Sorry the rotation is so late! This was originally going to be an artist feature for Han Hee Jung or BRIGHT, but I figured that since I’m quite picky about girl groups and female artists in general, I’d theme the whole rotation on female singers. I tried to choose a variety of artists & genres, so hopefully you’ll find something you like. By the way, the group pictured above is Black Pearl.
Please remember to comment or leave a rating, thanks.
잃어버린 날들 - Han Hee Jung (Lost Days)
Korean | Soft rock
This is my favourite Han Hee Jung song, hands down. It’s soothing but melancholy and emotional at the same time, and suits its title perfectly. Han Hee Jung’s smooth voice is steady yet delicate, set against a mid-tempo accompaniment of percussion and strings.
Kotoba ni Dekinakute - BRIGHT (Can’t Put It Into Words)
Japanese | Pop/Ballad
If I had to pick a favourite girl group, it’d probably be these guys. I’ve uploaded a couple songs from them before. Kotoba ni Dekinakute is a poppy R&B ballad that’s compositionally familiar, yet mature and fresh. Their vocals are just fantastic - clear-cut and melodic, not to mention their gorgeous harmonizing that gives even more upbeat songs a unique twist.
좋은날 - Brown Eyed Girls
Korean | Pop
A relaxing, sweet pop song by the Brown Eyed Girls. I’m not a huge fan of them, but I do like a couple of their songs. Accompanied by acoustic guitars and light percussion, the only thing I didn’t really like about this song was the rap verses. It’s not a song that I’d put on repeat, but it’s worth a listen.
Crazy Love Song - SeeYa
Korean | Ballad
I’m really not a fan of their new album but I loved their older material. They’re often referred to as the “female SG Wannabe”, which can definitely be felt in this song. It clearly follows the paths of SG Wannabe’s distinct, signature ballads. Personally, I find that they followed SG Wannabe’s style a little too closely, and would have liked to see them have a more unique style. Powerful and dramatic, these girls definitely have the vocal strength to back this song up.
everyhome - Chihiro Onitsuka
Japanese | Folk Pop/Ballad
I love Chihiro Onitsuka’s older material, but her newer songs have really disappointed me. everyhome was actually released a while ago as a single, but was also included on her newer album “LAS VEGAS”. Her voice is absolutely beautiful - powerful and emotional, set against a strong piano accompaniment. The amount of emotion Onitsuka puts into every word and every note is really what makes her so unique.
결국... 너잖아 - Black Pearl
Korean | Ballad
I was really impressed with this group, and was disappointed to find that after a couple singles they’ve kind of dropped out of the scene other than a few appearances in OSTs and such, mostly in collaboration with other artists - namely SeeYa and Davichi, but IMO they outshine those groups vocally. A very classic Korean ballad that is a tad too predictable for my taste, but their strong, rich voices really bring the song together.
Te wo Tsunaide - Younha
Japanese | Pop-Rock
I’m a huge fan of Younha, even though I didn’t really like her newest Korean album (Peace Love & Ice Cream). This is probably my favourite song by her - it’s an optimistic, midtempo pop-rock track with a soaring chorus, completed by Younha’s powerful yet feminine voice. I absolutely love the part at 2:10 when the accompaniment suddenly cuts off, leaving only her voice for the rest of the line - it has an incredibly powerful impact.
Love Today - Taru
Korean | Pop/Electronica
A sugary track complete with warm, childish vocals and a heavily synthesized accompaniment. It’s a cute song with a sweet, poppy atmosphere that’s not too overpowering.
Mia - IU
Korean | Ballad
I was skeptical upon seeing that the singer is only 15 years old, expecting something poppy and sugary, but Mia was certainly a pleasant surprise - it’s a rich, emotional ballad. While utilizing strings in its accompaniment, the percussion and arrangement is fairly modernized. IU’s voice is powerful and surprisingly mature. I’m looking forward to hearing her future releases and seeing how her voice develops even furthur.
Jewelry day - ayaka
Japanese | Ballad
A pretty acoustic guitar ballad by another of my favourite female singers, ayaka. It’s melancholic but relaxing and soothing at the same time. ayaka’s voice is melodic and crisp. A refreshingly straightforward song.
Summer Song - YUI
Japanese | Pop/Rock
Despite loving acoustic guitars, I never really got into YUI’s music. Summer Song is a pleasing, mid-tempo track - IMO, it doesn’t have a lot of replay value, but it’s a nice song.
Unprecedented - Zhang Yun Jing
Mandarin | Pop-Rock
An upbeat track. Yun Jing’s voice is almost boyish, and suits the playful atmosphere of the song well. I think she was the winner of either Super Idol or One Million Star (singing competitions).
Can’t Sleep, Can’t Eat, I’m Sick - Amuro Namie
Japanese | Pop
Synthy trumpet riffs, a slick R&B atmosphere - really, it’s nothing but a cheap club number. Bubbly, fun, confident, and light-hearted.
Freaky - Koda Kumi
Japanese | Pop
A grungy, aggressive song - it’s uptempo and in-your-face. Koda Kumi’s powerful, slightly abrasive voice compliments the song well.
Labels: Amuro Namie, Ayaka, Black Pearl, BRIGHT, Brown Eyed Girls, Chihiro Onitsuka, Han Hee Jung, IU, Koda Kumi, SeeYa, Taru, Younha, YUI, Zhang Yun Jing
Just a small update. I've uploaded 2PM and Arashi's latest releases. If you've noticed, I've started uploading on MediaFire. Hope that doesn't cause problems for anyone.
I also have Younha's 2nd album and SHINee's first album, I may upload one or both of them later if I have time.
Uploaded Requests:
` 01. Love Today - Taru
Korean | Pop/Electronica
2PM - Hottest Time of the Day
Korean | Pop
` 1; 10점 만점에 10점 (10 Points out of 10)
` 2; Only You
` 3; Angel
` 4; 10점 만점에 10점 (Old School Ver.)
` 5; 10점 만점에 10점 (Inst.)
` 6; Only You (Inst.)
Whereas 2AM is supposed to be more focused on vocals, JYP's latest creation, 2PM, is more dance-oriented. Upbeat and in-your-face, 10점 만점에 10점 is mediocre. Vocally weak, while JYP's songs are usually at least catchy, it lacks much power or originality. Only You takes more of an R&B influence. While I understand that they are meant to be focused on dance routines, it makes listening to the music without watching the routine a bit of a bore. An overpowering bass beat unfortunately drones out much of the vocal work. Angel stood out a little more to me - lighthearted, fun, and poppy, to me it is definitely the strongest song on this single. The old school version uses synths in place of the original instrumental which makes their singing sound even weaker. As you can probably tell, I wasn't too impressed with this single. 2AM's single was much more memorable to me.
Arashi - Truth/Kaze no Mukou e
Japanese | Pop
` 1; truth
` 2; 風の向こうへ (Kaze no Mukou e)
` 3; スマイル (Smile)
` 4; truth (オリジナル・カラオケ)
` 5; 風の向こうへ (オリジナル・カラオケ)
` 6; スマイル (オリジナル・カラオケ)
* Tracks 4-6 are instrumentals.
Not being a big fan of Johnny's Entertainment/ J Storm groups, I was surprised that I quite enjoyed this single. Truth is catchy and has an almost dark feel to it set by the static-filled electric guitars. The piano accompaniment adds a nice touch. Definitely one of Arashi's better songs. Kaze no Mukou e takes a much brighter tone, a light-hearted, summery song complete with acoustic guitars. A nice contrast to truth. Smile completes the single, another laid-back, fun track. Catchy, but not overly memorable. Overall a solid single, truth was definitely my favourite track.
