Wait a minute, wasn’t this top 10’s? Since I decided to merge all the languages together, I also decided to extend the list to 20 songs. I made an original list to choose from, which had 35 songs (which itself started out at 29 and kept growing as I thought of more songs that deserved to be added, haha), and I simply couldn’t pick just ten. Well, more songs for you guys, right? Since it was pointed out to me that my top 10 ballads rotation was all-male, I’ve done my best to encorporate some female artists as well - although, admittedly, it is still male-dominated - I’m picky about female artists, okay?
Also, the runners-up for this rotation will be posted at a later time. It's been too long since I did such a big rotation.
This rotation really took a long time to prepare, so please comment or at least leave a rating! Thanks to all those who do.
#20. Paparazzi - AJOO ft. Younha & C-LUV
A catchy, extremely danceable song by AJOO. I have to admit, I really like AJOO except for his latest song. Although his image keeps changing, from sweet, innocent boy to a more mature, sexy look, then to his latest eyeliner-obsessed image which, as you can tell, I’m not a big fan of. Anyways. Paparazzi is a fun, poppy listen. It’s not particularly innovative or original, but it’s a good song.
#19. 痴妹與王兩 - Xiao Yu
Gritty, tough, and aggressive. Xiao Yu’s voice is dripping with an easy, slick confidence. It does get repetitive and a little generic, but it makes for a nice occasional listen.
#18. D.D.D. - Koda Kumi ft. SOULHEAD
I’m not really a fan of any of the big female j-pop stars - Ayumi Hamasaki, Koda Kumi, Amuro Namie, Utada Hikaru, etc. but out of them, Koda Kumi is probably my favourite. D.D.D. is energetic, confident, and fun.
#17. Scream - JUNE
An upbeat club number, Scream just begs for another listen. Addictive, catchy, and complete with smooth, slick melodies that JUNE brings to their best. It almost has a bit of a disco feel to it at times, yet is undoubtedly modern.
#16. 넌 나의 노래 (You're My Song) - Dong Bang Shin Ki
Wrong Number originally held this position, because I guess you could kind of consider this song a ballad, but I just love this song too much. This is definitely, by far, my most listened to track off of MIROTIC. I was expecting one of their more upbeat songs (eg. Mirotic, Wrong Number) would be the most memorable, but it ended up being You’re My Song - an absolutely gorgeous slow pop track. The melody is beautiful by itself, but the boy’s vocals and harmonizing really bring it to another level - at times vulnerable and at others strong and hopeful. I love the piano accompaniment too.
#15. In My Bed - Rain
Being one of the first k-pop artists I listened to, Rain had to show up somewhere on this rotation. Anyways I’m not sure what he’s up to now, but I think he really needs to return to music. His latest album Rainism didn’t really leave much of an impact on me. This song is from his fourth album, Rain’s World - a smooth, slightly downtempo, R&B influenced number. His unique voice is perfectly accented against the relatively minimal but steady arrangement. A memorable song that has a lot of replay value.
#14. 통화 연결음 (Ring Back Tone) - Sunnyhill
I never get sick of this song. This group is made up of 3 vocalists - two female, one male. Their male vocalist was supposed to be a member of Battle. I absolutely love their female vocalists. Both have airy, light voices that sound absolutely wonderful. A peaceful, calm, sweet song.
#13. Letter - BRIGHT ft. K
I’m not a fan of girl groups as a general rule, but I absolutely love BRIGHT. Just the opening lines, in absolutely stunning harmony, should tell you that these girls are something different. A light, breezy, relaxing song. K’s sweet voice fits in perfectly with BRIGHT’s vocalists. Like I mentioned, the harmonizing in this song is just beautiful.
#12. Funky N Roll Tonight - A’ST1
There had to be one cheesy, boyband, bubble-gum pop song on this rotation. Complete with a nonsense English title, A’ST1 delivers a sugary, fun track. Bright, upbeat horns, paired with feel-good guitar chords that are then taken over by a keyboard. Twangy, thick bass, sweet poppy vocals, easy-to-follow melodies. Nothing particularly original, but well-executed.
#11. Get Chu! - AAA
A summer-y, upbeat song. Cute, playful, and light-hearted. It’s a feel-good song, plain and simple.
#10. Always Online - JJ Lin
I just bought the album this was from, Sixology. <3 A really good song to wind down to - it’s relaxing but not too slow, with faint R&B influences in the beat and bass. JJ Lin’s voice is smooth and melodic.
#9. truth - Arashi
A dramatic, memorable song with a pushing string accompaniment competing with the rich piano arrangement. I really think this is one of Arashi’s best songs. It has a bit of a darker feel than most of their material but is uptempo and energetic, and at times hopeful. Complete with a gritty electric guitar solo about halfway through, truth definitely shows another dimension of Arashi.
#8. One - Epik High ft. JiSun
An electronica-infused song that is just beautiful. Ji Sun’s light, airy vocals fit the slightly haunting air of the song perfectly. Although this song is a lot more mainstream from Epik High’s older releases, I still liked it. It has a dark edge to it, but at the same time is hopeful and energetic.
#7. 거짓말 (Lies) - Big Bang
I loved this song when it first came out. I think I listened to it so much that I got kind of sick of it, and it’s been a while since I revisited it. IMO, this song really defined their electronica-infused style. The sweet piano melody, although repetitive, lends colour and contrast to the verses, really bringing the song to another level. The chorus is wonderful.
#6. 어쩌다 (How) - Brown Eyed Girls
I really hate how every song from every artist of whatever this company is starts off with this weird robotic voice saying “play this sound” or “brand new sound” or something like that. Anyways. Brown Eyed Girls is one of the few female artists to make this rotation, and pretty far up on the rankings too! How is infectiously catchy and fairly quick in tempo, but the vocal work maintains its depth and emotion. the girl’s voices are sweet but not annoyingly so. Although there is some faint synthesizing, especially in the harmonies, it’s not overdone. The rap verses give a playful, light touch to the song.
#5. 星空下的吻 - JJ Lin
Kicking off energetically with a heavy beat and quick verses, the song then transitions beautifully into an airy, melodic chorus where JJ Lin’s voice simply soars over the arrangement. I love the contrast between the two moods - the angst of the supporting verses, and the beauty of the chorus.
#4. Bump - Lee Min Woo
A straightforward uptempo track, active and aggressive. Min Woo’s latest solo album disappointed me because it lacked the fire of his older songs - such as Bump, from his 2nd solo album. It cools down for one verse, with melting melodies and smooth vocal work, but other than that, never loses its energy and intensity. Min Woo’s strong, slightly rough voice is a perfect fit for this song.
#3. Passion - Se7en
Ah I remember being so obsessed with this song. This song really got me into Se7en. His voice is rough and powerful, bordering on a bold aggressiveness. Slick, sensual melodies paired with harsh accenting gives the song a sharp edge. The beat and arrangement definitely takes its influences from American music, but it’s so catchy and driven. Definitely a song you could dance to.
#2. Hero - Shinhwa
What I liked about this song was that, on top of being catchy and lively, it also had emotional value. The beat is fairly straightforward, but infectious nonetheless. Random bit of trivia: at ~2:42 in the track, you can hear someone cough. This song, released in 2002, was one of the first Korean songs that I listened to (and when I listened to it, a few years had already passed since its release). It’s been a while since I listened to it, but it really doesn’t get old.
#1. Okay, so this is where it gets kind of weird. There are two #1 songs.
简单爱 - Jay Chou
Wait a minute, I don't even like Jay Chou. Why are two of his songs tied at first place? Well, as much as I’m not feeling Jay Chou’s latest albums, I really like some of his older work. This is an example of it - innocent, sweet, and genuine. Maybe it’s just because I’ve been listening to these songs for so long that I love them.
髮如雪 - Jay Chou
I love this song. Jay Chou’s voice is just perfect in it, smooth and light - there’s some classical Chinese influences in the arrangement, but they’re not overbearing. I seriously always have some verse or some melody from this song resurface in my head, even if I haven’t listened to it in a long time. Okay, admittedly, the part where it sounds like he’s gargling near the end of the song (around 4:30) is just ... weird. But still.
Labels: A'ST1, Ajoo, Arashi, Big Bang, BRIGHT, Brown Eyed Girls, Dong Bang Shin Ki, Epik High, Jay Chou, JJ Lin, JUNE, Koda Kumi, Lee Min Woo, Rain, Se7en, Shinhwa, SunnyHill, Xiao Yu
Valentine's Day Special
첫키스 (First Kiss) - Ajoo (아주)
I've been looking forward to Ajoo's debut single; there's been a lot of hype about it. He's signed to the same label as Younha, and I believe that she is his teacher as well. Supposedly he is a very good singer, dancer, model, etc. First Kiss is a fairly upbeat song. Though the energetic accompaniment pretty much overlaps his voice, it does back off in parts and the chorus is very catchy. I think it's more the song itself than Ajoo's voice that makes this song good ... but it's so catchy ... O_o XP Anyways, definitely worth a listen. If you scroll down to the "my picks" section, I've uploaded the other song in this single. (By the way, some random eyecandy for you: here's a picture of Ajoo.)
Love Sweets - AILE
I love Aile. <3 This is an awesome song by them, the vocalist hits some very high notes. Not too overly-oshare but still keeping the roots of the style. I love the guitar solo too, it's quite simple but has some very nice melodies. Highly recommended.
Forever Love -acapella version- - Tohoshinki
Not a big fan of Tohoshinki's ballads, but Forever Love is one of the few that I really enjoyed listening to. While still a tad generic, I really like this acapella version. I find it shows their voices nicely, though I could have heard more of Yunho. I especially love the first verse of this song. They manage to capture a lot more emotion in this song, something that I find lacks in some of their other ballads. I especially love Xiah Junsu in this song, I find that his verses are the ones that stand out the most.
Aishiteru - Base Ball Bear
A very good band that I think is slowly gaining more and more popularity. Aishiteru is a fairly light rock song that I really enjoyed listening to. By the way, just in case you didn't already know this, "aishiteru" means "I love you" in Japanese. I especially like the female back-up vocals, they add a nice balance to the song. The main vocals are also very good, though I'm not really getting very much from the accompaniment. Try them out. =)
Once Upon a Time With Two People - Hiro
Despite the cumbersome title of this song, it's fairly good. I don't know much about the singer, but she has a very nice voice. The first time I listened to this song, I didn't really find that it was anything special, but I listened to it again and it's starting to grow on me. I love the chorus where while the accompaniment doesn't slow down, she seems to be singing at a slower tempo. If that makes any sense.
How Do I Say - Shinhwa
Ah, Shinhwa. They were one of the first Korean bands I discovered, so I've always had a bit of a bias when listening to their music. This is from "Winter Story 2004-2005", which is supposedly pretty hard to find. It's a pretty typical Shinhwa song, but they lyrics in English are sweet if quite cliched. The chorus is pretty catchy. K-pop fans will probably like this song, not so sure about everyone else.
My Picks
Seven to Date - Amano Tsukiko
OMG PIANO. The piano part in this got stuck in my head and it took me forever to realise it was from this song. There's also little random four-note saxophone licks that spice things up, and Amano Tsukiko's voice isn't outstanding, but it's solid and strong. Download this if just to hear the piano solo.
Alarm 06:00 - Ajoo
Here's the other Ajoo song, as promised. I think First Kiss is catchier than this song, but Alarm 06:00 is more energetic. It has more rock influences, but is still very much a pop song. Still, it's well executed and a worthwhile b-side.
미녀와 야수 - KCM
As with the Amano Tsukiko song, an awesome piano part. In this song it's consistent throughout the whole track, though more prominent in some places than in others. When it comes to k-pop KCM is one of my favourite artists and I definitely enjoyed his latest album, Kingdom. 미녀와 야수 is very upbeat and catchy, and KCM's voice is lovely as always. Listen for the syncopated bass drum, too.
START - DEPAPEPE
Since the last Depapepe song I uploaded got quite a good response, I decided to upload another. I like Summer Parade more than this song, but I love START too. I like just about every Depapepe song. XP For those who've never heard of them, they're an awesome guitar duo. I especially love how they play acoustic guitars in just about every song I've ever heard by them. Definitely try them out if you haven't already.
Wo Men - Nan Quan Mama
Just a note, "Wo Men" means "we". I've heard a lot of good things about this band but only got to trying them out a couple days ago and I'm glad I did. They have a male and female vocalist and this is a fairly slow song. I love the accompaniment. It goes from Mandarin to Cantonese and I'm not sure whether they're Taiwanese or Chinese. Their Mandarin sounds more Taiwanese but I'm not positive. I'd love to hear more from them; I've added them to my requests list on the front page of this site.
Fuyuyasumi ni Tsuki - Swinging Popsicle
I would almost call them alt rock ... Swinging Popsicle is awesome. They have a female vocalist. I love their "Go On" album, though this track isn't from it. This isn't really one of my favourite songs by them, I don't think it shows their unique style as well as some of their other songs. I'll be sure to upload some more stuff by them; I was intending to upload a different track but somehow it turned out to be this one. O_o Try them out anyways, this isn't a bad song either. =)
Labels: AILE, Ajoo, Amano Tsukiko, Base Ball Bear, Depapepe, Hiro, KCM, Nan Quan Mama, Shinhwa, Swinging Popsicle, Tohoshinki
