Finally, a full rotation! =) I was planning on doing a different theme but decided to save it for later, so these are just some recent releases that I wanted to share.

Everytime (ft Baby G) - Dream Girls
Korean | Pop
After being quite impressed by their song Hey, Mr., I was looking forward to hearing this song. I'm still undecided about it. It's a simple, sweet pop tune. However, I felt that the thing I liked most about them - their strong, clear vocals - was lacking in this song. Instead, their voices come across as very light and wavering, making Everytime sound watered-down - especially in the chorus, which should really be the strongest section. It's a cute song, but not nearly as solid as their debut.

Heartbeat - 2PM
Korean | Pop/Dance
I know everyone probably already has this song or has at least heard it, but since I'm not a big 2PM fan I thought I'd share one song that I do like from them. What really appealed to me about this song was the staggered feel and how each word or phrase seems to be coming from a different place or level, especially in the chorus. It's got a good beat and I really like the accompaniment - the synths and strings blur together at times, and are distinct at others.

너에게 약속하는 7가지 - Tei & Kan Mi Yeon
Korean | Pop/Ballad
I love Tei, although this song is a bit different - rather than a very classic, dramatic ballad like most of his songs, it's sweet and pop-influenced, opening with bright upbeat piano and synths. While the sugary intro didn't really appeal to me, it quickly tones down to a tolerable level - Tei's rich, powerful voice suits the lighter atmosphere of this song surprisingly well. I've never heard any of Kan Mi Yeon's songs, but her light, clear vocals are a nice contribution, although I would have liked to see more of a connection between the two singers. A warm, lovely midtempo ballad.

時を止めて (Toki wo Tomote) - Tohoshinki
Japanese | Ballad
I love this song. From the a-capella style first lines, I was hooked. It's incredibly heartfelt and genuine. This isn't a very good quality rip, I'll try and post up a better one if I find one, but even from this rip I can tell this is going to be a gorgeous song. It's a midtempo pop ballad with splashes of R&B and a warm, rich atmosphere.

My Style - Mao Denda
Japanese | Pop/R&B
I've uploaded some of her songs in the past, this is her latest single. Mao Denda is really growing on me, her latest singles have all been pretty strong and My Style is no exception. Her strong, smooth voice is the highlight as usual, against a dense instrumentation of synths and occasionally strings, rooted by a rounded bass and light percussion. The melody is fluid and sweet.

하얀겨울 (With 비즈니즈, 애즈원) (Narr. 이준 Of 솔리드) - Alex of Clazziquai Project
Korean | Pop
A light, sweet winter song. At first I had mixed feelings about this song - I found it a little too cute and poppy. But it's definitely grown on me, I really love its warmth. The delicate synths add a bubbly touch to the song, and the overall buoyancy and youthful exuberance make for a great pre-Christmas song.

가슴이 사랑하는 법 - DNT
Korean | Ballad
Most of the songs I've heard from these guys are upbeat and dance-influenced, so this was an interesting change. I found their vocals in the beginning a bit too soft and the accompaniment to be a bit overwhelming, but it backs off after a bit and their voices really shine out - rich, warm, and decadent. Overall this song has a very rounded, polished feel - while still retaining a lot of emotion. Definitely shows their vocal potential, an interesting change of style.

내가 죽어도 - DNT
Korean | Ballad
DNT stays on the ballad route. A very classic Korean ballad that is reminiscent of SG Wannabe. Again, vocally it's quite excellent, a lot more than I expected from them. More dramatic than the previous song - compositionally it's a bit boring, but again, certainly shows their potential. One thing I do really like is their harmonies.

서랍을 비우다 - Vodka Rain
Korean | Soft Rock
I love these guys, and was delighted to see they'd released a new mini-album. 서랍을 비우다 is a calm song with gorgeous instrumentation, filled with isolated strings and warm piano. Laid-back and soothing, but definitely not boring. A perfect song to just relax to after a long day.

甘く果てしなく (Amaku Hateshinaku; Endlessly Sweet) - Tohoshinki
Japanese | Pop
So this isn't as "recent" of a release, but I had it uploaded and thought I'd share. It's an energetic, bubbly song by Tohoshinki, with lots of rich brass and warm harmonies. Like its title suggests, it's sugary sweet - but, a rare occurrence, without being overbearingly so. It's well-balanced and shows their maturity and youthful energy at the same time.

말하고 싶어요 - Rescue Jane
Korean | Rock/Ballad
I don't know anything about this guy, although apparently he's had some success as an underground artist and this song is from his first mainstream release, Opus 1. Either way, I love his warm, husky voice and the rich piano and string base of this song. Although it seems to be a fairly standard ballad, something about how his vocals come through and how powerful and expressive they are just makes this song so exceptionally good. Recommended!

Labels: 2PM, Alex, DNT, Dream Girls, Kan Mi Yeon, Mao Denda, Rescue Jane, Tei, Tohoshinki

Finally, a full rotation! =) I was planning on doing a different theme but decided to save it for later, so these are just some recent releases that I wanted to share.

Everytime (ft Baby G) - Dream Girls
Korean | Pop
After being quite impressed by their song Hey, Mr., I was looking forward to hearing this song. I'm still undecided about it. It's a simple, sweet pop tune. However, I felt that the thing I liked most about them - their strong, clear vocals - was lacking in this song. Instead, their voices come across as very light and wavering, making Everytime sound watered-down - especially in the chorus, which should really be the strongest section. It's a cute song, but not nearly as solid as their debut.

Heartbeat - 2PM
Korean | Pop/Dance
I know everyone probably already has this song or has at least heard it, but since I'm not a big 2PM fan I thought I'd share one song that I do like from them. What really appealed to me about this song was the staggered feel and how each word or phrase seems to be coming from a different place or level, especially in the chorus. It's got a good beat and I really like the accompaniment - the synths and strings blur together at times, and are distinct at others.

너에게 약속하는 7가지 - Tei & Kan Mi Yeon
Korean | Pop/Ballad
I love Tei, although this song is a bit different - rather than a very classic, dramatic ballad like most of his songs, it's sweet and pop-influenced, opening with bright upbeat piano and synths. While the sugary intro didn't really appeal to me, it quickly tones down to a tolerable level - Tei's rich, powerful voice suits the lighter atmosphere of this song surprisingly well. I've never heard any of Kan Mi Yeon's songs, but her light, clear vocals are a nice contribution, although I would have liked to see more of a connection between the two singers. A warm, lovely midtempo ballad.

時を止めて (Toki wo Tomote) - Tohoshinki
Japanese | Ballad
I love this song. From the a-capella style first lines, I was hooked. It's incredibly heartfelt and genuine. This isn't a very good quality rip, I'll try and post up a better one if I find one, but even from this rip I can tell this is going to be a gorgeous song. It's a midtempo pop ballad with splashes of R&B and a warm, rich atmosphere.

My Style - Mao Denda
Japanese | Pop/R&B
I've uploaded some of her songs in the past, this is her latest single. Mao Denda is really growing on me, her latest singles have all been pretty strong and My Style is no exception. Her strong, smooth voice is the highlight as usual, against a dense instrumentation of synths and occasionally strings, rooted by a rounded bass and light percussion. The melody is fluid and sweet.

하얀겨울 (With 비즈니즈, 애즈원) (Narr. 이준 Of 솔리드) - Alex of Clazziquai Project
Korean | Pop
A light, sweet winter song. At first I had mixed feelings about this song - I found it a little too cute and poppy. But it's definitely grown on me, I really love its warmth. The delicate synths add a bubbly touch to the song, and the overall buoyancy and youthful exuberance make for a great pre-Christmas song.

가슴이 사랑하는 법 - DNT
Korean | Ballad
Most of the songs I've heard from these guys are upbeat and dance-influenced, so this was an interesting change. I found their vocals in the beginning a bit too soft and the accompaniment to be a bit overwhelming, but it backs off after a bit and their voices really shine out - rich, warm, and decadent. Overall this song has a very rounded, polished feel - while still retaining a lot of emotion. Definitely shows their vocal potential, an interesting change of style.

내가 죽어도 - DNT
Korean | Ballad
DNT stays on the ballad route. A very classic Korean ballad that is reminiscent of SG Wannabe. Again, vocally it's quite excellent, a lot more than I expected from them. More dramatic than the previous song - compositionally it's a bit boring, but again, certainly shows their potential. One thing I do really like is their harmonies.

서랍을 비우다 - Vodka Rain
Korean | Soft Rock
I love these guys, and was delighted to see they'd released a new mini-album. 서랍을 비우다 is a calm song with gorgeous instrumentation, filled with isolated strings and warm piano. Laid-back and soothing, but definitely not boring. A perfect song to just relax to after a long day.

甘く果てしなく (Amaku Hateshinaku; Endlessly Sweet) - Tohoshinki
Japanese | Pop
So this isn't as "recent" of a release, but I had it uploaded and thought I'd share. It's an energetic, bubbly song by Tohoshinki, with lots of rich brass and warm harmonies. Like its title suggests, it's sugary sweet - but, a rare occurrence, without being overbearingly so. It's well-balanced and shows their maturity and youthful energy at the same time.

말하고 싶어요 - Rescue Jane
Korean | Rock/Ballad
I don't know anything about this guy, although apparently he's had some success as an underground artist and this song is from his first mainstream release, Opus 1. Either way, I love his warm, husky voice and the rich piano and string base of this song. Although it seems to be a fairly standard ballad, something about how his vocals come through and how powerful and expressive they are just makes this song so exceptionally good. Recommended!

Labels: 2PM, Alex, DNT, Dream Girls, Kan Mi Yeon, Mao Denda, Rescue Jane, Tei, Tohoshinki

Welcome to Fashion Scans, an mp3 rotation that features Korean, Japanese, and Chinese music as well as the occasional English song. Fashion Scans was created in October 2007 and is run by Haruhi with contributions from Carmi.

Please send all affiliate requests to Haruhi. Carmi is currently open to requests.

Files are for sampling purposes only, I am not responsible if you keep them for longer than the 24-48 hours permitted. Please support the artists by purchasing their CDs.

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