Feel My Mind
| Feel My Mind | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||||||||
| Studio album by Koda Kumi | ||||||||||
| Released | February 18, 2004 | |||||||||
| Recorded | 2003-2004 | |||||||||
| Genre | J-pop | |||||||||
| Length | 1:02:25 | |||||||||
| Label |
Rhythm Zone RZCD-45115 (Japan, CD) | |||||||||
| Producer | Max Matsuura | |||||||||
| Koda Kumi chronology | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
Feel My Mind (stylized as feel my mind) is the third studio album released by Japanese R&B-turned-pop singer Koda Kumi, released in February 2004. The album charted in the Top 10 on Oricon at #7 and stayed on the charts for thirty-five weeks, selling over 147,000 copies.[1][2] Its corresponding DVD was feel... (not to be confused with her single feel, which came out in January 2006) and was her last album to be released as a CD only without a CD+DVD option.[3][4]
Information
feel my mind is singer-songwriter Kumi Koda's third studio album and last album to carry predominately R&B tracks, whereas she transitioned to producing mainly pop music beginning from her next album, secret, and onward. The album managed to chart within the top ten on Oricon at #7 and remained on the charts for nearly two months.
feel my mind is credited with jump-starting Kumi's ero-kawaii/sexy-cute image, which she would later become synonymous with. This image would be cemented with her following album, secret. However, Kumi had later admitted in Koda Reki (stylized at KODA REKI) how she was nervous to don the "sexy-cute" image because she was nervous of disappointing her parents.[5]
The limited editions of the album contained the tracks Yume with You [R. Yamaki's Groove Mix] - the original edition was previously released on her single Crazy 4 U - and Cutie Honey, which was later released on the single Love & Honey.[6] Yume with You was a cover of Toshinobu Kubota song of the same title, initially released in 1993. Kumi, along with a large group of avex artists, would later record and release a song in honor of Kubota's passing in 2014, titled Ashite Waratte Irareru Youni (明日笑っていられるように / Laughing Towards Tomorrow).[7][8]
The song magic (track #11) was composed by female R&B singer LISA, who Koda Kumi had collaborated with for the song one on her grow into one album and would go on to collaborate again for the song Switch, which would also feature the Heartsdales.[9]
Due to the album only being released as a CD version, a corresponding DVD was released the same day: feel.... The DVD contained three music videos from the album, along with an interview, bonus pictures and the original television commercials for all of the singles released.
Packaging
feel my mind was released in two editions:
- CD: contains twelve musical tracks.
- CD [Limited Edition]: contains fourteen musical tracks.
The limited editions carried two bonus tracks: a remix to Yume with You and Cutie Honey, which would later be released as a single.
Music Videos
Despite being released only as a CD, the album did contained a corresponding DVD: feel.... The DVD contained the music videos released as a-sides from her singles during the era for the album. Those music videos included:
- Come With Me: set at night during a party on a beach in Thailand. The speaking parts in the music video are subtitled in Japanese.
- Gentle Words: set as the prelude for Kiseki, which shows Kumi longing for a loved one.
- Crazy 4 U: set in Tokyo with an espionage theme, having Kumi in several incarnations.
Background Narration
"The artist that Koda Kumi should represent finally became clear. When I look back at the years until 2003, I was filled with enthusiasm, but had no clear goal . . . The fog in front of my eyes cleared and the path I should walk became visible." - Koda Kumi
Upon the released of feel my mind, Koda Kumi speaks in KODA REKI how singing became more enjoyable due to her finding her own style - both in music and fashion. She explains that the reason her first few years were difficult was because she did not know who she wanted to be on stage, but because she began to find herself, more people started to support her and attend her events. Though she had attracted attention with her cover of Cutie Honey, she was overwhelmed with criticism from the clothes she donned at Music Station.[10]
"There were a lot of things that upset me . . . I wanted to believe in my own style that had taken so long to find. No matter what other people said, I didn't want to give up . . . I usually got scared easily, but I pushed through my own ideas for the first time." - Koda Kumi
Track listing
(Source[11])
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Break It Down" | Kumi Koda • Daisuke Imai | Daisuke Imai | Daisuke Imai | 4:29 |
| 2. | "Crazy 4 U" | Miki Watanabe | Miki Watanabe | Miki Watanabe | 4:06 |
| 3. | "Rock Your Body" | Kumi Koda • Daisuke Imai | Daisuke Imai | Daisuke Imai | 4:12 |
| 4. | "Rain" | Kumi Koda | Hiroo Yamaguchi | Miki Watanabe | 5:08 |
| 5. | "Without Your Love" | Kumi Koda • Daisuke Imai | Daisuke Imai | Daisuke Imai | 4:44 |
| 6. | "Talk to You" | Kumi Koda | Kazuhiro Hara | Miki Watanabe | 4:26 |
| 7. | "Hana (華 / Flower)" | Kumi Koda • Tooko | Kaido | Reo Nishikawa | 5:03 |
| 8. | "Get out the Way" | Kumi Koda | Akira | Akira | 3:40 |
| 9. | "Sweet Love..." | Kumi Koda • Tooko | Kaido | Reo Nishikawa | 5:12 |
| 10. | "Gentle Words" | Kumi Koda | D.A.I. | h-wonder | 3:37 |
| 11. | "Magic" | Ken Matsubara | Elizabeth Narita | Elizabeth Narita • Ryuichiro Yamaki | 4:57 |
| 12. | "COME WITH ME" | Kumi Koda • Yumi Kawamura | h-wonder | h-wonder | 4:46 |
| Bonus Tracks | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | remix | Length |
| 13. | "Yume with You [R. Yamaki's Groove Mix]" | Toshinobu Kubota | Toshinobu Kubota | Ryuichiro Yamaki | 4:52 |
| 14. | "Cutie Honey" | Claude Q | Takeo Watanabe | h-wonder | 3:05 |
Charts and sales
| Oricon Ranking (Weekly) |
Sales |
|---|---|
| 7 | 153,746 |
Alternate Versions
Rain
- Rain: Found on the album (2004)
- Rain [Unplugged Version]: Found on No Regret single (2006)
- Rain [Album Version Instrumental]: Found on No Regret single (2006)
- Rain [Plug in Language Remix]: Found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 2 (2010)
References
- ↑ "Oricon Weekly". Oricon. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ "feel my mind / KODA KUMI / ORICON STYLE". Oricon. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ↑ "secret CD+DVD". Amazon. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Koda Kumi - Feel... (DVD)". Discogs. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ↑ "KODA REKI: English Translation". verduistering. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Release "feel my mind" by Koda Kumi". MusicBrainz. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ↑ "Tokyo Pudding / 「明日笑っていられるように」Music Video". YouTube. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ↑ "明日笑っていられるように: 東京ﾌﾟﾘﾝとたいせつな仲間たち". Amazon Japan. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ↑ "SWITCH feat. Koda Kumi & Heartsdales / I ONLY WANNA BE WITH YOU (Japan Version) CD - LiSA, Koda Kumi, rhythm zone". YesAsia. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- ↑ "Koda Kumi - Cutie Honey @MusicStation". Youku. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ↑ "feel my mind". Discogs. Retrieved January 3, 2016.