Rotation 52 is unthemed; I just chose a mix of recent releases and older songs that I hadn't shared before. Sorry, my commentary isn't too great this time around but I tried to mark a few songs as recommended to help you decide what to take. Enjoy the songs!

- Haruhi

Emerald Lake (Catherine North Demo Version) - Said the Whale
English | Indie pop
This band is based in Vancouver, where I live, so I was excited to hear a local artist. At first, I thought they were a pretty standard indie pop band, but they've really grown on me. I love the lines, "What a fine life we are living, what a fine life we are living" which get repeated throughout the song, there's something charming and catchy about it, but, as the song clocks in at only 2:05, it doesn't get too repetitive. If you're an indie pop fan, check them out.

그대 내맘에 들어 오면은 - MBLAQ
Korean | Pop/R&B
This is a cover of a Jo Duk Bae song, I really love the collaboration album it's from which is all covers of Jo Duk Bae's songs. To be honest, I'm far too new to k-pop to know anything about Jo Duk Bae but I have listened to the original version of this song as well as a cover by a singer I'm a little more familiar with, Jo Sung Mo. While Jo Sung Mo's cover basically keeps the flavour of the original but, of course, with a different vocal performance, MBLAQ really makes the song their own. I mean, I couldn't recognize it as the cover until the chorus, which has a fantastic melody. I'm not a big MBLAQ fan, but this song might just have converted me. I love the soft, layered synths and the keyboard intro as well. It's very modernized and contemporary, and their vocals really work.

오! 나의 여신님 (Oh! My Goddess) - TRAX
Korean | Rock
I can't believe these guys are back! Things have definitely changed. The TRAX (or I guess they're just going by TRAX now) used to be more of a "real" rock band as they were then produced by X-Japan's Yoshiki, but - well, they are an SM Entertainment band, and after losing a few members they sound more like F.T. Island than X Japan. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing - I love this song. It's so catchy and addictive, and has a bright pop-rock sound that I usually don't like, but they make it work. It's energetic, and definitely the kind of song you'd put on repeat. A great comeback.

Parachute (Radio Mix) - Cheryl Cole
English | Pop
Member of UK pop group Girls Aloud, Cheryl Cole has released quite a bit of solo material before. This is the first song I heard from her (or Girls Aloud, for that matter) but it's so good. I love the catchy chorus and the way the lines lead into one another not just musically but lyrically as well. It's got a bit more edge than your typical pop song, and I really love the military-style percussion, thick bass line, and dramatic but careful use of strings and the way everything flows a little more in the chorus as opposed to the less melodic verses.

널 사랑한다 - Park Hyo Shin
Korean | Ballad
I am still waiting for Part 2 of 'Gift' to release. =( While an OST song is certainly better than nothing, I still wish he'd focus on his album instead. Compositionally, it's pretty straightforward: a hopeful, mid-tempo string-based ballad. I appreciate the pace, actually - it's a bit faster than your typical ballad, and a lot more energetic as a result. Park Hyo Shin's vocals are spot on as always, but because of the richer accompaniment you don't hear its depth and richness as much although it's still evident.

화해하지 말아요 - Code V
Korean | Ballad
Another OST track, this one from new boyband Code V. With all the new groups k-pop is churning out, there are very few I find memorable or even passable, but Code V is one of the best of the bunch. I mean, they can actually sing. I liked their debut songs better than their OST work (another recently released OST song by them is below) but this is still a great, straightforward ballad. They all have distinctive voices that work together really well - one member's is a bit huskier and deeper, another's is lighter and sweeter in tone. A promising new group - and I rarely get the chance to say that.

지금 만나러 간다 - Code V
Korean | Pop/Ballad
Here's another Code V song, it's a bit brighter than the previous song and I love the pretty keyboard in combination with the light strings, it's rare that strings step back to let the piano shine through, but that's what happens here. Sweet and well-executed.

Candy Red - Scars Borough
Japanese | Punk/Pop-rock
Scars Borough was put together by drummer Hirotaka, formerly of the band ELLEGARDEN. I loved ELLEGARDEN, but was interested to see what their members would pursue in their solo activities. I'm not a big punk fan (ELLEGARDEN was really the only sort of punk-rock that I liked) but this song is just so fantastic. They have a female vocalist, which was unexpected but great. The bright vocalizing in the intro is so energetic and catchy, and the song just has such a bright pop-rock energy paired with gritty guitar work and heavy percussion typical of punk that, somehow, comes together beautifully. An addicting song.

아파 (SLOW) - 2NE1
Korean | Pop
To be honest, I can't stand 2NE1. I can't even listen to "FIRE" or "Try to Copy Me" all the way through. But there was one song I did like by them, that kept me following their releases (although without much interest), and that was "I Don't Care". There was just something different about that song: not just deviating from their normal, heavily-electronicized and auto-tuned style but from what you typically see in k-pop in general (although I suppose that nowadays, that's basically heavily-electronicized, auto-tuned stuff). I listened to their new album sort of half-heartedly and skipped most of the songs, but as soon as I got to this one I could tell just from the waltz-inspired piano intro that I was going to like it. Like "I Don't Care", it has a reggae-touched, stripped-down, breezy style that is so different from their usual fare: and to me, that's a very good thing. To be honest, I still don't like them vocally. I think that if another group had handled this song, it might have been even better. Their vocals sound at time strained and thin and at times sort of artificial, not with a real auto-tune affect but definitely like some sort of editing was done. Despite that, I still like the song (especially the bridge) and think it's a highlight of their discography, even if that's not saying much. It's not quite as catchy as "I Don't Care" though.

Somewhere in Brooklyn - Bruno Mars
English | Pop
I shared a few Bruno Mars songs previously; this is another track off his debut EP. I love the melody of this song, especially in the intro where he sings "She was covered in leather and gold, twenty-one years old." The song basically describes a girl he met briefly on the street but never got the name of, and he's been looking for her since. It's sweet and catchy, and you can't go wrong with a voice like Bruno Mars'. It's so clean and refreshing.

淡淡的歌 (A Faint Song) - Xu Fei
Mandarin | Acoustic Pop
The title can also be translated as "A Light Song" or something to that effect. It's a very pretty, simple acoustic guitar track. Songs like this - especially considering how light the accompaniment is - can tend to get bland pretty fast, but there's something charming and genuine about this song that kept my attention. I love the stronger chorus and the soft strings that come in for a short solo and then fade out again.

Over - miss $ ft. JiEun
Korean | Pop
last.fm says they're a "female hip-hop group that specializes in ballads", I listened to their "Miss Independent" digital single - it's called a digital single but there's three songs, I don't really know what that's about. Anyways, this is the third song and the one I found most promising. There's something about the soft, digitalized strings and chorus of "Love is over" that makes it stand out. It's not outstanding, but it's refreshing to see female rappers who are actually decent. The vocalist has a nice voice as well.

헤어지러 가는 길 (feat. 조권/JoKwon of 2AM) - Lim Jeong Hee
Korean | Pop/Ballad
I'm not a big J-Lim fan and got this mostly because of JoKwon. The percussion has a bit more edge and depth to it than you might expect, and the light, feel-good accompaniment comes together nicely. I love the way JeongHee and JoKwon's lines overlap, and strangely enough the melody of the chorus has a bit of a rock-anthem air. There's some pretty harmonies, but I wish they'd taken them further and added a little more complexity to the song. I'm not very fond of the way it just dies off at the end, either. A very simple, straight-forward song that's worth a listen.

Labels: 2ne1, Bruno Mars, Cheryl Cole, Code V, Lim Jeong Hee, MBLAQ, miss $, Park Hyo Shin, Said the Whale, Scars Borough, the TRAX, Xu Fei

Just a small update for you guys. =)

외톨이야 - C.N. Blue
Korean | Pop/Rock
I uploaded the song "Now or Never" by this band a while ago, and wasn't too impressed with it. They've now debuted in Korea, and there's also a Korean version of "Now or Never" included in their debut EP. However, the title song is 외톨이야, and it was this song that changed my mind about them. Now or Never struck me as bland and generic, but 외톨이야 was a refreshing change. It's catchy and filled with attitude - something that Now or Never was definitely lacking. However, the possibility that this song was plagiarized from Ynot's Bluebird (Parangsae) has been brought up. While there's been a lot of "plagiarism" claims brought up against Korean singers/bands lately, I feel that this one is actually pretty legitimate. The two songs sound almost identical at parts, to the point where upon hearing one section I wasn't sure which song it was actually from. The song was not composed by C.N. Blue so the charges aren't really against them. Either way, a refreshing rock song from a new band that may have some promise after all.

가슴이 차가운 남자 (Let You Go) - TRAX
Korean | Ballad
That's right, TRAX is back - however, with only two members. If I recall correctly, they'll also be releasing a mini-album soon. 가슴이 차가운 남자 is a lovely rock ballad. The vocals are deep and rich, and considering that rock ballads aren't that common in mainstream Korean music, it's a refreshing change.

Last Kiss - Choshinsei (Supernova)
Japanese | Pop
It seems like Korean boyband Choshinsei has been pretty busy in Japan, Last Kiss is the a-side to their latest single. It's a warm, sweet R&B-influenced track. At first I thought it was a bit generic, but its sincerity is starting to grow on me. Although I usually don't like rap segments, I actually really like the one in this song, especially how it leads back into the sung verses gradually.

愛唄 - Choshinsei (Supernova)
Japanese | Pop
The b-side to Last Kiss, 愛唄 is a catchy pop song that features an unidentified female vocalist. It's hopeful and has some rock influences, as seen in the percussion and guitar.

Labels: C.N. Blue, Cho Shin Sung, the TRAX

Part two, following the last rotation. In case you missed rotation 17 (scroll down until you see it or check the archives), it features an artist for every letter of the alphabet. Order is artist name - song name, by the way. ^_^ Enjoy, and please remember to leave a comment or even just a rating.

Expect a new layout sometime soon, too.

N! Nega - Abase
Japanese | Rock
Lately I've started losing interest in heavier rock, but I love Nega. His voice is deep and rich. I wouldn't call this one of his "heaviest' songs, but compared to most of the other stuff I upload it's pretty heavy. Not my favourite song by him but it's pretty good.

O! Onitsuka Chihiro - Himitsu
Japanese | Ballad
Chihiro Onitsuka is one of my favourite singers. I've been disappointed by her new material, so I decided to upload one of her older songs. Himitsu is just a beautiful ballad. The piano/string accompaniment is kept to a minimum, allowing Chihiro's voice to shine through. Her voice is just so unique and emotional. Highly recommended.

P! Prana - Go
Korean | Rock
If you're a fan of K-rock, you may know these guys are Wiretap In My Ear - they changed their name. Latin-influenced, has a kind of acoustic feel to it. I liked it.

Q! Quruli - RENNWEG WALTZ
Japanese | Acoustic
As you can probably guess, I didn't have a lot of choices for this letter. Luckily, this song is a gorgeous acoustic ballad. The unpolished, raw feel of the vocals only makes them sweeter and more genuine. It has to be said that it doesn't build much. IMO, it's more of an occasional listen than a song that you'd constantly repeat. But it is definitely worth a listen. What can I say, I'm a sucker for acoustic songs.

R! Ryan Cabrera - True
English | Pop
I don't even know why this song is on my computer. Yeah, it's a song in English. Although fairly generic in both lyrics and composition, Cabrera's voice is sweet and melodic but strong. A while ago I used to love this song, now I think it's ... okay. Decent, but not amazing.

S! Sang Sang Band - 가지마 가지마 (Don't Go - Ga Ji Ma, Ga Ji Ma)
Korean | Rock Ballad
I love love love this band. Their vocalist is amazing. Her voice is light and fairly high in range, yet powerful and emotional. Highly recommended.

T! the TRAX - Over the Rainbow (Rock Version)
Korean | Rock
I love the piano version for this song too, but I decided to upload the rock one. One of the first k-rock bands I got into, definitely one of the most well-known. Wonderful vocals, gritty guitar work but with this clear, high melody present but barely audible throughout the song that balances it out nicely. Recommended.

U! U-KISS - 어리지않아 (Not Young)
Korean | Pop
IIRC this group contains some previous members of the boyband XING. Catchy chorus, sweet, poppy arrangement. I liked it.

V Vodka Rain - 안녕, 바다 (Anyoung, Bada)
Korean | Soft Rock
Another band I'm quite fond of. A nice, relaxing song, good to listen to when you're just winding down.

W Wang KingOne - The World I Want (我要的世界)
Mandarin | Pop
I just tried this song because I heard a few people on a forum say it was their favourite Chinese song of all time. Keep in mind it was a very pop-oriented forum. I thought it was pretty good, but unlikely to become one of my favourites. It's pretty catchy though. Worth a listen.

X Xiao Yu - 捨不得
Mandarin | Pop
Starts out kind of a cappella style, leads into a beautiful ballad. Although a newcomer in the music industry, Xiao Yu is definitely an artist to watch out for. Although I'm not a big fan of his more upbeat songs, he has a lovely voice.

Y Yiruma - Maybe
Instrumental | Piano
Yiruma is a Korean pianist, he's quite well known. I love his compositions. Maybe is hopeful and warm. I learnt to play this on piano a while ago, it's fairly simple but that makes it even sweeter. Recommended.

Z zoro - 1888
Japanese | Rock
Jazzy, upbeat, fun, infectious. You can't help but move along to this song. The bass line can be a tad reptitive, though.

Labels: Chihiro Onitsuka, Nega, Prana, Quruli, Ryan Cabrera, Sang Sang Band, the TRAX, Wang KingOne, Xiao Yu, Yiruma, zoro

Progressive Love - Son Ho Young & Kim Rina

I love the intro for this song. I'm not the biggest fan of Son Ho Young but I do enjoy listening to his songs. No idea who Kim Rina is. Upbeat, energetic, and though vocally not that impressive, catchy and worth a listen.

童話 - 光良

One of my favourite ballads & favourite songs in general. The title of the song is "Tong Hua", which means "Fairytale". The singer's name is "Guang Liang", by the way. The lyrics are beautiful, I don't know if this song would mean as much to me if I didn't know what the lyrics meant. And the translations I've seen don't really do it justice, so if someone wants me to revise a translation just let me know. The MV is also sad (my brother's gf said she cried while she was watching it) but, to me, it didn't really represent as much as the song alone did.

Smile and Turn Away - Stephanie

Starts out upbeat, but slows down in parts until it's almost like a ballad. The song's a bit generic, but Stephanie's got a great voice, although the accompaniment kind of overlaps it in this song.

Rainbow - Tohoshinki

I bought the "T" CD when I was in Taiwan, and when I was listening to it I suddenly found this song that I'd always just skipped past before. I love this song. It's kind of relaxed but has a very bright sound at the same time, and the chorus is so catchy. Recommended.

Melody - David Tao

Gorgeous ballad. It starts out kind of boring, but the chorus is just beautiful and has a kind of darker feel to it. David Tao's vocals show the emotion of the song a lot. Recommended.

Arigatou - FLOW

I love FLOW, but I was kind of disappointed by this single. Still, not a bad song. I like how it starts off, though it kind of loses my interest after that. Great chorus though, some nice high notes are hit.

Kiss of Life - Ken Hirai

Ken Hirai! A more upbeat song, something I rarely see from him ... or maybe I just usually pick out his ballads to listen to. XP The beat's kind of annoying and it's hard to pick out Ken's voice, but it's not bad. The chorus is catchy.

Be My 1004 (Home Growling Version) - iM ft. Yuri of Girlfriends' and Brown Eyed Girls' Narcia

Very catchy. I'd love to hear more from iM. I think this song's from a few year's back, but recommended.

Gravity - Luna Sea

How can I not love Luna Sea? Recommended. Listen for the bass.

Separation Anxiety - Nell

I'm in love with Nell's latest album, this song in particular. They're kind of mellow, soft rock for anyone who hasn't heard of them before, definitely try them out. Unique vocals and a very catchy song that's sad at the same time. Must download.

Tears - the TRAX

I love this song, it's probably one of my favourite TRAX songs. It's a ballad accompanied lightly with a guitar and later with drums and bass, highly recommended.

旅立ちの唄 - Mr. Children

This was the ending theme for some movie, I can't recall what it was called. A nice ballad from one of my favourite bands, though this isn't my favourite song by them, it's very relaxing.

Labels: David Tao, FLOW, Guang Liang, iM, Ken Hirai, Kim Ri Na, Luna Sea, Mr. Children, Nell, Son Ho Young, Stephanie, the TRAX, Tohoshinki

Rotation 52 is unthemed; I just chose a mix of recent releases and older songs that I hadn't shared before. Sorry, my commentary isn't too great this time around but I tried to mark a few songs as recommended to help you decide what to take. Enjoy the songs!

- Haruhi

Emerald Lake (Catherine North Demo Version) - Said the Whale
English | Indie pop
This band is based in Vancouver, where I live, so I was excited to hear a local artist. At first, I thought they were a pretty standard indie pop band, but they've really grown on me. I love the lines, "What a fine life we are living, what a fine life we are living" which get repeated throughout the song, there's something charming and catchy about it, but, as the song clocks in at only 2:05, it doesn't get too repetitive. If you're an indie pop fan, check them out.

그대 내맘에 들어 오면은 - MBLAQ
Korean | Pop/R&B
This is a cover of a Jo Duk Bae song, I really love the collaboration album it's from which is all covers of Jo Duk Bae's songs. To be honest, I'm far too new to k-pop to know anything about Jo Duk Bae but I have listened to the original version of this song as well as a cover by a singer I'm a little more familiar with, Jo Sung Mo. While Jo Sung Mo's cover basically keeps the flavour of the original but, of course, with a different vocal performance, MBLAQ really makes the song their own. I mean, I couldn't recognize it as the cover until the chorus, which has a fantastic melody. I'm not a big MBLAQ fan, but this song might just have converted me. I love the soft, layered synths and the keyboard intro as well. It's very modernized and contemporary, and their vocals really work.

오! 나의 여신님 (Oh! My Goddess) - TRAX
Korean | Rock
I can't believe these guys are back! Things have definitely changed. The TRAX (or I guess they're just going by TRAX now) used to be more of a "real" rock band as they were then produced by X-Japan's Yoshiki, but - well, they are an SM Entertainment band, and after losing a few members they sound more like F.T. Island than X Japan. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing - I love this song. It's so catchy and addictive, and has a bright pop-rock sound that I usually don't like, but they make it work. It's energetic, and definitely the kind of song you'd put on repeat. A great comeback.

Parachute (Radio Mix) - Cheryl Cole
English | Pop
Member of UK pop group Girls Aloud, Cheryl Cole has released quite a bit of solo material before. This is the first song I heard from her (or Girls Aloud, for that matter) but it's so good. I love the catchy chorus and the way the lines lead into one another not just musically but lyrically as well. It's got a bit more edge than your typical pop song, and I really love the military-style percussion, thick bass line, and dramatic but careful use of strings and the way everything flows a little more in the chorus as opposed to the less melodic verses.

널 사랑한다 - Park Hyo Shin
Korean | Ballad
I am still waiting for Part 2 of 'Gift' to release. =( While an OST song is certainly better than nothing, I still wish he'd focus on his album instead. Compositionally, it's pretty straightforward: a hopeful, mid-tempo string-based ballad. I appreciate the pace, actually - it's a bit faster than your typical ballad, and a lot more energetic as a result. Park Hyo Shin's vocals are spot on as always, but because of the richer accompaniment you don't hear its depth and richness as much although it's still evident.

화해하지 말아요 - Code V
Korean | Ballad
Another OST track, this one from new boyband Code V. With all the new groups k-pop is churning out, there are very few I find memorable or even passable, but Code V is one of the best of the bunch. I mean, they can actually sing. I liked their debut songs better than their OST work (another recently released OST song by them is below) but this is still a great, straightforward ballad. They all have distinctive voices that work together really well - one member's is a bit huskier and deeper, another's is lighter and sweeter in tone. A promising new group - and I rarely get the chance to say that.

지금 만나러 간다 - Code V
Korean | Pop/Ballad
Here's another Code V song, it's a bit brighter than the previous song and I love the pretty keyboard in combination with the light strings, it's rare that strings step back to let the piano shine through, but that's what happens here. Sweet and well-executed.

Candy Red - Scars Borough
Japanese | Punk/Pop-rock
Scars Borough was put together by drummer Hirotaka, formerly of the band ELLEGARDEN. I loved ELLEGARDEN, but was interested to see what their members would pursue in their solo activities. I'm not a big punk fan (ELLEGARDEN was really the only sort of punk-rock that I liked) but this song is just so fantastic. They have a female vocalist, which was unexpected but great. The bright vocalizing in the intro is so energetic and catchy, and the song just has such a bright pop-rock energy paired with gritty guitar work and heavy percussion typical of punk that, somehow, comes together beautifully. An addicting song.

아파 (SLOW) - 2NE1
Korean | Pop
To be honest, I can't stand 2NE1. I can't even listen to "FIRE" or "Try to Copy Me" all the way through. But there was one song I did like by them, that kept me following their releases (although without much interest), and that was "I Don't Care". There was just something different about that song: not just deviating from their normal, heavily-electronicized and auto-tuned style but from what you typically see in k-pop in general (although I suppose that nowadays, that's basically heavily-electronicized, auto-tuned stuff). I listened to their new album sort of half-heartedly and skipped most of the songs, but as soon as I got to this one I could tell just from the waltz-inspired piano intro that I was going to like it. Like "I Don't Care", it has a reggae-touched, stripped-down, breezy style that is so different from their usual fare: and to me, that's a very good thing. To be honest, I still don't like them vocally. I think that if another group had handled this song, it might have been even better. Their vocals sound at time strained and thin and at times sort of artificial, not with a real auto-tune affect but definitely like some sort of editing was done. Despite that, I still like the song (especially the bridge) and think it's a highlight of their discography, even if that's not saying much. It's not quite as catchy as "I Don't Care" though.

Somewhere in Brooklyn - Bruno Mars
English | Pop
I shared a few Bruno Mars songs previously; this is another track off his debut EP. I love the melody of this song, especially in the intro where he sings "She was covered in leather and gold, twenty-one years old." The song basically describes a girl he met briefly on the street but never got the name of, and he's been looking for her since. It's sweet and catchy, and you can't go wrong with a voice like Bruno Mars'. It's so clean and refreshing.

淡淡的歌 (A Faint Song) - Xu Fei
Mandarin | Acoustic Pop
The title can also be translated as "A Light Song" or something to that effect. It's a very pretty, simple acoustic guitar track. Songs like this - especially considering how light the accompaniment is - can tend to get bland pretty fast, but there's something charming and genuine about this song that kept my attention. I love the stronger chorus and the soft strings that come in for a short solo and then fade out again.

Over - miss $ ft. JiEun
Korean | Pop
last.fm says they're a "female hip-hop group that specializes in ballads", I listened to their "Miss Independent" digital single - it's called a digital single but there's three songs, I don't really know what that's about. Anyways, this is the third song and the one I found most promising. There's something about the soft, digitalized strings and chorus of "Love is over" that makes it stand out. It's not outstanding, but it's refreshing to see female rappers who are actually decent. The vocalist has a nice voice as well.

헤어지러 가는 길 (feat. 조권/JoKwon of 2AM) - Lim Jeong Hee
Korean | Pop/Ballad
I'm not a big J-Lim fan and got this mostly because of JoKwon. The percussion has a bit more edge and depth to it than you might expect, and the light, feel-good accompaniment comes together nicely. I love the way JeongHee and JoKwon's lines overlap, and strangely enough the melody of the chorus has a bit of a rock-anthem air. There's some pretty harmonies, but I wish they'd taken them further and added a little more complexity to the song. I'm not very fond of the way it just dies off at the end, either. A very simple, straight-forward song that's worth a listen.

Labels: 2ne1, Bruno Mars, Cheryl Cole, Code V, Lim Jeong Hee, MBLAQ, miss $, Park Hyo Shin, Said the Whale, Scars Borough, the TRAX, Xu Fei

Just a small update for you guys. =)

외톨이야 - C.N. Blue
Korean | Pop/Rock
I uploaded the song "Now or Never" by this band a while ago, and wasn't too impressed with it. They've now debuted in Korea, and there's also a Korean version of "Now or Never" included in their debut EP. However, the title song is 외톨이야, and it was this song that changed my mind about them. Now or Never struck me as bland and generic, but 외톨이야 was a refreshing change. It's catchy and filled with attitude - something that Now or Never was definitely lacking. However, the possibility that this song was plagiarized from Ynot's Bluebird (Parangsae) has been brought up. While there's been a lot of "plagiarism" claims brought up against Korean singers/bands lately, I feel that this one is actually pretty legitimate. The two songs sound almost identical at parts, to the point where upon hearing one section I wasn't sure which song it was actually from. The song was not composed by C.N. Blue so the charges aren't really against them. Either way, a refreshing rock song from a new band that may have some promise after all.

가슴이 차가운 남자 (Let You Go) - TRAX
Korean | Ballad
That's right, TRAX is back - however, with only two members. If I recall correctly, they'll also be releasing a mini-album soon. 가슴이 차가운 남자 is a lovely rock ballad. The vocals are deep and rich, and considering that rock ballads aren't that common in mainstream Korean music, it's a refreshing change.

Last Kiss - Choshinsei (Supernova)
Japanese | Pop
It seems like Korean boyband Choshinsei has been pretty busy in Japan, Last Kiss is the a-side to their latest single. It's a warm, sweet R&B-influenced track. At first I thought it was a bit generic, but its sincerity is starting to grow on me. Although I usually don't like rap segments, I actually really like the one in this song, especially how it leads back into the sung verses gradually.

愛唄 - Choshinsei (Supernova)
Japanese | Pop
The b-side to Last Kiss, 愛唄 is a catchy pop song that features an unidentified female vocalist. It's hopeful and has some rock influences, as seen in the percussion and guitar.

Labels: C.N. Blue, Cho Shin Sung, the TRAX

Part two, following the last rotation. In case you missed rotation 17 (scroll down until you see it or check the archives), it features an artist for every letter of the alphabet. Order is artist name - song name, by the way. ^_^ Enjoy, and please remember to leave a comment or even just a rating.

Expect a new layout sometime soon, too.

N! Nega - Abase
Japanese | Rock
Lately I've started losing interest in heavier rock, but I love Nega. His voice is deep and rich. I wouldn't call this one of his "heaviest' songs, but compared to most of the other stuff I upload it's pretty heavy. Not my favourite song by him but it's pretty good.

O! Onitsuka Chihiro - Himitsu
Japanese | Ballad
Chihiro Onitsuka is one of my favourite singers. I've been disappointed by her new material, so I decided to upload one of her older songs. Himitsu is just a beautiful ballad. The piano/string accompaniment is kept to a minimum, allowing Chihiro's voice to shine through. Her voice is just so unique and emotional. Highly recommended.

P! Prana - Go
Korean | Rock
If you're a fan of K-rock, you may know these guys are Wiretap In My Ear - they changed their name. Latin-influenced, has a kind of acoustic feel to it. I liked it.

Q! Quruli - RENNWEG WALTZ
Japanese | Acoustic
As you can probably guess, I didn't have a lot of choices for this letter. Luckily, this song is a gorgeous acoustic ballad. The unpolished, raw feel of the vocals only makes them sweeter and more genuine. It has to be said that it doesn't build much. IMO, it's more of an occasional listen than a song that you'd constantly repeat. But it is definitely worth a listen. What can I say, I'm a sucker for acoustic songs.

R! Ryan Cabrera - True
English | Pop
I don't even know why this song is on my computer. Yeah, it's a song in English. Although fairly generic in both lyrics and composition, Cabrera's voice is sweet and melodic but strong. A while ago I used to love this song, now I think it's ... okay. Decent, but not amazing.

S! Sang Sang Band - 가지마 가지마 (Don't Go - Ga Ji Ma, Ga Ji Ma)
Korean | Rock Ballad
I love love love this band. Their vocalist is amazing. Her voice is light and fairly high in range, yet powerful and emotional. Highly recommended.

T! the TRAX - Over the Rainbow (Rock Version)
Korean | Rock
I love the piano version for this song too, but I decided to upload the rock one. One of the first k-rock bands I got into, definitely one of the most well-known. Wonderful vocals, gritty guitar work but with this clear, high melody present but barely audible throughout the song that balances it out nicely. Recommended.

U! U-KISS - 어리지않아 (Not Young)
Korean | Pop
IIRC this group contains some previous members of the boyband XING. Catchy chorus, sweet, poppy arrangement. I liked it.

V Vodka Rain - 안녕, 바다 (Anyoung, Bada)
Korean | Soft Rock
Another band I'm quite fond of. A nice, relaxing song, good to listen to when you're just winding down.

W Wang KingOne - The World I Want (我要的世界)
Mandarin | Pop
I just tried this song because I heard a few people on a forum say it was their favourite Chinese song of all time. Keep in mind it was a very pop-oriented forum. I thought it was pretty good, but unlikely to become one of my favourites. It's pretty catchy though. Worth a listen.

X Xiao Yu - 捨不得
Mandarin | Pop
Starts out kind of a cappella style, leads into a beautiful ballad. Although a newcomer in the music industry, Xiao Yu is definitely an artist to watch out for. Although I'm not a big fan of his more upbeat songs, he has a lovely voice.

Y Yiruma - Maybe
Instrumental | Piano
Yiruma is a Korean pianist, he's quite well known. I love his compositions. Maybe is hopeful and warm. I learnt to play this on piano a while ago, it's fairly simple but that makes it even sweeter. Recommended.

Z zoro - 1888
Japanese | Rock
Jazzy, upbeat, fun, infectious. You can't help but move along to this song. The bass line can be a tad reptitive, though.

Labels: Chihiro Onitsuka, Nega, Prana, Quruli, Ryan Cabrera, Sang Sang Band, the TRAX, Wang KingOne, Xiao Yu, Yiruma, zoro

Progressive Love - Son Ho Young & Kim Rina

I love the intro for this song. I'm not the biggest fan of Son Ho Young but I do enjoy listening to his songs. No idea who Kim Rina is. Upbeat, energetic, and though vocally not that impressive, catchy and worth a listen.

童話 - 光良

One of my favourite ballads & favourite songs in general. The title of the song is "Tong Hua", which means "Fairytale". The singer's name is "Guang Liang", by the way. The lyrics are beautiful, I don't know if this song would mean as much to me if I didn't know what the lyrics meant. And the translations I've seen don't really do it justice, so if someone wants me to revise a translation just let me know. The MV is also sad (my brother's gf said she cried while she was watching it) but, to me, it didn't really represent as much as the song alone did.

Smile and Turn Away - Stephanie

Starts out upbeat, but slows down in parts until it's almost like a ballad. The song's a bit generic, but Stephanie's got a great voice, although the accompaniment kind of overlaps it in this song.

Rainbow - Tohoshinki

I bought the "T" CD when I was in Taiwan, and when I was listening to it I suddenly found this song that I'd always just skipped past before. I love this song. It's kind of relaxed but has a very bright sound at the same time, and the chorus is so catchy. Recommended.

Melody - David Tao

Gorgeous ballad. It starts out kind of boring, but the chorus is just beautiful and has a kind of darker feel to it. David Tao's vocals show the emotion of the song a lot. Recommended.

Arigatou - FLOW

I love FLOW, but I was kind of disappointed by this single. Still, not a bad song. I like how it starts off, though it kind of loses my interest after that. Great chorus though, some nice high notes are hit.

Kiss of Life - Ken Hirai

Ken Hirai! A more upbeat song, something I rarely see from him ... or maybe I just usually pick out his ballads to listen to. XP The beat's kind of annoying and it's hard to pick out Ken's voice, but it's not bad. The chorus is catchy.

Be My 1004 (Home Growling Version) - iM ft. Yuri of Girlfriends' and Brown Eyed Girls' Narcia

Very catchy. I'd love to hear more from iM. I think this song's from a few year's back, but recommended.

Gravity - Luna Sea

How can I not love Luna Sea? Recommended. Listen for the bass.

Separation Anxiety - Nell

I'm in love with Nell's latest album, this song in particular. They're kind of mellow, soft rock for anyone who hasn't heard of them before, definitely try them out. Unique vocals and a very catchy song that's sad at the same time. Must download.

Tears - the TRAX

I love this song, it's probably one of my favourite TRAX songs. It's a ballad accompanied lightly with a guitar and later with drums and bass, highly recommended.

旅立ちの唄 - Mr. Children

This was the ending theme for some movie, I can't recall what it was called. A nice ballad from one of my favourite bands, though this isn't my favourite song by them, it's very relaxing.

Labels: David Tao, FLOW, Guang Liang, iM, Ken Hirai, Kim Ri Na, Luna Sea, Mr. Children, Nell, Son Ho Young, Stephanie, the TRAX, Tohoshinki

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.

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