Ongaku Cafe (The 2000s): Koda Kumi x misono – It’s all Love! (March 2009)

“Kumi Koda and sister misono join forces for a collaborative rock and dance single!  A solid release but the DVD tends to mostly focus on Kumi than on both sisters.”

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ARTIST: Koda Kumi x misono

CD SINGLE: It’s all Love!

LABEL: Rhythm Zone

CATALOG #: RZCD-46183

DURATION: 29:44

RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2009

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1. It’s all Love!
2. faraway
3. 天秤 ～強がりな私 x 弱がりな君～
4. It’s all love! (Instrumental)
5. faraway (Instrumental)
6. 天秤 ～強がりな私 x 弱がりな君～ (Instrumental)

DVD: Region 2, Duration: 17:21, 4:3

1. It’s all Love! (Music Video)
2. faraway (Music Video)
3. faraway (Making Video)
   

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Reviewed back in October 2009

For many fans of Kumi Koda and misono, J-pop fans have wondered when the sisters would ever collaborate with each other?

Due to their hectic schedules and different musical styles, it seemed that the possibility of a collaboration would never happen.  But things changed during the beginning of the year with an announcement that the pop diva, Kumi Koda and  younger sister, misono who is now a solo singer and vocalist of the pop group day after tomorrow would in fact be collaborating on a new CD single.  Also, that the new single would incorporate both artist’s styles and include the latest single for both artists.

Needless to say, I was curious of what kind of music these two would produce.

The first track on the CD single “It’s all Love!” features a rock n’ roll track, electric guitar driven track and is used as the theme song for the film “Subaru”.   I have to admit that this track took awhile to warm to me but it’s the vocals that really hooked me.  Definitely loved the harmony between the two sisters.  Of course, with the track having to incorporate both styles of the women, once you get to the middle instrumental transition, the rock track transitions into a dance pop segment which clearly takes advantage of Kumi’s choreography and then transitions back to the electric guitars and fast-paced rock music.  Overall, a track that I started to enjoy more and more with repeated listening.

The second track “faraway” is a beautiful ballad by Kumi Koda.  The song was written by Kumi Koda and features music and arrangement by Mitsuki Shiokawa.  The song is a slow, synth but gentle track.  Well done, well-sung and overall, a very solid Kumi ballad.

The third track “Tenbin -Tsuyogari na Watasi x Yowagari na Kimi” is by misono.  And is clearly a misono acoustic-guitar driven, passionate track featuring words and music by misono.  With the release of her music, I definitely like the fact that she’s taking advantage of her guitar playing (similar to fellow avex artist hitomi) more and more, especially with her recent single releases.

The remaining three tracks are the instrumental versions of the first three songs.

As for the DVD, the DVD comes with two music videos and a making of.

The first music video is “It’s all Love!” (directed by Takashi Tadokoro of EXFLARE) featuring the women walking in a hallway with their black clothing and entering an all white room (dig the set decoration with the all white and lit panels) with black accessories.  And features the women watching music videos of themselves (ala misono style – funny faces and all) in a colorful pink and yellow room filled with candy and then shots of the two dancing (ala Kumi style).  Of course, Kumi is known for her choreography, misono doesn’t dance and it’s evident that she’s a second behind in the choreography and actually a bit stiff. If anything, you can tell the two sisters are having fun being in a music video together.

For Kumi Koda’s music video for “faraway” (directed and filmed by Hirotaka Takada), the ballad features Kumi wearing diamonds and an elegant black and purple dress while sitting in the blue moonlight and another scene sitting in a rusted steel earthy, brown setup.  Overall, a pretty beautiful music video.

The third music video features the making of “faraway” and an interview with Kumi and the director on the making of the music video.  Surprisingly, no making of “It’s all Love!” or music video for misono.

The CD insert features a tri-fold with the music lyrics and production credits for the music video. Included are inserts for the promotion of “Subaru” and a mu-mo Kumi Koda promotional.

Overall, “It’s all Love!” was a good collaboration for the sisters.  The music with both sisters and their CD singles were nice inclusions to the CD single release. The main collaborative track took awhile for me to warm up to but after listening to it several times, I started to enjoy it.  Kumi Koda’s single was quite enjoyable to listen to and overall, this CD+DVD release is definitely worth checking out.

But if there was one nitpicky problem that I had with this CD single is that I know that Kumi Koda is quite popular but for this single, it would have been nice to see the sisters promoted in equal footing.

The DVD is primarily focused on Kumi Koda and misono’s only presence is just the “It’s all Love!” music video.  Also, there was no making of “It’s all Love!”, as it would have been wonderful to hear both sisters interviewed together.  Also, with most avex CD+DVD releases that feature a film’s theme song, there was no trailer for “Subaru” but a mini-flier.

So, granted this is me being nitpicky but I wish there was a balanced effort to promote both artists.  But I figured with this being a Rhythm Zone release (misono is on the avex trax label), that’s why the focus was primarily on Kumi.

But overall, this collaborative is a first (and possibly may be the last) between Kumi and misono on a CD single.  So, if you are fans of both artists, definitely give this CD single a chance.

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