''3 Splash'' (stylized as ''3 SPLASH'') is an EP by Japanese recording artist and songwriter

Kumi Koda , known professionally as , is a Japanese singer from Kyoto, known for her urban and R&B songs. After debuting with the single "Take Back" in December 2000, Koda gained fame in March 2003 when the songs from her seventh single, "Real Emotion ...

. It was released on 8 July 2009, by Kumi's record label,

Rhythm Zone (RZN) is a record label in the Avex Group that releases urban contemporary Japanese music. History The label was founded in 1999 by Max Matsuura with a focus on urban music, signing M-Flo as its first artist, then followed by Exile. In 2000, ...

. Her fourth extended play consists of three recordings; "Lick Me" (stylized as "Lick me♥"), "Ecstasy" (capitalized as "ECSTASY") and "Hashire!", with three additional

interlude Interlude may refer to: *a short play or, in general, any representation between parts of a larger stage production *''Entr'acte'', a piece of music performed between acts of a theatrical production *a section in a movement of a musical piece, se ...

s. It was released in two different formats: stand-alone CD, and a CD+DVD bundle - the latter bundle was re-released with a pink-transparent CD holder. The three artworks for the EP depicts Kumi posing with the title of the work superimposed over her. The CD+DVD bundle artwork features her holding a basketball, this artwork was also used for the digital release of the EP. ''3 Splash'' contains predominantly

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

and

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...

. Kumi contributed by writing the lyrics to "Lick Me" and "Hashire!", while Japanese songwriter and producer Hum created "Ecstasy". Hiroto Suzuki and Shinjiro Inoue were credited as the EP's producers. ''3 Splash'' received favourable reviews from music critics who commended the EP's production and commercial appeal. ''3 Splash'' reached number two on the

Oricon Singles Chart The Oricon Singles Chart is the Japanese music industry-standard singles popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Chart rankings are based on physical singles' sales. Until 2017, Oricon did not track download sales. In J ...

, and was certified gold by the

Recording Industry Association of Japan The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969. The RIAJ's activities include pr ...

(RIAJ) for shipments of 100,000 units. "Lick Me", "Ecstasy", and "Hashire!" served as

promotional single A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...

s, while "Lick Me" was certified platinum for 250,000 digital shipments and nominated for a Japan Record Award at the 51st Japan Record Awards.

Background and composition

In 2009, Kumi released two compilation albums: ''

Out Works & Collaboration Best ''Out Works & Collaboration Best'' is the fourth compilation album by Japanese singer-songwriter Koda Kumi, released two months after her studio album ''Trick'', and the same day as her second remix album, ''Koda Kumi Driving Hit's''. The album p ...

'' and ''

Koda Kumi Driving Hit's ''Koda Kumi Driving Hit's'' (known in Japan as KODA KUMI DRIVING HIT'S) is the second remix album by Japanese people, Japanese pop music, pop star Koda Kumi - her first being Koda Kumi Remix Album (2006). It reached #6 on Oricon and remained on t ...

''. Following this, along with the release of a collaborative single with her younger sister,

misono , publicly known mononymously as Misono (stylized as misono), is a Japanese singer-songwriter and TV personality. She was born in Kyoto, Japan, and is the younger sister of singer Koda Kumi. Career In 2000, Misono participated in the summer v ...

, Kumi announced plans of releasing a double album. The double album was to promote both her third greatest hits album, and a new studio album that consisted of unreleased material from recording sessions for her 2008 album, ''

Trick Trick(s) may refer to: People * Trick McSorley (1852–1936), American professional baseball player * Armon Trick (born 1978), retired German international rugby union player * David Trick (born 1955), former Ontario civil servant and universi ...

''. "

It's All Love! ''It's all Love!'' is a collaboration single by Japanese singer-songwriters Koda Kumi and misono. The single was originally set to be released on March 4, but was pushed back to its official release date of March 31, 2009. The single charted at ...

" was later served as the studio album's lead single. Kumi announced that she would release a new extended play, marketed as a single, entitled ''3 Splash'', which would consist of three recordings: "Lick Me", "Ecstasy" and "Hashire!" with three additional

s. ''3 Splash'' opens with the first interlude, "09:00AM", which is an instrumental piece with "groovy" DJ spins and scratches. "Lick Me", the first tracks to include vocals, is an uptempo "cute summer number" with suggestive lyrics. "Ecstasy" is an

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

song with Kumi's "cool husky" vocals being heavily processed with

autotune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-Tu ...

and

vocoder A vocoder (, a portmanteau of ''voice'' and ''encoder'') is a category of speech coding that analyzes and synthesizes the human voice signal for audio data compression, multiplexing, voice encryption or voice transformation. The vocoder was ...

effects. According to Adam Greenberg from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, ''Ecstasy'' "share some ideation with

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

concepts, mixing sultriness with oddity and playing with the instrumentation and voicing along the way." The album's second interlude, "12:35PM", is another instrumental piece with "slow-paced" handclaps, and subtle urban undertones. ''Hashire!'' is a "distorted" midtempo dance song with influences of

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

and

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...

, and the EP is closed with a final instrumental interlude, "12:00AM".

Promotion

''3 Splash'' was released on July 8, 2009, through

. There are three official versions: a stand-alone CD version, a CD+DVD version and a CD+DVD version which features an accessory pouch for the physical single. Each version featured a different cover sleeve, all with Kumi standing in front of a grey background: the CD version features Kumi in a black outfit (which she wore in her "Ecstasy" music video), the CD+DVD and digital EP version features Kumi in urban street gear (which she wore in the video for "Hashire!") and the CD+DVD version, which includes a pink-transparent CD holder, features Kher in a 60s-influence dress (which was worn in her "Lick Me" video). The CD+DVD bundle artwork features Kumi holding a basketball. This artwork was also used for the digital release of the EP. All three recorded songs were promoted through advertisement deals in Japan. "Ecstasy" was used for Music.Jp, "Lick Me" was used for the televised commercial of her Fever Live in Hall II concert, and "Hashire!" was used for the NTT communications advert Musico. All three tracks served as the EP's promotional singles, released on July 8, 2009. "Lick Me" reached #2 on the

Japan Hot 100 The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and '' Hanshin Contents Link'' since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thur ...

chart on the week end of July 20, 2009, which is her highest chart entry to date. "Lick Me" was certified platinum for 250,000 downloads in January 2014. "Ecstasy" and "Hashire!" did not chart in any Japanese music charts, but were marketed as promotional singles by Rhythm Zone. All three songs featured an accompanying music video, which were included on the DVD version of ''3 Splash''. An alternate version of the music video for "Lick me♥" was later placed on the DVD for her second

pachinko is a mechanical game originating in Japan that is used as an arcade game, and much more frequently for gambling. Pachinko fills a niche in Japanese gambling comparable to that of the slot machine in the West as a form of low-stakes, low-st ...

game, '' Fever Live in Hall II.'' All three songs have appeared on several live albums and compilations released by Kumi respectively. "Lick Me" and "Ecstasy" were performed during her Live Tour 2009: Trick, her 2009 Taiwan Live, Live Tour 2010: Universe, 10th Anniversary: Fantasia in Tokyo Dome, and Live Tour 2011: Dejavu. "Hashire!" has only been performed on her Live Tour 2009: Trick. "Lick Me" and "Ecstasy" both appeared on her 2013 digital compilation, ''Summer Single Collection 2013'', while "Lick Me" was included on both Kumi's concept compilations: ''Happy Love Song Collection'' (2014) and ''

Summer of Love The Summer of Love was a social phenomenon that occurred during the summer of 1967, when as many as 100,000 people, mostly young people sporting hippie fashions of dress and behavior, converged in San Francisco's neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury. ...

'' (2015).

Reception

''3 Splash'' received favourable reviews from music critics. Chris True from

highlighted ''Hashire!'' as a career stand out track from Kumi's discography. Ian Martin from the same publication reviewed "Lick Me" and "Ecstasy" from the ''

Universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Acc ...

'' album and was divided. For "Lick Me", he said, "She wears her sexuality on her sleeve, with song titles like "Lick Me" laying their erotic playing cards on the table from the get-go, and her lack of any recognizable singing ability compensated for by an awful lot of gumption." For "Ecstasy", he commended her "hard working ethic" in many songs, highlighting the song and concluded that, "All of this reveals a desperate need to achieve success no matter what, but also the humanity of the effort underpinning it." Greenberg commended the production of "Ecstasy", and said that "Lick Me" was "slightly off-tempo" that "brings Kumi back to more standard territory." A reviewer from ''CD Journal'' complimented the production of each song, and described the EP as "catchy" and "danceable". Hiraga Tetsuo from ''Hot Express'' was positive, who commended Kumi's song writing and the "summer" theme throughout the EP. On the Japanese

, ''3 Splash'' debuted at #2, Kumi's third consecutive EP to have peaked at this position. The EP lasted twelve weeks in the top 100, selling 93,000 units, and was certified gold by the

(RIAJ) for shipments of 100,000 units; this became her fourth consecutive EP to have shipped over 100,000 units, after ''

Love & Honey "Love & Honey" (stylized as ''LOVE & HONEY'') is R&B-turned-pop singer-songwriter Koda Kumi's eleventh domestic single. The single reached No. 4 on Oricon, making it her first single in the Top 10 since ''real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba''. It stayed ...

'' (2004), ''

4 Hot Wave ''4 Hot Wave'' (stylized as ''4 hot wave'') is the 32nd single by Japanese singer Koda Kumi, released through Rhythm Zone on July 26, 2006. The singles contains the quadruple A-side tracks "Ningyo-Hime", "I'll Be There", "Juicy", and "With Your Sm ...

'' (2006), and ''

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

'' (2008). ''3 Splash'' reached number eight on the Taiwanese East Asian chart. "Lick Me" reached #2 on the Billboard

chart, and reached #8 and #15 on the Japan Billboard Adult Contemporary and Radio Songs chart, respectively. "Lick Me" was nominated for the Japan Record Award at the

51st Japan Record Awards The 51st Annual Japan Record Awards took place on December 30, 2009. TBS broadcast the event, which will take place again at New National Theatre in Shibuya, Tokyo. The nominations for the Awards were announced on December 1. Awards winners * ...

, but lost to

Exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

's "Someday".

Track listing

Personnel

– vocals, backing vocals, song writing, executive producer * Hum – producer, song writing, composer, arranger * Yu – producer, composer, arranger * Hiroto Suzuki – producer, composer, arranger * Shinjiroh Inoue – producer, composer, arranger *

– record label * Avex Trax – parent label, management Credits adapted from the EP's liner notes.

Charts

Certifications

Alternate versions

;"Ecstasy" #"Ecstasy": Found on the single (2009) and corresponding album

UNIVERSE The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Acc ...

(2010) #"Ecstasy (Caramel Pod E Remix)": Found on the single (2009) #"Ecstasy (Caramel Pod Remix)": Found on

Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 2 Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 2 is the third remix album released by Japanese singer/songwriter, Kumi Koda. It was released a year after ''Koda Kumi Driving Hit's'' on March 31, 2010. It ranked higher than its predecessor, coming in at #5 on Oricon and ...

(2010) ;"Lick me♥" #"Lick me♥": Found on the single (2009) and corresponding album ''

'' (2010) #"Lick me♥ (Yusuke Tanaka Remix)": Found on the single (2009) #"Lick me♥ (Prog5 BIG BASS Remix)": Found on

(2010) #"Lick me♥ (Floorbreaker remix)": Found on

Beach Mix ''Beach Mix'' is Koda Kumi's sixth remix album, out August 1, 2012. It is her first album to feature a playbutton - the album contained on an mp3 player in a button. It comes in three editions: CD, CD+DVD and CD+DVD+Playbutton. ''Beach Mix'' beca ...

(2012)

Notes

References

External links

3 Splash
– Kumi Koda's official website. {{Good article 2009 EPs Rhythm Zone albums Koda Kumi EPs