Bon Voyage (Koda Kumi album)

Bon Voyage is Koda's first album since her 2012 Japonesque. It is also her longest album in production since her 2008 studio album Kingdom, both of which spanned a total of two years. For the album, Koda's record label Rhythm Zone and its parent company Avex Trax hired several producers, such as Joseph Lawrence, Toby Gad, T-Sk, Mats Lie Skare, Figge Bosstrom, Tommy Henriksen, Badur Haberg, and Clarabell. Producers such as Henriksen and Bosstrom have collaborated with Koda in the past with her albums Kingdom and Universe (2010). Bon Voyage is Koda's second album to be handled primarily with Western producers and composers; Koda's first album handled by Western producers was Japonesque. Western producers and composers carried on working with Koda on her next studio album Walk of My Life (2015). Bon Voyage is a J-pop album with numerous elements of country rock, pop, R&B, electronic dance music, and reggae. It is Koda's first album to emphasize full English language songs; in total, Bon Voyage features nine English, five bilingual (Japanese/English), and two Japanese tracks. Koda's summer EP Summer Trip featured "Lalalalala" and "Touch Down", and Hiraga noted elements of country rock in the former, and R&B in the latter track. ==Release and packaging==

Bon Voyage was released on February 26, 2014, by Rhythm Zone and Avex Taiwan in five different formats. The stand-alone CD featured the sixteen tracks in a cardboard slipcase, with first press editions including a glossy sticker of Koda. The CD and Blu-ray bundle includes the same tracks and videos from the CD and DVD bundle, but features a hologram sticker, one postercard, and a slipcase. A special edition was released on Koda's website, entitled the "Fan Club Edition". This format features the original CD, and a DVD featuring live performances from Koda's Fanclub Live Tour in 2013. The format was housed in an A5-sized digipak. The final format is the digital release, which was released only in Japan. This is Koda's only studio album not to be released worldwide. Visually based on cruise ship members, the five Bon Voyage cover sleeves feature different images all photographed by Kazuyoshi Shimomura. The CD cardboard sleeve has Koda squatting and holding onto a cruise ship steering wheel; the jewel case has Koda holding a life buoy. The CD and DVD cardboard sleeve has a close-up shot of Koda wearing a captain's uniform; the jewel case has Koda posing on top of a life buoy. The Blu-ray cardboard sleeve and jewel case has Koda posing with a pair of binoculars, while the Fan Club edition has a close-up of Koda sitting down holding a cruise ship steering wheel. The digital release uses the CD and DVD close-up shot. The booklet and photo shoot were designed by members of United Lounge Tokyo, and each booklet from the five format features different images of Koda. ==Critical reception==

Bon Voyage received favourable reviews from music critics. Japako Music's Kirsty H. gave the album a positive review, saying that it "shows Koda Kumi's experiences perfectly". Kirsty praised Koda's "personal songs" and the album's musical variation. On the album's overall sound, she wrote the following: "The album overall is very good and catchy and clearly shows how mature and experienced Koda Kumi is. All of the songs are catchy and this makes the album all the more fun to listen to”. Jaylee and Zero from GK:AD, a sub-site from JPopJRocks.com, awarded the album a B−, calling the dance tracks gems and praising a majority of the album's ballads. Zero highlighted "Imagine" as the album's best track. However, they both were critical toward the composition of the second half of the album. ==Commercial performance==

Bon Voyage debuted at number one on both the Japanese Daily and Weekly Oricon Albums Chart, with over 46,000 units sold in its first week. It was her lowest selling studio album at the time, until her next album Walk Of My Life sold less by May 2015 (with 50,000 units). Bon Voyage reached number five on Japan's Billboard Top Albums Sales. ==Promotion==

Singles "Go to the Top" was released as the album's lead single on October 24, 2012. The song was used as the opening theme song for the Âge–developed anime series Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse. Upon its release, it garnered positive reviews from music critics. Many critics commended the song's composition, lyrical content, and Koda's vocal delivery. Minor criticism was towards the song's musical elements of 8-bit music. The accompanying music video for the single was shot in Tokyo by Tomoe Nakano; it features an animated Koda flying a large robot in a racing circuit with another racer. (pictured above) in Venice, California. This is Koda's first music video shot in the United States.|alt=A picture of a Venice Boardwalk beach, which features a skateboard bowl and several planted palm trees. "Koishikute" was released as the album's second single on December 26, 2012. Upon its release, it garnered positive reviews from music critics. Many critics commended the song's composition, lyrical content, and Koda's vocal delivery; critics had highlighted it as an album stand out, and labelled it a "gem". The single suffered in physical sales in Japan, reaching number seven on the Japanese Oricon Singles Chart and selling over 23,000 units. The accompanying music video for the single was shot in Tokyo by Ryuji Seki; it features Koda singing the song in a subway and in a small room. The EP consists of four interlude tracks, two album tracks: "Lalalalala" and "Touch Down", and an unreleased track "Is This Trap?". Summer Trip debuted at number six on the Japanese Singles Chart, and sold over 20,000 units. This is Koda's lowest selling EP to date, surpassing Gossip Candy (2010) which sold over 84,000 units. The song was written by Koda in honor of Japan's part in the 2013 Volleyball World Grand Champion Cup for men and women, both of which were held in Japan. An accompanying music video for "Dreaming Now!" was shot in Tokyo. All of the album tracks, apart from "On Your Side" and "Introduction: Bon Voyage", were included on the set list for the tour; "Is This Trap?" from Summer Trip also appeared on the set list. ==Track listing==

• T-SK • Nervo • Nervo • Kim Taesung }} • Koda • Arama Brown • Gad • Paul }} • Koda Kumi • Albi Albertsson • Yuka Otsuki }} • Fast Lane • Mat Lie Skare }} • Jam9 • M.I. }} • Figge Brostrom • Anna Engh }} • Koda • Sonomi Tameoka }} • Koda • Gad • Joanna Levesque }} • Koda • Kalis }} • Tommy Henriksen • Chioma Eze }} • Koda • Ronny Svendsen • Anne Judith Wik • Nermin Harambasic • Bardur Haberg }} • Ronny Svendsen • Anne Judith Wik • Nermin Harambasic • Bardur Haberg }} • Dsign Music • Haberg }} • Kipp Williams • Kyle Shearer }} • Kipp Williams • Kyle Shearer }} • Koda • Bruno Lopez • Loi Albringer • Martin Wiik • Glen Eriksson }} • Loi Albringer • Martin Wiik • Glen Eriksson }} }} ==Personnel==

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Bon Voyage. • Koda Kumi – vocals, background vocals, songwriting • Joseph Lawrence – composer, producer • Toby Gad – composer, producer • Miriam Nervo – composer, songwriting • Olivia Nervo – composer, songwriting • T-SK – composer • Kim Taesung – composer, songwriting • Arama Brown – composer, songwriting • Albi Albertsson – composer, songwriting • Yuka Otsuki – songwriting • Mussashi – composer, producer • Fast Lane – composer • Mat Lie Skare – composer, producer • Jam9 – composer • M.I. – composer • Masaki Iehara – producer • Figge Brostrom – composer, producer • Anna Engh – composer, producer • Sonomi Tameoka – songwriting • UTA – composer, producer • Will Simms – producer • Joanna Levesque – songwriting • Kalis – songwriting, background vocals • Tommy Henriksen – composer, producer • Chioma Eze – composer • Dsign Music – composer(s), producer(s) • Bardur Haberg – composer, producer • Clarabell – composer, producer • Mitsu. J – composer, producer • Kipp Williams – composer, producer • Kyle Shearer – composer, producer • Mocha – songwriting • Bruno Lopez – songwriting • Lo Albringer – songwriting, composer, producer • Martin Wiik – songwriting, composer, producer • Glen Eriksson – songwriting, composer, producer • Reflection Music – producer(s) • Sean Paul – songwriting, guest vocals, background vocals • OVDS – guest vocals, background vocals • Rhythm Zone - management, label • Avex Trax - parent label, management ==Charts==

Weekly charts Monthly charts ==Sales==

Crank Tha Bass feat. OVDS • Crank Tha Bass feat. OVDS: Found on the album (2014) • Crank Tha Bass feat. OVDS [sumijun vs M.A.D Remix]: Found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 6 (2014) • Crank Tha Bass feat. OVDS [OVDS Remix] : Found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 6 (2014) LOADED feat. Sean Paul • LOADED feat. Sean Paul: Found on the album (2014) • LOADED feat. Sean Paul [ELMER VoVo Remix]: Found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 6 (2014) Winner Girls • Winner Girls: Found on the album (2014) • Winner Girls [Dank-One Glitch-Hop Remix]: Found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 6 (2014) ==References==