Album review: Kumi Koda - Universe

Another year, another release from our number 1 J-Pop ho. Alongside yet another Best album chronicling some of her recent single releases; she's also released an album full of some new, and some not-so-new material. So just how good is Kumi's new Universe?

Every Kumi Koda album seems to follow the rule of thumb of having one overly saturated song which throws in every single cliche of US R&B club bangers. We've had "Juicy", "Bling bling bling" and now Universe gets "Step into my world". The song is garbage. "Physical thing" didn't get a great deal of love when it released. But I think the song was bangin'. Hot beat. Kumi serving just the right amount of sex. Under 3 minutes. Job done. Hot song. "Universe" really got me. Not just because I expected it to be a ballad, but Because Kumi Koda has released songs like it in the past and I always hated them. But I really like this. It has a semi-reggaeton bounce about it and a distinctive progressive synth pattern which sounds eerily similar to Cybotron's "Clear". I'm surprised Kumi didn't shoot a music video for this, complete with denim hot pants, open legs, pussy poppin', long weaves and her licking her fingers and bussin' it open over Pepsi cans.

Kumi Koda has touched on rock before with songs such as "Black cherry". But she really dives head first into the sound on this album. The 'was it Kumi or Kelly Clarkson's song first' "Can we go back" surprised many, because it's pretty full on (even for Kumi) and features a lot of English Engrish. The song works well in her favour because she not only has the vocal chops to really sell this song, but she doesn't over do them. It would have been easy for her to have just wailed like a Banshee getting torn up from behind, but she is decidedly tame in comparison to how extra we know she can be and sounds great for it. "Work it out" struts along with an 80s bounce which swings between dark 'n' edgy verses and bright hooks, but the hook feels like it's lacking that killer punch. "Work it out" doesn't hit you square in the face in the same way "Can we go back" does, but it is still a decent song. "Ecstasy" is a mess. I do not like the song...at all. Even for the sake of watching Kumi Koda writhe around in white liquid and dance around dressed like Psylocke from the X-Men. The song has no consistency with its sound. It wants to be R&B. It wants to be Rock. It wants to be Pop. It wants to be Techno. It needs to be left in a MacBook recycle bin. "It's all love!" is a woman empowering song which features none other than Kumi's younger sister, Misono. She sounds a LOT like her older sister, only less hoarse. I didn't like the song at first, but it grew on me when I heard it sandwiched on this album. The song reminds me of Kumi and Soulhead's "D.D.D", only with overdone guitars. The rock vibe feels too over-the-top and it over powers the whole song, as well as Kumi and Misono's vocals. And it takes a lot to overpower likes of Kumi, let alone her AND her sister, who also has a set of pipes on her. Had the production been tamed and taken down a few notches, this could have been a really good song.

On the other side of the same coin; Kumi serves up fun, bubbly pop songs with a rock twang. "Superstar" and "Lick me ♥" are both so sickly sweet, you can taste the raw Kool-Aid mix as you listen to them. They are both such cute and charming songs, that I find it impossible to hate them flat out. "Superstar" is fast, fun and bubbly. And "Lick me ♥" is catchier than H1N1. It's easy to hear why it has become so popular and a crowd fave at performances. I think ♪ Ehwe tee awwight, don be afwayd! ♪ will be permanently imprinted into my subconscious.

I am proud to announce to Kumi fans that despite Kumi's current penchant for rock, Universe does feature some midtempos and that they are all pretty great. The production style of every single one of them is clearly ripped off. But when the music is so good, it's hard to tear the songs down because of it. "You're so beautiful" sounds like Stargate so badly, that a n***a in Japan should be sued. From the drum patterns to the strummy guitars, it's just straight up Stargate jacking. Dramatic mid-tempo synth ballad "No way" strikes a balance between the sound that US producer Tricky Stewart put down for Usher's "Moving mountains" and The Underdogs distinct old school sound. It's completely different from anything Kumi has done before and I never would have thought for a second she'd ever do a song like this. It sounds Namie Amuro-esque, and Kumi and Namie's styles have always been poles apart. But it is a hot song with a lot going for it. My only gripe with it is that it is a little too long (clocking in at almost 6 minutes). But other than that? Wonderful song. Speaking of Namie Amuro, we have "Comes up" which sounds like a hell of a lot like "Baby don't cry". I should drag Kumi for copying the song so shamelessly, but I can't deny how good a song it is.

Shockingly, the album only features one ballad. Whilst Kumi's up-tempo numbers can be questionable and cause a rabid divide of opinions. Her ballads always shine. That was until she went and recorded "Alive". It should have been renamed "Dead", because whatever is alive, it sho' ain't this song. It's boring. It's dreary. It's doo-doo. Kumi really did fall off with this song. I'll go as far as to say it is the worst ballad she's ever recorded.

Universe was a really nice surprise. Whilst not Kumi Koda's most in-your-face release despite the frequency of rock flavoured songs, it's a tight package. The quality of the songs on this album comes through in a much more slow rolling fashion. Usually I'll listen to a Kumi album and instantly single out my likes and dislikes via some quick fingered skipping. But Universe almost commanded that I listen to every song all the way through first, and it's in this form that the brilliance of certain songs reveal themselves. And for the first time in Kumi's discography, she's released a consistent sounding album. Well...kinda. Kumi still finds it difficult to stick with one style and hone it for a whole album. Universe swings between lovey-dovey sappy songs and rock numbers almost too casually. But the sense of consistency is there, which is a start. And every song suits her voice and her grasp of Engrish.

Universe is a really good album. It's not perfect. But it is far better than her recent string of albums. As a stand alone album, Universe is pretty solid. If anything, the 'Best' disc is a bonus. This is the first non Best Kumi Koda that I wholly like, will play from start to finish, and can say doesn't guzzle down to the balls. I always knew my J-Pop ho had it in her.

RATING: 7 / 10

Album highlights:
■ Can we go back
■ Superstar
■ You're so beautiful
■ Lick me ♥
■ No way
■ Stay
■ Comes up ★ J's fave
■ Physical thing
■ Universe