Music video: Kumi Koda covers Ricky Martin's "Livin' la vida loca" and nobody knows why

Kumi Koda has covered Ricky Martin's "Livin' la vida loca".

Nope. I have no idea why either. But she has and she's shot a video for it and everything.

Nothing about this cover makes any sense.

Every issue that I have with Kumi Koda is compounded into this song and video, and highlights why she's gonna stay in the shadows of the women who made Avex their money: Ayumi Hamasaki and Namie Amuro.

Say what you will about Ayumi Hamasaki, but she at least did the damn thing and had a golden period. I see her much like how I see Madonna nowadays. What she does now may not be great, but her legacy is already secured. She had a definable period in her career where she was influential, breaking records, setting trends and a precedent in Pop and was pretty much untouchable. Kumi Koda hasn't had that moment of magnitude just yet and she probably won't now unless a bitch hits some renaissance stage of her career where it manages to happen. But I can't see it.

Kumi Koda has always been a reductive artist. An entertaining one who has given us some great looks, great music, great videos and solid live performances. But her brand has been inadvertently built on essentially ripping off other artists in some form. And sadly, this is the only aspect of her career which has been consistent. And with this video, it's no different. She gives us a lil' bit of Cirque du Soleil that P!nk has become known for (and run into the ground). She has a hair style that looks very Beyoncé. And she's rocking a look that is straight Rihanna, but could also be Beyoncé. Boasically, her look is based on something she saw somebody in Western Pop wear in some music video. It's wild, because she has a sense of self, but always seems to revert back into trying to do or be somebody else.

Then there's this song. "Livin' la vida loca" is one of those songs that's difficult to try and change and make your own, because ain't nobody wanting to hear a version of "Livin' la vida loca" that doesn't sound like "Livin' la vida loca". So for Kumi to cover the song and not really change anything was kinda pointless. She may have burned herself by doing so, but I would have much preferred if she at least tried to make this song her own and switch it up. Her fans would have rocked with it if nobody else.

Kumi Koda is really out here with a song cover in 2019 showing not one lick of growth. The Kumi we got here, the visuals, the tone, the style of the cover and the nonsensical dance break is more or less the same shit we got with her "Cutie honey" cover 15 years ago.

There's no word on a new album from Kumi, but I wouldn't be surprised if a Color the cover 2 or a Re-Color the cover was upon us.