After the success of Cutie Honey cointained in the summer single LOVE & HONEY and thanks to her ero-kakkoii new look, Kumi's career was rejuvenated between 2004 and 2005.

Secret is Kumi's first extremely successful album in terms of sales moving 186,377 copies in the first week of release and ending up selling over 600,000 copies at the end of its chart run. 

It's with this album that the Koda Kumi sexy/cute character was born and not without some compromises.

 

This album owes its success to the 5 singles  that have been released and more evidently to the many sexy videos and pictures Koda Kumi shot in that period. 

The typical image of the silly and cartoonish Japanese girl was twisted with a heavy sexual attitude and this made many girls fans of Koda Kumi who embodied a strong and out-of-the-schemes character.

 

Ultimately, it's the music that remains over the years, so here's my track-by-track album review:

 

01. Intro ~Get down~ the album starts with a sexy and urban intro with gross lyrics which lacks a memorable melody and falls flat, the sound is cool though 6/10

 

02. Cutie Honey  (キューティーハニー) is a career-defining song that has trapped Kumi in this ero-kakkoii image ever since. Having said that, Cutie Honey is still an iconic and fun song with a very Japanse irony and an excellent JPop production. I see this song closer to the anime/movie character than to Kumi herself but again, the song is a force to be reckon with 9/10

 

03. Hot Stuff Feat. KM-MARKIT is a cheap JPop parody of the crank'n'b genre that in 2005 was already fading away. The production is annoying and poor while the melody, especially in the chorus, is very good making the song catchy enough to be remembered even after a while. KM-MARKIT then completely drags down the song even more with a wannabe american rapper attitude. Hot Stuff, in my opinion, is one of Kumi's worst singles 6/10

 

04. Selfish is Koda Kumi's very own iterpretation of Christina Aguilera's Fighter! The song is a blast with a massive production, an incredible chorus and fierce lyrics. One of my all time favorite Kumi's songs although I have to say it sounds extremely out of place in a heavily rnb influenced album 10/10

 

05. hands is a simple rnb ballad with a very nice chorus and bittersweet lyrics. Kumi's vocals are warm but the lack of a powerful bridge limits the song. It's still one of the most enjoyable moments on the album 7.5/10

 

06. Hearty... this is one of the dumbest fillers Kumi has ever recorded. Musically, vocally and lyrically, Hearty... is garbage used just to stretch the lenght of the album 4/10

 

07. SHAKE IT is probably Kumi's sexiest songs ever! I really like the rnb sound which is rich and full of interesting elements. Kumi's vocals are okay, I think she could have restrained her voice a little more in the chorus keeping it low and deep. The bridge is a bit random, an instrumental segment would have been a better option. The lyrics are a bit off, it's okay being sexy and fierce but this is a bit too much and even the video is kind of over the top. Nontheless, SHAKE IT is a great rnb number that every Kumi's fan loves no matter what 7/10

 

08. Kiseki is yet another amazing rnb song with great vocals and a very classy melody. The song is probably remembered more for the stunning music video rather than anything else. The production is simple and a bit basic but it's still enjoyable. One of the album's highlights 9/10

 

09. Trust you is another relationship song and sonically, it's very similar to SHAKE IT but a little more upbeat. The song is nice one of the prettiest on the album 7/10

 

10. Chase is a fun and fresh song with a great sound and a nice bridge! The lyrics are again pretty generic and void but since the not so great quality of the album in general, Chase is still a good track 6.5/10

 

11. LOVE HOLIC apparently our Kumi has been having rough relationships back then as this is another song talking about some random guy! Apart from the useless and tired lyrics, the song is that typical jpop/rock song full of good energy. This is definitely not my favorite Kumi's song but the guitar in the end is a nice touch and overall, LOVE HOLIC is a fun track 6/10

 

12. 24 is an rnb gem with a very nice production. The melody isn't memorable and complicated but it's soft and easy which allows the song to be classy and refined. Kumi's vocals are silky but unfortunately her "Engrish" is extremely painful to hear on this track! With a better vocal production and a better pronunciation, 24 could have been a stronger effort. It's still one of the best tracks on the album 7/10

 

13. Let's Party is another weak song but it has an nice rnb sound and the chorus is catchy and enjoyable, the bridge is good as well and overall, the song is okayish. Definitely not the most interesting moment on the album but it's smooth and easy-listening 6/10

 

14. Believe shows us again a depressed Koda Kumi who's devastated by the end of a relationship. The melody and the production create a simple rnb song on which Kumi puts her amazing voice giving us a heartfelt interpretation. Again, not a memorable track that you're going to listen to on repeat but as a filler it works pretty well 6/10

 

15. Through The Sky I don't know about you but I'm sick and tired of Kumi's whining about her failed and complicated relationships! This is a boring and tired song which doesn't add nothing to the album as it lacks a good melody. A tired ballad full of the usual and predictable gimmicks with its trivial production 5/10

 

16. It's a small world Feat. Heartsdales really, does anyone really listen to this?! Simply awful 3/10