Koda Kumi

Stage name: Koda Kumi,

Japanese name: ,

Original name: ,

Birth name: Kouda Kumiko

Nickname: Kuu-chan, Kuu-tan

Birthdate: November 13, 1982

Current age: 27

Birthplace: Kyoto, Japan

Profession: Singer and songwriter.

Height: 154 cm / 5'0"

Blood Type: A

Favorite singers: Christina Aguilera %26amp; Ja Rule

Favorite music genre: Rock, R%26amp;B

Favorite food: Panini, bundt cake

People she respects: Her parents

Experience:

Koda Kumi was the first girl born into her family in a number of generations. She dreamed of becoming asinger since she was in elementary school. She auditioned alongside Goto Maki for the 3rd generation of Morning Musume when she was seventeen, but didn't make it. She was noticed by Avex Trax, however, and was signed and began releasing pop music with an urban feel.

Her debut single, TAKE BACK, was released in December 2000. After a few more unsuccessful singles, she released her debut album, affection in 2002. But with the 2003 release of real Emotion / 1000 no Kotoba a year later, Koda's career finally found success.

Controversy

On the 1st of February, 2008, Koda Kumi commented on a question about "whether she would like to have children or not". Her answer was something along the lines of "Yes, but before I am 35 years old. I think that the amniotic fluid from pregnant women about 35 years old is rotten", and ended the comment with a laugh.

The answer was so offensive that many radio shows and newspapers had a lot complaints from women around the country. Avex Trax decided that all promotion of her new album Kingdom will be canceled, her official website has been shut down, and so was her Kose Visee web page. A week later, Koda Kumi appeared in an exclusive interview on Fuji TV's "FNN Super News" to apologize for the remark she made. Even though she tearfully apologized for the harm she caused, reactions to Koda's apology were mostly negative. An informal poll taken after the broadcast through Sankei Sports' website indicated that 81% of the viewers felt the apology was insufficient, while only 9% said it was enough.

Koda Kumie released three more albums: grow into one, feel my mind, and secret. Her fan base grew with the release of each album.

BEST ~first things~ is her first single collection, which sold nearly 2 million copies, and remained on the charts for less than four months. It became the highest selling female album of 2005 and reached #17 on the top albums of 2006.

Cherry Girl / Unmei and the follow up fifth studio album, Black Cherry, were both released in December 2006. Oricon reports that Black Cherry is the first female studio album to stay at number one for four weeks in four years, selling 802,000 copies. The last female studio album to have done that was Hamasaki Ayumi's 2000 album, Duty.

Koda Kumi released a third compilation album, BEST ~BOUNCE %26amp; LOVERS~. It charted at #2 on both the Oricon daily and weekly charts with first week sales of 161,458 copies.

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