Cutie Honey (Koda Kumi)

Single Cover

BEST ~2000-2020~ ver. Cover

Artist

Koda Kumi

Song

Cutie Honey

Lyrics

Claude Q.

Music

Watanabe Takeo

Arrangement

h-wonder

Other Information

Programming: h-wonder

Engineer: Kataoka Ryosuke, Kawata Masahiro

B.G. Vocal: Koda Kumi

Released

2004.02.18

Price

¥255 iTunes Japan

Information

"Cutie Honey" (キューティーハニー) is a pop song by Koda Kumi. The song was first released as a bonus track on her third studio album feel my mind and was later widely released on her 11th single "LOVE & HONEY". It is a cover of Maekawa Yoko's 1973 single of the same name, which was used as the opening theme song to the anime series Cutie Honey. Koda's cover was used in the 2004 tokusatsu drama of Cutie Honey, where she had a brief cameo as the Diva who sings the theme of Sister Jill.

It is widely considered to be, including by Koda herself, an important milestone in her career. It has become a fan favorite and concert staple, performed on nearly ever live tour in either full or medley format and almost yearly on Japanese TV music programs.

While she gained critical acclaim and success for her style and management of the release, she received a deal of negative feedback from the Japanese public. At the time, the outfit she wore when performing it live at Music Station were lambasted as being too revealing and sexy for a female performer. She saw a drop in sales and was discouraged, but she felt that this was her own style, and wouldn't give up doing things her way. This would mark the beginning of Koda's break with female J-Pop and Japanese societal and social norms, paving the way for future female artists to dress more freely and unconstrained in the years to come.

A newly recorded version titled "Cutie Honey (BEST ~2000-2020~ ver.)" was released on October 25, 2021 in advance of her all-time best album BEST ~2000-2020~. This new version has a bold jazz arrangement.

Live Performances

• [2004.08.31] a-nation '04
• [2004.11.12] MTV's Color Jam 2004 supported by From A ~dance classics~
• [2004.11.24] Best Artist
• [2004.11.27] NTV Best Hits
• [2004.12.25] HAPPY Xmas SHOW!
• [2004.12.25] Music Station Super Live
• [2004.12.31] CDTV First Live
• [2005.02.24] Beat Motion
• [2005.03.25] KamikazeCon
• [2005.06.11] secret ~FIRST CLASS LIMITED LIVE~
• [2005.06.14] Oto-bako tooryuumon
• [2005.08.01] a-nation '05
• [2005.10.03] Gekkou ongaku-dan
• [2005.10.17] SMAPxSMAP
• [2005.10.15~11.13] KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2005 ~first things~
• [2005.11.30] Best Artist
• [2005.12.07] FNS
• [2005.12.31] CDTV First Live
• [2005.12.31] 56th Kouhaku Uta Gassen
• [2006.09.23] Asia Song Festival
• [2006.10.09~2007.02.23] KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2006~2007 ~second session~
• [2007.06.26] Ap BANK
• [2007.09.28~12.01] KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2007 ~Black Cherry~
• [2007.12.17] Rhythm Nation 2007
• [2008.04.12~06.01] KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2008 ~Kingdom~
• [2008.07.26] a-nation '08
• [2009.01.25] Ontama Carnival
• [2009.03.07] Tokyo Girl Collection
• [2009.10.03~10.04] KODA KUMI 2009 TAIWAN LIVE
• [2009.04.11~06.14] KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2009 ~TRICK~
• [2010.04.10~06.11] KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2010 ~Universe~
• [2010.07.03~07.04] Dream Music Park
• [2010.08.28] a-nation '08
• [2010.12.05] KODA KUMI 10th Anniversary ~FANTASIA~ in TOKYO DOME
• [2011.03.25~10.28] KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2011 ~Dejavu~
• [2011.07.30] a-nation '11
• [2011.12.23] Music Station Super Live
• [2012.11.24] Music Fair 21
• [2013.03.23] Isle of MTV
• [2013.07.06] The Music Day
• [2013.07.31] FNS
• [2013.08.01] Kumi no Ie
• [2013.08.03] a-nation Island
• [2013.08.11] Zushi Fes '13
• [2013.08.25] a-nation '13
• [2013.08.31] 2013 Carnival
• [2013.10.03] CDTV
• [2013.10.26] Music Fair 21
• [2013.10.12] KODA KUMI 2013 TAIWAN LIVE
• [2013.03.16~06.30] KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2013 ~JAPONESQUE~
• [2014.09.13] a-nation Taiwan
• [2014.09.28] 400th OSAKA Music Fes
• [2014.12.06] Koda Kumi 15th Anniversary First Class 2nd LIMITED LIVE at STUDIO COAST
• [2015.09.05] USJ Live
• [2015.09.19] Inuzama Rock
• [2016.04.09~11.13] KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2016 ~Best Single Collection~
• [2018.09.14~12.29] KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2018 ~DNA~
• [2018.12.31] KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2018-2019 ~DNA~ COUNTDOWN EDITION
• [2019.07.13] Ongaku no Hi
• [2019.11.12] Utacon
• [2019.12.27] Music Station Super Live
• [2019.12.28] Melodix
• [2019.09.14~2020.02.29] KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2019 re(LIVE)

Music Video

PV shot

The music video for "Cutie Honey" was directed by Tetsuo Inoue and produced by Noriko Kuwabara of COLOURFIELD, Inc.

It features Koda in a provocative pink outfit, with pearl-strand extensions and pink highlights in her black hair, dancing in a nightclub setting amongst a full band. Clips from the tokusatsu are intercut throughout the video, as well as Koda in an all-black skimpy outfit with black tattoos on her face. During the middle of the PV, Koda in her all-black outfit performs a suggestive dance to smooth R&B, before cutting back to Koda in the nightclub.

Disambiguation

There are eight versions of "Cutie Honey" to be currently found in Koda Kumi's discography. These versions are:

Cutie Honey (Original)

Found on feel my mind as bonus track #14.

Found on LOVE & HONEY as track #1.

Found on BEST ~first things~ as track #1 on disc two.

Found on secret as track #2.

Found on Kumi Koda Complete Best as track #1.

Found on Happy Love Song Collection 2014 as track #1.

Found on FEVER KODA KUMI LEGEND LIVE as track #2.

Cutie Honey (Instrumental)

Found on LOVE & HONEY as track #5.

Cutie Honey (HOUSE NATION Sunset In Ibiza Remix)

Found on Driving Hit's as track #9.

Cutie Honey (MITOMI TOKOTO Remix)

Found on Driving Hit's 2 as track #4.

Cutie Honey (HABANERO POSSE Remix)

Found on Beach Mix as track #10.

Cutie Honey (JAXX DA FISHWORKS Remix)

Found on Driving Hit's 7 as track #11.

Cutie Honey re(LIVE) -Black Cherry- (iamSHUM Non-Stop Mix) in Osaka at ORIX THEATER (2019.10.13)

Found on re(LIVE) -Black Cherry- iamSHUM Non-Stop Mix as track #4.

Cutie Honey (BEST ~2000-2020~ ver.)

Found on the "Cutie Honey (BEST ~2000-2020~ ver.)" digital single as track #1.

External Links

• YouTube: Music Video
• Purchase: Apple Music | Recochoku | mora
• Purchase (BEST ~2000-2020~ ver.): Apple Music | Recochoku | mora