gotta give a shoutout to my girl

虹の向こう側
Niji no Mukougawa (the Other Side of the Rainbow)
Go Younha.. i mean Yunna
japanese
2009

imeem
pv

shes really gone and done it... and returned to japan for real. maybe i can meet her now =p

so this song is from the ost of her upcoming movie 今度の日曜日に (Next Sunday), about her, (a korean transfer student lol?) befriending an father who struggles to work three jobs to support his son. the cast includes her, tomo (from pride), and the angry studio owner (from last kiss) to name a few. you can check out the movies website if you can read japanese. i am honestly super curious to see what her acting is like, but i wont get to find out for a while v.v

the mood of the track is fitting for the "slice of life" type movie this looks to be. right now i still think she sounds better singing in korean, but im sure her upcoming japanese album will be awesome. my only wish is that she makes an awesome ballad-ish song to perform live and show the japanese whats up.

either way im definitely looking forward to seeing what her stay in japan will bring about and hope that she has fun. but it looks like shes doing that already. best of luck to her

as always, 고윤하・사랑헤 !

Labels: younha yunna japanese next sunday rainbow

these guys let their styles do the work

심장이 없어
Don't Have/Without a Heart
8Eight
korean
2009

imeem
mv with subs

8eight is a three person group, made up of two vocalists - one male, one female, and one rapper. now back with their third album golden age, theyve historically been one of those groups that people like, but still dont talk about much.

this song is pretty mellow and chill as the trio swap between one another with really pleasant transitions. i especially like that each of their sounds are distinct (even though its not hard with the setup they have), and the way the track was pieced together helps accent this quality.

some notes about the mv. the girl is played by so hee, the youngest wondergirl, who is a vampire thats in love with a human and knows that it cannot be. the subs are really good, so i encourage people to check em out since the lyrics are the best part of the song.

Labels: 8eight golden age without a heart korean

ok im finally committing to writing stuff again after some thought. for the new year i plan to keep this mostly about things that i like for whatever random reason, and not necessarily whats popular and/or new.

reaching back, this is without a doubt the best ost track of 08

Diamond Crevasse
Sheryl Nome starring May'n
Macross Frontier OST1 Nyan Furo
japanese
2008

imeem
lyrics

first id like to note that the "so and so starring so and so" format the japanese use is for when a fictional character owns/sings the song. of course that isnt actually true, so the name of the person who is starring is the actual artist, with the first name being the characters. i guess its their way of being cute and paying homage to both the series and the artist (double promotional benefits?), but its something you see fairly often.

typically i like songs and themes from dramas rather than anime just because of the nature of the programs. dramas often tend to be more serious, are higher budget, involve more known artists, and overall just seem more pertinent - but ill make an exception here.

this track is from the series macross frontier, an anime given a ridiculously large budget to commemorate the macross franchises 25th anniversary. while the series is entertaining, the musical orchestration and songs (done by the legendary yoko kanno, who also composed and arranged this track) are far more impressive. the amount of effort put into the soundtrack honestly seems larger than that toward animation and story; involving at least three notable vocalists, the composition of lyrics, and orchestration.

diamond crevasse itself is put together fantastically. its your typical "reminiscent of love" theme, the lyrics are partly average and partly amazing. the words were chosen carefully to both match in rhyme and rhythm, which isnt always easy to do while preserving the meaning. also as usual the lyrics dont repeat themselves too often, and the songs overall layout isnt too rigid or predictable.

the arrangement is also another dual-element creation. its both ethereal, light, and mystical - during the opening and introductions; but also very very present at times - during the chorus and refrains, with the help of a progressive bass sequence. a key feature is that the lyrics and orchestration as a whole harmonize with one another very well.

the three things i like most about diamond crevasse? first, the three note sequence the song opens up with. the notes change but the theme continues through the track and really fits the mood well. next, the opening verse; the words are just cool. lastly, the arrangement used in the chorus (and closing development) where every other line is paired in a "6 syllables to the beat" syncopation. its actually more like 6-6-5-1, but you can listen for it if you want, they repeat themselves through the last third of the song and make it flow nicely.

lastly, id like to note that may'ns voice is unusually full for your typical japanese vocalist. especially for one that has anything to do with an anime.

the biggest pitfall of talking about a song from a series is that you usually become more emotionally attached to a tune/track because of the series itself; or at least within the context of the story, characters, and so forth. therefore its sometimes more difficult to relate to these kinds of songs, but they definitely grow on you.

Labels: diamond crevasse macross frontier best ost 08 japanese

its been a while

안녕 마음아
Hello Heart
Ji Sun
2009
Korean

imeem
mv

to be honest i really dont know the title of this song, hello heart, goodbye my heart, goodbye love i just dont know. either way, kicking off the new year and my return from hiatus, is a singer some of you might recognize from the group loveholic, with her debut album mermaid come home. new year, new start for her, new start for me, felt like a good combo.

the production of this song and mv were quite well done. i really like many of the sounds used, for example: electronic, synthesized, the droplet before the first chorus, they all add a nice feel to the track. id categorize it as your pretty general pop, but it honestly just sounds fun and new. jisuns voice, as usual, is soft, cute, and the lyrics also contribute and harmonize with the singers qualities. something really nice is that the mv is not only well made, but it also fits the song, and is a breath of fresh air. there are many different scenes and outfits, all within reason and good taste, keeping it from being too repetitive and likewise, too over the top.

after watching the mv, i have to comment that she herself is pretty cute here, so everything fits together! more importantly, her mouth is super hot, damn, younhas got a rival now. you see moreso during the parts shes not on the floor of that room.

as a side note, she sorta reminds me of taru, maybe it has sth to do with the way they sing and sound. not to mention taru also had a solo debut after belonging to a different group, the melody. i hope the best for her success and look forward to all the bomb music the new year will bring.

Labels: ji sun hello heart korean

so here it is, the first of my end of year posts

the top10 songs of 2008

sth real quick before i get into it, the basis for these picks are basically all personal opinion. a few were chart toppers, but mostly theyre the songs i can listen to the most, make me happy, give me energy, sing the most, and all sorts of that kinda stuff. the hardest part is picking which ones to list, and keeping them within songs released during 08.

in no particular order


1.
So'Fly
OLD DAYZ
Japanese
imeem

starting us off is a group that very few have heard of or follow, so'fly. this track just flows, its got so many different interesting sounds and instruments, the beat is varied, they sing with so many styles and compliment each other amazingly well. another thing i really like is that its not incredibly repetitive, the lyrics change slightly as the song progresses and some parts are completely different. but the killer for me is at 1:55, its the only time she sings that particular verse in its entirety. that verse just seems to fit and flow so stupidly well for some reason and the piano going crazy in the background just tops off that eccentricity. if you think some of the english lyrics are random, just watch the mv and youll understand =p


2.
Big Bang
Haru Haru
Korean
imeem

one of our chart toppers. i may disagree with some avid big bang fans a lot of the time when they complain about which groups deserve awards or who is the best, but this isnt one of em, it belongs up there. unfortunately for them, i do also think this song is really hard to perform live, which saddens me because i would have really liked to see an amazing performance, but oh well. as ive said before, haru haru along with lies have the types of sounds that fit the group best. it just simply sounds good. superb track overall. oh, girl, i cry cry...


3.
Lena Park ft. Crown J
No Break
Korean
imeem

no break was actually this blogs first entry, which i chose at random and said only a few words about. i guess i just like the way she sings this song, how the lyrics are almost, but not quite the same from verse to verse; like maeiri maeiri maeiri, naeiri naeiri naeiri, waeiri waeiri waeiri. overall its really very simple, but has that happy pop touch. her voice with these playful, light-hearted and silly lyrics is heart.


4.
V.O.S.
Beautiful Life
korean
imeem

a familiar one here, this song really grew on me over the year. its got that really bright and happy feeling, but remains not too heavily ornamented that you feel overwhelmed. i think the songs name, lyrics, and that a group sings it, are all very appropriate because even though not everything is as you have it, things are still ok. the arrangement and way the group sings all very much cooperate with one another, which i find to be unusual. most groups sing with one another, not together.


5.
Utada Hikaru
Prisoner of Love
Japanese
imeem

shes the master for a reason. one of the artists who never fails to deliver, and she put on a strong showing for 08. the lyrics to her songs are always meaningful, interesting, and vary from chorus to chorus or verse to verse but still manage to keep the same rhymes. prisoner of love is no exception. i love how well thought out and put together all her tracks always seem to be, with her trademark blues/pop/rnb style. there really isnt much to comment on a lot of the time, everything is constructed with elegance.


6.
Dynamic Duo ft. Ju Hee of 8eight
Gone (New Ways Always)
Korean
imeem

still is, and always will be... amazing. from the strong opening, through the numerous developments the song goes through, they did a great job utilizing the sounds they chose for the track. if you listen carefully, there really arent that many different instruments or sounds, but the way it was put together by adding, subtracting, or changing octaves, keeps it sounding interesting without being muddy. the six note progression the violin slams out throughout the choruses and ending of the song adds to its epic and uplifting feeling.


7.
RADWIMPS
Order Made
japanese
imeem

reppin january of this year is another song that grew over time. theres creativity abound with this one, the lyrics are profound, the arrangement is simple but interesting, there are many subtle little changes therein to reflect the current mood or topic of the song, and the mv is perfection. artists like this are the ones who strive to create masterpieces, putting personal touches that only they can think of into their pieces. believe me, the extra efforts appreciated.


8.
Spontania ft. JUJU
Kimi no Subete ni
Japanese
imeem

first its just a music box, then add some piano, next violins, all playing the same melody before everything finally comes in. definitely one of the best intros of the year. with its energetic mood and beautiful orchestration the piece is just passionate. to me its no surprise that with how this track turned out, it also ended up being incredibly popular.

9.
Ayaka
Te Wo Tsunagou
Japanese
imeem
imeem live perf recording, amazing.

you probably dont know her that well, but her song okaeri was used for the 08 jdrama zettai kareshi. i really like how this tracks orchestration was done, with a pseudo-rock arrangement it really reminds me of some of utadas. soothing and melodic, the simple guitar sequence and subtle use of piano are both very nice touches. the overall sound of the song is very very clean, no overlap, just the right amount and right volume at the right times. peaceful and chill.


10.
Epik High ft. Younha
Umbrella
Korean
imeem

no surprise here! this track was just perfectly put together, everything about it is enjoyable. its one of the few that i never skip over when it comes up on a cd or playlist, no matter what mood im in, no matter how i feel, it can always seem to somehow fit. younha has one of the best sounding voices out there (dont ask me why, i dont know) and the way she sounds in this recording is nothing short of enchanting. its peaceful, exciting, meaningful, motivating, passionate, all in one. the world really is only half without you by my side.


ill be following this up with posts to include songs that i feel were the best of their class, or ones that definitely deserved mentioning. this is basically my excuse for wanting to pick more, till then..

merry christmas

Labels: best 10 songs of 2008 korean japanese

sorry for the lack of posts, ive been busy/lazy/and working on my end of year super long posts; but heres something till those come

Crown J ft. 서인영
Crown J ft. Seo In Young
Too Much
2008
Korean

imeem
fun performance but bad quality

some of you might know them from the korean reality/comedy show "we got married" where the two got paired as a celebrity couple pretending to be married. although it was nothing serious, crown jewel and jewelry(the group's) seo in young turned out to be a really fun pair to watch. dubbed the "ant" (for atlanta) couple, crown sang this song to his partner during one of the wgm episodes, after which it became their theme song.

the live is fun because they seem to be having so much fun just messing around, not to mention the crowd loves them. even though it wasnt refined or spectacular, those simple, down to earth, just go out there and do your thing performances are fun to watch.

too much itself reminds me a little of dilemma (nelly and kelly) at times, but this ones lyrics are honestly much much better. the song is really chill and not overbearing, making it pretty easy to listen to with its mellow mood. seo ins voice also fits the track very nicely.

cinderella!

Labels: crown j seo in young too much we got married korean

V.O.S.
Beautiful Life
2008
Korean

imeem
mv with subs

im gonna go ahead and call this the happier, more upbeat, korean, three guys version of s.h.es wo ai ni; since i like them for many similar reasons.

while the arrangement isnt really anything special, i find it to be pleasantly simple which keeps the song sounding clean. along with the orchestration, the melody also fits this criteria preserving the balance and allowing the final element to shine, the vocals.

there are many qualities at work within this songs vocals; solos, harmony, chorus, even choral aspects, call and response, and sounds that feel a bit akin to gospel music at times. the reason i liken beautiful life to wo ai ni is that starting around 2:10 it becomes increasingly powerful and choral as it progresses to the end of the track. from that point on they throw all sorts of new sounds, arrangements and lyrics in, trading off the same line with each other and so forth. it honestly sounds very very good.

well thats nice and all, but everything is nothing without passion, and thats what this is all about. the song is really happy, energetic and bright, to the point that it almost inspires you to feel the same. it begins from the start of the song and never lets up, from start to finish the guys give it more and more. so just start clapping to the beat, it sounds like it was meant for that anyway.

i realize that i didnt mention much about the lyrics. suffice to say they are quite good (thats why i provided an mv with subs), and were composed by shinhwas lee min woo; i dont expect much less.

i personally think this track has a lot of soul to it, which fits their name =p

Labels: v.o.s. beautiful life korean

so go to college

에픽하이
Epik High ft. Yoong Jin of Casker
Love Love Love
2007
Korean

imeem
mv with subs
perf ft younha she can rap!
lyrics translation is about halfway down

epik high is one of the few groups that consistently pulls off having multiple genres of music on the same album. their baseline is rap/hiphop, but by picking good features to match the creative tracks they produce, they end up with more pop/dance songs like this one, or slower/ballad songs like umbrella. all while ensuring that there remains a strong element of hiphop or rapped verses in keeping with their style.

one subtle difference i really like about the mv that isnt in the album version are the little phone dialing noises they added to the second line of the song. it fits since that line mentions a phone call, and is just another one of the ways this group demonstrates their creativity.

a quick note about the performance is that i think this was the first collab between epik high and younha (not too long after her return to korea from japan). their success with this more than likely lead to their continuing partnership in songs like umbrella, memory and so on. love love love was also performed featuring the leaders of the wondergirls(min sun ye) and snsd(tae yeon) independently of each other, on two separate occassions.

like i mentioned in one of my previous posts, the imagery utilized by epik high in many of their songs is truly amazing. love is a very common theme for music, understandably, therefore you hear a lot about being in love, how it drives you crazy, conflicts, and the overall trials and tribulations of relationships. what you hear about less are the more specific descriptions and examples of how these things happen, or what happens afterwards; and thats where epik high comes in.

in one word, the lyrics to this song are real. there arent any particularly fancy metaphors, stupidly generalized feelings, or fantasies that are difficult to relate to. the song is plain and simple, down to earth. they talk about things that everyone does, everyone thinks, everyone hides. youre always embarrassed to admit it but these are the crazy things that you do when youre in love. thats just the way it is.

with that i really urge you to read the lyrics. they get better and better as the song progresses from describing falling in love, to breaking up, and what happens along the way. personally i find it a lot more enjoyable and meaningful if i read the translation line by line while listening to the song at the same time, so watch the mv!

Labels: epik high love love love korean

tonight its time for some rock

中島美嘉
Nakashima Mika
Japanese

Eyes for the Moon
imeem
Hitoiro (alternative version)
imeem

this pair were the two that first got me into her, cuz sometimes you just wanna listen to little rock. i especially like the way that she sings some of the verses extremely quickly but still enunciate the words perfectly clearly, it sounds cool for some reason. if youre interested in something a bit newer, her latest album voice was released last month. either way, enjoy.

although she was already famous before nana, just thought id mention that she did star in and sing for the nana/nana2 live action movies.

Labels: nakashima mika eyes for the moon hitoiro jrock

so at the beginning of this year i hear about utada making a remix of eternally for some drama called innocent love; im like awesome, lookin forward to it. then im watching dramas and keep thinking, hey i want maki to be in another series soon, and i read that shes starring in one this fall, cool. finally her show starts airing, and guess what the theme song is. coincidence? guess im just pretty damn lucky.

here it is, the first shoutout in honor of my two girls utada hikaru and horikita maki

宇多田 光
Utada Hikaru
Eternally
2001/2008
Japanese

imeem original
imeem drama remix
mv
karaoke!

this track is from her 01 album distance (my personal favorite if you couldnt tell, or didnt know) so its definitely getting pretty old. i dont think it was one of her most famous songs, but it was good enough to be chosen seven years later to be a theme song. incidentally, the screenwriter and several directors of innocent love were also responsible for the drama last friends; which also used a very popular utada song as its theme, prisoner of love.

while eternally probably isnt even one of my top 10 utada songs, i will say that it does hold a place as one of my all-time favorite intros. as far as piano intros are concerned, its perfectly balanced between simplicity and being over-done, with some light violins, progressing into a bass line that isnt overbearing. the lyrics were well written and sung to fit every bit of the song (one of the wonders when you take the care to write and compose your own stuff) and everything flows perfectly through the first two minutes solid.

i can never get enough of the first two verses, that part of the track just feels so, right. (up to 50 seconds)

basically what it all comes down to is utada hikaru is bomb. her arrangements, lyrics, style, feeling, creativity, diversity, everything are always perfect. she really never fails to deliver. i cant say shes the best vocalist, but if she were who else would this planet need?

comparing the two versions, id say the originals bass and parts of its arrangement were a little too hard on the ears and slightly repetitive toward the end. while the drama mix is more light and keeps the song feeling clean. however, it really depends on your sound system and mood. for example i know the og sounds really nice in the car.

anyway this just came to mind after i remembered the drama again, there is definitely much much much more to come about utada and why shes so amazing.

Labels: utada hikaru horikita maki eternally drama innocent love japanese

uhmm okay!

Lee Hyori
U-Go-Girl ft. Natsun
it's Hyorish
2008
Korean

imeem
mv

everyone knows her, everyone loves her, and this is just another reason to. while hyori has always been in the public eye, this was basically her 08 return to the music scene and yielded pretty much the highest korean chart rankings of the year.

u-go-girl just fits hyoris image, and the mv is something that not too many can pull off, that multiple personalities and looking good as anything (while still being approachable) are two of her gifts. the track is one of many friendly sounding dance pop songs, except everything here is basically done right. the tempo, the lyrics, the mood, everything, it was well put together. in short, pop at its best.

my only gripe with this track is natsun (especially in the mvs and perfs) since hes kinda wack. his look and style are... a little more out there, but if thats this thing, its all good. although hes not what youd expect, i do think that his presence adds flavor to the track, giving it a positive dynamic.

thanks hyori for one of the happier songs this year

well it isnt far off of the end of the year, so i need to clean up everything from 08

Big Bang
Vol. 2 Remember
2008
Korean

ill be honest and say that this isnt one of my favorite releases of theirs, so im gonna be brief

sunset glow (뷹은 노을) is sort of last farewell-esque in feel and tempo, and like wonderful, is very upbeat with heavy electronic arrangements.

Remember
imeem

this would be my favorite song of the album. im glad that the title track is more like sth id expect from the group. parts of the songs arrangement, and how they cut syllables short reminds me of the beat in tae yangs solo look only at me. most importantly the song feels like it flows and it fits, so thats all that really counts to me.

하루하루
Haru Haru Acoustic
imeem

not the best remix ive heard, dont think it entirely works, something about the pitch of the guitar - nice job with the chorus though. either way im giving a shout out to their by far best song of the year.

overall i feel like the album was a little rushed, or lacks the artists creativity. with the exception of remember, the other tracks seem like the arrangements pollute the song for some reason. its all just a little too much. im not trying to say theyve fallen off in the least, cuz amazing songs take time to make, usually. a quick note, track2 of the actual album, is their take using the scatman beat. the songs called Oh, Ah, Oh its pretty good lol.

Labels: big bang volume 2 remember

tteonaga...
yeah finally i realize
that im nothin without you
i was wrong
forgive me

Big Bang
하루 하루
Haru Haru
2008
Stand Up
Korean

imeem
mv

not gonna lie, this is easily one of my favorite songs of the year. and of course all the fans agree too, since bb is one of the overpowered groups out there right now (along with dbsk, wgs etc.) but i wont argue at all.

the mv is another one of those typical korean overly complicated, do stuff normal people woudlnt, crazy relationship, super dramatic, why does she have to die type productions that they seem to love. its still definitely well made though.

this style, if you can even call it a style, or type, or arrangement or whatever, of song really seems to fit big bang. haru haru and lies (their 2007 hit) share a lot of very similar elements such as english openings, a vocal and more energetic chorus, a simple but strong piano instrumental melody, an emotional solo leading into the final chorus and more. making them alike, yet still different enough for you to enjoy them equally, i really recommend checking lies out if you havent already.

these are without a doubt my favorite songs of the group, which might have something to do with g-dragon playing a large role in the composition and orchestration of both. maybe hes just got a good touch. i hope they continue with their success in the future in spite of gd moving onto solo work in the usa. hopefully he continues to be part of the group as well as solo? im not sure whats happening at this point in time but gl to him.

one of the songs they sometimes performed in tandem with haru haru during its promotion was heaven. its slightly more upbeat than the other two and has some more varied vocals; certainly a noteworthy track.

the final mention i want to give in this post is last farewell. id basically classify it as a dance song, which is a bit outside their norm, with its strong electronic arrangement and fast tempo. its an energetic song, and the one of the few i know that people who have no interest in asian music will listen to.

actually i almost forgot about their newest release, ill cover it in the next post

Labels: big bang haru haru lies last farewell heaven korean

three collabs by the same artist, all from the same album, all in the ever so popular rnb/hiphop/pop mix

Japanese
2008
12 Love Stories

童子－Ｔ feat.青山テルマ * 約束の日
Dohzi-T feat. Aoyama Thelma * Yakusoku no Hi
imeem

童子－Ｔ feat. BENI * もう一度
Dohzi-T feat. BENI * Mouichido
imeem

童子－Ｔ feat. 清水翔太 * ONE LOVE
Dohzi-T feat. Shimizu Shota * ONE LOVE
imeem

im too lazy to write about these each one individually. these three songs are really similar in tempo, feel, style, rhyming scheme, and that i havent seen a single good live yet lol. im not so sure these artists are really even ready for live performances, or that this type of song is appropriate for a good showing.

that being said, each song also definitely has a distinct melody and nice feel to them. while all are very similar in style, the biggest difference among the three is the use of the bass line, each giving the listener its own feel and corresponding mood.

yakusoku no hi has the strongest and fastest bass and accompaniment, making it the liveliest and most upbeat.

one love is a more rnbish track with its slightly slower bass and dual male voices; shimizu is also probably the strongest standalone artist of the three features which gives the song a bit more of a complete feel.

beni and mouichido bring the most relaxed beat with pleasant vocals and smooth sound. definitely the most chill song of the bunch.

i like all three of these songs a lot, choosing my favorite based on my mood. most of the time if im feelin it though, i just listen to everything. youll be seeing posts about the songs made by these features sometime in the future, theyre all really good.

Labels: dohzi-t aoyama thelma beni shota japanese

the track making genius back at it with

페니 feat. 타블로, Yankie * Alive
Pe2ny feat. Tablo, Yankie
korean
2008

imeem

you might be familiar with one of pe2ny and tablos previous collabs which was just a beat from the eternal morning collection. if not check it out that link, its really good if youre into this kinda stuff; wut tang/mob deep - phat beat kinda stuff.

alive is the title track for pe2nys latest album alive soul cuts, which he does tons of collabs with lots of hip hop artists (these ones actually have words). the album has a lot of depth brought by the variety of styles and voices that the different artists contribute; of course all tied together by the amazing tracks that pe2ny creates. id recommend going through the whole thing, heres a playlist, since i chose alive because i think the beats sick, and im a tablo fan.

as ive said before, i think he makes some really interesting tracks by using all kinds of instruments, sounds, and mixes you might not typically hear. a song can get by with having a nice melody and arrangement, or good lyrics, but its great to see that some people still strive to make the best of both.

Labels: pe2ny alive soul cuts tablo korean

another famous but less known group with an awesome song

ZAYIN
藍色眼睛
Blue Eyes
Chinese
2004

imeem

alternative, pop, rock, ballad and all sorts of things, zayin is a taiwanese 5-man band formed when four of them were studying in new zealand. this is a mellow track that is among my favorite slower chinese songs. along with having nice lyrics, i like their use of sound and multiple types of guitars.

youve probably noticed, but im trying to keep things mixed up between the three languages, different genres and moods, and older vs recent tracks. dont worry ill probably get to one of your favorite releases soon enough.

Labels: zayin 藍色眼睛 blue eyes chinese

this was the first time ive actually looked at boa since 2004, ive liked the song for a long time but never bothered to watch the lives till this one in 07. damn she looks good, and she did a great job.

time spent on her outfit - 2 days, time spent on his - 3 minutes.

M-Flo loves Boa * the Love Bug
Japanese
2004

07 performance
imeem

this is by far the most famous of his whole trademark "m-flo loves" series. in my mind, mflo (or verbal the rapper) is marked by his upbeat, lively, electronic arrangements, non-retarded use of english, really cool fast paced duets, as well as lyrics that just seem to work. he and his partner(s) will trade off really short lines or do a lot of call and response type things.

boas entrance for this performance was pretty cool, and she looks like shes having a lot of fun on stage with all the energy shes pouring out. the two put on a great performance, much better than i expected was possible for this song. she loves me, he loves me not, oh he loves me, she loves me, oh she loves me......

love bug as a song actually feels like its going somewhere. its got your typical chorus and all that, but the all of the verses are done in different styles almost like theyre representing the different moods of love. i mean its called the "love bug" after all, you go from excited, to worried, to giddy, to happy all in one song, its only fitting.

if you like love bug, then miss you should be right there with it. its got essentially the same feel, except it features Melody and Yamamoto Rhohei. give it a try if you dont know it.


i absolutely have to post this since its lovely

M-Flo loves Yoshika * Let Go
Japanese
2005 @ Budokan
live
imeem acoustic version
imeem perf better quality but sometimes has ads, really recommend this one

just simply a great song. its soothing, emotional, well put together overall, slower paced, and a welcome change of place from his usual. yoshika gives an awesome perf here as well. the arrangement was just superb, removing certain instruments for effect, adding ticking sounds when verbal mentions his watch and so on. dropping the accompaniment at 5:20 after she tapers off the words "isshun demo" for a few moments of silence was an amazing touch. love it.

it really doenst matter how good a singer was in their past history, sometimes someone surprises you and gives an awesome performance. 2005 was a great year for lives.

you can always tell when its an mflo song, you just can.

mflo - prism/ loves sowelu, so exclusive/ final distance remix

Labels: m flo boa love bug yoshika let go japanese

even though i really like both of these songs, this one is a lot more vocally interesting.

卓文萱 & 曹格 - 梁山伯與朱麗葉
Zhuo Wen Xuan (Genie Zhuo) & Cao Ge (Gary Cao) - Liang San Bo Yu Zhu Li Ye
Romeo and Juliet
Chinese

imeem
mv

id really like to point out that unlike most other things that people refer to as "duets", this one feels much more like one than normal. since it feels like they trade off and sing to/with each other a lot more frequently.

as with a lot of slower songs, sometimes they take a little bit of time to grow on you, and also depend on your mood. the things i like most about this track are the lyrical arrangement and rhymes, and their voices. the pair sound pleasantly passionate when theyre reinforcing each others verses, which really does a lot for the feel of a duet.

genie has a super super cute voice, especially the way she sings zhu ying tai during the chorus, but the most amazing part would be gary. not only does he deliver well, hes also basically singing to match her range for the sake of the song. that takes some skill. overall i think that they were a good match, and their little add-ins during each others part were nice.

Labels: gary cao genie zhuo romeo juliet

been busy on and off the last couple weeks, so thats why i havent updated much

two more duets, two of my all time favorites

潘瑋柏 & 弦子 - 不得不愛
Pan Wei Bo (Wilber Pan) & Xuan Zi - Bu De Bu Ai
Chinese
imeem
mv
perf with hebe

before anyone says anything, the original version is by a korean hip hop group freestyle, titled please tell me why. much as i love the koreans, the chinese version is better, sorry.

so this bastard goes and does a perf with hebe during s.h.es 07 china tour, not cool. even though i do remember thinking, hey i bet hebes voice would sound really good in this, they should do a recording; way before it ever happened. oh well. some other interesting trivia is that xuan zi also performed this song (singing her chinese parts) with freestyle. i actually like their version better because i like xuan zis voice, but will pan has never been anything special.

almost everyone knows this song for some reason or another, and most people only know of will because of it. bu de bu ai has a really nice arrangement to it (shoutout to the koreans, what did i tell you) and i feel that the less hip hop oriented chinese version suits the mood of the song better. along with fitting the mood better, focusing on making a duet was also a good move. it was probably not hard to think of doing that though, since the original already had a female voice in it.

the second will be in the next post

Labels: will pan xuan zi bu de bu ai freestyle chinese hebe

you know those times where you hear 5 seconds of a song somewhere and know youll love it, well this is one of em.

다이나믹 듀오 ft. 주희 of 에이트 * Gone
Dynamic Duo ft. Ju Hee of 8eight
Gone
Korean
2008

imeem i had to ul it to my own account for once, since it wasnt there
mv this is a cyworld link, so it will load very slowly, but its the only place that has it this early. (its a korean site, duh). the lyrics are there too, if you can read hangul.

so heres the deal. i was thinking about writing a post last week about park jung ahs (one of the girls from the group jewelry) recent track, new ways always. its another one of those catchy pop songs, and another cool solo release from someone familiar. but when i was looking for a hq mv stream to link i actually watched the video the whole way through, and at the end of it theres a roughly 10second clip previewing the second part, except with a new song. after hearing those few seconds i was thinking, the second song is already better, why should i bother with the main thing. so there i was waiting for it to come out.

since i had some time to think about it and listen to that clip over and over, i already assumed that the female voice was someone different. that and "new ways always part 2" were the only real clues i had, and i left it at that, assuming ill come across it eventually, so i wont bother looking too hard.

fast forward to tonight, i was reading some forums and stuff talking about a digital single that literally just came out called gone(new ways always). the clip that i knew only had female voices and i know dynamic duo definitely dont sound girly, but there was a feature - and ju hee is definitely a girl.

from the opening alone i knew i had it, there were those amazing violin chords, not to mention he says new ways always better -o-. the small teaser from the original mv is the chorus, so when it finally got there it was a dead giveaway. and that was that, found it at its release completely randomly. im pretty damn happy right now.

like ive already said, i really really really like collabs, and heres another one of em. so far ive probably listened to it about 30 times. everything about the chorus is amazing, the tune, the melody, the ad-ins, the emphasis on every other line, the rhyme, the violins... its gone, its gone, its gone... love is gone. since i only understand maybe half of the words that they are even saying(ill have to get the lyrics some later time), its the arrangement that does it for me right now. i do have to say that i like how a lot of korean artists perform in multiple genres. at the moment i also think koreans make the most amazing beats/tracks/accompaniment/arrangements too. they really arent bound to any array of instruments to throw in there, anything goes, and thats the way it should be.

see you in a week when ive listened to this song so many times it hurts.

Labels: dynamic duo 8eight gone new ways always

for all you hana yori dango fans, the special/movie dvd is being released december 19th. so be ready to look for your favorite fansubs going at it.

Labels: hyd movie sp

its things like

上木 彩矢
Kamiki Aya
A Constellation
Japanese
2005/2007

imeem
imeem original
pv 07 ver

originally released in 05, a constellation was my favorite kamiki aya song for quite some time. i liked the rock orchestration, the lyrics, the way she sings, and all the little subtle things in the sounds or enunciation. then i heard the 07 version.

the remix is the same song with a slower tempo, less complicated sounds, and strings. honestly, if you want to make any good song sound completely chilling, this is exactly what you do; i guess she took a page off the master. in short, it turned an already great song into something more. the rock version is still definitely very nice, but a more emotionally warm feeling and sounding arrangement gives a song more depth, and even lets you match a version to your mood.

ive always thought of her as a great vocalist, and being given the opportunity to change it up a little bit for this track was a nice surprise. this type of more sparce arrangement also gives the vocals more focus and demands a stronger attention of the listener. it came out beautifully.

aya explored a bit more of the slower/ballad type of song in her latest album are you happy now?

Kamiki Aya - misekake no i love you/ pierrot/ are you happy now?/ summer memories/ ashita no tame ni

Labels: kamiki aya constellation

comes one of my favorite hip hop groups period

Leessang
영화처럼
Korean
2007

imeem

i didnt pick an older track from when they were truly underground back around 03 just because this one came up on my playlist, and i love it.

leessang is a two person group, consisting of a rapper and a melodist which i guess is a little bit unusual for serious hip hop. the two also like to do lots of collaborations with other rappers, track makers, and often female vocalists (but not the kind you would expect).

what i really like about this group, and the korean scene in general, is their ability to make amazing beats. by throwing in all sorts of unconventional sounds, instruments, ornamentations and so on, there is so much more possiblity for interesting tracks. and as far as im concerned, this song has got a lot of it all. there is honestly nothing i dislike about it, the variation in everything, the little drop sounding touches, the development over the whole song is just superb.

solid lyrics, hot tracks, their style is just amazing. my only hope is that they can preserve it without being sucked into the mainstream kpop world.

Leessang - Life is Beautiful/ Ballerino/ Rush/ Im Not Really Laughing(Inside), ill most likely be posting about some of these in the future

if anyone can find me a dl of the collab performance between epik high and leesang of life is beautiful, that would be.. so nice.

Labels: leessang korean hip hop

i still remember that line from the radio promotion for this song

蜜雪薇琪 (mi xue wei qi)
Michelle & Vickie
獨立 (du li)
Independence
Chinese
2005
imeem

this duo was a taiwanese pop group that unfortunately no longer existed ever since vickie returned to ucsd to complete her education. i have no idea whether or not they have a comeback intended seeing as she must have graduated by now.

much of the reason i like this song is because find the piano accompaniment to be really really nice. the mood is playful and upbeat, and the arrangement consists of mostly piano, some bass, tamborines, and of course violins. both of the girls voices also seem to sound especially good when singing in unison.

definitely part of my, "save for all time" collection.

Michelle & Vickie - 过渡时期/ 白色羽毛

Labels: michelle vickie chinese du li

min sun ye, so hot! park ye eun, so hot! sun mi jjang, so hot! ahn so hee, so hot! kim yoo bin, so hot! saranghaeyo wonder girls! maeryukmanjum wonder girls! so! hot! dae! bak!

their fans are stupidly dedicated, stupidly loud, and stupidly awesome

Wonder Girls
So Hot
Korean
2008

imeem
live korean fans often make chants for their favorite artists ie. go younha! saranghae!
mv with lyrics
yoobin remix my personal favorite

this post will have the three wg songs that i like the most, and none of them will be their latest releases of nobody or food song.

if you listen to any korean, you probably know them. if you read anything about korean media, you probably know them. if you read anything asian, you probably know them. thats how famous this group is. heres what you need to know, theyre korean, theyre pop (and i mean POP), they mix pop with rap/hiphop/rnb like a lot of asian groups do these days, and their songs are absolutely ridiculously catchy.

the first time i heard so hot, my thoughts were "you cant be serious, are they really saying that?". if you only catch the english youll know what i mean, if you understand everything; its even worse. i cant blame em, they really are that popular, so whoever wrote the song wasnt far from the truth. bam, step one to being catchy- grab someones attention, check. on to step two, add a retardedly repetitive, yet different, yet similar, easy to remember, chorus, and sing it a lot. yeah, the chorus didnt take long to get stuck in my head either. the last thing is having a solid and probably easy to hum melody, but im not so sure all of these songs even have one, or needed it.

of the three songs, this probably has the best use of cascading each of the girls voices individually, especially during the chorus. their two second dances during each of their lines during the chorus are also things that i ended up remembering, and sometimes catch myself doing when i listen to this song -o-. lastly, for whatever reason i really like the two opening verses sung by sun mi(that silly hand motion she does above her eyes when she says cheodabomyeon, omg!) then sun ye.

on to the song that started it all...

Wonder Girls
Tell Me
Korean
2007

imeem
mv
perf
for you nuts that want to learn it

the performance link above is actually another super popular girl group called snsd(so nyeo shi dae or girls generation) doing tell me as part of a special stage where the two groups swapped songs. (wg did snsds kissing you). i just felt its easier to see the dance there.

im honestly not sure whats more famous, the song, or the dance. either way tell me has to be one of the poster boys for what it means to start a fad. the tell me craze, as people refer to it as, is almost unbelievable. you can search any video site imaginable and find about a million different people ranging from children, high school boys, teachers, or even policemen showing their renditions of the tell me dance.

this song fills chorus requirement without a doubt, i mean seriously, who can forget "tell me tell me tatatatata tell me". simply put, its pop at its best, or worst, depending on who you ask.

finally we get to the least famous, but my favorite of the three

Wonder Girls
이바보
Ibaboh (this fool)
Korean
2007

imeem
live

while i dont like their live performances much at all, i like this one even though its really nothing special. its just that sun ye seems to be super enthusiastic when everyone else is lacking and i really like the dance during the chorus. guess its just sth about wg and their choreography. also to whoever designed their outfits, cmon, dont do that to yoobin.

ibabo is a typical, catchy, pop song. the reason its my first choice is simply that its the most musical; there is a greater amount of vocal pitch variation, singing speeds, and note variation. perhaps the largest portion of why it seems more "musical" is that its the only song to have what seems like a more melodic chorus. the only complaint i have is that the bass can be a little bit too overbearing.

im embarassed to admit, i do like these songs, but id sure love to have fans as crazy as theirs.

Wonder Girls - Nobody/ Irony

Labels: wonder girls tell me so hot ibaboh nobody korea

so todays post is about duets, two of them in fact.

伊藤由奈 &セリーヌ・ディオン * あなたがいる限り
Yuna Ito & Celine Dion
A World to Believe In
Japanese and English
2008
imeem
mv yunas hair looks crazy good in this
live for those who are interested

this track was originally off of celine's nov 07 album Taking Chances, and adapted in early 08 to be a duet. i feel that that the two languages sound good together, but that could be because japanese lyrics often have english, or that i like the power of these two singers.

celine and yuna are an interesting pair. first off, yunas english is flawless, probably better than her japanese, (she was born in la before moving to hawaii) and sounds very good when sung. it must have been fun for celine to be asked to sing sections in japanese seeing as she has virtually no background in the language. a world to believe in also doenst have the same pitfall many pop duets share, when one of the singers is just toooooo much better than their partner. that being said, i feel that both of them were pretty much amazing in this one.

as for the arrangement, i enjoy how both of them sing almost equal portions throughout the song, in both languages to boot. yuna takes a more contralto-ish(lower) part while celine seems to stick to her mezzo-soprano(mid ranged) style. you can definitely hear verses that they each sing independently, but what i find particularly interesting is when the pair sing in unison while trading off who takes the lead voice of a verse. yuna obviously doenst have trouble keeping up in english, and while celine cant exactly reciprocate, she still lays down the vocal harmony to preserve the balance. id like to believe that shes singing in japanese as well, but i dont want to make that assumption since i cant hear everything enunciated.

im definitely biased in celines favor because of a certain french song, but i really like this song for the amount of body in both of their voices. while i liked yunas parts a lot more, this was probably intentional. the song was adapted into japanese surprisingly well and they both did a fantastic job. its also nice to hear a dual female voiced duet, being a bit more refreshing than the norm - especially when involving two different, yet similar, extremely talented ladies.


the second song is technically not even released yet, only the mv has been, but you know how it is.

김동완 ft. 윤하 * 약속
Me ft. Younha
Promise
Korean
9 Nov 2008
youtube

slower, and a little bit more serious sounding than the first, promise brings variety. i think koreans really like this style of song, with the use of guitar, a few classical instruments and a moderate progressive bass. it would be no surprise if i heard this in some drama, or fan made video drama haha. as always, my girl younha holds it down for the fans. she is just one of those artists whos consistently fun for me to listen to.

Labels: celine dion yuna ito younha kim dong wan promise

if a picture is worth a thousand words, and a book can take you places youve never seen or dreamed of; whats a song? a song can tell a story, or paint a picture, but it also hits us somewhere much more fundamental while its at it. through its sound it does things to you that you have trouble describing in words. the ideal music video is one that not only compliments but also enhances its partner in conveying a message for the viewer, and this one is about as good as it gets.

RADWIMPS
オーダーメイド
Order Made
2008
Japanese

mv
song
lyrics

radwimps is a japanese rock group, and this was their first chart topping song, beating out koda kumi's release at the time. some people have trouble believing how this was even possible for a relatively unknown group and what they called a so-so song, but id bet those people havent even set foot in japan.

lesson time, not related to this song per se. japanese music has long since progressed to 128bmp music with syncopation(when beats fall out of place of where they would normally be placed within strict time), while the western world is still often measuring things in 4/4 time or its close relatives. i dont mean to say syncopation is nonexistent in other countries seeing as it is prevalent in many different genres of music, but if you were to think about it mathematically, how many possibilities are there for variance in music when your base is 128 rather than 4/4 or 32, and also syncopated within. think compounded orders of magnitude.

in addition to more complicated arrangements, the japanese care A LOT about the lyrical content of their music. ive often read comments on youtube or similar sites about how so and so cannot believe that some crap song is the current rank 1 on multiple japanese charts. those comments demonstrate a couple things, one the person has no idea what hes talking about, two he knows nothing of the differences in cultures, three hes probably looking for some stereotypical, boring, predictive garbage. the reason certain songs are able to topple charts is simple, wow the audience with your words, and you can achieve what your sound couldnt.

so, if you actually read that you probably learned sth today, if not thats alright - just remember lyrics are cool, and when a music video fits the lyrics, its even cooler.

the vocals for this song are nothing amazing, and the orchestration is something youd hear often listening to this genre of music. what really sets it apart are the lyrics and subtle progression of the refrain through the song. there are hardly any repeated phrases, yet similar verses are still matched with their rhyme and/or rhythm, only with different words.

finally, about the music video itself; its pretty genius. it matches the lyrics in a totally unexpected way from what you would imagine if you were to only read the translation. its also so simple that you will completely understand after watching it a single time. in this case, the simplicity coupled with attention to finer detail, make it truly beautiful.

personally, my favorite part of the video begins around 3:00, during his talk about hearts. three things immediately struck me, the context of the words, the change in accompaniment, and the scene. this is where it was the group and directors stroke of brilliance to piece the puzzle together. the arrangement, most notably the bass, became louder and more prolonged, to account for the fact that theyre talking about hearts and heartbeats, almost like the pulse of the song coming to life. to top it off the images the video is showing at the time not only fit the lyrics, but the beating of the hearts is also in sync with the sounds youre hearing. all the while, the lyrics are not only sensible, but more importantly describe the sentimental intimacy of love in a way youve never heard before. genius.

this is definitely one of those songs that many people might not like immediately, but you might find yourself liking it because of the video, or because of its lyrics.

as for what the story is? youll have to watch and find out for yourself

RADWIMPS - ふたりごと (this ones really good)/ 有心論

these are both more upbeat, and are more what youd expect from jrock

Labels: radwimps order made mv japanese music culture