Performing at the Japan Concert

Some artists are successful immediately, whereas others achieve fame slowly. Pop singer Kumi Koda took the latter route. She'd been putting out records for three years with middling success until "Real Emotion / 1000 no Kotoba," a track from the "Final Fantasy X-2" soundtrack, scored high on the charts, peaking at No. 3. Since then, she has maintained her place in the echelon of Japanese pop stars. Her single, "Butterfly," was named 2005's song of the year at the Japan Gold Disc Awards.

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