Hello!
In my last rotation, in the comments for the song by Chi Yeol of k-pop duo Wednesday, I mentioned that Chi Yeol had released a solo album. Well, I managed to get the album on this computer, so rotation 51 features six of my favourite songs from Chi Yeol, and seven songs from assorted recent releases. I hadn't noticed when I was selecting songs, but this rotation is all Korean - I'll try to compensate for that by uploading some songs in other languages in my next rotation.
Enjoy the songs,
- Haruhi
Artist Feature: Chi Yeol (치열)
Chi Yeol's debut solo album, 오감 (Five Senses) released June 18, 2007. He's known for his distinctive, husky voice and, surprisingly, his talents as a breakdancer. He later became part of the duo Wednesday, who have only released one single to date. His ballads are lovely and his pop songs mature, so it's a shame he's released so little music.
또... (Also...)
The first track on Five Senses, this was the first song of Chi Yeol's that I heard. His rich voice caught my attention right away, coupled with a smooth, catchy melody and light harmonies and backing vocals. It remains my favourite song by him - it's a light, mid-tempo ballad that gets better with each listen.
행복한 줄 아세요
A string-based ballad, 행복한 줄 아세요 manages to be heartfelt without being overly dramatic. I think it's the contrast between the strength of the chorus and delicacy of the verses that does it, accomplished by terraced dynamics. It's hopeful and I love the way the strings soar in the chorus.
두고봐
A dark, dramatic pop song. I love the energy, and Chi Yeol shows his versatility by tackling something very different from his usual ballads.
프로포즈
Changing courses once again, 프로포즈 is an upbeat, jazz-influenced track. It has a bit of an old-fashioned sound, especially with the brass shots and jazzy piano licks, but somehow it works. Honestly, I think his voice could make anything work. A confident, bold vocal performance.
오래오래
Back to ballads, 오래오래 is a hopeful pop ballad. The accompaniment is well-rounded, I especially like the piano.
아버지
A mid-tempo track with some nice harmonies, to be honest it's not much composition-wise but I love his voice here, it's not quite as husky as in some of his other songs and seems to lighten up a bit.
Recent Releases
울고 싶단 말야 - Brave Brothers, Jay Park
Korean | Pop/R&B
I'm not an avid fan of either Brave Brothers (I find the songs they produce sound boringly similar) or Jay Park. This song was really what I expected it to be: a decent, although somewhat repetitive, R&B-influenced track. I'm not a big fan of the auto-tune on Jay's voice as it makes it seem like it was added because he can't sing rather than for effect, although I find Jay to be a decent singer. However, the hook is quite catchy (as expected) and the rapping has a nice depth to it with the occasional echoed phrase, and the looped Big Bang-esque piano melody in the background softens up the sound of the loaded R&B-style percussion. It's not perfect, but it's worth a listen.
웃음만.. - zia
Korean | Pop/Ballad
Although I'd heard a couple of zia's songs, I can't say any of them caught my attention. That is, until her EP Difference came out. All the songs were quite solid, but 웃음만.. stands out in particular. It's a driven ballad with a lot of power and richness, and a stunning vocal performance from zia. The intro is rich with strings which remain a theme, dropping away to let piano chords take over the softer verses building up to the chorus.
한별 (Implode) (ft. JW of Nell) - BoA
Korean | Ballad
I've never been a fan of BoA and none of the songs on her latest album, Hurricane Venus, have stood out to me as of yet except for this understated ballad. Something about the light acoustic guitar in the intro and the soft delicacy of her voice caught my attention. I love the way the piano and minimal percussion drops in, unexpectedly but as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It takes its fair time to develop, only building about halfway through - which is where you hear Nell's JW come in, and where the song really picks up a taste of Nell's music. I love Nell, so hearing such an instantly recognizable touch of them in a BoA song was definitely a pleasant surprise. Something about this song is just so intimate and heartfelt, it can't really be explained in words.
잊어버려 바보야 (Feat. Sad) - Snofeel
Korean | Ballad
This duet is an R&B-flavoured pop track. I don't really know anything about either of these singers but I think Snofeel is the male rapper and Sad the female singer. Sad's airy voice is refreshing, it reminds me a bit of SunnyHill's female vocalists. Snofeel's rapping isn't anything outstanding, and the piano-based accompaniment is pretty but nothing special. Luckily, Sad gets her share of sung verses which are really the highlights of the song.
서핑 웨이브 (Surfing Wave) - House Rulez
Instrumental | Electronica/House/Acid Jazz
I'm really starting to love this group. Surfing Wave is a vibrant, summery track with a youthful energy. I love the richness and depth that the jazz elements add, I think it's mostly saxophone. The bright synths and occasional backing-vocal phrases and shouts add additional layers of detail. A breath of fresh air.
..하다가 - Hwanhee
Korean | Pop
I love Fly to the Sky, and while I prefer their songs as a duo to solo material, Hwanhee's deep, husky voice is always a treat. However, his signature voice seems to be toned down a bit in this song - while it's still rich and powerful, it's a lot lighter than in most of his previous solo songs. The synths and busy R&B-style percussion aren't exactly signature Hwanhee, but it works. It sounds a lot more mainstream pop than I'd have expected, but Hwanhee's seasoned voice elevates the song beyond what your typical boyband could deliver.
Labels: BoA, Brave Brothers, Chi Yeol, House Rulez, Hwanhee, Jay Park, Snofeel, zia
Again, my apologies on being MIA! As an aside, if you have any requests, please either leave a comment or email me at carhithiel@gmail.com
Maybe in Love – Super Junior (Kyuhyun, Yesung & Ryeowook) feat. Park Sae Byul
Korean | Pop
I absolutely love this remake. Their melodies are great and the girl’s voice is nice and sweet. It’s a nice song with the instruments really complimenting the vocals.
We Belong Together – Big Bang feat. Park Bom
Korean | Pop
I always kind of liked this song but kind of also ignored it (don’t know why). I do like the energy they project in the song and the remix overall. The techno beats really do give the song extra punch but do emphasize the parts that they didn’t really sing/rap. Still a fun song though.
Abracadabra (Live Fractal Remix) – Brown Eyed Girls
Korean | Pop
It’s a really good remix…but I do wish their vocals were more complete and consistent. I think the remix is comparable to the original and catchy in its own way. I do like the way that they had decided to remix the song – still keeping it upbeat and not overplaying the techno aspect.
Universe – BoA feat. Verbal & Crystal Kay
Japanese| Pop
Normally I’m a fan of all three (although BoA less than the other two) so I was expecting more from this collaboration. Their vocals are okay and the balance with the background is okay but I was kind of hoping they would mix more of the crowd’s interactions in. As an aside, if you don’t want to hear their talking, just stop the song after the 4:20 mark.
Purple Line – DBSK
Japanese | Pop
I like the rock kind of feel it has with the guitars playing riffs all throughout the song. The deeper and louder drums also add to that kind of feel. I also like the break/interlude in the middle of the song (better if you watch the concert vid though). Overall, a nice song from the boys.
Labels: Big Bang, BoA, Brown Eyed Girls, Contributor; Carmi, Crystal Kay, m-flo, Super Junior, Tohoshinki
Joanna Wang - Start From here
01. Let's Start From Here
02. Lost in Paradise
03. As Love Begins to Mend
04. Bada Bada
05. Lost Taipei
06. The Best Mistake I've Ever Made
07. I Love You
08. For No Reason
09. Stages of Flying
10. Now
11. TRUE
12. New York State of Mind
I generally don't upload entire albums, but I recently discovered this amazing, eighteen-year-old jazz vocalist and thought that I should. This album does get quite tedious if you listen to it all at once. Although all the songs are unique, they're all done in a similar style. Let's Start From Here is probably my favorite track from this album. It starts with a piano melody in the higher ranges, then breaks into the lower range of Joanna's voice. I love the chorus and lyrics. Lost in Paradise has more of a swing feel to it and I love the bass, which sounds muted and soft. Bada Bada is more upbeat and features a nice trumpet accompaniment though its a bit sparse. There was also a very nice saxophone solo in one of these songs, but I can't for the life of me find which one it was. The Best Mistake I've Ever Made features some very nice lyrics. For No Reason starts out with a lovely trumpet solo that has that gorgeous brassy feel to it though I'm not really feeling the rest of the song as much. The only critique I have to offer about this album is that it could use some more upbeat jazz tracks to keep things lively and more interesting. As much as I love this album and Joanna Wang's voice, it's simply not enough to hold one's attention. I could also have done with a ballad that showcased a little more emotion in Joanna's voice.
Tohoshinki - T
As I'm sure most of you already have this album, I didn't choose to upload it all. Though I'm not a huge Tohoshinki fan, I actually quite liked this album. It featured a nice balance of new styles as well as the tried-and-true pop/ballads. I think there's a lot more hip-hop influenced tracks, which freshens up their sound a lot.
01. TRICK
Very catchy and energetic with a surprisingly melodic chorus, TRICK is definitely one of my favorites. Though the lyrics in English could still use some work, I love the beat of this song. And there's this nice little synthy, trumpet fill that comes in every once in a while, which I love. xP
02. NO?
Starting off with an evident R&B influence, NO? has a lovely chorus. Vocally I could have done with a little more, rather than the more subdued vocals used in R&B, but still, a nice song.
04. Forever Love
A very nice ballad, I would definitely say it's one of Tohoshinki's better ones. Their vocals are all very well showcased; the accompaniment doesn't overpower but is still strong. I didn't like the PV for this song much, but I do like the song itself. The chorus is just beautiful.
07. Darkness Eyes
Finally, Darkness Eyes. As soon as I heard the preview for this song I knew I'd like it. It explores a darker sound than most of Tohoshinki's songs. I love the bass drum, and the vocals are also very well done. The chorus is just wonderful. Highly recommended.
BoA - Be with you.
01. Be with you.
02. precious
I'm not a huge BoA fan either, but I thought I'd upload this anyways as it was a fairly highly anticipated release. I was, however, quite disappointed by it. BoA's voice in be with you. just sounds ... really weird to me. It falters and sounds like its been edited a lot. The chorus needs more of a punch, though I do like the way it's introduced. precious is another ballad, and failed to really capture my interest, though I liked it more than the title track.
My Picks
My picks for this rotation. ^^
OBLIVION DUST - Red Light Green Light
A great rock band. This isn't my favorite song by them, but it's off of their latest album, which I believe is mostly or all in English. Admittedly it's not that easy to figure out just what they're saying at times, but still, try this out. This song is surprisingly catchy.
L u L u - 9x13
Another great Japanese rock band, I don't listen to them often but I would recommend you try them out. A great song off their Daizero Schuchu Chiryo [第零集中治療室] album.
Labels: BoA, Joanna Wang, L u L u, Oblivion Dust, Tohoshinki
約束 (Yakusoku/Promise) - mihimaru GT
Kicking off with a music-box-esque tune, this is a cute song that lacks much variation. The overly-cutesy voices in the background occasionally yelling "whoa" and "yay" get a bit annoying, and don't really seem to add much to the song. I think this is one of mihimaru GT's older songs. Their vocalist has a nice voice, though it lacks much emotion or feeling, making singing seem like a bit of a chore - Yakusoku seems to call for a carefree lightness to the vocals that is obviously missing. Overall rating: 3/5
Love Letter (Winter Acoustic Mix) - BoA
Who hasn't heard of BoA? She's never been one of my favourites - though her dedication impresses me, I never found her voice or songs particularly good. This remix of Love Letter is bland, lacking much momentum. It's evident by the string accompaniment that it's supposed to sound sad, but fails to actually invoke any emotion. Overall rating: 2.5/5
会いたい (Aitai) - Younha
Younha has long been one of my favourite female vocalists, and one of the first I discovered. At first listen, her voice sounds quite bland, though it's really very unique once you listen to her more often. Her vocals really shine in this song - the accompaniment has been kept very light, which was a good choice. Younha is Korean, but sang only in Japanese until recently when she released her first Korean album. She was probably the first Korean or Japanese female artist I listened to. I'd definitely recommend this song and her as an artist, I don't think I've heard a song by her that I found I didn't like. Overall rating: 4/5
infection - Chihiro Onitsuka
If you don't download any other songs from this rotation, download this one. Chihiro Onitsuka is, without argument, amongst the best vocalists I've heard. She captures so much emotion in her songs and has a beautiful, distinctive voice. This ballad from her isn't catchy, but it will capture you all the same. When I first listened to her it was through this song, and it was because someone had recommended her to me. I had it playing in the background, but as soon as she started singing I stopped everything else I was doing to listen. She's a spectacular vocalist; this is my favourite song by her. Overall rating: 5/5
Story - AI
I never really liked AI's voice. It just seemed really harsh and grating and I found it annoying to listen to her sing. A lot of people actually like her voice, and this is one of the songs I can tolerate by her, so I thought I'd give people a chance to try her out. It gets boring after a while; there's nothing really to focus on. A very typical, generic ballad. Overall rating: 2.5/5
Gimme A Beat - Bonnie Pink
A break from the ballads, here's a slightly more upbeat, pop-rock song from Bonnie Pink. I've always liked her voice and the style of her songs. This is no exception - it might not make your most-played list, but I enjoy listening to this song occasionally. The part where she says "Gimme a beat" is catchy and probably my favourite part of the song. Worth a listen. Overall rating: 3.5/5
I LOVE YOU - Mika Nakashima
I nearly forgot to add this song to the rotation. Though I love Mika's voice, her songs usually fail to hold my attention for very long. This song begins with soft strains of classical instruments, building into a more solid introduction. Mika's voice seems very quiet against the accompaniment. I'm quite sure this is a cover of an English song, though I can't think of which one. I only know it's a cover because I've heard another cover of this song. It seems very ... flat. There's no build-ups or parts where it dies down, but in a way that make it more meek than calm. Overall rating: 2.5/5
Labels: AI, BoA, Bonnie Pink, Chihiro Onitsuka, mihimaru GT, Mika Nakashima, Younha
