Koda Kumi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Koda Kumi
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| 倖田 來未 | |
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Koda Kumi in 2025
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| Born |
Kumiko Kōda (神田 來未子)
November 13, 1982 Kyoto, Japan
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2000–present |
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Works
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Discography |
| Spouse(s) |
Kenji Kuriyama
(m. 2011) |
| Children | 1 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | Rhythm Zone Orpheus (United States) |
Kumiko Kōda (神田 來未子, Kōda Kumiko, born November 13, 1982), is a Japanese singer from Kyoto. She is known professionally as Koda Kumi (倖田 來未, Kōda Kumi). She is famous for her pop and R&B songs.
Koda Kumi became famous in 2003. Her songs "Real Emotion" and "1000 no Kotoba" were used in the video game Final Fantasy X-2. This made her very popular. Her fourth album, Secret (2005), and her greatest hits album, Best: First Things (2005), were also big hits.
At first, Koda had a quiet and reserved image. Later, she became known for her bold and cool fashion style. She became a trendsetter for many young women in Japan. In 2006 and 2007, the music chart company Oricon named her the top-selling artist of the year.
Contents
Life and Career
Early Life and Beginnings
Koda was born into a family of musicians in Kyoto, Japan. Her grandfather was a master of the shakuhachi, a Japanese flute. Her mother was a teacher of the koto, a Japanese stringed instrument. Her younger sister is Misono, who is also a singer.
Inspired by her mother, Koda wanted to be a singer from a young age. During high school, she entered Avex's "Dream Audition." She placed second out of 120,000 people and was signed to the record label Rhythm Zone.
2000–2004: Debut and Rise to Fame
Koda released her first single, "Take Back", in December 2000. She also released English versions of her early songs in the United States. Her songs "Trust Your Love" and "Color of Soul" were both Top 30 hits in Japan.
Her big break came in 2003 with the single "real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba". The songs were used as the opening and ending themes for the popular video game Final Fantasy X-2. Koda also provided the voice for the character Lenne in the game's Japanese version. The single was a huge success, reaching number 3 on the charts.
After this success, she released her second album, Grow into One, which became a Top 10 hit. She continued to release popular singles and her third album, Feel My Mind (2004). During this time, she also covered the theme song for the movie Cutie Honey. This period marked a change in her image to a more confident and stylish look.
2005–2006: Becoming a Top Artist
In 2005, Koda's career reached new heights. Her fourth album, Secret, was her first to enter the Top 5 on the charts. It sold over half a million copies. Her single "Butterfly" was also a major hit.
In September 2005, she released her first greatest hits album, Best: First Things. It became her first number-one album and sold over a million copies.
To end the year, Koda started a unique project. She released one single every week for twelve straight weeks. This was called the "12 Singles Project." The first single, "You", became her first number-one single. This project made her the first female artist to have three singles in the Oricon Top 10 at the same time.
Her second greatest hits album, Best: Second Session, was released in 2006. It included all twelve singles from the project. The album debuted at number one, selling almost a million copies in its first week. By the end of 2006, Oricon named her the best-selling artist of the year.
2007–2010: Continued Success
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Koda's success continued in 2007. She released more hit singles, including "Freaky", which reached number one. She performed at the Live Earth concert in Tokyo. At the end of the year, she held her first concert at the famous Tokyo Dome. For the second year in a row, Oricon named her the best-selling artist of 2007.
In early 2008, Koda released her sixth album, Kingdom, which also hit number one. Later that year, she faced some challenges after making a comment on a radio show that caused a public debate. She made a public apology, and promotions for her album were stopped for a time.
Despite this, she continued her career. She released the single "Moon", which included a song with Fergie from The Black Eyed Peas. Her singles "Taboo" and "Stay with Me" both reached number one. Her 2009 album Trick also topped the charts.
2010–2016: Anniversary and New Music
In 2010, Koda celebrated her 10th anniversary in the music industry. She released a combined studio and best-of album called Best: Third Universe/Universe. She also held a special anniversary concert at the Tokyo Dome.
In December 2011, Koda announced her marriage to Kenji03, a musician from the rock band Back-On. The couple had their first child, a son, in July 2012.
Even with these personal changes, she kept releasing music. Her 2012 album Japonesque was a success. Her single "Go to the Top" became her first number-one single in three years.
From 2013 to 2016, she released more albums, including Bon Voyage (2014) and Walk of My Life (2015). Walk of My Life became her eighth studio album to reach number one. She also celebrated her 15th anniversary with a special tour.
2017–Present: Recent Work
In 2017, Koda released her first double album, "W Face ~inside~" and "W Face ~outside~". Both albums took the number one and number two spots on the Oricon charts at the same time. She was only the second female artist in 40 years to do this.
She continued to release new music, including the albums AND (2018), DNA (2018), and Re(cord) (2019). In 2020, she celebrated her 20th anniversary with a special tour.
In 2022, Koda released her 17th studio album, Heart. She also collaborated with the band Shōnan no Kaze on the song "Trust・Last," which was the theme for the TV show Kamen Rider Geats. Her most recent studio album, Unicorn, was released in 2024.
Music and Style
Koda is known for her mix of pop and R&B music. However, she has also explored other genres like rock, hip-hop, and dance music. She has written the lyrics for many of her songs since the start of her career. She has said she only likes to release songs that she feels strongly about.
Koda is also known for her music videos. Some of her videos explore themes of love and relationships in unique ways. For example, the video for her song "Taboo" was made to show that certain topics in society are not as forbidden as people might think.
Personal Life
On December 12, 2011, Koda announced she was engaged to Kenji03 from the band Back-On. They married later that month. Koda gave birth to their son on July 17, 2012.
Charity Work
Koda has been involved in helping others. In 2011, she helped raise money for victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she took part in charity songs to support people. One song was called "Be One ~Bokura ni Dekiru Koto~" (What We Can Do). She also released a song called "Puff" with a music video that encouraged fans to stay active at home.
Discography
Studio albums
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Cover albums
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Awards and Achievements
Koda Kumi has won many awards throughout her career.
- In 2005, she won a major award at the 47th Japan Record Awards for her song "Butterfly".
- In 2006, she won three awards at the Japan Gold Disc Awards, including "Pop Artist of the Year".
- At the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards Japan, she won "Best Female Video" and "Best Video of the Year" for "Butterfly".
- In 2007, she won three more awards at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan, including "Best Video of the Year" for "Yume no Uta".
- She has sold more than 15 million records in Japan.
See also
In Spanish: Kumi Kōda para niños
