Koda Kumi - Dejavu

Track Listing

1. Prologue to Dejavu
2. POP DIVA
3. Lollipop
4. Okay
5. Aitakute
6. Passing By
7. AT THE WEEK END
8. Interlude to Dejavu
9. Melting
10. Hey baby!
11. Choi Tashi Life
12. Anata Dake ga
13. Suki de, Suki de, Suki de.
14. Bambi
15. I Don’t Love You !??

1. Prologue to Dejavu

Just like most of the more recent albums Kuu’s done, we get an introduction to the album and Prologue to Dejavu sounds pretty nice since there’s marching drums and some ad-libbing before ~why wont you come with me to my dejavu~ is repeated about 4 times before closing out.  It sounds like it could be eventually turned into a full song, but who knows with how Kuu does things nowadays.

2. POP DIVA

As the last A-side released in the era, POP DIVA I guess makes the dirtier songs come first on the album and I don’t mind since there weren’t many on the album to begin with.  I still get “Like A G6″ vibes from the song, but Kuu in the chorus really changes the mood, but her vocals kind of goes in the dumper.  I do like it sometimes, but other times I find it much more of a harder listen.

3. Lollipop

However, I’ve continued to enjoy this song.  As the lead-in song from “Gossip Candy”, Lollipop is also quite drenched in Kuu’s sexyness and hornyness that it just reminds me why I fell for Kuu in the first place with lines like ~lick my lollipop~.  While the slight Arabian feel gives it a nice touch, it’s lighter and not as forced as previous songs in the same arranging area.  Still…does anyone really believe she’s saying ~I dodged a bullet, bullet”?  I still dont think so hahahah!

4. Okay

Getting into some new tracks from the album, Okay feels like something I’ve heard from a K-pop group and while I love the slower arrangement here, it feels like it needs an energy boost.  I just get interlude vibes that was stretched too far.  I feel bored after a while and just want to have a different song come up.  “No Way” did a much better job.

5. Aitakute

Slowing down even more for our next song, Aitakute, I wasn’t sure what we were going to end up getting and oddly enough I find myself surprised that it’s more of a nod to Kuu’s early stuff.  By the way, Kuu’s sultry vocals really suited the song and I liked that she gave us a lil bit of a nostalgic track here.

6. Passing By

Another ballad?  I wasn’t expecting another song that was going to remind me of “No Way”, but I actually felt for this one quite a bit because I loved the strings that were used here.  Though I will question the male vocals that remind me of Akon….what the hell happened there eh?  Otherwise this is one of Kuu’s better ballads in recent times.

7. AT THE WEEK END

After having some ballads passing us by, it was time to get back into some hard songs and AT THE WEEK END is definitely one of the album’s more harder songs.  I love the pounding beat and Kuu’s vocals here as well.  It feels really good, but, I feel like I can fall for “UNIVERSE” and “Driving” more than this, but I don’t know why.  I’m pretty unsure where I really stand with the song.

8. Interlude to Dejavu

Hey, we get an interlude!  When was the last time we had that eh?  Anyways, it sounds so creepy at first and once again like the “Epilogue to Dejavu” the marching drums are present and Kuu’s Engrish makes a full-blown return and it really makes me wonder if she actually isn’t learning anything in the language XD  It’s alright, but it doesn’t really set things up for the second half of the album.

9. Melting

While it was rumored to have been the B-side to “POP DIVA”, Melting I guess was changed or just they didn’t have that in mind to begin with.  Anyways, after the interlude, the mood of the album changes into a more poppier side which is a side we don’t get a whole lot of but it’s nice.  Melting is a nice change since the song is cute and with the synth/acoustic guitar mix, it’s a nice and fluffy song to listen to.  Kuu sounds like how she does in most of her cutesy type songs, but I don’t know if it was done well here…but I like the arrangement.

10. Hey baby!

As the lone digital single release (and it’s her second overall), Hey baby! was used in Crayon Shin-chan.  Of course knowing that very hilarious and disturbing show, Hey baby! had to be just as a bit bizarre and I love this song for some reason.  While people prefer “AT THE WEEK END”, I much prefer this song since it’s got punch and has a fun atmosphere going on.  The thing though that’s bothersome is the fact that it’s really short…2:35?  SERIOUSLY?!?

11. Choi Tashi Life

Wow, this song reminds me of Mario Kart for some reason…but with lyrics.  I think it’s the fact of the sparkly atmosphere and peppy feel is what makes me think of like Rainbow Road for some reason XD.  I think Kuu scored points with this song since it’s cute, but not overbearing.  I kind of liked this song quite a bit!

12. Anata Dake ga

So reversing the 2nd single’s A-side around on the album, we get Anata Dake ga first.  To me it feels refreshing after the poppy songs and since it’s a ballad, I still was impressed with this song more than “Suki de, Suki de, Suki de.”.  There’s still something that’s quite sweet and innocent about this song that makes me want to come back to it.

13. Suki de, Suki de, Suki de.

However, I still am pretty bored with the primary A-side Suki de, Suki de, Suki de. because it feels like some bland ballad when put against the other songs that are classified as such.  I still feel that it’s more suited for Ayu more than Kuu since I keep imagining her singing this song.  I just don’t feel much for this song and to me was the worst A-side of the era.

14. Bambi

Well the last song that was titled Bambi made me laugh so hardcore (Diggy-MO’ track).  Following along the other cute tracks on the album, Bambi has more of a pop/rock kind of sound which is interesting nonetheless.  It’s quite random at this point of the album, but I guess it’s an interesting twist.

15. I Don’t Love You !??

Wow, no ballad to close out the album?  I really like that the song sounds a bit more chiller and yet cool to listen to.  I like the synths the run around the song since it makes things quite catchy and fun for me to listen to.  I will say, it might not have stood out on her other albums, but it does here in a good way.

Tracks Recommended

• Choi Tashi Life
• Lollipop
• Hey baby!
• Passing By
• Anata Dake ga

Song of Avoidance

• Suki de, Suki de, Suki de.

In a way, Kuu took less jumps on this album than she did in “UNIVERSE” and “TRICK” which might disappoint people in the long run, but going down safety land actually might have gotten her somewhere since it’s her lightest album at least IMO.  I don’t think she really got amazingly epic with this release, but it’s an alright album, just not her best.

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