:27
DVD/Blu-ray
No.TitleLength
1."k," (music video)3:28
2."k," (dance version) (music video)3:25
3."Again" (music video)5:24
4."Goldfinger 2019" (music video)4:32
5."Livin' La Vida Loca" (music video)4:32
Total length:21:21
DVD2: Behind-the-Scenes
No.TitleLength
1."Goldfinger 2019 & Livin' La Vida Loca" (making of) 
2."Album『re(CORD)』" (making of) 
DVD3: Behind-the-Scenes
No.TitleLength
1."Again" (making of the music video) 

Charts

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Chart (2019) Peak
position
Total

sales

Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[38] 5
Release Chart Peak position Chart run Total sales
November 13, 2019 Oricon Daily Albums Chart[39] 4
November 13, 2019 Oricon Weekly Albums Chart 4 5 weeks
November 13, 2019 Oricon Monthly Album Charts[40] 17 1 month 15,003

References

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  1. ^ "倖田來未、ニューアルバム『re(CORD)』ビジュアル公開". BARKS. October 24, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  2. ^ "re(CORD)(Japan Version)". YesAsia. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  3. ^ "re(CORD)(ALBUM+DVD)(Japan Version)". YesAsia. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  4. ^ "re(CORD)(ALBUM+BLU-RAY)(Japan Version)". YesAsia. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  5. ^ "倖田來未ニューアルバム発売決定!". Koda Kumi Official Avex Site. September 10, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  6. ^ "Koda Kumi : "Eh Yo"". Otenkiame Translations. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  7. ^ "倖田來未さんが花園応援ソング「Eh Yo」初披露! ラグビーワールドカップ2019開幕 100日前キックオフイベント". Abeno Keizai Shinbun Official YouTube. June 15, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  8. ^ "Koda Kumi, V6, Morning Musume. '19, TRF, and More to Perform on TV Tokyo Music Festival 2019". ARAMA! JAPAN. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  9. ^ "<a-nation 2019>、初の青森公演。倖田來未、DA PUMP、西川貴教ら8,000人を盛り上げる". BARKS. July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  10. ^ "テレビ独占生中継! a-nation 2019". Music On! TV. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  11. ^ "倖田來未が「GOLDFINGER '99」のリバイバルソングを披露!<2019 神宮外苑花火大会>". WWS CHANNEL. August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  12. ^ "倖田來未、<神宮外苑花火大会>で郷ひろみ「GOLDFINGER '99」のリバイバルソング披露". BARKS. August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  13. ^ "Rika / "Tokai-TV"". Tokai TV. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  14. ^ "倖田來未 / STRIP -オトナの土ドラ「リカ」edit-". Avex Official YouTube. October 15, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  15. ^ "Merry Go Roundの歌詞 / 倖田來未 / ORICON NEWS". Oricon News. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  16. ^ "デイリー アルバムランキング2019年11月12日付". Oricon. November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  17. ^ "デイリー アルバムランキング2018年08月21日付 (Daily Album Rank 2018.08.21)". Oricon. August 21, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  18. ^ "DNA / 倖田來未 / ORICON NEWS". Oricon. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  19. ^ "週間アルバムランキング2019年11月25日付(2019年11月11日~2019年11月17日)". Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  20. ^ "週間アルバムランキング2019年12月02日付(2019年11月18日~2019年11月24日)". Oricon. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  21. ^ "デジタルシングル「Eh Yo」リリース決定!". Koda Kumi Official. June 17, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  22. ^ "NEVER ENOUGH【ファンクラブ・mu-moショップ限定】(CD)". mu-mo. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  23. ^ "Eh Yo – レコチョク". RecoChoku. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  24. ^ "倖田來未の「Eh Yo – Single」をApple Musicで". iTunes Store. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  25. ^ "Koda Kumi no Eh Yo". Amazon Music. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  26. ^ "倖田來未 Eh Yo 歌詞". J-Lyric. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  27. ^ "倖田來未さんが HANAZONO 公式応援ソング 「Eh Yo 」を初披露!" (PDF). Kyodo News. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  28. ^ "Koda Kumi to 're LIVE' her Black Cherry and JAPONESQUE tours". ARAMA! JAPAN. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  29. ^ "倖田來未 Koda Kumi – Eh Yo – Single [iTunes Plus M4A]". Asian Jams. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  30. ^ "倖田來未 / GET NAKED -Short ver-". Avex Official YouTube. October 22, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  31. ^ "倖田來未、髪に風船を結んで浮かせた"バルーンヘア"に皮肉コメント殺到!". livedoor news (in Japanese). October 25, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  32. ^ "倖田來未、髪に風船を結んで浮かせた"バルーンヘア"に皮肉コメント殺到!". Excite (in Japanese). October 25, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  33. ^ "本当に浮いてる! 倖田來未の斬新すぎるバルーンヘアが話題". MSN (in Japanese). October 20, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  34. ^ "倖田來未(KODA KUMI) / k,". avex Official YouTube. November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  35. ^ "倖田來未 / again". avex Official YouTube. October 29, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  36. ^ "倖田來未 / Livin' La Vida Loca". Avex Official YouTube. July 20, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  37. ^ "倖田來未 / GOLDFINGER 2019". avex Official YouTube. August 13, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  38. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2019/11/25 付け". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  39. ^ "re(CORD)(DVD付) / 倖田來未 / ORICON NEWS". Oricon. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  40. ^ "月間アルバムランキング2019年11月度". Oricon. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
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