I thought I'd share a couple recent releases/finds. It's so hot here (I live in the Vancouver area), I've pretty much been staying in all day haha. I watched the new Harry Potter movie yesterday, has anyone seen it?
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Japanese | Pop/Reggae/Rock
* 09. 泣くし者
* 12. また好きになる
I love this duo, I've uploaded a couple songs from them in the past. They recently released a new album, Sora x Shonen, and personally I find it even surpassed than their debut album, ZUSHI. 泣くし者 is a slow, bittersweet, yearning song with delicate acoustic guitars, alternating between softly spoken rap verses and a few sung ones, leading into the heartbreakingly gorgeous chorus - their harmonizing is so beautiful and intricate. It also incorporates some classical woodwind instruments. また好きになる has a slightly lighter tone, but is just as emotional and genuine. Their vocals are crisp, clear, and incredibly refreshing. I love their style of "rapping", I really don't know what to compare it to. また好きになる takes some time to establish itself, but it's a beautiful song. I really admire this duo's originality and unique style. Give them a try!
Korean | Pop
* 01. 월화수목 금토일 (Feat. 아이유 IU) - Suho
The first song from Suho's recently released 2nd mini-album (haha I don't know if you can tell, but the cover image says "2th" instead of "2nd"). I've been quite impressed with up-and-coming artist IU so far, and was excited to hear her featured in this song. However, I have to say the song itself is quite mediocre. It's a generic, mid-tempo pop track with predictable, poppy synths. IU's singing lacks any real depth or substance - it's light, high, and sweet, but lacks the power and maturity that drew me to her song Mia. Suho's rapping is decent, but not outstanding. A bit of a disappointment.
Korean | Pop/Ballad
* 01. Fairytale (Dong Hwa/동화) - Kim Hyung Joong
Some of you will know that I absolutely love the song Tong Hua by Guang Liang, I've posted it numerous times in the past - it also ranked fairly high on my Top 10 Ballads rotation. Well, this is a Korean cover by SS501's Kim Hyung Joong. I've never been a big fan of SS501 or any of their member's solo material, and I was afraid that this cover wouldn't do the original justice, but it was a pleasant surprise. Kim Hyung Joong sounds fantastic. His voice is brimming with emotion, yet steady and clear. Some changes have been made to the arrangement, eg. addition of acoustic guitars and strings, but it remains easily recognizable. While it was not able to surpass the original, probably because part of what really made the song for me was the lyrics (and I don't understand Korean), but it's a great cover. It's also great to see this because not a lot of Korean artists cover Chinese/Taiwanese songs, it's usually the other way around.
Korean | Pop/Dance
* 01. & Ma Girl - Dannywon
* 02. 내 맘속의 Luv-U - Dannywon
& Ma Girl has a ridiculous and kind of disgusting rap verse that really made me want to just delete the song right then. It's deep and throaty and just ... weird. The random cries of Cho! Cho! in the background sound kind of out of place too. Other than that the song's all right, the hook & my girl, and I do it girl ... is catchy enough but ... no. 내 맘속의 Luv-U is better, but that's not saying much. It's a fairly predictable track, again the rapping really puts me off although it's not as bad as in the first song. I did like the chorus though. Newcomer(s?) to the Korean scene that, IMO, will probably not make it far.
Labels: Dannywon, IU, Kim Hyung Joong, Kimaguren, Suho
Sorry the rotation is so late! This was originally going to be an artist feature for Han Hee Jung or BRIGHT, but I figured that since I’m quite picky about girl groups and female artists in general, I’d theme the whole rotation on female singers. I tried to choose a variety of artists & genres, so hopefully you’ll find something you like. By the way, the group pictured above is Black Pearl.
Please remember to comment or leave a rating, thanks.
잃어버린 날들 - Han Hee Jung (Lost Days)
Korean | Soft rock
This is my favourite Han Hee Jung song, hands down. It’s soothing but melancholy and emotional at the same time, and suits its title perfectly. Han Hee Jung’s smooth voice is steady yet delicate, set against a mid-tempo accompaniment of percussion and strings.
Kotoba ni Dekinakute - BRIGHT (Can’t Put It Into Words)
Japanese | Pop/Ballad
If I had to pick a favourite girl group, it’d probably be these guys. I’ve uploaded a couple songs from them before. Kotoba ni Dekinakute is a poppy R&B ballad that’s compositionally familiar, yet mature and fresh. Their vocals are just fantastic - clear-cut and melodic, not to mention their gorgeous harmonizing that gives even more upbeat songs a unique twist.
좋은날 - Brown Eyed Girls
Korean | Pop
A relaxing, sweet pop song by the Brown Eyed Girls. I’m not a huge fan of them, but I do like a couple of their songs. Accompanied by acoustic guitars and light percussion, the only thing I didn’t really like about this song was the rap verses. It’s not a song that I’d put on repeat, but it’s worth a listen.
Crazy Love Song - SeeYa
Korean | Ballad
I’m really not a fan of their new album but I loved their older material. They’re often referred to as the “female SG Wannabe”, which can definitely be felt in this song. It clearly follows the paths of SG Wannabe’s distinct, signature ballads. Personally, I find that they followed SG Wannabe’s style a little too closely, and would have liked to see them have a more unique style. Powerful and dramatic, these girls definitely have the vocal strength to back this song up.
everyhome - Chihiro Onitsuka
Japanese | Folk Pop/Ballad
I love Chihiro Onitsuka’s older material, but her newer songs have really disappointed me. everyhome was actually released a while ago as a single, but was also included on her newer album “LAS VEGAS”. Her voice is absolutely beautiful - powerful and emotional, set against a strong piano accompaniment. The amount of emotion Onitsuka puts into every word and every note is really what makes her so unique.
결국... 너잖아 - Black Pearl
Korean | Ballad
I was really impressed with this group, and was disappointed to find that after a couple singles they’ve kind of dropped out of the scene other than a few appearances in OSTs and such, mostly in collaboration with other artists - namely SeeYa and Davichi, but IMO they outshine those groups vocally. A very classic Korean ballad that is a tad too predictable for my taste, but their strong, rich voices really bring the song together.
Te wo Tsunaide - Younha
Japanese | Pop-Rock
I’m a huge fan of Younha, even though I didn’t really like her newest Korean album (Peace Love & Ice Cream). This is probably my favourite song by her - it’s an optimistic, midtempo pop-rock track with a soaring chorus, completed by Younha’s powerful yet feminine voice. I absolutely love the part at 2:10 when the accompaniment suddenly cuts off, leaving only her voice for the rest of the line - it has an incredibly powerful impact.
Love Today - Taru
Korean | Pop/Electronica
A sugary track complete with warm, childish vocals and a heavily synthesized accompaniment. It’s a cute song with a sweet, poppy atmosphere that’s not too overpowering.
Mia - IU
Korean | Ballad
I was skeptical upon seeing that the singer is only 15 years old, expecting something poppy and sugary, but Mia was certainly a pleasant surprise - it’s a rich, emotional ballad. While utilizing strings in its accompaniment, the percussion and arrangement is fairly modernized. IU’s voice is powerful and surprisingly mature. I’m looking forward to hearing her future releases and seeing how her voice develops even furthur.
Jewelry day - ayaka
Japanese | Ballad
A pretty acoustic guitar ballad by another of my favourite female singers, ayaka. It’s melancholic but relaxing and soothing at the same time. ayaka’s voice is melodic and crisp. A refreshingly straightforward song.
Summer Song - YUI
Japanese | Pop/Rock
Despite loving acoustic guitars, I never really got into YUI’s music. Summer Song is a pleasing, mid-tempo track - IMO, it doesn’t have a lot of replay value, but it’s a nice song.
Unprecedented - Zhang Yun Jing
Mandarin | Pop-Rock
An upbeat track. Yun Jing’s voice is almost boyish, and suits the playful atmosphere of the song well. I think she was the winner of either Super Idol or One Million Star (singing competitions).
Can’t Sleep, Can’t Eat, I’m Sick - Amuro Namie
Japanese | Pop
Synthy trumpet riffs, a slick R&B atmosphere - really, it’s nothing but a cheap club number. Bubbly, fun, confident, and light-hearted.
Freaky - Koda Kumi
Japanese | Pop
A grungy, aggressive song - it’s uptempo and in-your-face. Koda Kumi’s powerful, slightly abrasive voice compliments the song well.
Labels: Amuro Namie, Ayaka, Black Pearl, BRIGHT, Brown Eyed Girls, Chihiro Onitsuka, Han Hee Jung, IU, Koda Kumi, SeeYa, Taru, Younha, YUI, Zhang Yun Jing
