Flashback Friday: Koda Kumi featuring Tohoshinki (TVXQ) - Last Angel | KK-Pop

Today is the anniversary of Koda Kumi’s sixth studio album, Kingdom. So we’re gonna flashback to “Last Angel” — the only song that I remember Kingdom for. Because it was from this point in Kumi’s career where I really struggled to remember which single belonged to which album, because Kumi was just releasing so much stuff in a constant stream. So which song belonged to which album just became a big blur.
Avex videos are still blocked on my blog for some reason. So if you wanna watch this music video, you’re gonna have to head over to YouTube.

>With Kingdom, you could tell Kumi had reached a point in her career where she’d built up a lot of capital and cachet. She wasn’t just that girl signed to Avex who was trying to speedrun her career to where Ayumi Hamasaki’s was at. She was KODA KUMI. So this collaboration with TVXQ was significant, in that it showed Kumi was now a name who could help push other people’s careers. Prior to “Last Angel” TVXQ’s albums were selling 5 digits and couldn’t chart higher than no. 10 on the Oricon. But after the release of “Last Angel”, their next 8 albums were selling 6 digits and never once charted lower than no. 5. So it was messy that TVXQ included a version of “Last Angel” on their album which did not include Kumi Koda.

Kumi had developed a bit of a reputation for jumping on trends — more than most, because of the volume at which she was releasing music more than anything else. But with this TVXQ combo, it did make me think ‘Oh. Maybe Kumi isn’t just about jumping on popular shit’. TVXQ were signed to Avex and Kumi was an act on their roster who was not only popular at the time, but the best fit for the group, pairing the two together was probably a label decision more than it was a Kumi decision. But given where Kumi’s sound is at now, it isn’t such a stretch that back in 2007 she was intrigued by K-pop. After all, she did record “The Meaning of Peace” with BoA back in 2001 — making her one of the only Japanese acts to have worked with TVXQ and BoA early on in their Japanese careers. And the video for “Last Angel” was even shot in Korea.

It’s a shame that this energy and intrigue didn’t stick with Kumi. But, OH WELL.
Also, “Last Angel” was used as the promotional song for Resident Evil: Extinction — the third film in the Resident Evil film series. The one which featured that white woman who Beyoncé beat up in Obsessed as Claire Redfield. Which feels fitting to mention now of all times, given that a new Resident Evil releases in a few weeks and previews are currently doing the rounds online, with people in deep debates about whether Leon let an innocent woman die.

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💿 Koda Kumi reviews: Affection | Secret | Grow into One | Feel My Mind | Black Cherry | Trick | Kingdom | Universe | Eternity ~Love & Songs~ | Dejavu | Japonesque | Color the Cover | Bon Voyage | Walk Of My Life | W Face | AND | DNA | re(CORD) | angeL + monsteR [My Name Is...] | Heart | Unicorn | De:Code