rotation 23 [artist feature & recent releases]
Sunday, January 4, 2009 posted at 4:21 PM
This week's rotation is partially an artist feature and partially focusing on recent releases. I'm hoping to get a new layout up in the next couple days too, but school starts tomorrow for me so I'm not sure how much time I'll have. Happy belated New Year's to everyone too!
By the way, I apologize for the really crappy commenting this week. T_T Lately I've been a little preoccupied & haven't had much time to work on rotations; I haven't really felt as motivated to update the site. As always, please remember to comment.
-Haruhi
- ARTIST FEATURE -
Yorico - Negau
Japanese | Pop
Yume no Kajitsu
Kokoro no Kagi
TELL ME THE TRUTH
I had this album on my computer for quite a while, but only recently got to listening to it. I'm not a big fan of female singers, but Yorico's voice is wonderful. Yume no Kajitsu is strong without being overpowering. Although it is definitely poppy, it's melancholic. Kokoro no Kagi is a little more upbeat and hopeful. I love the piano & string accompaniment. TELL ME THE TRUTH also has an upbeat tone. Yorico's voice is thick and rich.
Khalil Fong - Orange Moon
Mandarin | R&B/Pop
Singalongsong
小小蟲 (Small Insect)
1234567
100種表情 (100 Kinds of Expression
Singalongsong is actually entirely in English. I loved it. The lyrics are sweet if fairly simple, and Khalil Fong's voice is amazing. It blends elements of pop and R&B perfectly. 小小蟲 contrasts an active drum beat with a laid-back arrangement. It's relaxing, but not too bland either. 1234567 is another favourite of mine off this album. It's livelier than the previous two tracks. 100種表情 is another favourite of mine. It's mellow but catchy.
- RECENT RELEASES -
Fahrenheit - Love You More And More
Mandarin | Pop
恆星 (Shining Star)
Touch Your Heart
Fahrenheit comes back with their third album. I have to admit I don't like their music much, but their vocals have improved noticeably in this album. 恆星 reflects this improvement - it takes a more serious tone than most of Fahrenheit's songs. The rap verses remind me of Shinhwa for some reason. O_o The rock-influenced Touch Your Heart is a bonus song that was only on the Hong Kong version of this album. An English verison (not sure whether this version was also by Fahrenheit) was used in a commercial promoting tourism in Taiwan. Which will explain the lyrics - Taiwan will touch your heart, etc.
Wang Lee Hom - HEART BEAT
Mandarin | Pop
心跳 (Heart Beat)
春雨里洗过的太阳 (Spring Rain Washed Over The Sun)
EVERYTHING
I initially thought 心跳 would be upbeat, seeing as it's the title track, but it's actually downtempo. I liked it, but found it a bit generic, although the chorus did get stuck in my head for a while. 春雨里洗过的太阳 on the other hand, was probably my favourite song on this album. Lee Hom's voice is sweet and melodic. There's also a snippet of the lyrics that's in English: If you listen to the rhythm of the pouring rain that is just so beautiful. It's not a song that stood out to me right away, but it grows on you. EVERYTHING is a fairly typical ballad but, as usual, Lee Hom's voice makes it stand out. I thought this was a pretty solid album, but not outstanding.
Labels: Fahrenheit, Khalil Fong, Wang Lee Hom, Yorico
