Kumiko Kōda (November 13, 1982), professionally known as Kumi Koda, is a J-pop
and R&B artist from Kyoto. Born into a family of musicians, she harbored
ambitions of becoming a professional singer from a very young age. After coming
in second at Avex's Dream Audition talent search, she managed to land a record
deal with sub-label Rhythm Zone and made her official debut with the single
"Take Back" (2000), followed by "Trust Your Love" in 2001. Both singles were
also recorded in English, with the latter reaching the top of the Hot Dance
Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart. Affection, her...