Younha - Sukinada
Single Release | November 18, 2009
Language+Genre | Japanese Pop Rock
01. 好きなんだ (Sukinada)
02. Sunday
Sukinada follows the same style as her previous Japanese single, "Girl." There are some subtle differences, but they both have that bright pop rock feel. A pleasant single, but I'd like to hear something a bit more aggressive next time. Sunday is a laid-back, summery song. I like that it switches to a rockier style halfway in; I think it shines best then.
Although not her strongest, it's a solid single. In related news, Younha's follow-up to Peace, Love and Ice Cream called Growing Up will be released on December 11.
Download @ mf
credits to bestfiction@lj
Labels: contributor; Lena, Younha
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
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
BLACK CHERRY - acid black cherry
A little different from the ballad by the same band that you'll find below, I just had to include this because it also shows Yasu's voice wonderfully, and I simply love this band. A very jazz-influenced song, Yasu's vocals are a wonderful blend of jazz and rock styles. Black Cherry starts out slowly and picks up the tempo, at the same time switching more to rock but there are still trumpets stuck in here and there. Highly recommended.
SHININ' ON Kimi ga Kanashii - acid black cherry
I'm not sure what genre to classify them in, they've got a lot of jazz influences too. Shinin' on Kimi ga Kanashii shows some influences of a jazz ballad and some of the rhythms and chords also echo jazz, leading into a more typical piano accompaniment. Their vocalist is Yasu of Janne da Arc. The mixture of the "traditional" ballad you'd expect and jazz is extremely balanced and smooth, and the vocals are excellent. The song picks up tempo a little in an area and showcases some nice blues scales and I think I hear an upright bass too. <3
FREE STAR - ACIDMAN
Great band that deserves more recognition. Vocals are faint but that's what draws you to them. Try them out.
街の輪郭 - ACIDMAN
Another ACIDMAN song, 街の輪郭 has a really laid back sound and is extremely addictive. Recommended.
Tail Lamp - Aobozu
I love the first verse of this song. It seems kind of generic on the first listen, but I really like this song. They've got a pretty good vocalist, and the song switches tempo and mood occasionally. The guitar and bass blend together well, creating a good if somewhat predictable sound.
DESPARATE - Black:List
One of the heavier bands in this rotation, an awesome headbanging song. I wasn't too sure about it the first time I listened to it, but it's growing on me. Growly vocals but not screaming. Recommended.
Glass no highway - doa
One of my favourite bands. This is the a-side from their most recent single. Their vocalist has a deep voice that captures so much emotion. This song is absolutely beautiful. It manages to be hopeful yet sad at the same time. Harmonizing is also well done. Highly recommended.
좋은 사람 (캐스커 Remix) - Fanny Fink
While this band's name is a bit odd, I absolutely love this song. The vocalist is female and she has a very soft voice that reminds me a little of Jisun's from Loveholic. Their style also shares some similarities to Loveholic. Highly recommended.
Surely - Iori
This is like, the only song I have from this band, but I'd love to hear more from them. They have an awesome vocalist, though the vocals are a bit unpolished. Try them out.
Sakura Tears - John-Hoon
A Korean artist who mostly sings in Japanese, this is cute song that's fun to listen to. John-Hoon's voice is pretty good. Sakura Tears is also pretty catchy. Worth a listen.
Atomic Smile - JUN (Phantasmagoria)
Oh my god, the intro of this song is just wonderfully executed. Very unexpected and beautiful transitions. It seems like it's going to be really heavy, but then switches to this cute, pop tune that makes me hesitate to call this song "rock". But, the tempo does pick up. The lack of vocals in this song suits it. Highly recommended.
Ritori - kannivalism
A lovely mid-tempo song by kannivalism. They've got a great style and a great vocalist too, definitely try them out.
春 - Kousuke Atari
Kousuke Atari's voice is wonderful. It lacks a very polished feel, but I think that's what makes it so unique. It wavers in strength, occasionally disappearing beneath the accompaniment and at other times towering over it. He does do this weird little vibrato sometimes that I don't really like, it seems more like he can't hold the note in tune than a real vibrato, but other than that, a very nice ballad. I like the bass accompaniment too, though you'll have to listen pretty hard for it.
Fuyu Tokyo - Lareine
Love how this song kicks off, and then launches into this wonderful, bright trumpet-filled sound. There's a piano in place of the usual rhythmic guitar chords, and a guitar playing little riffs that aren't as consistent. Great band too; recommended.
SCREAM - Lareine
More Lareine. =) The beginning of this song is almost disconcerting and I keep waiting for it to build but it never does. There's this sort of foreign feel to it and the vocalist whispering in Japanese. Eventually it does build a bit but overall this song was just ... really weird, but interesting. O_o Doesn't really sound like Lareine at all, yet this song defies the style of any band I know.
夏の終わりがまだここにある - The Local Art
A sweet ballad that's set apart by their vocalist's deep, thick voice. If anyone else had sung this song, it wouldn't have held my attention at all. I love this band, they deserve a lot more attention. I previously uploaded their song Shiroi Hana, look for it in the archives page if you want to hear more from them.
발자국 - Monday Kiz
발자국 is my favourite track from their latest album, Inside Story. Deep, husky vocals that are sweet and melodic at the same time, it's a mid-tempo ballad that has an extremely catchy chorus. Not the kind of ballad that you'd get bored listening to, this is probably one of my favourite Monday Kiz songs.
Together/Akari/Fall Back - Monkey Majik
01. Together
02. Akari
03. Fall Back
04. One More Chance
These guys have such a unique style, I'm not sure what genre to call them. This is their latest single, a triple a-side. The first verse of Together is what makes me love the song so much. This band has great vocalists, and two Canadian members too. There's a fifth track to this single that's a remix of Together, but I didn't upload it. Akari has a sadder sound than Together and a really nice piano accompaniment. Fall Back is more upbeat and features more English lyrics. It reminds me very slightly of "Change" (another one of their songs). One More Chance has a more aggressive sound but at the same time has a much lighter accompaniment. There's also a rap verse, which I hear occasionally in their songs but not often. I've never heard a Monkey Majik song that I didn't like, and I was very pleased by this single. Highly recommended.
기억을 걷는 시간 - Nell
Another song from Separation Anxiety, Nell's latest album, 기억을 걷는 시간 is probably my favourite tied with the title track and Fisheye Lens. If you've never heard anything by this band, try them out. They're one of my favourite bands, their vocalist has a very unique voice and their songs are just beautiful. The amount of detail in the composition and at the same time it's simplicity is amazing. Highly recommended.
In Your Hands - XING
I'm generally not a huge fan of boybands, but XING has always been pretty strong vocally and they've got at least one member who speaks fluent English, so the English versions of their songs/English verses are always good. A predictable but nice ballad from them. I think vocally they're capable of a lot more, but this song makes for a nice, light listen.
Te wo Tsunaide - Younha
Younha! One of my favourite female vocalists. An upbeat track by her that's very catchy yet shows her voice perfectly. The chorus is just beautiful. She's Korean, but most of her releases are Japanese. Highly recommended.
Unite As One - Yuna Ito
A mellow ballad from Yuna Ito's Wish album, the vocals seem very slightly R&B influenced. I thought I'd upload this since there aren't really any female artists up in this rotation, and Yuna Ito's voice builds nicely in this song. It's not my favourite from her, but it's not bad.
Labels: acid black cherry, ACIDMAN, Aobozu, Black:List, doa, Fanny Fink, Iori, John-Hoon, JUN, kannivalism, Kousuke Atari, Lareine, Monday Kiz, Monkey Majik, Nell, THE LOCAL ART, XING, Younha, Yuna Ito
