Sorry I haven't been very active with replying to comments & updating the site, I'm in the middle of exams right now. I should be done everything in about a week and a half.

In the meantime, here's a mini-artist feature for you. I chose three recently debuted artists and chose a couple songs that I really love by them. Hopefully this will prompt you to try out more of their songs. I'll probably be uploading one of these albums (or mini-albums, in the case of Infinite) completely in the near future as well as writing a more detailed review, so if you have any requests as to which one you'd prefer to see, please let me know!

Infinite (인피니트) - First Invasion (EP)
Korean | Pop
This six-song EP is one of the most promising I've heard out of recent Korean boybands. That's not surprising, since Epik High, one of my favourite artists, assisted in its production. Since I probably won't choose to upload this in full (since its only six songs, and out of the three these guys are probably the most well-known) I've uploaded three of their songs.

∞
So this is just an intro, but I love the beat. It really gets your attention and if you're grabbing the next track (which follows this one on the mini-album) I'd take this too, since it leads in very well.

다시 돌아와
This is where you'll see the mixture of synths and guitar riffs in the intro develop. It's a charismatic track that has a lot of colour and flavour. While it's not exactly out-there and is still quite acceptable to mainstream tastes, it's quite unique. I don't know for sure if this sampling was done intentionally (although I think it was), but the transition at 2:00 sounds incredibly like an Earth, Wind & Fire song.

붙박이 별
The hopefulness and sincerity of this ballad, as well as some of the melodies, remind me of Battle's "Icarus", which is one of my favourite ballads. It's not particularly innovative, but it's extremely well executed, and the touches in the accompaniment - sweet harmonies, R&B-style percussion, and lush but light piano chords and guitar riffs, really elevate it. It also shows their vocal strength - while I'm really not familiar with the logistics of this group (how many members, who they are, etc.) they sound great.

The Drifters - 首張同名專輯
Mandarin | Pop-Rock
This duo hailing from Taiwan has also garnered some attention due to the fact that they were created by Jay Chou. Since I've been pretty much completely unimpressed with Jay Chou's latest albums, that didn't really encourage me to try them out. I haven't listened to their album in detail, but for the most part it seems quite laid-back. There are definitely some very pretty tracks, though, and the two below are perfect examples.

你是我的 OK 繃 (Ft. Jay Chou) (You are my Band-Aid)
This song features Jay Chou. The opening rap verse, backed by piano, reminds me so much of a song by a Japanese group ... but I can't think of the name/artist at the moment. I'll edit if I remember. Either way, there's a clean, refreshing quality about their voices that I really like, not quite sure how to describe it but it's most prevalent when they're rapping. It is a bit repetitive, bordering on too repetitive ... I still have mixed feelings about this song, but I have a feeling it might start to grow on me. Either way, it's definitely worth a listen.

想你就寫信
This is the last song on the album, and so far, it's my favourite. It's a lovely ballad with an accompaniment of two of my favourite instruments: piano and acoustic guitar. The arrangement is incredibly delicate and pretty, and the vocal execution is elegant and heartfelt.

AK (Andy + Kris) - WOW
Mandarin | Pop
Another duo from Taiwan, although these guys have a more mainstream pop sound than The Drifters. But don't think they're another sugary idol-type group, they've got some pretty good songs. As with The Drifters, I've only skimmed through their album but I'm liking it so far.

脚踏车
This track is actually in Taiwanese, not Mandarin. I'm usually not a fan of songs in the Taiwanese dialect, but for some reason it suits this track so well. It's a pretty, slightly old-fashioned mid-tempo ballad. It's simple but charming.

好想再对你说
While these guys have some upbeat songs that are quite good as well, what really stood out to me was the ballads which is a surprise since I'm usually quite picky about ballads. The two singers collaborate extremely well here, I really love how the lines overlap slightly in spots or lead off right after one another. It's a piano-based track with some light percussion as well, I really like the percussion, actually - upon first hearing it it sounds really plain, but it has this really unique edge to it that I can't quite place. It's like it has a bit more depth and echo to it. Vocally and compositionally strong.

Labels: AK, Infinite, Jay Chou, The Drifters

Let me just start off by saying that I really apologize this rotation took so long, and for not really updating in between other than to change the layout. I guess I've just been having a bit of rough time with school/"friends", and for a period of time I just couldn't find the energy to update the site and finish off this rotation (it's been sitting around nearly-done for a while).

Hope you guys enjoy the songs, and sorry again about the wait! I promise to try and update more often in the future, although for now I think they'll mostly be smaller posts rather than full-scale rotations.

Thanks to the other contributors for keeping the site alive during my absence. =)

- Haruhi

This week’s rotation is themed around songs that changed my opinion of a singer or band - whether for better or worse. Most of the songs are fairly well-known, so those of you looking to try out new artists might be a little disappointed, but hopefully you'll find something that you haven't heard before.

No. 5 - J.ae
Korean | Pop
You may know her simply as J, although she has recently changed her stage name to J.ae. While I have long disliked her soft, whispery vocals, this started to change when she released Say I Love You, a duet with Alex of Clazziquai that really impressed me. I decided it would be worthwhile to at least give her new mini-album (Sentimental) a try, and so far I’m quite impressed. In this opening track, titled No.5, which features Eun Ji Won. It’s a sophisticated, velveteen pop song with a base of muted, harp-like synths, and a light percussion backbeat. My only problem with the drums is that they sound a bit tinny and thin. J’s vocals are still very light and delicate, but they no longer sound weak as they sometimes did to me in her previous releases. Really, it was the elegant arrangement of this song that caught my attention - it’s still engaging and catchy, but has a level of maturity that you won’t hear in less-seasoned artists.

사르르 (I Wanna Be Your Love) (feat. 정엽) - J.ae
Korean | Pop/Ballad
While No. 5 caught my attention, 사르르 was really the highlight of Sentimental. It’s a mid-tempo song with a great jazz/lounge feel. I have no idea who the male singer featured on this is, but his warm, chocolaty voice is a perfect fit with J’s feathery, high vocals.

차라리 때려 (Hit Me) - SHINee
Korean | R&B/Pop
I was kind of on-the-fence about SHINee. I had mixed feelings (but for the most part disliked) their debut song (누난 너무 예뻐(Replay)), but a few other songs on their first mini-album were decent. It was a similar story with Romeo - there were some songs I didn’t like, some I did, and overall my opinions changed from my initial impressions after a few more listens. However, one song that I was really taken with on the first listen - and continued to like - is 차라리 때려. It’s melting smoothness and modern R&B interface really appealed to me. The softness and blend of their voices is lovely paired with the lush synths in the accompaniment. To me, it feels like it’s at another level of refinement compared to their other songs.

Love Story - Jewelry
Korean | Pop/Ballad
After giving Jewelry’s songs a cursory listen, I generally just deleted them. One day I saw their final performance on TV, and it was of this song. Seeing how emotional they were really struck me, and since then Love Story has really grown on me. It’s a powerful mid-tempo pop ballad that showcases their strong voices.

친구의 고백 (Friend’s Confession) - 2AM
Korean | Ballad
While their first “Single album” (이노래/This Song) was quite good, it lacked the power and conviction that is so apparent in Friend’s Confession. Although I probably prefer 죽어도 못 보내 to this song, this was the song that really made me start to look forward to their releases. Friend’s Confession is a heartfelt mid-tempo ballad with gorgeous, warm harmonies. It’s very powerful and emotional without being melodramatic. Their voices, while distinctive and individual, come together perfectly. It’s hopeful and strong. Although their first release left me apprehensive about them, their following songs have all been very impressive and they've become one of my favourite groups.

마비 - Nadia ft. Jace
Korean | Pop/Electronica
I started trying out Nadia’s singles after hearing recommendations and good reviews of them, but many of her songs I found to be average. However, 마비 is one song that I did enjoy. I really like the bubbly bass line paired with echo-y synths, and surprisingly, I think the rap segments really suit this song, setting a more aggressive tone compared with the softer sung verses.

向日葵盛開的夏天 - F.I.R.
Mandarin | Pop
I never had much interest in F.I.R., although they’re a fairly popular group. I thought I would give their latest album, Let’s Smile! a cursory listen. While on a whole the album didn’t really impress me, this is one song that did stand out to me. It’s a simple, acoustic-style ballad with only light guitar, piano, and the occasional bout of strings accompanying Faye’s high-ranged, airy voice. The hope and soothing tone of this song, as well as its graceful simplicity, really stood out to me.

나쁜 여자야 - F.T. Island
Korean | Pop-rock
This is the first song in this rotation where it goes the other way - where a song changed my opinion of an artist negatively, rather than positively. While I was never a real F.T. Island fan and definitely never considered them a “rock” band, I did admire them for taking a different route than most boybands - and being quite successful in doing so. While a few songs on the Jump Up EP had a glimmer of hope, the title track, 나쁜 여자야, was the beginning of their decline in my opinion. Whether this had anything to do with Oh Won Bin being replaced with Song Seung Hyun, I can’t say. 나쁜 여자야 is just incredibly redundant. It’s repetitive, overly-dramatic, and overall just far too heavy. Hong Ki’s voice, which I actually quite like, just sounds incredibly dull and flat-lined in this song. But let me emphasize repetitive, because that’s really what kills this song. There’s absolutely no direction to it, it simply establishes a melody/pattern and follows it over. And over. And over. It doesn’t help that their Japanese releases after this were also completely disposable.

牛仔很忙 - Jay Chou
Mandarin | Pop/Country
Oh god ... it all went downhill from here. While there are some decent songs on this album, this song still completely baffles me. A “country-themed” album is one thing, a country-themed album with only one song that ties into that theme at all is another. I really don’t get how Jay Chou even made such a cheesy, ridiculously stereotypical (yee-haw!) song - if he really had to go country, why not do it with a nice acoustic-guitar ballad or something of the sort? To be fair, I can see why some people would find this song cute or catchy, but after this my opinion of him really started going down. His follow-up album, Capricorn, wasn’t wildly impressive either, although in both albums, there’s always a few gems - oddly enough, they just aren’t the title tracks.

Diamond - alan
Japanese | Pop
A more recent song, and another that left me kind of disappointed in the artist. When Tibetan singer alan debuted, I had mixed feelings about her, although I really liked her distinct style and powerful vocals. I kind of prefer her Mandarin songs to her Japanese ones, but despite seeing some good reviews of Diamond, I didn’t really like it. Her voice sounds uncharacteristically strained and slightly nasal. The dull backdrop of synths sounds very anime-ending-esque, which I suppose is fitting since it’s the theme song for an Inuyasha PSP game or something like that. The song just seemed out of character for her, and overall bland and forgettable.

남자는 그래요 - SeeYa
Korean | Pop
Those of you who’ve been here for a while probably know that I’m quite discerning about girl groups, but I loved SeeYa. After seeing the blindingly colorful retro-inspired photoshoot/album cover accompanying their third album, Brilliant Change, I was already suspecting that I wouldn’t find this change all too brilliant. Now, things get a little strange here, because I don’t actually dislike this song. In fact, there are times where I appreciate it’s soft tone and their still-impressive vocals. However, like every other song on this album (I supposed you could say the whole album changed my opinion of them), this song completely failed to move me. While I always found their ballads to be very powerful emotionally - from their singing as well as the arrangement - this is the first that struck me as simply a very pretty song rather than one that was very touching and heartfelt. There was just something missing in this song that was echoed throughout the whole album, and since then I’ve never really kept up with their releases.

Labels: 2AM, Alan, F.I.R., F.T. Island, J.ae, Jay Chou, Jewelry, Nadia, SeeYa, Shinee

Hi,
Here my new rotation
I hope you liked my previous rotation.
Here is the 2nd:

~ Party Time - Coco Lee ~
Chinese
R&B / Jazz
The song from of the new album of Coco Lee.
Another song with Jazz sound..I loved such songs * O *

~ Cherry Tree feat.Chihiro of JiLL-Decoy Association - Jazzin' Park ~
Japanese
Pop / Bossa Nova
This song is very relaxing and the voice of Chihiro lulls me.

~ My best - Alps ~
Korean
Pop / Rap
A song Pop / Rap makes me want to bounce.I love rap, and the voice of singer.The voice of the singer is very cute, I love too =)

~ She Wu - Jay Chou feat.Lara ~
Chinese
R&B
I really do not know Jay Chou, but I loved this song.A R&B and Pop with influences oriental such as in Eastern film about Egypt. I loved it!

~ Inevitability - Urban Zakapa ~
Korean
R&B / Ballad / Jazz
My true heart-beat during my vacation.The voices of the singers are fabulous,whose Leessang, which has a sweet voice and Soul.This song made for the atmosphere of Bar or dinner between lovers * O *. I suggest you d 'listen to their first single, Coffee Latte, if you like the songs Ballad / R & B with influences Jazzy and voices Soul.

~ Abracadabra - Brown Eyes Girls ~
Korean
Dance / Electro
Specialists Hybrid Soul are back * U * A Dance song with voices electro.I love the voice of Ga In is very sensual as clip.A rap of Miryo is very catchy.

~ Wanna - KARA ~
Korean
Dance
A song with regular beats and catchy.The voice of KARA are very matures.This is really different from "Honey" or "Pretty Girl." The instrumental is really interesting and want to dance & move.

~ Neorabollae (Wanna Play) - T-ara ~
Korean
Dance / R&B
After a ballad that was used for the OST of a Korean film.T-ara are back with a first single and a very good song similar to song of Big Bang.A song at the beginning and the instrumental songs such as Big Bang (Majiman Hansa). The instrumental is very electro sound to R & B.

~ Goodbye June - Vanilla Acoustic ~
Korean
Electro / Funky
I discovered this group a few days ago and I had a heart-beat for this chanson.A song with instrumental funky and electro.The voice of the singer is similar to that of J (Jung Jae Young).I love the touch of salsa in the chorus is well trained.

Sorry for grammar mistakes but Haruhi is on vacation and could not correct my mistake ( =s )but I hope you like my rotation ^___^
Thank's for people who post a comment ^^
The next rotation is for the 15th August
Thank U

Labels: Alps, Brown Eyed Girls, Coco Lee, cohost: alistere, Jay Chou, Jazzin' Park, KARA, T-ara, Urban Zakapa, Vanilla Acoustic

I said I would put up the runners-up for rotation 28, top 20 pop songs. It's a little late, but here you go. =)

회상 - Fly to the Sky (Hwesang/Recollection)
This song is a remake of a song called "December" by Turbo. You can listen to the original from the MV on YouTube at the link below.
December - Turbo
As much as I love Turbo (pretty much just because Kim Jong Kook is in it, haha), I have to say I prefer FTTS's version of this classic. FTTS minimalizes and modernizes the accompaniment, putting more emphasis on the vocals. It's still sweet and poppy, but doesn't have that same old-school boyband sound as Turbo's version did. I have to say that Kim Jong Kook's voice sounded a bit too high and thin in Turbo's version, whereas Brian and Hwanhee's voices lend the song a fuller, thicker sound.

Make U Wet - KAT-TUN
An aggressive, sensual song by KAT-TUN. It’s addictive, gritty, and energetic. Their voices are wonderful - at times rough and deep, at others smooth and light. Unfortunately, I found it a bit overly sexual, as the title may suggest. The lyrics are also a bit distasteful, eg. "You ridin' on me? Feel good.". I didn't think they were that bad (partially because I couldn't really understand what the English portions were supposed to be) until I read the translated lyrics.

Play My Song - Lee Min Woo ft. Tiger JK
This song was definitely very close to making it. A confident, sexy song with Latin influences. The English rap verses are kind of a turn-off because the lyrics are just laughably random - eg. “I’m hungry for real like a poor man, I cook your grill like George Foreman, y’all welcome like ya standin’ on my doormat, I’m being cynical of course man” - uh, okaaaay then. Other than that, a great, extremely catchy song.

Step and Go - Arashi
I wanted to avoid putting too many typical, sugary boyband pop songs into the rotation, which is probably why Step and Go didn't quite make it. Besides, these boys already made an appearance in the list with truth at an impressive #9. Step and Go is jazzy, upbeat, and danceable, fairly consistent with the rest of their material. The line where they sing, We gonna step and go! is just cute.

飄移 - Jay Chou (Piao Yi)
An gritty, bass-heavy, dark pop song by Jay Chou. I just love the beat and hip-hop influenced arrangement. This song was used for the movie Initial D.

Show - A'ST1
Okay so I have no idea what happened to these guys, because after releasing their first maxi-single, they just disappeared. Which is a shame, because I actually really like them. They came in at #12 on the list with Funky N Roll Tonight. Show is similar. Lots of synthesized brass, plunky, danceable arrangement, and smooth vocal work. It's poppy and cheerful.

Labels: A'ST1, Arashi, Fly to the Sky, Jay Chou, KAT-TUN, Lee Min Woo

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

Sorry that this rotation was a little late - the jazz band that I play in had a concert on Saturday, so I didn't have much time to update this weekend.

Fashion Scans was started roughly October of 2007. It’s November 2008 now, so the site recently passed its one year birthday! ^_^ Rotation 20 is themed then and now, featuring songs that topped the charts in 2007 and ones that are topping the charts now.

Korean;

2007:

둘이라서 - Eru (Because it’s the two of us)
Ballad | Vol 3 - Eru Returns
The ever-popular ballad seems to dominate k-pop charts, although I’ve noticed recently that with the new electronica trend, more upbeat songs are taking the top spots, especially with artists like Big Bang, Wonder Girls, and DBSK. 둘이라서 is a typical Korean ballad - to my ears, it was a bit too generic. IMO, Eru’s second album was better than his third, although his voice is still lovely. Worth a listen if you’re a fan of ballads.

사랑한다 - Lee Seung Chul (Sa Rang Han Da)
Ballad | The Secret of Color 2
Another ballad. As opposed to Eru’s deeper, thicker voice, Lee Seung Chul’s vocals are light and melodic. The warm, uplifting arrangement is really what made this song worth listening to.

2008:

어제보다 오늘 더 - Kim Jong Kook (Today More Than Yesterday)
Pop/Ballad | Vol. 5 - Here I Am
2008 saw the return of Kim Jong Kook, one of the top male singers in Korea, from his mandatory military service. He’s always been one of my favourite artists. His voice, while high in range, is still thick with emotion. Recommended.

라디오를 켜봐요 - Shin Seung Hoon (Turn on the Radio)
Pop/Rock | Radio Wave
A veteran k-pop singer known to be the “king of ballads”, has also returned with a mini-album that differs from traditional ballads, featuring an acoustic rock sound. Turn on the Radio starts out as a relaxing, laid-back track featuring a simple piano accompaniment, building suddenly and without much warning into the chorus. I love the contrast in dynamics in this song, but the softer parts were a bit dragged out.

Gossip Boy - Younha
Pop-Rock | Someday
Last year, Younha topped the charts with the song “Comet”. She seems to be enjoying a relative amount of success this year, too, with the release of her album Someday. I love her voice and the style of her music. Gossip Boy is an upbeat rock-influenced track, catchy and fun.

Japanese;
Songs chosen from the top 100 Oricon Singles of 2007 & from the most recent Top Singles chart of November 2008.

2007:

Tabidachi no Uta - Mr.Children
Soft Rock | Tabidachi no Uta
A laid-back, slow rock ballad. It’s not one of my absolute favourites by them, but worth a listen.

Eien ni - KinKi Kids
Pop/Ballad | Phi~Universal Love
A gorgeous ballad by KinKi Kids. Their vocals are rich and thick with emotion. The accompaniment is kept light throughout the song, even in the chorus, allowing their voices to shine through. Recommended.

Daybreak’s Bell - L’arc~en~Ciel
Rock | Daybreak’s Bell
I haven’t enjoyed Laruku’s newer material much, this is probably the last release by them that I really liked. Daybreak’s Bell has a darker tone and a memorable chorus, hopeful and strong.

2008:

無責任ヒーロー - Kanjani8 (Musekinin Hero)
Pop | Musekinin Hero
I have to say I don’t like these guys much. They’re fun, but a little too poppy/cheesy for me. A bright, upbeat song filled with trumpet riffs and a jazzy/ska feel.

Monochrome no Kiss - SID
Rock
I think this was done for the opening theme of an anime? While it seems very fitting as an opening theme, I prefer SID’s jazzier side. A solid rock song, but not much more.

My Heart Leaps for “C” - Antic Cafe
Oshare kei |Koakuma Usagi no Koibumi to Machine Gun
Upbeat, electronica-influenced in parts - at first I thought it was bit too overwhelmingly hyper, but it tones down a bit. Eh, it wasn’t exceptional in my opinion - most of my favourite AnCafe songs are actually their ballads - but worth a listen.

PROMiSE - MiChi
Pop/Rock | PROMiSE
She’s a relatively new artist, I think she’s only released one demo EP before this single? Signed to Sony. A simple mix of pop, rock, and electronica. If you’re looking for something experimental this probably won’t suit you, but it’s a decent song.

Mandarin;

2007:

離開地球表面 - Mayday
Rock | Jump! The World
Mayday! <3 All their releases seem to be fairly successful - their latest album, Poetry of the Day After, is also topping charts - in fact, I’ve uploaded a track from it further below. 離開地球表面 is an fast-paced, catchy track. I love the beats in this song - slightly choppy yet never jerky.

青花瓷 - Jay Chou
Pop | I’m Busy
Jay Chou is another artist who you’ll see twice in this rotation. Is it just me, or have his last two albums (this one & his latest, Capricorn) really gone downhill in quality and consistency? There’s two or three decent songs and the others are either mediocre (more like “fillers”) or just really bad. T_T Anyways, 青花瓷 is a soothing, mellow ballad. Like many of Jay’s songs it features some faint influences of classical Chinese music, but unlike in some of his other songs it’s not quite so overwhelming. I actually thought this song was quite nicely balanced out between classical influences and modern sounds.

Super Sunshine - Gary Cao
Pop | Super Sunshine
I love Gary Cao. <3 This song starts out with a sweet a cappella verse, leading into a light-hearted, feel-good pop song. Despite the cliched lyrics - You are my sunshine, my only sunshine I thought it was nice.

夠不夠 - Khalil Fong (Is it enough?)
Pop/R&B | Wonderland
Another great artist. A tasteful blend of R&B and pop, Is it enough? allows Khalil Fong’s wonderful vocals to shine through while also having a great beat. It’s not my favourite song by him, but definitely close.

我就是我 - Guang Liang (I Am Who I Am)
Pop/Ballad | 不會分離 (Never Apart)
A great singer - you might know him from his song Fairytale/Tong Hua which was a huge hit (I think I’ve uploaded it before, too). I Am Who I Am is a lovely ballad - while it lacks the instant impact of Tong Hua, it is a song that I found myself replaying.

2008:

Always Online - JJ Lin
Pop | Sixology
One of my personal favourites from JJ Lin’s latest album. Always Online is fairly slow in tempo with faint R&B influences. It’s a sad song but catchy at the same time. Recommended.

稻香 - Jay Chou
Pop | Capricorn
This was the closing track of Jay Chou’s Capricorn album, and, IMO, one of the few decent tracks. A peaceful mid-tempo track backed by acoustic guitar 稻香 is light and youthful.

如煙 - Mayday (Ru Yan/Smoke)
Rock | Poetry of the Day After
A lovely acoustic ballad from Mayday. The vocals are genuine yet laid-back and the thick, blunt bass sound contrasts nicely with the short, separated guitar chords.

Labels: Antic Cafe, Eru, Gary Cao, Guang Liang, Jay Chou, JJ Lin, Kanjani8, Khalil Fong, Kim Jong Kook, KinKi Kids, L'arc~en~Ciel, Lee Seung Chul, Mayday, MiChi, Mr.Children, Shin Seung Hoon, SID, Younha

>>RECENT RELEASES.

S.I.N - -OZ-

Visual Rock | Japanese



Quality kinda sucks, sorry. T_T Really screamy at first, then really melodic. Pretty typical fare, nothing that blew me away. Still, it was solid and I really like the verses that are actually sung.

Voyage - Shinhwa

Pop/Ballad | Korean



A nice ballad, but for the first few verses until the chorus, the accompaniment completely overlaps. Probably one of my favourite songs from Shinhwa's 9th album though, which I wasn't too impressed with. Worth a listen.

One - Epik High ft. Jisun of Loveholic

Hip-Hop | Korean



GO EPIK HIGH. This is from their new album, Pieces, Part 1. Featuring the soft vocals of Jisun, this is one of my favourite tracks. The beginning of the song reminded me of HSM for some strange reason. Buut, the rest of the song is great. Kind of different from the darker style of Epik High's 4th album, this song manages to be upbeat and catchy yet sad at the same time. Highly recommended.

Ignition - Epik High ft. Na Yoon Kwon

Hip-Hop | Korean



More Epik High for you. =) This song starts out with Na Yoon Kwon's vocals. I can't say I've heard of him, but he's got a pretty decent voice. This song didn't catch me as much as "One" did, but still a decent track. It's mostly rapped except for Na Yoon Kwon's verses, which works out to be a pretty nice balance.

Eight by Eight - Epik High ft. Dynamic Duo, Double K, TBNY

Hip-Hop | Korean



A more solidly hip-hop track, Eight by Eight is very much American influenced. The English lyrics sound a bit random (I swear I heard "skinny jean" in there) and it's not really my kind of song, but worth a listen.

Usan - Epik High ft. Younha

Hip-Hop | Korean



Okay, last Epik High song. Another of my favourites, especially since Younha is such an awesome vocalist and one of my favourite female vocalists. Nice piano accompaniment but the drums keep a solid, steady tempo. Younha's vocals are really what make this song for me. Recommended.

ワールド ワールド - Asian Kung-Fu Generation

Alt Rock | Japanese



Okay, this isn't as recent of a release, but I love this song and I don't think I ever got around to uploading it. It's from Ajikan's latest album, World World World. There's a ticking metronome in the background and it's a really mellow song, accompanied by just a guitar. It's only a minute or so long. Recommended.

Natsu・Koi - Ikimono Gakari

Soft Rock | Japanese



A band that I recently discovered and am really impressed by. Their male and female vocalists are both great, and this is probably one of my favourite songs by them. Try them out!

Echo - Loveholic

OST/Soft Rock | Korean



From their Dramatic & Cinematic album, a great song from a great band. I'm disappointed that Ji Sun's leaving them to go solo, but I support her. Her voice really shines through in this song, which is slow but for some reason calling it a ballad doesn't seem quite right to me. Highly recommended.

Mirage - Loveholic

OST/Soft Rock | Korean



My favourite song from this album. Lovely piano accompaniment, Ji Sun's vocals are lovely. It's a really calm but sad song with a great chorus. Highly recommended.

honey drop - Matenrou Opera

Visual Rock | Japanese



One of my favourite VK bands. I was so happy when I finally found this single, and it didn't disappoint. Great vocals although they're a bit whiny at times, random growling stuck into a very melodic song, and overall just a great song. There are some gothic influences; it's super catchy. &&& there's a random jazzy piano lick. Highly highly recommended for any VK fans.

Anydream - Rain

Pop/Hip Hop | Korean



Rain's submission for the Beijing Olympics. Below you'll find the contributions from Wang Lee Hom, and Jay Chou. It's not fabulous and definitely not one of my favourite songs by him, but it's decent. Maybe it's because this is a low-quality rip, but his voice kind of disappears below the accompaniment for the whole song. It's upbeat and relatively catchy.

千山萬水 (Quan Shan Wan Shui) - Jay Chou

Pop/Ballad | Mandarin



Radio rip, sorry. But it's all I could find, and I thought some of you would probably want to hear this. A nice, slow-tempoed song that shows Jay Chou's vocals well, but it didn't really blow me away or anything. Plus the verse that's super-high pitched kind of annoys me.

Dream of the World - Wang Lee Hom

Pop/Ballad | Mandarin



This song starts off in English and then switches to Mandarin. It's also a ballad, but I liked it better than Jay Chou's song. There's a prominent bass accompaniment and Wang Lee Hom's voice is lovely.

사랑 하는 일 - Sung Shi Kyung

Ballad | Korean



Latest Sung Shi Kyung single. As expected, a ballad. Pretty standard fare, but a decent listen. It starts to grow on you the more you listen to it. He does have a great voice, which I think is shown quite well in this song.

Welcome to my misery - FLOW

Rock | Japanese



If the song title made you think the song was sad, think again. A great upbeat track from FLOW's latest album, Isle. Very danceable and catchy with a great guitar part and a piano accompaniment that has varying prominence. A reminder of how much I love this band. Recommended.

Carry on - FLOW

Rock | Japanese



Another upbeat track from ISLE, this song is wonderfully executed. The way the vocals are arranged are just wonderful, with a great accompaniment. The song goes from a darker sound to the bright chorus. Great bass accompaniment, too.

>>MY PICKS

Lovers Again - EXILE

Pop | Japanese



I haven't liked EXILE's recent singles much, but I love this song. It's one of my favourites by them and is a gorgeous ballad that shows their vocals perfectly. Harmonizing is well done and the song has faint R&B influences.

Mannequin - Hwanhee (Fly to the Sky)

R&B/Pop | Korean



A solo track from Fly to the Sky member Hwanhee. Mannequin is a nice ballad that stages Hwanhee's deep vocals beautifully. I love Brian, but honestly I think that Hwanhee sounds a lot better singing solo. The song itself can get a little boring, but I'm highly recommending this just for Hwanhee's voice.

Electron Mailman - Kra

Rock | Japanese



I love how this song kicks off. It's a pretty laid back song and one of my favourite from Kra.

Eraser - SAT ft. Lee Min Woo

Hip Hop/Pop | Korean



I honestly don't know where I got this song from. XP I just found it on my computer and thought I'd upload it. It's a duet that doesn't offer much, but it's catchy and the female vocalist is pretty decent. Lee Min Woo underachieves in this song - he's a much better vocalist than this song shows, but I think it's a pretty old song, so he's probably improved since then. Worth a listen, but nothing spectacular.

Carving the Rock - YMCK

8-bit | Japanese



A very cute track from a very interesting band, YMCK. I can understand why it might not be everyone's kind of thing, but I really liked it even though generally I wouldn't listen to 8bit. It's a nice blend of sounds with soft, cute vocals.

Labels: Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Epik High, EXILE, FLOW, Fly to the Sky, Ikimono Gakari, Jay Chou, Kra, Lee Min Woo, Loveholic, Matenrou Opera, OZ, Rain, SAT, Shinhwa, Sung Shi Kyung, Wang Lee Hom, YMCK

Sorry I haven't been very active with replying to comments & updating the site, I'm in the middle of exams right now. I should be done everything in about a week and a half.

In the meantime, here's a mini-artist feature for you. I chose three recently debuted artists and chose a couple songs that I really love by them. Hopefully this will prompt you to try out more of their songs. I'll probably be uploading one of these albums (or mini-albums, in the case of Infinite) completely in the near future as well as writing a more detailed review, so if you have any requests as to which one you'd prefer to see, please let me know!

Infinite (인피니트) - First Invasion (EP)
Korean | Pop
This six-song EP is one of the most promising I've heard out of recent Korean boybands. That's not surprising, since Epik High, one of my favourite artists, assisted in its production. Since I probably won't choose to upload this in full (since its only six songs, and out of the three these guys are probably the most well-known) I've uploaded three of their songs.

∞
So this is just an intro, but I love the beat. It really gets your attention and if you're grabbing the next track (which follows this one on the mini-album) I'd take this too, since it leads in very well.

다시 돌아와
This is where you'll see the mixture of synths and guitar riffs in the intro develop. It's a charismatic track that has a lot of colour and flavour. While it's not exactly out-there and is still quite acceptable to mainstream tastes, it's quite unique. I don't know for sure if this sampling was done intentionally (although I think it was), but the transition at 2:00 sounds incredibly like an Earth, Wind & Fire song.

붙박이 별
The hopefulness and sincerity of this ballad, as well as some of the melodies, remind me of Battle's "Icarus", which is one of my favourite ballads. It's not particularly innovative, but it's extremely well executed, and the touches in the accompaniment - sweet harmonies, R&B-style percussion, and lush but light piano chords and guitar riffs, really elevate it. It also shows their vocal strength - while I'm really not familiar with the logistics of this group (how many members, who they are, etc.) they sound great.

The Drifters - 首張同名專輯
Mandarin | Pop-Rock
This duo hailing from Taiwan has also garnered some attention due to the fact that they were created by Jay Chou. Since I've been pretty much completely unimpressed with Jay Chou's latest albums, that didn't really encourage me to try them out. I haven't listened to their album in detail, but for the most part it seems quite laid-back. There are definitely some very pretty tracks, though, and the two below are perfect examples.

你是我的 OK 繃 (Ft. Jay Chou) (You are my Band-Aid)
This song features Jay Chou. The opening rap verse, backed by piano, reminds me so much of a song by a Japanese group ... but I can't think of the name/artist at the moment. I'll edit if I remember. Either way, there's a clean, refreshing quality about their voices that I really like, not quite sure how to describe it but it's most prevalent when they're rapping. It is a bit repetitive, bordering on too repetitive ... I still have mixed feelings about this song, but I have a feeling it might start to grow on me. Either way, it's definitely worth a listen.

想你就寫信
This is the last song on the album, and so far, it's my favourite. It's a lovely ballad with an accompaniment of two of my favourite instruments: piano and acoustic guitar. The arrangement is incredibly delicate and pretty, and the vocal execution is elegant and heartfelt.

AK (Andy + Kris) - WOW
Mandarin | Pop
Another duo from Taiwan, although these guys have a more mainstream pop sound than The Drifters. But don't think they're another sugary idol-type group, they've got some pretty good songs. As with The Drifters, I've only skimmed through their album but I'm liking it so far.

脚踏车
This track is actually in Taiwanese, not Mandarin. I'm usually not a fan of songs in the Taiwanese dialect, but for some reason it suits this track so well. It's a pretty, slightly old-fashioned mid-tempo ballad. It's simple but charming.

好想再对你说
While these guys have some upbeat songs that are quite good as well, what really stood out to me was the ballads which is a surprise since I'm usually quite picky about ballads. The two singers collaborate extremely well here, I really love how the lines overlap slightly in spots or lead off right after one another. It's a piano-based track with some light percussion as well, I really like the percussion, actually - upon first hearing it it sounds really plain, but it has this really unique edge to it that I can't quite place. It's like it has a bit more depth and echo to it. Vocally and compositionally strong.

Labels: AK, Infinite, Jay Chou, The Drifters

Let me just start off by saying that I really apologize this rotation took so long, and for not really updating in between other than to change the layout. I guess I've just been having a bit of rough time with school/"friends", and for a period of time I just couldn't find the energy to update the site and finish off this rotation (it's been sitting around nearly-done for a while).

Hope you guys enjoy the songs, and sorry again about the wait! I promise to try and update more often in the future, although for now I think they'll mostly be smaller posts rather than full-scale rotations.

Thanks to the other contributors for keeping the site alive during my absence. =)

- Haruhi

This week’s rotation is themed around songs that changed my opinion of a singer or band - whether for better or worse. Most of the songs are fairly well-known, so those of you looking to try out new artists might be a little disappointed, but hopefully you'll find something that you haven't heard before.

No. 5 - J.ae
Korean | Pop
You may know her simply as J, although she has recently changed her stage name to J.ae. While I have long disliked her soft, whispery vocals, this started to change when she released Say I Love You, a duet with Alex of Clazziquai that really impressed me. I decided it would be worthwhile to at least give her new mini-album (Sentimental) a try, and so far I’m quite impressed. In this opening track, titled No.5, which features Eun Ji Won. It’s a sophisticated, velveteen pop song with a base of muted, harp-like synths, and a light percussion backbeat. My only problem with the drums is that they sound a bit tinny and thin. J’s vocals are still very light and delicate, but they no longer sound weak as they sometimes did to me in her previous releases. Really, it was the elegant arrangement of this song that caught my attention - it’s still engaging and catchy, but has a level of maturity that you won’t hear in less-seasoned artists.

사르르 (I Wanna Be Your Love) (feat. 정엽) - J.ae
Korean | Pop/Ballad
While No. 5 caught my attention, 사르르 was really the highlight of Sentimental. It’s a mid-tempo song with a great jazz/lounge feel. I have no idea who the male singer featured on this is, but his warm, chocolaty voice is a perfect fit with J’s feathery, high vocals.

차라리 때려 (Hit Me) - SHINee
Korean | R&B/Pop
I was kind of on-the-fence about SHINee. I had mixed feelings (but for the most part disliked) their debut song (누난 너무 예뻐(Replay)), but a few other songs on their first mini-album were decent. It was a similar story with Romeo - there were some songs I didn’t like, some I did, and overall my opinions changed from my initial impressions after a few more listens. However, one song that I was really taken with on the first listen - and continued to like - is 차라리 때려. It’s melting smoothness and modern R&B interface really appealed to me. The softness and blend of their voices is lovely paired with the lush synths in the accompaniment. To me, it feels like it’s at another level of refinement compared to their other songs.

Love Story - Jewelry
Korean | Pop/Ballad
After giving Jewelry’s songs a cursory listen, I generally just deleted them. One day I saw their final performance on TV, and it was of this song. Seeing how emotional they were really struck me, and since then Love Story has really grown on me. It’s a powerful mid-tempo pop ballad that showcases their strong voices.

친구의 고백 (Friend’s Confession) - 2AM
Korean | Ballad
While their first “Single album” (이노래/This Song) was quite good, it lacked the power and conviction that is so apparent in Friend’s Confession. Although I probably prefer 죽어도 못 보내 to this song, this was the song that really made me start to look forward to their releases. Friend’s Confession is a heartfelt mid-tempo ballad with gorgeous, warm harmonies. It’s very powerful and emotional without being melodramatic. Their voices, while distinctive and individual, come together perfectly. It’s hopeful and strong. Although their first release left me apprehensive about them, their following songs have all been very impressive and they've become one of my favourite groups.

마비 - Nadia ft. Jace
Korean | Pop/Electronica
I started trying out Nadia’s singles after hearing recommendations and good reviews of them, but many of her songs I found to be average. However, 마비 is one song that I did enjoy. I really like the bubbly bass line paired with echo-y synths, and surprisingly, I think the rap segments really suit this song, setting a more aggressive tone compared with the softer sung verses.

向日葵盛開的夏天 - F.I.R.
Mandarin | Pop
I never had much interest in F.I.R., although they’re a fairly popular group. I thought I would give their latest album, Let’s Smile! a cursory listen. While on a whole the album didn’t really impress me, this is one song that did stand out to me. It’s a simple, acoustic-style ballad with only light guitar, piano, and the occasional bout of strings accompanying Faye’s high-ranged, airy voice. The hope and soothing tone of this song, as well as its graceful simplicity, really stood out to me.

나쁜 여자야 - F.T. Island
Korean | Pop-rock
This is the first song in this rotation where it goes the other way - where a song changed my opinion of an artist negatively, rather than positively. While I was never a real F.T. Island fan and definitely never considered them a “rock” band, I did admire them for taking a different route than most boybands - and being quite successful in doing so. While a few songs on the Jump Up EP had a glimmer of hope, the title track, 나쁜 여자야, was the beginning of their decline in my opinion. Whether this had anything to do with Oh Won Bin being replaced with Song Seung Hyun, I can’t say. 나쁜 여자야 is just incredibly redundant. It’s repetitive, overly-dramatic, and overall just far too heavy. Hong Ki’s voice, which I actually quite like, just sounds incredibly dull and flat-lined in this song. But let me emphasize repetitive, because that’s really what kills this song. There’s absolutely no direction to it, it simply establishes a melody/pattern and follows it over. And over. And over. It doesn’t help that their Japanese releases after this were also completely disposable.

牛仔很忙 - Jay Chou
Mandarin | Pop/Country
Oh god ... it all went downhill from here. While there are some decent songs on this album, this song still completely baffles me. A “country-themed” album is one thing, a country-themed album with only one song that ties into that theme at all is another. I really don’t get how Jay Chou even made such a cheesy, ridiculously stereotypical (yee-haw!) song - if he really had to go country, why not do it with a nice acoustic-guitar ballad or something of the sort? To be fair, I can see why some people would find this song cute or catchy, but after this my opinion of him really started going down. His follow-up album, Capricorn, wasn’t wildly impressive either, although in both albums, there’s always a few gems - oddly enough, they just aren’t the title tracks.

Diamond - alan
Japanese | Pop
A more recent song, and another that left me kind of disappointed in the artist. When Tibetan singer alan debuted, I had mixed feelings about her, although I really liked her distinct style and powerful vocals. I kind of prefer her Mandarin songs to her Japanese ones, but despite seeing some good reviews of Diamond, I didn’t really like it. Her voice sounds uncharacteristically strained and slightly nasal. The dull backdrop of synths sounds very anime-ending-esque, which I suppose is fitting since it’s the theme song for an Inuyasha PSP game or something like that. The song just seemed out of character for her, and overall bland and forgettable.

남자는 그래요 - SeeYa
Korean | Pop
Those of you who’ve been here for a while probably know that I’m quite discerning about girl groups, but I loved SeeYa. After seeing the blindingly colorful retro-inspired photoshoot/album cover accompanying their third album, Brilliant Change, I was already suspecting that I wouldn’t find this change all too brilliant. Now, things get a little strange here, because I don’t actually dislike this song. In fact, there are times where I appreciate it’s soft tone and their still-impressive vocals. However, like every other song on this album (I supposed you could say the whole album changed my opinion of them), this song completely failed to move me. While I always found their ballads to be very powerful emotionally - from their singing as well as the arrangement - this is the first that struck me as simply a very pretty song rather than one that was very touching and heartfelt. There was just something missing in this song that was echoed throughout the whole album, and since then I’ve never really kept up with their releases.

Labels: 2AM, Alan, F.I.R., F.T. Island, J.ae, Jay Chou, Jewelry, Nadia, SeeYa, Shinee

Hi,
Here my new rotation
I hope you liked my previous rotation.
Here is the 2nd:

~ Party Time - Coco Lee ~
Chinese
R&B / Jazz
The song from of the new album of Coco Lee.
Another song with Jazz sound..I loved such songs * O *

~ Cherry Tree feat.Chihiro of JiLL-Decoy Association - Jazzin' Park ~
Japanese
Pop / Bossa Nova
This song is very relaxing and the voice of Chihiro lulls me.

~ My best - Alps ~
Korean
Pop / Rap
A song Pop / Rap makes me want to bounce.I love rap, and the voice of singer.The voice of the singer is very cute, I love too =)

~ She Wu - Jay Chou feat.Lara ~
Chinese
R&B
I really do not know Jay Chou, but I loved this song.A R&B and Pop with influences oriental such as in Eastern film about Egypt. I loved it!

~ Inevitability - Urban Zakapa ~
Korean
R&B / Ballad / Jazz
My true heart-beat during my vacation.The voices of the singers are fabulous,whose Leessang, which has a sweet voice and Soul.This song made for the atmosphere of Bar or dinner between lovers * O *. I suggest you d 'listen to their first single, Coffee Latte, if you like the songs Ballad / R & B with influences Jazzy and voices Soul.

~ Abracadabra - Brown Eyes Girls ~
Korean
Dance / Electro
Specialists Hybrid Soul are back * U * A Dance song with voices electro.I love the voice of Ga In is very sensual as clip.A rap of Miryo is very catchy.

~ Wanna - KARA ~
Korean
Dance
A song with regular beats and catchy.The voice of KARA are very matures.This is really different from "Honey" or "Pretty Girl." The instrumental is really interesting and want to dance & move.

~ Neorabollae (Wanna Play) - T-ara ~
Korean
Dance / R&B
After a ballad that was used for the OST of a Korean film.T-ara are back with a first single and a very good song similar to song of Big Bang.A song at the beginning and the instrumental songs such as Big Bang (Majiman Hansa). The instrumental is very electro sound to R & B.

~ Goodbye June - Vanilla Acoustic ~
Korean
Electro / Funky
I discovered this group a few days ago and I had a heart-beat for this chanson.A song with instrumental funky and electro.The voice of the singer is similar to that of J (Jung Jae Young).I love the touch of salsa in the chorus is well trained.

Sorry for grammar mistakes but Haruhi is on vacation and could not correct my mistake ( =s )but I hope you like my rotation ^___^
Thank's for people who post a comment ^^
The next rotation is for the 15th August
Thank U

Labels: Alps, Brown Eyed Girls, Coco Lee, cohost: alistere, Jay Chou, Jazzin' Park, KARA, T-ara, Urban Zakapa, Vanilla Acoustic

I said I would put up the runners-up for rotation 28, top 20 pop songs. It's a little late, but here you go. =)

회상 - Fly to the Sky (Hwesang/Recollection)
This song is a remake of a song called "December" by Turbo. You can listen to the original from the MV on YouTube at the link below.
December - Turbo
As much as I love Turbo (pretty much just because Kim Jong Kook is in it, haha), I have to say I prefer FTTS's version of this classic. FTTS minimalizes and modernizes the accompaniment, putting more emphasis on the vocals. It's still sweet and poppy, but doesn't have that same old-school boyband sound as Turbo's version did. I have to say that Kim Jong Kook's voice sounded a bit too high and thin in Turbo's version, whereas Brian and Hwanhee's voices lend the song a fuller, thicker sound.

Make U Wet - KAT-TUN
An aggressive, sensual song by KAT-TUN. It’s addictive, gritty, and energetic. Their voices are wonderful - at times rough and deep, at others smooth and light. Unfortunately, I found it a bit overly sexual, as the title may suggest. The lyrics are also a bit distasteful, eg. "You ridin' on me? Feel good.". I didn't think they were that bad (partially because I couldn't really understand what the English portions were supposed to be) until I read the translated lyrics.

Play My Song - Lee Min Woo ft. Tiger JK
This song was definitely very close to making it. A confident, sexy song with Latin influences. The English rap verses are kind of a turn-off because the lyrics are just laughably random - eg. “I’m hungry for real like a poor man, I cook your grill like George Foreman, y’all welcome like ya standin’ on my doormat, I’m being cynical of course man” - uh, okaaaay then. Other than that, a great, extremely catchy song.

Step and Go - Arashi
I wanted to avoid putting too many typical, sugary boyband pop songs into the rotation, which is probably why Step and Go didn't quite make it. Besides, these boys already made an appearance in the list with truth at an impressive #9. Step and Go is jazzy, upbeat, and danceable, fairly consistent with the rest of their material. The line where they sing, We gonna step and go! is just cute.

飄移 - Jay Chou (Piao Yi)
An gritty, bass-heavy, dark pop song by Jay Chou. I just love the beat and hip-hop influenced arrangement. This song was used for the movie Initial D.

Show - A'ST1
Okay so I have no idea what happened to these guys, because after releasing their first maxi-single, they just disappeared. Which is a shame, because I actually really like them. They came in at #12 on the list with Funky N Roll Tonight. Show is similar. Lots of synthesized brass, plunky, danceable arrangement, and smooth vocal work. It's poppy and cheerful.

Labels: A'ST1, Arashi, Fly to the Sky, Jay Chou, KAT-TUN, Lee Min Woo

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

Sorry that this rotation was a little late - the jazz band that I play in had a concert on Saturday, so I didn't have much time to update this weekend.

Fashion Scans was started roughly October of 2007. It’s November 2008 now, so the site recently passed its one year birthday! ^_^ Rotation 20 is themed then and now, featuring songs that topped the charts in 2007 and ones that are topping the charts now.

Korean;

2007:

둘이라서 - Eru (Because it’s the two of us)
Ballad | Vol 3 - Eru Returns
The ever-popular ballad seems to dominate k-pop charts, although I’ve noticed recently that with the new electronica trend, more upbeat songs are taking the top spots, especially with artists like Big Bang, Wonder Girls, and DBSK. 둘이라서 is a typical Korean ballad - to my ears, it was a bit too generic. IMO, Eru’s second album was better than his third, although his voice is still lovely. Worth a listen if you’re a fan of ballads.

사랑한다 - Lee Seung Chul (Sa Rang Han Da)
Ballad | The Secret of Color 2
Another ballad. As opposed to Eru’s deeper, thicker voice, Lee Seung Chul’s vocals are light and melodic. The warm, uplifting arrangement is really what made this song worth listening to.

2008:

어제보다 오늘 더 - Kim Jong Kook (Today More Than Yesterday)
Pop/Ballad | Vol. 5 - Here I Am
2008 saw the return of Kim Jong Kook, one of the top male singers in Korea, from his mandatory military service. He’s always been one of my favourite artists. His voice, while high in range, is still thick with emotion. Recommended.

라디오를 켜봐요 - Shin Seung Hoon (Turn on the Radio)
Pop/Rock | Radio Wave
A veteran k-pop singer known to be the “king of ballads”, has also returned with a mini-album that differs from traditional ballads, featuring an acoustic rock sound. Turn on the Radio starts out as a relaxing, laid-back track featuring a simple piano accompaniment, building suddenly and without much warning into the chorus. I love the contrast in dynamics in this song, but the softer parts were a bit dragged out.

Gossip Boy - Younha
Pop-Rock | Someday
Last year, Younha topped the charts with the song “Comet”. She seems to be enjoying a relative amount of success this year, too, with the release of her album Someday. I love her voice and the style of her music. Gossip Boy is an upbeat rock-influenced track, catchy and fun.

Japanese;
Songs chosen from the top 100 Oricon Singles of 2007 & from the most recent Top Singles chart of November 2008.

2007:

Tabidachi no Uta - Mr.Children
Soft Rock | Tabidachi no Uta
A laid-back, slow rock ballad. It’s not one of my absolute favourites by them, but worth a listen.

Eien ni - KinKi Kids
Pop/Ballad | Phi~Universal Love
A gorgeous ballad by KinKi Kids. Their vocals are rich and thick with emotion. The accompaniment is kept light throughout the song, even in the chorus, allowing their voices to shine through. Recommended.

Daybreak’s Bell - L’arc~en~Ciel
Rock | Daybreak’s Bell
I haven’t enjoyed Laruku’s newer material much, this is probably the last release by them that I really liked. Daybreak’s Bell has a darker tone and a memorable chorus, hopeful and strong.

2008:

無責任ヒーロー - Kanjani8 (Musekinin Hero)
Pop | Musekinin Hero
I have to say I don’t like these guys much. They’re fun, but a little too poppy/cheesy for me. A bright, upbeat song filled with trumpet riffs and a jazzy/ska feel.

Monochrome no Kiss - SID
Rock
I think this was done for the opening theme of an anime? While it seems very fitting as an opening theme, I prefer SID’s jazzier side. A solid rock song, but not much more.

My Heart Leaps for “C” - Antic Cafe
Oshare kei |Koakuma Usagi no Koibumi to Machine Gun
Upbeat, electronica-influenced in parts - at first I thought it was bit too overwhelmingly hyper, but it tones down a bit. Eh, it wasn’t exceptional in my opinion - most of my favourite AnCafe songs are actually their ballads - but worth a listen.

PROMiSE - MiChi
Pop/Rock | PROMiSE
She’s a relatively new artist, I think she’s only released one demo EP before this single? Signed to Sony. A simple mix of pop, rock, and electronica. If you’re looking for something experimental this probably won’t suit you, but it’s a decent song.

Mandarin;

2007:

離開地球表面 - Mayday
Rock | Jump! The World
Mayday! <3 All their releases seem to be fairly successful - their latest album, Poetry of the Day After, is also topping charts - in fact, I’ve uploaded a track from it further below. 離開地球表面 is an fast-paced, catchy track. I love the beats in this song - slightly choppy yet never jerky.

青花瓷 - Jay Chou
Pop | I’m Busy
Jay Chou is another artist who you’ll see twice in this rotation. Is it just me, or have his last two albums (this one & his latest, Capricorn) really gone downhill in quality and consistency? There’s two or three decent songs and the others are either mediocre (more like “fillers”) or just really bad. T_T Anyways, 青花瓷 is a soothing, mellow ballad. Like many of Jay’s songs it features some faint influences of classical Chinese music, but unlike in some of his other songs it’s not quite so overwhelming. I actually thought this song was quite nicely balanced out between classical influences and modern sounds.

Super Sunshine - Gary Cao
Pop | Super Sunshine
I love Gary Cao. <3 This song starts out with a sweet a cappella verse, leading into a light-hearted, feel-good pop song. Despite the cliched lyrics - You are my sunshine, my only sunshine I thought it was nice.

夠不夠 - Khalil Fong (Is it enough?)
Pop/R&B | Wonderland
Another great artist. A tasteful blend of R&B and pop, Is it enough? allows Khalil Fong’s wonderful vocals to shine through while also having a great beat. It’s not my favourite song by him, but definitely close.

我就是我 - Guang Liang (I Am Who I Am)
Pop/Ballad | 不會分離 (Never Apart)
A great singer - you might know him from his song Fairytale/Tong Hua which was a huge hit (I think I’ve uploaded it before, too). I Am Who I Am is a lovely ballad - while it lacks the instant impact of Tong Hua, it is a song that I found myself replaying.

2008:

Always Online - JJ Lin
Pop | Sixology
One of my personal favourites from JJ Lin’s latest album. Always Online is fairly slow in tempo with faint R&B influences. It’s a sad song but catchy at the same time. Recommended.

稻香 - Jay Chou
Pop | Capricorn
This was the closing track of Jay Chou’s Capricorn album, and, IMO, one of the few decent tracks. A peaceful mid-tempo track backed by acoustic guitar 稻香 is light and youthful.

如煙 - Mayday (Ru Yan/Smoke)
Rock | Poetry of the Day After
A lovely acoustic ballad from Mayday. The vocals are genuine yet laid-back and the thick, blunt bass sound contrasts nicely with the short, separated guitar chords.

Labels: Antic Cafe, Eru, Gary Cao, Guang Liang, Jay Chou, JJ Lin, Kanjani8, Khalil Fong, Kim Jong Kook, KinKi Kids, L'arc~en~Ciel, Lee Seung Chul, Mayday, MiChi, Mr.Children, Shin Seung Hoon, SID, Younha

>>RECENT RELEASES.

S.I.N - -OZ-

Visual Rock | Japanese



Quality kinda sucks, sorry. T_T Really screamy at first, then really melodic. Pretty typical fare, nothing that blew me away. Still, it was solid and I really like the verses that are actually sung.

Voyage - Shinhwa

Pop/Ballad | Korean



A nice ballad, but for the first few verses until the chorus, the accompaniment completely overlaps. Probably one of my favourite songs from Shinhwa's 9th album though, which I wasn't too impressed with. Worth a listen.

One - Epik High ft. Jisun of Loveholic

Hip-Hop | Korean



GO EPIK HIGH. This is from their new album, Pieces, Part 1. Featuring the soft vocals of Jisun, this is one of my favourite tracks. The beginning of the song reminded me of HSM for some strange reason. Buut, the rest of the song is great. Kind of different from the darker style of Epik High's 4th album, this song manages to be upbeat and catchy yet sad at the same time. Highly recommended.

Ignition - Epik High ft. Na Yoon Kwon

Hip-Hop | Korean



More Epik High for you. =) This song starts out with Na Yoon Kwon's vocals. I can't say I've heard of him, but he's got a pretty decent voice. This song didn't catch me as much as "One" did, but still a decent track. It's mostly rapped except for Na Yoon Kwon's verses, which works out to be a pretty nice balance.

Eight by Eight - Epik High ft. Dynamic Duo, Double K, TBNY

Hip-Hop | Korean



A more solidly hip-hop track, Eight by Eight is very much American influenced. The English lyrics sound a bit random (I swear I heard "skinny jean" in there) and it's not really my kind of song, but worth a listen.

Usan - Epik High ft. Younha

Hip-Hop | Korean



Okay, last Epik High song. Another of my favourites, especially since Younha is such an awesome vocalist and one of my favourite female vocalists. Nice piano accompaniment but the drums keep a solid, steady tempo. Younha's vocals are really what make this song for me. Recommended.

ワールド ワールド - Asian Kung-Fu Generation

Alt Rock | Japanese



Okay, this isn't as recent of a release, but I love this song and I don't think I ever got around to uploading it. It's from Ajikan's latest album, World World World. There's a ticking metronome in the background and it's a really mellow song, accompanied by just a guitar. It's only a minute or so long. Recommended.

Natsu・Koi - Ikimono Gakari

Soft Rock | Japanese



A band that I recently discovered and am really impressed by. Their male and female vocalists are both great, and this is probably one of my favourite songs by them. Try them out!

Echo - Loveholic

OST/Soft Rock | Korean



From their Dramatic & Cinematic album, a great song from a great band. I'm disappointed that Ji Sun's leaving them to go solo, but I support her. Her voice really shines through in this song, which is slow but for some reason calling it a ballad doesn't seem quite right to me. Highly recommended.

Mirage - Loveholic

OST/Soft Rock | Korean



My favourite song from this album. Lovely piano accompaniment, Ji Sun's vocals are lovely. It's a really calm but sad song with a great chorus. Highly recommended.

honey drop - Matenrou Opera

Visual Rock | Japanese



One of my favourite VK bands. I was so happy when I finally found this single, and it didn't disappoint. Great vocals although they're a bit whiny at times, random growling stuck into a very melodic song, and overall just a great song. There are some gothic influences; it's super catchy. &&& there's a random jazzy piano lick. Highly highly recommended for any VK fans.

Anydream - Rain

Pop/Hip Hop | Korean



Rain's submission for the Beijing Olympics. Below you'll find the contributions from Wang Lee Hom, and Jay Chou. It's not fabulous and definitely not one of my favourite songs by him, but it's decent. Maybe it's because this is a low-quality rip, but his voice kind of disappears below the accompaniment for the whole song. It's upbeat and relatively catchy.

千山萬水 (Quan Shan Wan Shui) - Jay Chou

Pop/Ballad | Mandarin



Radio rip, sorry. But it's all I could find, and I thought some of you would probably want to hear this. A nice, slow-tempoed song that shows Jay Chou's vocals well, but it didn't really blow me away or anything. Plus the verse that's super-high pitched kind of annoys me.

Dream of the World - Wang Lee Hom

Pop/Ballad | Mandarin



This song starts off in English and then switches to Mandarin. It's also a ballad, but I liked it better than Jay Chou's song. There's a prominent bass accompaniment and Wang Lee Hom's voice is lovely.

사랑 하는 일 - Sung Shi Kyung

Ballad | Korean



Latest Sung Shi Kyung single. As expected, a ballad. Pretty standard fare, but a decent listen. It starts to grow on you the more you listen to it. He does have a great voice, which I think is shown quite well in this song.

Welcome to my misery - FLOW

Rock | Japanese



If the song title made you think the song was sad, think again. A great upbeat track from FLOW's latest album, Isle. Very danceable and catchy with a great guitar part and a piano accompaniment that has varying prominence. A reminder of how much I love this band. Recommended.

Carry on - FLOW

Rock | Japanese



Another upbeat track from ISLE, this song is wonderfully executed. The way the vocals are arranged are just wonderful, with a great accompaniment. The song goes from a darker sound to the bright chorus. Great bass accompaniment, too.

>>MY PICKS

Lovers Again - EXILE

Pop | Japanese



I haven't liked EXILE's recent singles much, but I love this song. It's one of my favourites by them and is a gorgeous ballad that shows their vocals perfectly. Harmonizing is well done and the song has faint R&B influences.

Mannequin - Hwanhee (Fly to the Sky)

R&B/Pop | Korean



A solo track from Fly to the Sky member Hwanhee. Mannequin is a nice ballad that stages Hwanhee's deep vocals beautifully. I love Brian, but honestly I think that Hwanhee sounds a lot better singing solo. The song itself can get a little boring, but I'm highly recommending this just for Hwanhee's voice.

Electron Mailman - Kra

Rock | Japanese



I love how this song kicks off. It's a pretty laid back song and one of my favourite from Kra.

Eraser - SAT ft. Lee Min Woo

Hip Hop/Pop | Korean



I honestly don't know where I got this song from. XP I just found it on my computer and thought I'd upload it. It's a duet that doesn't offer much, but it's catchy and the female vocalist is pretty decent. Lee Min Woo underachieves in this song - he's a much better vocalist than this song shows, but I think it's a pretty old song, so he's probably improved since then. Worth a listen, but nothing spectacular.

Carving the Rock - YMCK

8-bit | Japanese



A very cute track from a very interesting band, YMCK. I can understand why it might not be everyone's kind of thing, but I really liked it even though generally I wouldn't listen to 8bit. It's a nice blend of sounds with soft, cute vocals.

Labels: Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Epik High, EXILE, FLOW, Fly to the Sky, Ikimono Gakari, Jay Chou, Kra, Lee Min Woo, Loveholic, Matenrou Opera, OZ, Rain, SAT, Shinhwa, Sung Shi Kyung, Wang Lee Hom, YMCK

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.

phase down | aqueous transmission | quietus | SnakeRoot | Dong Bang World | you start it | Ongoing Melody


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