This is just a quick rotation of songs from at least two years ago that I missed/ignored the first time the album/single was released.
E.M.M.M – 이효리
Korean | Pop
It’s got an interesting rock edge to it that kind of reminded me of The Donnas’ New Kid in School. It’s got a great beat (although I wish the kick drum had a little more base in it) that’s catchy and Hyori’s voice goes well with the accompaniment.
Galaxy – Rip Slyme
Japanese | Hip Hop
It’s a relatively catchy song, upbeat and has a bit of a jazzy feel due to the guitar. It’s a bit of a quirky song (the video all the more so) that’s fun and there’s enough of a contrast between the members’ voices that they don’t blend so much that they sound like the same person rapping.
Fly – Epik High
Korean | Pop
A nice slightly faster than mid-tempo song, not overly memorable, but nice. I really do like their raps and how they contrast with the female singer’s vocals during the chorus.
Nobody Knows (Live Acoustic Edition) – Yuna Ito
Japanese| Pop
This is still one of my favorite songs of hers (I really like this version in comparison to the original. Her voice really shines through and compliments the band, which has more of a jazzy sound to it.
Wedding – Shinhwa
Korean | Pop
Yes, this is a super old (if you call 2002 old) song of theirs, but it was definitely one of my favorites. Parts of Eric’s English raps didn’t really make sense to me at the time (probably because I didn’t understand the words he was saying) but they were still good anyway. It’s a good upbeat song and reminds me of how good they were.
Labels: Epik High, Lee Hyori, Rip Slyme, Shinhwa, Yuna Ito
Again, just a reminder, if you have a song you’d like to request, please leave a comment. Alternatively, you can send me an email at carhithiel@gmail.com.
Stand By U – Tohoshinki
Japanese| Ballad-ish
I think the first couple of lines in the first verse (something along the lines of the scenery changing) definitely sets the mood for the rest of the song. It’s a great, sad song, the kind you’d listen to when you’re stuck inside and feeling nostalgic about past loves. It’s not slow enough to be a true ballad in my mind which doesn’t make it as sappy as something you’d listen to while drowning yourself in a tub of chocolate ice cream.
Aoi Kofuko – Noboku
Japanese | Pop
This doesn’t really make me think so much of the rain as it does of what happens after the rain’s done and you’re left with the clouds, the smell of rain, and everything looks grey. Just when the song picks up, it makes me think of what it looks like when the clouds break and the sun starts to come out. Overall, it’s not that memorable; nothing stands out that much, but it’s still a decent song.
Don't Wanna Try (Live Piano Version) – Tae Yang
English | Ballad
It was actually this version of the song that got me to find out about the original version by Frankie J. Tae Yang’s version is heartfelt, sad, and his voice suits the song so well. There’s something about the piano that makes me think of sad things and I can picture him singing this by a window as it’s raining outside (minus the cheering in the background).
Endless Love – Shinhwa
Korean | Pop
This song makes me think more of what a thunder storm would be like, if it were made by a Korean band. It’s edgy and the lyrics, if I remember the translation correctly, are pretty raw and well, kind of almost obsessively vengeful. It’s angry, angsty, and powerful.
Stay – Chris Cayzer
English | Pop
This is a remake of an old Lisa Loeb song that was released as part of his first album a few years ago in the Philippines. He’s kind of re-surfacing now, especially since he’s released his second album. It’s a nice, acoustic version and I love his voice. The song slows down for the verses but picks up every once in a while at key points. It makes me think of what happens in one of those movies where the couple breaks up and right at the end the person shows up at the door, soaking wet from the rain (apparently I’m very much into the visuals right now).
Labels: Chris Cayzer, Contributor; Carmi, Noboku, Shinhwa, Tae Yang, Tohoshinki
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
S.I.N - -OZ-
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Lovers Again - EXILE
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)
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
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
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
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
