Koi no Tsubomi


"Koi no Tsubomi" is Koda Kumi's 31st solo under the Rhythm Zone label. It was the first single to bring in the new era after. The single was released in CD and CD+DVD and charted at #2 on Oricon, selling over 140,000 copies in its first week and staying on the charts for twenty-one weeks. It became the highest selling song debut for a female artist, until Ayumi Hamasaki surpassed it with her single Blue Bird, which came out a month later on June 21.

Information

Koi no Tsubomi is Japanese singer-songwriter Kumi Koda's thirtieth single under the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone and first to kick off her Black Cherry era. The single charted #2 on the Oricon Weekly charts and remained on the charts for twenty-one weeks. The song managed to sell over one million copies in digital downloads, according to RIAJ.
Koi no Tsubomi became the highest selling song debut for a female artist, until Ayumi Hamasaki surpassed it with her single Blue Bird. However, Kumi would later reclaim the spot with her release of her next single, 4 hot wave.
The song was used as the theme song to the Japanese drama Busu no Hitomi no Koishiteru, which starred SMAP's Goro Inagaki. The song was also used for the television commercial of the 2006 Pixar film Cars.

Music video

The music video for "Koi no Tsubomi" was inspired by Koda Kumi's younger sister's, misono, video "Kojin Jugyō", which was also a new take on the classic fairy tale Cinderella. The videos' similarities start with both sisters having their own little fairy, who is able to transform their appearance. However, where "Kojin Jugyo" ends with the spell wearing off and returning misono to her original state, "Koi no Tsubomi" ends with the transformations staying and each girl affected to thank the fairy.

Track listing

CD

DVD

Charts

Oricon Sales Chart
ReleaseChartPeak positionFirst week salesSales total
May 24, 2006Oricon Daily Charts2
May 24, 2006Oricon Weekly Charts2140,269273,060
May 24, 2006Oricon Monthly Charts3
May 24, 2006Oricon Yearly Charts28

Alternate versions

Koi no Tsubomi
  1. "Koi no Tsubomi": found on the single and corresponding album Black Cherry
  2. "Koi no Tsubomi ": found on the single
  3. "Koi no Tsubomi ": found on the single
  4. "Koi no Tsubomi ": found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's
  5. "Koi no Tsubomi ": found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 7
  6. "Koi no Tsubomi ": found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 9 -Special Edition-

    Cover versions

On September 17, 2019 Dream Ami released a cover of "Koi no Tsubomi" as the theme song of FOD original serial drama "Bus no Hitomi ni Koi ni suru suru ri 2019".