I honestly never thought I’d ever do a rotation like this, but some of these were pretty decent so I thought I’d share them with you.
I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Yuna Ito
English | Pop
If you’re looking for or used to the original Aerosmith version, well…I don’t know how to put this other than this is more of a pop / orchestral version. The guitar edge in the original is…well, gone. The overall sound of the song is more sweet, something I’d picture being included as part of an RPG’s soundtrack (think Final Fantasy). It’s an interesting twist on the original though.
This Love – G-Dragon (Big Bang)
Korean | Pop
I didn’t even know that G-Dragon even did a remake/cover of this song. And…I really like this version much better than the Maroon 5 version. It’s catchier and it definitely plays up to G-Dragon’s strengths. The only thing I don’t like about this song is that I wish they had turned up the base a bit more. Other than that, a solid remake.
In the Still of the Night – DBSK/TVXQ
English | A cappella
One of their best and later (before they “disbanded”) a cappella songs. It’s short and sweet but definitely shows off their singing abilities.
Because of You – 2pm
English| R&B
A cover of Ne-Yo’s song and I believe this was around the time when 2pm had just debuted so their singing isn’t as good as it is now. I wish they had harmonized more and had changed the song up a bit just so it wasn’t a straight cover but it’s alright the way it is.
New York State of Mind – Ken Hirai
English | Jazz
The song’s got a really simple accompaniment (I believe it’s just the piano) but it really lets Ken’s voice shine through. It’s a nice, slow song that almost gives the song a nostalgic and kind of sad feeling. It’s something that I’d picture a sad, struggling artist singing in one of those bars/lounges you see in the movies.
On a side note, any particular songs or themes you'd like me to do for my next rotation? I was kind of thinking of doing a non-stop mix (which may take me longer to put together) but I wanted to get your opinion prior to going ahead with that. Thoughts?
Labels: 2PM, Big Bang, Contributor; Carmi, Ken Hirai, Tohoshinki, Yuna Ito
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
Jikyan Yo Tomare – Azu feat. SEAMO
Japanese | Pop
It’s a sweet song and I prefer this one to their other collaboration. Azu’s voice is nice and mellow and contrasts nicely with SEAMO’s raps. The song isn’t too sweet either, which is a bonus and what you’d expect from Azu.
Do You – Ne-Yo feat. Hikaru Utada
English | R&B
I’m pretty sure that this is the only English song I had really listened to by Hikki. It does sound a lot like what you’d find in North America (okay, the US), which doesn’t really make it all that memorable if you’re comparing it to other western releases. However, it’s still a decent song to listen to since their voices sound well together.
Black Diamond - Double feat. Namie Amuro
Japanese | Pop
I’m more fond of Namie in this song than Double even though it’s her song. It’s got some good beats and it did hold my attention for a while when it first came out. There isn’t anything overly memorable about it though, just a good collaboration.
Look – Mina feat. Ak’Sent
Korean | Pop
The song is catchy and Ak’Sent really suits the song. I was addicted to this song for a while after it first came out, probably because it’s a good song to dance to (I can picture people dancing to this in a club). I personally like the liver version with Jessica Ho better but I can’t find a decent version of it to post.
Mahaloha – Yuna Ito feat. Micro
Japanese | Pop
Both Yuna’s and Micro’s voices are nice and mellow, which works really well with the simple background. The guitar and mid-tempo beats really make me wish I were in Hawaii instead of dealing with the cold winter.
Labels: Amuro Namie, Azu, Contributor; Carmi, Double, Mina, Seamo, Utada Hikaru, Yuna Ito
So I've thought of a new rotation theme, which will actually span multiple rotations. When the new year had just passed I was reading a lot of “Top Ten” lists of 2008 - eg. top movies, top songs. On a lot of forums and blogs, I also saw a lot of lists of “top ___ songs of 2008”, etc. I'll be doing my own version, not limited to songs of 2008 but just in general (so as long as it fits the category, it doesn't matter when it was released). There will also be a finale rotation that will be for a “best album” and some other best/most categories.
I'm interested in hearing what you think - you don't need to post a full list of 10 songs, just any songs that you think deserve to be included in these lists. They will be based only on my opinion, not statistics, but I'd love to hear your opinions. The rotations won't just be 10 songs, I will also include some other songs that almost made the list.
If interest in these themes isn't great, I might only do a couple of the categories.
Here are the categories:
- Ballads (this will be the rotation this weekend, so I've already picked most of the songs for it)
- Catchiest/Best Pop Songs [Korean, Japanese, & Mandarin]
- Rock Songs [Korean, Japanese, or Mandarin]
- Vocal Masterpieces [as in, songs where the vocalist(s) is/are amazing. any language.]
Finale rotation:
- individual songs/albums/artists, not lists of ten.
- Japanese, Korean, & Mandarin only.
Best album:
Best instrumental song:
Best theme song:
Most original/unique song:
Most underrated song:
Most underrated artist:
Best current song:
Two songs for you:
Truth - Yuna Ito
A hopeful ballad. Yuna Ito's voice is smooth and soft, yet strong enough to hold the melody. Although fairly predictable, it's quite a pretty song.
I Want You - Kelly Clarkson
Another song from Clarkson's new album, All I Ever Wanted. A fun, bright pop song with cute riffs and a sun-kissed beat. Clarkson's confident, breezy voice fits the song perfectly. Extremely catchy. <3
Labels: Kelly Clarkson, Yuna Ito
VACATION!
I was busy with my exams last week so I couldn’t upload anything..but now I’m done with everything, so you can expect more updates. ^.^
Rotation 14 is, again, summer themed. I also included my picks, which are new releases too.
~Chayenne
SweetS
Lolita Strawberry in Summer
Japanese
SweetS was a girlgroup with 5 members. They disbanded in June 2006
This song is from their first single. Their voices are pretty high-pitched, which makes this song more cute.
WaT
Hava Rava
Japanese
The beginning of the song is kinda slow..so I thought it would stay that way. But it doesn’t. It’s more upbeat and really cute.
Teppei Koike
Sweet Summer
Japanese
More Teppei! I really can’t believe he’s in his twenties already..he sounds like a fiveteen years old ._.
Anyway, this song is from his first solo album pieces and he wrote all the songs himself. He hasn’t got the best voice ever, but it suits this song.
TVXQ
Hi Ya Ya
Summer Dream
Korean/Japanese
Hi Ya Ya was the first TVXQ song I’ve ever heard! This’ll definitely give you a summer feeling! It’s a cover of Perfect Tragedy, a song by Don Kenneth Ramage. I like TVXQ's version better though.
Yuna Ito
Mahaloha
Japanese
Mahaloha is a nice song and it’s got a Hawaiian feeling in it. The male is Mirco (Nishimiya Yuki) from Def Tech. I don’t like his voice much as when he sings alone, but they sound nice together.
Otsuka Ai
Peach
Japanese
Peach was used as the ending theme for the Japanese drama Hanazakari no Kimitachi e. I decided to upload this because I LOVE eating peaches in the summer. The song itself isn’t really great..but I really like Ai-chans’ sweet songs! I always get in a good mood after listening to this.
Yui – Summer Song (single)
01. Summer Song
02. Oh My God
03. Laugh Away ~Yui Acoustic Version~
Japanese
YUI’s got such a sweet, typical Japanese voice, which I really like. Summer Song was aired on the last episode of YUI locks (May 29th). Summer Song and Oh My God are two upbeat songs with nice guitar work as always. This single also includes the acoustic version of Laugh Away, to promote her last album I LOVED YESTERDAY. You can look at Haruhi's past rotation for the normal version.
My picks
F.T. Island - Soyogi (album)
01. Friendship
02. ミライジテンシャ (Mirai Jitensha)
03. Soyogi
04. Stars
05. A song for You
06. F.T. Island
07. Primadonna
08. Always be Mine
Korean/Japanese/English
F.T. Islands’ first Japanese album! Their Japanese sounds really good, better than Big Bangs’ Japanese.
All the songs are really catchy and WonBin sings a lot more in this album, which is good because I like his voice. F.T. Island and Primadonna are sung in Korean and Always be Mine is the English version of 첫키스. HongKi’s English is so cute and so is the lyrics! He keeps saying everting :3
TVXQ
Doushite Kimi wo Suki ni Natte Shimattan Darou
Japanese
I really, really LOVE this song! It has such a beautiful melody and their voices sound so good. Especially JaeJoongs’..
This is highly recommended!Oh by the way, it’s not the best quality and there’s a silence at the beginning, so I’ll update this one if there’s a better version.
Don't forget to comment please!
Labels: cohost: chayenne, F.T. Island, Otsuka Ai, SweetS, Teppei Koike, Tohoshinki, WaT, YUI, Yuna Ito
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
