RAINBOW was Ayumi Hamasaki’s 5th studio album. It was released on December 18, 2002 and reached number 1 on the charts with 1,016,482 copies sold. It would go on to sell over 1,858,000 copies in Japan, this was the her first studio album since A Song For XX not to reach 2 million in sales. And in Asia alone this album has sold over 2,275,000 copies. This album featured the singles Free & Easy, H, and Voyage. Rainbow was also the first album to have some English in any of her albums. And although the song RAINBOW was not featured on this album it was later released on her 2nd A BEST album entitled A BALLADS.

Tracks:
1. everlasting dream
2. WE WISH
3. Real me
4. Free & Easy
5. Heartplace
6. Over
7. HANABI
8. taskinillusion
9. everywhere nowhere
10. July 1st
11. Dolls
12. neverending dream
13. Voyage
14. Close to you
15 independent+

Review:
everlasting dream, the introduction to this album. It begins a little dark but then changes into a mystical song, almost like a dream. A perfect introduction to RAINBOW.

WE WISH, the pop/rock tune . The music here is so amazing with all the guitars and pop sound, and the lyrics sound fantastic. The entire song sounds so catchy and flows so perfectly. Ayumi begins with the chorus followed by a few verses. The chorus here is somewhat slow but it still finds a way to sound so good and so catchy, what an addictive chorus. The bridge here is a guitar solo that sounds so spectacular. Ayumi then sings the chorus in a distorted voice slowly bringing up her voice until she begins the final chorus. What a breathtaking song, worthy of an Ayumi song.

Real me, the English inspired track. Well this album does feature some English and this is the first song to do so. And to date this is the song that uses the most English, even more than STEP you. It begins with a nice intro from the some string playing or being strummed rather. The music seems a little different for one of her songs, but that’s okay. Ayumi then sings the chorus, which blew my away. The chorus uses a good amount of English, is catchy and sounds so good. Her voice also gets a little distorted in the end. The verses of this song sound pretty good too. This overall is such a great upbeat song.

Free & Easy, the ballad & rock song. A great mix of ballads and rock songs, what more could you want. This was released as the first single of the era. This song features a soft piano and an aggressive guitar. The chorus is so riveting and sounds so amazing. It’s been reviewed here.

Heartplace this song has some interesting music to it in the beginning but then transforms into a vibrant rock oriented song. This is also another song that uses English. The chorus features some English, too bad that it’s not catchy. Her English isn’t the best here and you can hear some distortions in Ayumi’s voice. It does transition together nicely though. Not as good as Real me, but still good.

Over begins with a beautiful ballad melody with the piano being the main instrument. This song too uses some English, but it uses a very little amount of English. The chorus in this song is so beautiful and the music sounds so beautiful and a little synth. A nice addition to the album.

HANABI, the summer ballad. This was released on her H single as the third song. This song features a beautiful chorus and Ayumi’s vocals are so strong. It’s no wonder it was placed on A BALLADS. For the review of HANABI simply click here.

taskinillusion, an illusiona interlude. This interlude is fast paced and features a music box playing. It also features another odd sound that seems to fit so well.

everywhere nowhere, the upbeat dance song. English is used in this song during the beginning. As mentioned above this is a dance song as it features heavy dance beats. The chorus is pretty catchy and is so dance-able. And perhaps the best part is that it is so addictive and sounds so good. Give it a few listens, you might like it. Finally a nice dance song from Ayumi on this album.

July 1st, the momentous song. This was released along with HANABI and independent as the single H. The chorus here was absolutely magical, and very catchy. It could’ve been a dance song, just with guitars and more pop oriented. Click here for the review of July 1st.

Dolls begins with some nice music at first but then changed into an orchestra of beautiful and mystical music. I can honestly say that this song is like a pop ballad song. The chorus of this song isn’t to catchy but it does sound good.

neverending dream the last interlude of this album. It has that mystical and soothing quality. You can detect a little synth in it but most of the music is from a piano and a harp. A nice transitioner for the next song.

Voyage was the last single to be released from this era. This song is such a beautiful ballad. It also seems to fit in so well with this album. And it was even featured on her A BALLADS album. The music of this song completes the lyrics so well. The climax of this song was such a beautiful treat too. The review of Voyage can be read here.

Close to you, it sounds like a church song in the beginning. It’s really a nice ballad once you hear it. I think it’s a lot better than her other ballad Dolls. Ayumi’s vocals are stronger here yet also softer. Here the chorus outshines everything else in the song. The church sound gives it a nice distinct quality.

independent is the up-beat summer fun song. It was released along with two other songs to create the H single. This track is very upbeat and full of energy. It screams summer and you’ll know why with one listen. The chorus sounds so catchy, so quick, and it has that summer fun quality to it. It’s already been reviewed here.

+, aka. More Than, the hidden track of the album. You might have wondered why there was a plus added well that’s the reason it’s a hidden track. It comes a few seconds after independent ends and has a nice little rock vibe. The last hidden song was flower garden from I am… I do like the fact that you can look forward to hearing something new in this track. There are a lot of La, la, la’s but that’s okay. The chorus was great, but the others were a bit better I must admit. Still, it was a nice way to end her 5th studio album. This song was also used as the ending song to Ayumi’s own TV show that she hosted for a while.

Overall Review: RAINBOW was a nice change from Ayumi’s normal album with the English being added. But with that being said I really didn’t like the fact that a lot of the songs were ballads, well it seems that way. The one thing going for it was the overall sound and music or the whole theme, which was in my opinion a dream or rainbow paradise with mystical sounds. Still the album is great and the singles of this era were good also. This album is like a RAINBOW, each song magical, unique, and colorful.

Final Grade: 93B+

Voyage was Ayumi Hamasaki’s 28th single. It reached number 1 on the charts with 310,020 copies sold. It would go on to chart number 1 on the charts for 3 weeks straight. In all it would sell 679,463+ copies in all. Voyage also had a mini movie for its PV called Tsuki ni Shizumu lit. Sinking Into The Moon. This is also the last single in her RAINBOW Era.

Tracks:
1. Voyage
2. HANABI “Electrical Bossa Mix”
3. independent “Sugiuramn Mix”
4. Voyage -Instrumental-

Review:
Voyage, the music box ballad. It begins with the sound of a music box then is followed by the piano. During the chorus the orchestra begins to play and it sounds so beautiful. The song begins with the heavenly chorus that sounds so beautiful. The verses are filled with the piano playing and Ayumi’s vocals. The verses themselves sound great, but the chorus is the best. The chorus sounds a lot better begin that right before it the orchestra enters and that her vocals are so powerful. This is a true ballad.

HANABI “Electrical Bossa Mix” this a mix of the original HANABI. It’s just a different in the musical instruments. The chorus still sounds as good as ever in this remix. I think it’s a pretty good remix.

independent “Sugiuramn Mix” this too is a remix song. This remix is okay for this song. The most notable differences are the beats and the music. Nothing much to say after that I guess.

Overall Review: Voyage was a different single for Ayumi in my opinion. Different doesn’t mean bad though in this case. I unusual music box music in Voyage made it unique in a way. It’s certainly a memorable song. The remixes seemed like a nice edition. Again like in Free & Easy, I wish that there was another B-Side that was new instead of remixes. Despite that, this was a magnificent way to end the RAINBOW Era.

Final Grade: 95A

H was Ayumi Hamasaki’s 27th single. It was released on July 24, 2002 and reached number 1 on the charts with 417,870 copies sold. It would later go on to sell 1,016,000+ copies and it became the number 1 single of the year. This was also Ayumi’s second single in the RAINBOW Era and it was her first triple A-Side single. The single was released in 5 different covers. Four were the original and the colors were white, red, green, and blue. The 5th cover was a re-release to celebrate the single selling over 1 million copies and it contained all 4 covers in the flap and a gold CD, this was also the last single by a female artists to sell over 1 million copies.

Tracks:
1. independent
2. July 1st
3. HANABI
4. independent -Instrumental-
5. July 1st -Instrumental-
6. HANABI -Instrumental-

Review:
independent, the up-beat, summer attraction. The song begins with some clapping followed by a few guitar riffs. Ayumi’s vocals are fast paced and move quickly throughout the song. The verses seems slow and fast at times, but they’re good. The chorus is really the best part. It’s quick and it sounds so catchy, but it’s upbeat which is the better reason. The guitar plays afterwards until the verses start. The bridge is mostly that same guitar doing a solo, that sounds remarkable. Not a bad song to begin her newest single.

July 1st, a momentous song. The song starts off all slow at first and then Ayumi sings. Ayumi’s vocals along with the overall pace build up momentum until the song gets to the chorus. The chorus is quite good, it’s catchy and almost dance-able to. Afterwards the song returns to that slow pace and then continues to increase until the chorus yet again. The bridge is a mixture of some disc scratching and distortions. This isn’t a half bad song once you get use to it.

HANABI lit. Fireworks, the eternal ballad. After all these great summer tunes I didn’t expect to hear a ballad. The song opens up with some music box instrumentals and strings. The strings are then replaced by a continuous beat and Ayumi’s vocals. Slowly Ayumi’s vocals become stronger until the chorus. During the chorus Ayumi’s voice sounds so beautiful, it just sounds so heavenly. The chorus sounds great too, not all that catchy, but great and it has a magical atmosphere to it. The lyrics here were just wonderful. It’s no wonder it was added to A BALLADS.

Overall Review: H was summer time perfection. The music was great, and the songs were fantastic. It really represents summer when you think about it. independent was the beginning of summer, full of life and happiness, followed by July 1st, a mid summer day full of relaxing, and HANABI, the end of a wonderful summer. All of the songs seemed to fit together well and make a effervescent single for everyone. This was another fantastic single in Ayumi’s RAINBOW Era.

Final Grade: 93B+

Free & Easy was Ayumi Hamasaki’s 26th single. It reached number 1 on the charts and sold 281,090 copies sold. In all this single has sold over 486,520+ copies. Free & Easy not only began her RAINBOW Era but it was also the start of her number 1 single streak, which she has held today. Free & Easy was seen as a change in her singles as they now usually contained only a few remix tracks.

Tracks:
1. Free & Easy
2. Naturally “Dolly mix”
3. still alone “Warp Brothers Extended Mix
4. Free & Easy -Instrumental-

Review:
Free & Easy, a beginning of a new era. This is the first new song in Ayumi’s brand new era, the RAINBOW Era. This song is seen as a mixture of both light and dark, or ballad and rock. This is an unusual combination for Ayumi but then again she really can handle these kind of things. The song opens up with a flute followed by a beautiful piano. Ayumi begins singing the verses so softly but then out of no where, she begins singing in a more aggressive tune as the guitar replaces the piano. Shortly the piano takes control as Ayumi sings softer. But the guitar begins to play along with an electric organ and Ayumi’s vocals sound fierce. Then the chorus begins. The chorus is so fantastic and catchy. It’s a fusion of the piano and guitar almost fighting for control. The lyrics take about collecting beautiful things in such a filthy world, it seems so sad. This continues throughout the song until the end, where the piano begins playing until the song ends. What a fantastic song.

Naturally “Dolly mix” is a remix of the song Naturally which was on her studio I am… I loved the original version because it sounded a little dance and rock song. This remix has turned it into an almost fantasy song with a faster beat and slower chorus. The original was better in all ways.

still alone “Warp Brothers Extended Mix is a remix of still alone found on I am… This remix has made the song longer and has give it a more dance feel.

Overall Review: Free & Easy was a fusion in the flesh. It featured a great mix of a ballad’s piano and a rock song’s guitar riffs. The remixes need a bit of work, but they’re remixes, what do you expect. I wish that it has a new B-Side but that’s all right. This was the best new way to open up her RAINBOW Era.

Final Grade: 93B+

Shinjitsu no Uta was Do As Infinity’s 14th single. It was released on October 30, 2002 and reached number 5 on the charts. Like Fukai Mori this song’s English name was given to there album which was True Song.

Tracks:
1. Shinjitsu no Uta
2. One or Eight
3. Shinjitsu no Uta (Instrumental)
4. One or Eight (Instrumental)

Review:
Shinjitsu no Uta lit. Song of Truth or True Song. This song was used as the 5th ending of Inuyasha. One of the most notable things about this song is that there are so many different instruments and elements. This song begins with a reed/flute playing. From there I was like whatever, but after I listened to it a little more I began to love it. You can also hear some Japanese elements in this song like the instrument that’s somewhat like a violin, but not. It also has a little rock vibe during the chorus. And the chorus is so amazingly good with the drums and the vocals are the best. The end part of the chorus is the best, especially when she sings the title, but even the beginning sounds great. The song is so beautiful and the music continually adds to it.

One or Eight is a faster paced song with that distinctive soft rock quality. It’s okay as B-Sides go but you do hear why it’s a B-Side. It’s not nearly as powerful as the title track.

Overall Review: Shinjitsu no Uta was rock temptation, with a hint of woodwind perfection. All the elements really made the song from the great vocals to the little flute playing. You really need to listen to this song. This is perhaps their best single, besides Fukai Mori, and Tooku Made. But the B-Side kinda killed it.

Final Review: 94A-

FREAKY was Koda Kumi’s 36th single. It was released on June 27, 2007 and reached number 1 on the charts with 108,349 copies sold, this made it her 4th number 1 single. In all it would go on to sell more than 195,000+ copies, making it the 3rd highest selling single of the year by a female, behind Utada’s Flavor Of Life and Beautiful World / Kiss & Cry. Even though there are 4 tracks this single acts more like a double A-Side with two PVs, one for FREAKY and one for Run For Your Life. But all the other songs were B-Sides, so only FREAKY would be added to the album. And I thought it was going to be like 4 Hot Wave. Also the song anytime was originally supposed to be on this single but was replaced by Run For Your Life for unknown reasons. And the remixes of these songs were available to first press buyers, otherwise you’d get the instrumentals.

Tracks:
1. FREAKY
2. Sora
3. Run For Your Life
4. girls
5. FREAKY - Surtek Collective’s Aciton Remix feat. Peter Rap
6. Sora -Yukihiro Fukutomi Remix-
7. Run For Your Life -Kaskade Remix-
8. girls -CUBISMO GRAFICO Beach Girls MIX-

Review:
FREAKY the spirited rock tune with an empowered arrangement. This is really an adult song when it comes down to it. Don’t get me wrong the song is great, but some of the lyrics are bad. With that being said don’t let it stop you from listening. The verses feature some distorted vocals and some background vocals. The chorus sounds so amazing, a bit loud and aggressive but that’s the great thing about it. It’s not bad for a rock/adult song. It’s a shame that it’s so short though.

Sora lit. Sky, the smooth laid-back tune. Some people have said that it’s forgettable and dull, but I think it’s a wonderful, little, cute song. The music is good with the piano playing. I also liked the lyrics of this song, they seemed to happy. The chorus is pure happiness and sounds fantastic, and it’s pretty upbeat. Considering how most of her songs are, this is a good change.

Run For Your Life this song had a PV to go with it but still wasn’t an A-Side. It has a nice drum beat and the music is good. It sounds a little sweet until you hear the chorus where it seems a little meaner so to say. It’s still a good catchy song. But I can understand why it wasn’t on Kingdom.

girls, or With your smile 2? This song sounds so similar to With your smile, it’s almost inconceivable. It has that up-beat, pop, dance feel to it. The chorus was so great, mostly because it was so catchy, the percussions were a great addition. The lyrics mention pj’s, girls talk, fashion, last chance, and a rap song. But, I really loved this song and I was sad when It wasn’t added to Kingdom. With your smile 2? NO! Another upbeat summer dance tune? Yes! Oh well what a great song.

Remixes

FREAKY, well all I have to say is bad. This song was perfect the way it was, but with the new remix they’ve managed to kill the song. Stick with the others.

Sora’s remix was just fine. I actually liked it. They just made it a dance track with the constant beats. The song is still upbeat as ever and it sounds great. Much better than FREAKY’s remix. This is the best remix on the single.

Run For Your Life this remix was a little more interesting than all the others. This too is a little dance oriented. Kumi’s vocals are also distorted a little. Her vocals are a little softer in terms of loudness. Overall this was an okay remix.

girls’s remix well this is another dance remix. Although it is better than the remix of FREAKY the remix isn’t that much better. The music gets annoying after a while. The original version is much better.

Overall Review: FREAKY was another new summer single. The overall vibe was good but at the same time confusing, there was no distinct style. Almost like 4 Hot Wave, except 4 Hot Wave was better. I do see why it came in number 1 on the charts, all the songs were really great, the remixes were so-so, but the songs were great. It’s obvous to see how it reached 1 on the charts. What another great single in the Kingdom Era.

Final Grade: 97A

BUT / Aishou was Koda Kumi’s 35th single and was released on March 14, 2007. This single reached 2 on the charts with 63,692 copies sold. It came behind Utada Hikaru’s own Flavor Of Life which remained 1 on the charts until a week later. In all it has sold over 130,800+ copies. It was also released on the same day as Kumi’s BEST ~BOUNCE & LOVERS~, a 3rd compilation album containing ballads. This was also the first single in the Kingdom Era.

Tracks:
1. BUT
2. Aishou
3. BUT ~The Ghettobots Remix~
4. BUT
5. Aishou

Review:
BUT the first track to begin the new era. This song has been described as a destructive, four on the floor dance track and a time machine dance style song. Immediately it begins with the drums playing. The whole dance part was correct. Kumi’s vocals are perfect in this song. The other vocals even make the song better. Kumi’s English is pretty good except with the r’s and l’s, but that’s to be expected. The chorus is so addictive, almost like a drug. The overall music is so catchy. Overall you need to hear this new song.

Aishou lit. Proof of Love, the guitar powered ballad. This song is such a beautiful ballad. When I heard it I thought it was so-so but after a few listens this song began to grow on me. It has a little acoustic feel to it. Kumi’s vocals become so powerful in the chorus and it sounds amazing. You can also hear the guitar make an appearance in this song. This song is purely love. Everyone needs to listen to this song.

BUT ~The Ghettobots Remix~ this is a more laid back version of BUT. I really don’t like this as much as the original. They’ve taken away all of the fun, dance elements.

Overall Review: BUT / Aishou was the best dance tune with a wonderful ballad. This single is perfect, two A-Sides with one dance track and one ballad. Almost perfection in a few words. I just loved how the single seemed to fit together so well. What a fantastic way to begin the Kingdom Era.

Final Grade: 95A

Kingdom was Koda Kumi’s 6th studio album. It was released on January 30, 2008 and reached number 1 on the charts with 421,000+ copies sold. In all it was sold over 600,658+ copies. This album, like Black Cherry, was released in CD, CD+DVD, and CD+2DVD editions. This was also the first album to have a PV for each track. And Introduction For Kingdom will be part of the full song Kingdom, which will be released on her next studio album. INTRODUCTION from Black Cherry was released as the full song Black Cherry on this album as a bonus track. And this album didn’t contain any of the B-Sides from any of her singles. Also apparently Kumi was involved in some scandal, which I won’t get into, but basically all promotions of Kingdom were ceased until late April and her tour will continue.

Tracks:
1. Introduction For Kingdom
2. LAST ANGEL feat.Tohoshinki
3. Amai Wana
4. Himitsu
5. Ai no Uta
6. anytime
7. Under
8. BUT
9. Koi no Mahou
10. Aishou
11. Anata ga Shite Kureta Koto
12. Wonderland
13. FREAKY
14. MORE
15. Black Cherry

Review:
Introduction For Kingdom the beginning track of this album. Well after INTRODUCTION from Black Cherry I expected a lot from this track. While INTRODUCTION was aggressive, this song is more laid back and has a more romantic/love theme. Again all of it is in English even though all she says is “love” over and over. Kinda a let down after INTRODUCTION, but the two are completely different. Still a nice opener for Kingdom.

LAST ANGEL feat. Tohoshinki this was the 3rd single to be released. This is also the only song where Kumi has a featured artist. I personally loved this song and I thought that it would reflect the mood/feel of the album. The distinct dark side of it makes it even better, and the lyrics are so good, especially with the English. What a great addition to this album. Here is the review of LAST ANGEL.

Amai Wana, lit. Sweet Trap, the first new real song, I don’t count Kingdom. This song has a R&B/club/dance vibe to it. The music sounds a pretty good and catchy. The chorus is pretty good but the it’s not that catchy. But it does have it’s impact, what album doesn’t have a good dance/club track? I actually thought that this was overall a pretty good song.

Himitsu, lit. Secret, this is more of a love song. The music was pretty good and the lyrics are nice. They all seem to fit together. You can also make out some English in this song as well. I really didn’t find the chorus to catchy but that’s me. The song in general is so-so, kinda dull. Find another track to listen to.

Ai no Uta lit. Love Song, need I say more. This is a genuine real love song. I liked this ballad from the instant I heard it. The chorus is so beautiful and sounds fantastic. You really need to listen to this. What a beautiful song with an amazing chorus. Need I say more? Here is the review of the love song Ai no Uta.

Anytime, this was the last single to be released, in fact it was released 1 week before Kingdom. I will also do a review for this later. This is more of a sweet, cheery, little song. I wouldn’t call it a true ballad. Still a good listen. Here is the review of anytime.

Under, first thing I can say is weird eerie music. Most notably is the phone ringing and then it dying. It sounds like something in a horror movie. After a few listens to it I began to like it. The chorus isn’t to catchy but what can you do. And the most thing that annoyed me that there was no indication to what the chorus was, I had to find the lyrics to figure it out. This was one of the first songs to be released, really it was the PV. Give it a few listens and it might grow on you.

BUT, the destructive dance track. This was the fist song to begin the Kingdom Era. I thought it was such a good, aggressive song. I’m so happy that it’s here on the album. Now the album contains a really good catchy dance song with a fantastic chorus. The chorus used a bit of English and it was so catchy, even with Kumi’s “Rove yourself.” Click here to read the review of BUT.

Koi no Mahou lit. Magic of Love. Well the first thing that comes to mind is a romantic song. However this is more of a sugary, pop song. It’s very upbeat and quick paced for a song. Although it’s actually a nice change from all the other songs. The chorus is very catchy and sounds sweet and cute. It’s like Koi no Tsubomi 2, but a little cuter and more innocent.

Aishou, the acoustic ballad of the album. This was released along with BUT as a double A-Side single and began the Kingdom Era. Since this is one of Kumi’s best ballads I thought it was such a beautiful edition to the album. The chorus was amazing and Kumi’s vocals never sounded so good. But it borrows some lines, mostly the last line of the chorus, from Love Goes Like… Aishou’s review can be read here.

Anata ga Shite Kureta Koto lit. The Things You Did. This song has a little Spanish feel to it, in other words there’s the constant sound of the acoustic guitar being played, but it doesn’t sound so acoustic. It’s a little fast paced and the music is fantastic. The chorus is perhaps the best part of this song, mostly because it’s very catchy and very easy on the ears.

Wonderland perhaps the fastest song here. This song screams upbeat, happy, sugary, pop song. The chorus is OK for a song like this. It’s on the lighter side of the album, bringing a little joy with it. The melody was great and it was very sweet. And for the music the most notable thing is the piano playing and some bells. Like I said very pop.

FREAKY the screaming adult song. This was the second single of the Kingdom Era. This however was the only one placed on the album, the other 3 B-Sides are not present. This music is so good and sounds aggressive. The lyrics are adult and mention a lot of things. Despite all that I really love this song. Especially since the chorus sounds really good. Here is the review of FREAKY.

MORE the dazzling piano song. This is more of a laid back song. The lyrics really didn’t float my boa, so to speak. It really didn’t catch my attention. I think that this is just another filler, but we all have our own opinions. Her English wasn’t really that great here, and the MORE part got annoying. It’s okay in my book, but nothing else.

Black Cherry, the bonus and final track. This song was originally INTRODUCTION on Kumi’s album Black Cherry. I hoped that it would become a full song and my prayers were answered. This song uses a lot of the same music and verses from the original intro. It’s still good. The music has a R&B vibe I guess. Towards the end Kumi starts singing something that is out of place in the song. It kinda scares me, but it was part of how Kumi performed it on one of her live performances. The worst part about this song was that it was so short, oh well. But this is still a nice way to end the album.

Overall Review: Kingdom was pure excitement, with letdown around the corner. Kingdom is still a good album but from all that wait and suspense I guess I just hoped for something that sounded superb but all I got was good, and there’s fine line. It did include some great A-Sides and some great album tracks but most were just okay move on. And I think it would’ve been better to include some B-Sides from her singles. Overall a little disappointing, still good but disappointing album.

Final Grade: 90B