Top 5 Original Japanese K-Pop Songs

This ranking is based purely on my own opinion, so, please respect that

 

This is my current K-Pop love of the moment (Rainbow's JaeKyung).
But, I couldn't find a gif of her derping. Her hair tho

 

And, here it is, another ranking! Don't worry, I've started writing a rant, too. And I plan to start reviewing dramas eventually, too.

That title on its own probably doesn't make sense so I'll elaborate. Of course, many Korean artists debut in Japan with Japanese language remakes of pre-existing songs. However, there comes a point where the artist has to release a brand-new, all-original track for the Japanese audiences. I'll be counting down my personal favourites. Oh, and you should probably consider this as a kind of Part Two of this.

5. Rainbow - Gonna Gonna GO! / Shoujo Jidai - MR. TAXI

 

Yes, that's right, it's a draw! My rankings so far make it look like SNSD are one of my favourite K-Pop groups but they aren't. Don't get me wrong, I like them, and they're miles better than, say, T-ara or something. Thing is, some SNSD songs tick all my little personal boxes while others...well, they don't hit a single chord with me. And that's just how it is. However, MR. TAXI is one song that I loved from the moment I heard it. It sounded really cool and the Japanese was a ridiculous improvement on whatever it was that was supposed to be happening in their previous Japanese release, Gee. It was a pleasant surprise. I never go in expecting to be wowed by this lot, so, when they do come out with a song I love, I end up more impressed that I probably would have been otherwise. Half of SNSD's songs bore me, while the other half excite me...well, not quite but when I like them, I really do like them. 
Rainbow, however, are my favourite K-Pop girlgroup. Gonna Gonna GO! is extremely K-Poppy in terms of style but it's really catchy, too. Also, these girls have had excellent Japanese since their Japanese debut, which is more than I can say for some Korean groups who try their luck overseas. Their Japanese language skills do not disappoint in this track, either. The production of this song is extremely slick and, though it may not be Rainbow's best song nor the most original thing ever, there's some definite appeal in this song. Though, technically, it borders on the generic, this song has a certain charm to it which definitely draws the listener in. Also, this song has a cool rap thrown in there, as always, which just adds to it.

 

4. ROMEO (Park Jung Min) - Give Me Your Heart

 

This song didn't chart particularly well, only reaching the #26 spot in the chart and that was probably due to an immense lack of promotion on this single's part. I actually adore this single and that's why it made it onto this list. I think, had it been given the promotion it deserved, this single would have done a lot better. In terms of style, this song is very is very similar to Jung Min's first proper solo release, independent from SS501, 'Not Alone'. I absolutely adore the style in that song, so, when I heard this track, I was ecstatic. Give Me Your Heart is a very cool and dramatic song, with a really catchy melody. I love the violins in the backtrack, too. As a Japanese release, this is also a really strong track. Jung Min's Japanese sounds seamless and natural, his accent and pronunciation are really good. Obviously, he still sounds Korean, but less obviously than quite a lot of other Korean artists singing in Japanese. Jung Min always did have the best Japanese in SS501, proved not only by his singing but also his success in the language games of their Japan-based TV show, and his Japanese has only improved since the last time he released anything in Japan. I really do think he needs more promotion, he's a really good singer, his Japanese is great, I feel his musical style would appeal to a Japanese audience (somehow) and, really, look at him, he's a human bishi! He's a Horse Prince, but, still, Horse Princes can be bloody pretty, apparently. I know looks don't count for all, but, when promoting him to another market than his home market, looks always help.

 

3. 2NE1 - SCREAM

 

This single only hit #7 on the Oricon charts so, in terms of doing well in Japan, it's not the best but it's still good. However, this is one of my very favourite 2NE1 songs so on the list it goes! Dara's Japanese isn't the strongest which lets the track down just a little but it doesn't have any real bearing on the quality of the rest of the song. This song is really cool and powerful, with impressive vocals. Cool is the only word to describe this song, really. CL and Minzy are particularly mind-blowing, actually, in both their rap and vocal parts. But, honestly, CL has so much style and power that it's unbelievable. As painfully naff and cheesy as it may sound, she's not known as 'The Baddest Female' for nothing, of that I have no doubts.

2. BIGBANG - Gara Gara GO!

 

The kings of K-Pop, BIGBANG, moved onto original tracks as early as their second single, chancing it against Tegomass (and, clearly, not succeeding...I don't even know what they got). This is one of my favourite BIGBANG tracks and my second favourite of their Japanese A-Sides (can't argue with BEAUTIFUL HANGOVER, really, that shit's far too good). I know there's a Korean version of this song, too, but I'm pretty bloody sure it came after and, as such, is a remake of the Japanese song and not the other way around. This is a really catchy, fast-paced song - it's fun and, somehow, it's really quite Summery. I feel that this song was also one of the first in a K-Pop trend that spread like wildfire, in terms of song style and even music video visuals. With plenty of English chants and even some more simple Japanese, this song's easy to sing along to, granted you miss out the fast parts. Unless you do those know those bits, obviously (I do, I have to say). It's just...yeah, fun.

It's very upbeat yet cool at the same time. Like, really cool. Especially those rap parts. And the 'T.O.P' part. That can't be argued with. That shit is too good. So, yeah, there seem to be no specific reasons...I just love this song.

 

1. Kim Hyun Joong - HEAT

I already did a review of this song as part of this review but that was referring more to what I liked about the song than why I thought it was a good choice for the first non-remake song HyunJoong released in Japan. Proof that it deserves the #1 spot lies solely in the fact that this single sold well enough to stick Yamashita Tomohisa, one of Japan's ultimate pop aces since he was around sixteen years old, with the first (and only) Oricon #2 in his recording career, which started when he was about nineteen. He's twenty-eight this April. You also have to keep in mind that it's an extremely rare feat for a K-Pop artist to top the charts with their second Japanese release. So, there, we have the proof, but, what contributed to this? There are various factors that may have led to this success. First-off, HyunJoong is a huge star all over Asia, so, it would only make sense for him to hit Japan hard. He had already gained fans in Japan through his time as a member of SS501, a group who made their Japanese debut ahead of the current Halyuu boom in the Japanese music scene, and his roles in the dramas, Boys Over Flowers and Playful Kiss. Japan experienced a K-Drama boom a before K-Pop really hit it big there, and, furthermore, both of these dramas are remakes of popular manga, the first having had a hugely successful Japanese drama adaption and the second being somewhat of a classic. Both of these manga also have anime and T-Drama adaptions, too. And, really, Boys Over Flowers and Hana Yori Dango are among the most successful dramas ever in their respective countries of origing, so, it's not surprising that HyunJoong's role as the lovable Aspie, JiHoo (formerly known as Rui) drew him in some fans. Furthermore, the song was created by Japanese music legends, B'z. They're a truly powerful duo in the Japanese music scene so, really, having a song created by that pair puts HyunJoong at quite an advantage. I mean, aside from being HUGE in themselves, one half of B'z is responsible for the composition for the best selling debut single in Oricon chart history, the long-awaited first single of KAT-TUN, selling over 750 thousand copies in its first week. Actually, this song is more Japanese-sounding than it is Korean, and considerably so, too. This probably helped it sell so well. As much attention as certain Korean artists are getting in Japan right now, Japanese-style songs will always have more appeal, seeing as Japanese-style music been gradually tailored to...well, appeal to the Japanese public. Besides, with some groups coming out with the same generic style of song all the time, maybe this is a nice change, I don't know. I'm not Japanese, I'm just speculating.

 

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So, yeah, there you have it, my personal ranking of K-Pop artists first original Japanese tracks. Though, technically, some of these may not be the best or the most interesting or even the most successful (though, #1 is certainly one of the more successful ones), but, y'know what, I really like them and think they deserve their spots.



[ALBUM REVIEW] A K-Pop Superstar's Japanese Debut Album Shows Unlimited Potential

All opinions are my own and I have a right to them. Please try to respect that and I'll be glad to do the same for you~!

 

 

My favourite of all this album's covers - it's bloody gorgeous!

 

Kim Hyun Joong means serious business, he's made that clear already. Prior to his solo Japanese debut, he was only, what, one the biggest stars in the whole of East Asia? Honestly, this man is adored in many a country and, as such, it came as no surprise that his first Japanese single was met with great success, shooting straight to #2 on the Oricon Weekly chart, a feat rarely achieved by a freshly debuted K-Pop artist in Japan. Admittedly, he had already appeared on the Oricon Top 5 during his time as leader of the now comatose, for want of a better phrase, quintet, SS501. However, the last single they ever released in Japan was released in the Summer of 2008 which was a good while before the Halyuu Wave had its big boom, anyway, meaning that K-Pop groups were possibly more of a novelty anyway. His second single, however, had no trouble topping the Oricon Weekly chart, even with Johnny's Entertainment's [adult] ace, Yamashita Tomohisa. This was the first time in Yamapi's entire career as a recording artist (which started in 2005) that he failed to top the Oricon Weekly (though he did make it to #2). Now, really, for a K-Pop artist, that really is something, considering Yamapi's popularity. However, my mum did suggest, jokingly of course, that people just got the two of them muddled up, seeing as she's still learning to tell the two apart - You can't blame her too much, can you? Seeing as she's not that familiar with the two of them yet. Though, that being said, she's learned to identify Yamapi as the one who 'looks like he has a bad smell under his nose'.



HyunJoong (left) and Yamapi (right) - just for comparison's sake

Anyway, that aside, Hyun Joong eventually released his first Japanese album, which was also his first full-length album as a solo artist. The album went straight to #1 on the Oricon Daily and #3 on the Oricon Weekly, which, granted, is still impressive. Tohoshinki (or TVXQ, but we're talking about Oricon here), the king of Hanryuu Star Wave groups, only managed to get #4 for their debut album (though, that was back in 2006 which was a fair bit before the recent boom). So, really, it can't be denied that there's a lot to expect from HyunJoong in the future.

As such, I'll be reviewing the afore-mentioned album, titled 'UNLIMITED'. The album mainly features previously-released Japanese remakes of tracks from his two Korean mini-albums and one remade single track, but it also has the two tracks from his second single as well as a few original tracks made specifically for the album. So, without further ado, let's have a listen~

1. Save Today

This song is one of the two tracks chosen to promote the album and, as such, was given a video, which I didn't know when I first heard the album. At that point, I only knew that Your Story had a video, yet I did have a feeling that, if  any other song were to have a video, for whatever reason, it would surely be this one. The video, to be perfectly honest, confuses me, so, seeing as this is an album review and not a video review anyway, I'll set that train of thought aside for now and focus on the song isntead.

Anyway, aside from HEAT (which quickly became my favourite of all HyunJoong's songs), this is my favourite track of the album. The song has a sort of soft-rock feel with a bit of a pop essence, reaching closer to HyunJoong's musical roots, seeing as he started out with a school rock band (that went pretty much nowhere but that's beyond the point), as he seems to be doing a little more with his Japanese releases as opposed to his Korean ones. Fortunately, I do love it when my favourite artists go for this kind of style. Actually, this might sound odd, but I think this particular sound is very Japanese in its own way. It's quite similar, in a sense, to the style of some J-Rock bands (not the Visual Kei variety, the other end of the J-Rock spectrum), only, possibly, softer.

The song is pretty catchy and quite easy to get lost in, I find. It's a very good song for looking at the scenery zoom past when you're on a drive, actually. That may sound stupid but I can assure you that it's true. When I went down to London last month, this song got a lot of listens and it always had the best effect on me in such situations, particularly when I was on the Tube and it was travelling along the Overground parts. That image has been pretty much welded into my mind and it kind of lingers whenever I listen to this song, with the brown flats, green plants and silver pillars of metal kind of fading in and out of my mind's eye. I know that sounds really, really cheesy but it's true. And it's a nice image. Though, that has squat to do with the song itself.

It's a gorgeous song, though, and it seriously compliments Hyun Joong's voice. He suits this kind of song, really.

2. Let's Party

This track is the B-Side to HyunJoong's second Japanese single, HEAT and, to tell the truth, I'm not huge on it. It's listenable and, as such, I will listen to it but it's not a favourite song of mine. It's my least favourite track on the album. I don't mind the chorus at all, even if it is properly cheesy-sounding, but the verses aren't as much to my tastes somehow. I think it's the autotune that's at fault here - I'm not too fond on this kind of autotune, though, I can tolerate it quite easy. It's a catchy song, that I won't deny it. It's just an explosion of cheese - dancy cheese. It's very...well, to me, it seems awfully 90's-esque, as in 90's Brit-pop, in parts, and, well, 90's Britpop is extremely cheesy, almost to a fault. Though, that being said, it may just be me, considering I can still enjoy the song. It's a nice enough song, don't get me wrong, I don't dislike it, but, it's not necessarily my thing. I think it's probably an okay song but it doesn't match up with my personal tastes, if you know what I mean? However, the chants in the build-up to the choruses definitely have my approval.

3. U (Japanese version)

This track was originally a track on the Lucky min-album, and this version was a B-Side on he Kiss Kiss (Japanese version) single. The werid thing about this song is that the Korean version never caught my attention and I was never in the mood to listen to it, it just didn't work for me, yet, somehow, I really like the Japanese version. That being said, I did give the Korean version and other listen, and it is definitely a nice song regardless of the language. But, somehow, the Korean version never hit me in the right way, while the Japanese version did. I do like the sound of the Korean language but I feel that, maybe, the Japanese language lends itself more to this song.

It's a very pretty little song and it's very calming. The reverb in this track is quite heavy, adding a kind of almost angelic feel to the song, if you get what I mean. This song just glows in a strange way; it's quite fantastical in its own perculiar manner. It's the sort of song that drags you in to its own little world. I also like that it's such a soft and peaceful song but, even so, something about the chorus is powerful. On top of that, in terms of emotion, this is one of Hyun Joong's best songs. I actually think the emotion in the Japanese version is stronger than the original but, also, the Japanese is quite simple so I can understand a lot of it...and that always helps.

I do have a habit, though, of hearing the very start of the song and suddenly deciding it's actually SS501's Everything. Oops. Well, at least they're connected - it could be worse.

4. Kiss Kiss (Japanese version)

Originally one of the promo tracks of Hyun Joong's first solo mini-album, Break Down, this version was used as his first Japanese single. First off, before I get on to the song itself, I must say that I by far prefer the Japanese PV to the Korean MV. I'm sure if I were one of the fans who got to meet him (though, I don't live in anything like the right country for that), my stance on the matter might be different. However, I'm not, so I have little emotional attatchment to the MV - the PV's just a better and more interesting video.

This was always my least favourite track on Break Down, but that was a mini-album I absolutley adored in every aspect. As such, I've always, from the moment I heard it, loved this song. Honestly, I hoped that he would have debuted in Japan with Please but, seeing as it already had a proper MV and was the first song to be promoted, using Kiss Kiss made more sense than using it - same with Break Down. Kiss Kiss made sense. On on top of that, a lot of male K-Pop artists have debuted in Japan with tracks all of a similar genre (not all, obviously, I know that), so, I guess that using this song, which is slightly less typically K-Pop, allowed Hyun Joong to stand out a little.

The song itself has a really sweet sound and it's very upbeat. It's a song that works well with Hyun Joong's voice and I mean really well. The Japanese lyrics also sound really good and flow really well with the song. In fact, when choosing the tracks for this review on Korean-to-Japanese tracks, this track was very nearly 5th place. It just missed out and only made it to 6th place. They don't sound stilted at all and, in some parts, they have a similar sound to them to the original lyrics. The lyrics also match the beat in a certain way that makes them really catchy and memorable. And, of course, the song itself is really catchy - even when I listened to this whole album at once, the song that stuck in my head for the rest of the next was this!

5. I'm Yours

Putting aside the grammatical error in the title, this is a nice song. It's nice to hear Hyun Joong singing in a lower pitch, as a lot of his songs are higher. This song actually reminds me another one, in terms of style, but I can't remember for the life of me what it is. Or KAT-TUN, if it the backtrack were a little lower. It's not a Hyun Joong song, though. Something tells me the song is somehow related to KAT-TUN NEWS but I haven't got a clue. Though, that being said, I could imagine Yamapi singing it, almost. It's a song with a somewhat fast tempo despite its tone; it's not exactly an upbeat song. It's a dark song, figuratively speaking. If there was a PV, I'd expect it to have a darker colour scheme. In fact, it does seem like a song that could do with a PV, granted said PV had plenty of drama scenes and emotional stuff. That would be perfect for this song.

The melody is nice, though, the verses aren't the most memorable. It doesn't matter all that much, though, as they're still really nice to listen to. The chorus is a lot memorable, though, and has a nice, emotional feel to it. I'm not kidding, I really love the chorus, particularly the 'ano hi no you ni' line - the melody and the way his voice sounds at those parts is really nice. The bridge is also great. Probably just cause I love that kind of 'tune changes for a bit, everything stops, line that increases in emotion, pause for effect, everything starts again' thing - maybe because they show up in a lot of KAT-TUN tracks...

6. Your Story

This song is the other promo track for this album in that it got a PV and was used in the adverts for the album. The PV is really nice and...-cough- Hyun Joong looks fantastic.

That aside, I really like this song and it's one of my favourites on the album. I absolutely love how Hyun Joong's voice sounds - he really suits this genre, that kind of soft-rock with a poppy touch. Sometimes, I feel like his voice doesn't actually blend perfectly with the music, but that's probably just cause his voice is a little on the husky side, or, well, it's slightly raspy in a way. Sort of. But, it doesn't make a difference, really, and it's only like that in the verses. His voice fits perfectly with everything in the chorus! Honestly, I do think that Hyun Joong needs to keep doing more songs like this. The chorus is also really memorable  and a little infectious. The arrangement and melody are both absolutely brilliant, too.

My favourite part of this song, as much as I love every last part of it, is the final 'hanasanai yo' line - the way he holds that last note is absolutely gorgeous!

7. Boku wa Kimi no Mono (Japanese Version)

This song was originally a track on the Lucky mini-album and...to be honest, I forgot that until now. I have heard it before and I do actually have it on my MP3 Player (though, it's name is in Korean), I'm just an idiot. I haven't heard the Korean version enough to make an educated comparison, though. However, the names of the two tracks are actually different; the Korean version is called Naneun ne Namja ya (trans; I'm Your Man, which is what most people know it as, for some reason, K-Pop songs get referred to by their translation) while the Japanese version's title translates as 'I'm Your's' - okay, it's really not that different but still. Though, it does mean that there are basically two tracks on this album with the same name.

Anyway, this track is a ballad, as most albums seem to have (at least, in Japan?). Well, anyway, I think a good ballad is always compulsory in an album. This isn't one of the most memorable ballads I've ever heard but it is still a very pretty track and HyunJoong sounds really great. This is also the only track on the album, aside from HEAT, not to have Steven Lee working on it, so, in a way, it's got a change in feel to it. What I also like is that this song is the halfway point of the album - it's like a peaceful little rest in the middle of the CD. It's a nice effect.

8. Marry Me (Japanese Version)

This song was originally part of a single which had two tracks; 'Marry Me' and 'Marry You'. There was some kind of special concept, like one was the man's song and one was the woman's, or something like that but I can't fully remember what it was.

I'll say it straight out - this is my second least favourite track on the album. Don't get me wrong, I love the song, I really do. I just don't like the double voice effect in the chorus, which is a shame because I love the melody in those parts, as well as the falsetto notes. With what little Japanese knowledge I possess, I can tell that the lyrics to this song are quite sweet, though, maybe a little cheesy. By my standards. I'm not big on all that stuff, generally. No dislike, mind you.

This song isn't necessarily the most memorable out there, though, proved by the fact that I forgot what the original sounded like until I heard this version. If you're more into this style of song than I am, though, it's actually really good and I would recommend it seconds. It's a good song!

9. Lucky Guy (Japanese Version)

This was originally the main track for the mini-album, Lucky, and was my favourite of Hyun Joong's songs until HEAT came along. This version was the other promo track of the Japanese debut single, KISS KISS. However, the Japanese version, though I do like it and it is one of my favourite tracks on the album, does not do the original justice. Where the Japanese version does win, though, is the PV, though, that's mainly because it doesn't have that random god awful scene with the woman fixing a car in a bikini. Ugh.

The added sound effects of this version don't really help the song in anyway whatsoever and, seeing as I'm so used to the original, just sound stuck on. I actually did a review of the original song back in 2011, but since I sound like an idiot there, I'll just some up how I feel about the song in general. Obviously, I love the rest of the song - the melody, the tone, the arrangement, it's all perfect. It's a really fun song and I was totally drawn in by that. Also, it's ridiculously infectious and super memorable.

10. Break Down (ft. Double K) (Japanese Version)

This was originally one of the promo tracks (and the titular track) for HyunJoong's first mini-album, with this version first appearing on the KISS KISS single. Personally, I don't like this version as much as the original, purely because I don't think the lyrics work as well, and a lot of it's to do with the fact that I don't think the Japanese language lends itself as well to this song. Well, actually, it seems like it might do if you were a native Japanese speaker since a lot of it's to do with the fact that lyrics of the original are quite clipped-sounding (I don't mean edited, though). Due to HyunJoong's strong accent, that kind of sharpness doesn't work as well with Japanese. It probably wouldn't work as well if a nativer speaker sung this song but it might have worked better, if you know what I mean. That being said, I don't think it's bad. No way. It's still good and HyunJoong has really good pronunciation, but, I think the song just sounds better in Korean. It sounds cooler like that.

As for the song itself, the original is probably my third favourite HyunJoong song. I really do love this song, I just think it sounds really cool. And, even in Korean, the lyrics are memorable and catchy, especially combined with the infectious melody of the chorus. It's quite a down-key song, but it's still up-tempo and it's a really nice combo. The arrangement of the song works really well, too, and I seriously love all the different layers of vocals, with all the adlibs in the background. And Double K's rap sounds really good. I don't actually know he is aside from this song, but his rap compliments the song boody well.

11. HEAT

Originally the A-side of HyunJoong's second Japanese single, the one that kicked Yamapi's poor little butt, this is my favourite of all HyunJoong's songs, hands-down. This song was created by B'z, with one member doing music and the other doing lyrics - actually, it was Tak who did the music. I only know one other song with music by Tak, seeing as I don't listen to B'z, and it was KAT-TUN's debut single Real Face, which is one of my all-time favourite songs. I feel like giving B'z a listen would make sense now...

But, yeah, I suppose, based on the rest of the review, that it's no secret that I'm a fool for rocky songs with a poppy feel to them and that's exactly what this song is. The tune is really infectious, it gets stuck in your head really quickly. Well, not quite, but it is an easy tune to learn after a few listens. The lyrics are pretty easy to remember, too. I seem to remember more of the words than I thought I did!

But, really, it is my favourite HyunJoong song by a flying long-shot, though, it seems that I can't fully explain why. It's just...so...I was so drawn in by it from the moment I heard it! It's catchy, memorable and really cool. For me, it ticks a load of boxes! And, on top of that, it seems to be a perfect song for HyunJoong's voice and singing style. I really want to see him tackle more songs like this.

It might seem like an odd song, though, because it is not a typical K-Pop song. It's actually very Japanese-sounding, if that makes sense. But that can probably be attributed to the fact that it was produced by one of the most legendary bands in Japan. But, really, even if you don't like K-Pop, if you're a J-Music fan, this song could appeal to you. I don't know if it sat well with all the K-Pop fans out there, though, but I don't assume it did too much of the opposite. So, yeah, it's a song with a lot of appeal, I'd say.

 

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All in all, I think it's pretty clear that I adore this album. Really, a lot of this review seemed to be a rant about how good the song was. But, really, I did expect this album to be good. I can't tell if it surpassed my expectations or not, though. I do love the album and I think it's really good but the fact that there was only a few new songs kind of let it down a little. Rather than including B-Sides in the album, it would have been nice to see some fresh stuff, but, this still sounds brilliant just like this!

Top 5 People || Top 5 Songs

All opinions expressed here are my own. If you have a problem with that, then, shoo, I don't want you here! And if you have an issue with any obviously biased opinions then...what are you doing on a post that's just about loving things!

Also, please ignore the obvious crappiness of the banner. I'm a lazy git.

So, what is this post?

It's a Top 5 Ranking review, to put it simply.

I'll be looking at each of my Top 5 individual singers (so, no groups and whether or not they are in a group is irrelevant) and, then, out of all the solo songs they've produced, I will choose my favourite and write up a brief review on it.

The list of people who I will be looking at are (according to the banner from left to right);

GACKT, Kamenashi Kazuya, Yamashita Tomohisa, Takahashi Ai & Kim Hyun Joong

So, let's start, then~

I'll be dealing with this in reversed order of preference.

5. Kim Hyun Joong - Lucky Guy

This wasn't an easy one, to be perfectly honest! I was probably stuck between this, Please Be Nice To Me (from the SS501 Solo Collection) and Break Down (from the...uh...Break Down album, obviously). Eventually, I went with this one, just because of the pure love it got from me when it was released. I don't know if you know, remember or care, but I actually did a small review of this when it came out. It was actually my 2nd legitimate review on this blog ((the things before didn't count as reviews)). 

I do actually adore this song, though. It's extremely catchy and upbeat. I really like how it stands out from most male K-Pop artists' music in that it doesn't really have many electro elements to it. I admit I'm not good with genres at all, so I can't exactly place what it is, but, it's not electro whatever it is.

On top of having a catchy beat, the words are pretty catchy - the chorus has enough English and simple enough Korean even for people who can't remember Korean songs by the lyrics (I'm guilty of this, most of the time, though I can get this chorus - though, I have a habit of remembering the lyrics of the Japanese instead now -.-')

The song also has a really awesome dance routine. It's actually really fun to do, even if you're barely following it!! xD

Here's the PV for you to check out yourself (if you're interested, the song you can hear parts of at the start and end is Do You Like That?)

4. Takahashi Ai - Cosmos

This one was also quite hard because...for Ai, who had been a lead in Morning Musume for almost her entire Morning Musume career, she has a surprisingly small number of solos! It's worth noting that I'm trying to limit myself to CD-released solos, as, otherwise, I would have chosen her performance of Goto Maki's Sayonara "Tomodachi ni wa Naritakunai no" (which is the best thing I've ever seen her do, oh my god, it was perfect. It's such a beautiful and emotional performance). I was also discounting the Hello! Cover single - I don't think it would've made much difference, but her cover of Matsuura Aya's dearest. certainly had a chance.

So, in the end, out of the 4 songs I could choose from, this managed to stand out as a fairly obvious winner for me. This song, found on the Champloo 1~Happy Marriage Song Cover Shuu~, is a cover of Yamaguchi Momoe's 1977 hit. This makes me feel cultured, because now I know J-Pop songs from the '70s =w=

This song is a really beautiful ballad which, based on a translation, seems to be about a young woman, who is getting married, and has to leave her mum who is, evidently, alone. Ai sings the words with powerful emotion and her voice suits the song perfectly. I do believe that giving Ai this specific song is one of the best things UFA have done because the result sounds rather gorgeous. Actually, this sounds weird, but this song seems really befitting of a Summer's day with a slight breeze - I want to stand in the breeze while listening to this! Aren't songs that have this kind of effect on you the best~?

This song doesn't have a video, so I'll leave you with this. Quite embarrassingly, one of the first things that comes up on YouTube when you search for this is my dub of the song from a year ago -.-''

3. Yamashita Tomohisa - One in a million

I chose the blue cover cause I like his shirt best out of all the cover. That's the only reason.

God, that wasn't an easy choice. Seriously, I adore Yamapi's entire discography - okay, sure, there's the odd song I'm not crazy about, but, for the most part, I love it. So, there was a lot to choose from here, but, I managed to narrow it down to this track - One in a million. I mean, I could have shown off with my glorious knowledge of every solo track he has ever released on CD, but, nope, I'll go with a single. Because I'm not going to lie to look better or some sort of arsery like that.

Now, this song came out after I'd gotten over the whole 'Ew no autotune is dead rubbish and ruins everything for everyone why do you hate me?' thing, which, quite honestly didn't last long - I mean, GACKT taught me otherwise with GHOST and Koakuma Heaven over a year earlier. Actually, at this point, I could readily accept that, granted it was used correctly, autotune could actually sound really quite cool. One in a million is one such song where the autotune sounds pretty cool. It works.

This song is pretty dancey - very electric and extremely catchy. Of course, there's some dodgy English from Yamapi in parts (his English has improved so much recently, though!). I really love this song. I actually often find myself forgetting that this is one of my favourite Yamapi tracks until I listen to it - that's when I remember it's actually my favourite of them all. I don't know why I forget, though. You think that'd mean it's not my favourite, right? But, really, when I do listen to it, I enjoy it so much. Honestly, I think it's good that I forget, because I'm kind of worried that if I listen to it too much then I'll get sick of it. I probably wont, but safety precautions, you know? Maybe it's dumb, but I have these worries! =~=

On top of that, the PV is pretty cool. Or, maybe, I'm just a sucker for black&red colour schemes because, really, I am. Honestly, I'm extremely grateful that the school I go to's colour scheme is black&red, even if there are so many other things I really don't appreciate about it. But, even so, this colour scheme makes the PV look that much cooler. Plus, Pi rocks sunglasses like no other, I swear. He looks too cool like that. And that's all I say there, because I think it's getting to the point where it's stopped being a review and suddenly become an opportunity to gush over Yamapi.

Here's a live performance of the song because I can't find the PV on YouTube o~o

Also, as a bonus, here's an English version by some Austrian singer and it's not nearly as good.

Kamenashi Kazuya - 1582

Well, here's a nice contrast to the openings of the three previous reviews - this was not a hard choice at all. I swear, this was almost painfully easy. Like, I don't even know if I'll be able to write this properly without just gushing and spewing fangirl liquids - keeping in mind I mean tears and drool and things. Basically, this song is up there as one of my favourite songs of all time. I could listen to it so many times and still not get sick of it. It has such a brilliant blend of sensuality, elegance, pain, sadness, hope and...argh...the list goes on. 

The song has a distinctively Japanese feel to it, though it isn't obvious - that is to say, we don't hear flutes and Koto in the backtrack. In fact, the backtrack is pretty electric and really not very traditional. A lot of that mood is brought in by the lyrics; take for example the use of 'watakushi' over 'watashi' in the chorus parts - 'watakushi' is still used in Japan today, but is very formal and rarely used in casual situations. Of course, such formal speech patterns are normally associated with a more old-fashioned way of talking, right? Also, a lot of the Kanji used in the song are less modern, such as the more formal Kanji for 'hitomi' (eye) being used, when the phonetic version used is clearly 'me', a more modern term with the same meaning, as well as the Kanji for 'izuko', an outdated version of 'where', being used for 'doko'. 

I really like the lyrics in this song for that reason. I also like the meaning of them - the story they tell. It's all a bit confusing, really, but beautifully written nonetheless. The lyrics seem to tie themes of sex and death together - the sexual referencing in this song is far from sleazy, though and is a lot more based around lust and romance. The impression of pain and suffering in this song is pretty strong, too. Just the words and the imagery used is so poetic and powerful, I've always thought that.

Another thing that draws me to this song is the ambiguity of it all, the theories behind it. First off, the lyricist is 'n' - this had been a mystery for a while and all that was known about 'n' was that they had also done the lyrics for Kame's solos 'w/o notice??' and 'SWEET'. Maybe n was Kame's assigned lyricist? Even so, n managed to raise a decent amount of questions in the fanbase. Eventually, it was revealed that n was Kame, big surprise. Thing is, though, he had actually hidden this fact so that fans wouldn't over-analyse 1582's lyrics. Apparently, it didn't stop them. So, did he have something to hide? Or was he just bored of the Akame fans ruining everything?

But, that's just one thing. There's also the discussions about what the real story of this song is. The most popular theory is a pretty interesting one, I have to say. Here, we assume that the title of the song refers to the year - 1582 AD, which would support Kame's description of it being a song with a Japanese feel. Why? Because 1582 is the year of a rather significant event in Japanese history - the death of Oda Nobunaga at Honno Temple or, simply put, the Incident of Honnoji. Now, it's no secret that Oda is Kame's most admired historical figure - he's said it enough times. Also, the fact that Oda died by way of committing Seppuku when he was trapped in the burning Honno Temple would explain the burning sounds at the beginning of the track. But, taking that into account, with these lyrics, from's who point of view was the song written? It is believed that Kame wrote the song through the eyes of Mori Ranmaru - the ever-loyal vassal of Oda. It's a bit too much to go into detail about in this review, so, maybe I'll write up another post on it one day, but, for now, I'll just say that whole theory made this song more interesting for me. But, don't get me wrong, regardless of that, this would still have been my #1 Kame song.

If all that wasn't really enough, the song also has one of the best live performances I've ever seen. No. Really. No biased involved, trust me. It's just so beautifully...well, over-the-top. The extravagance of it all is simply stunning - the stage production is mind-blowing. Okay, maybe I'm getting a bit too excited now, but, really, it helps that Kame is an amazing performer. He has such stage presence and he really makes this performance special. The live version of the song also had different lyrics, which add an extra level of depth to the song's meaning!

Here's the album version of the song;

And here's the glorious live performance;

The difference in lyrics is the only real reason I provided two videos.

1. GACKT - Mind Forest

Hardly the most flattering picture of GACKT, I admit, but I don't care

Oh, god' sake. If I said the ones before were hard to choose then I was wrong. This was the hardest. I was really drawn between this, FLOWER, In Flames and Rain. But, I think I'll let Mind Forest win due to the fact that, out of all of those songs, this one was the first I ever owned on CD. It was on the first GACKT CD I ever owned, actually, so it probably has the most meaning to me. Basically, I love all four songs equally, but I'm only allowed to review one, so, for discussion's sake, I had to choose one of them.

First off, I adore the use of traditional Japanese instruments in the backtrack of this one - the way they're blended with a much heavier and more modern selection of guitars and drums and stuff (I'm so smart-sounding when it comes to musical terms). The constant switching between soft and heavy is very effective, too. It adds to the mood of the song beautifully. Also, the flute (or whatever it is) is a brilliant instrumental - it sounds so sad and lamenting. It adds a really tragic feeling to the song, while that fluctuation of strength and tone adds a sense of emotional instability. It's brilliantly done. Also, did you know that GACKT songs are some of the only songs where I find myself going 'Oh, the instruments sound amazing, I mean, listen to those drums'? I guess I appreciate the whole package more often with his songs, somehow.

The backtrack builds emotion all on its own, of course, but GACKT's voice itself is packed with so much power and emotion. Listening to his songs, I always just find myself caught up in how beautiful his voice is. His voice is amazing and he does have a fantastic vocal range, but the emotion he can transmit in his single is just overwhelming sometimes. Especially pain - he conveys pain and sadness so well, I've found my eyes just watering at the sound of his voice often enough. I also forget how amazing I think his voice is and end up getting really caught off-guard by it. Ah, damn, that's stupid of me.

Of course, as is the way of many GACKT songs, the song appears to have a tragic tale behind it. Due to the fact I can't understand Japanese, just reading the translated lyrics doesn't allow me to understand the full story (maybe if the lyrics had some kind of footnotey guide or if they were on a subbed vid it would help. I can't be bothered looking, though). The real issue is that most GACKT songs are very poetic, so plain translated lyrics alone don't sum up anything about the song's true meaning. He has a tendency to use words with double meanings, or that, with a change of Kanji (but same phonetics) the line has a whole new meaning, that still relates to the song's story as a whole, but also adds extra insight. I've always been fascinated by his clever application and manipulation of the Japanese language in his lyrics, so, as I said, until I know the full details of this song, there isn't much I can really say about the lyrics as I will surely be missing something.

Here's the song;

There's also an English version of the song by GACKT's now-defunct band, YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz;

Personally, I prefer the Japanese version, but that's just me.

All right, that's all of the songs - sorry for going overboard with the Kame song. I think, out of all the songs I chose, it was definitely the easiest to right about. I apologise if it bored you, though! xD

I think my next post will be something other than song reviews, considering I'm being constantly reminded about how little I actually understand music. I'll go for another opinion rant or drama review or something. Or that 1582 summary I mentioned earlier.

Well, anyway, thanks for reading~! I'm going try and up the activity levels from here on out.

[REVIEW] Kim Hyun Joong - Lucky Guy

Hurm...me gusta ;D

LUCKY
All opinions expressed are my own. You wanna complain about other people's views, then quit reading blogs or whatever. And considering the inevitable bias of this post, you're probably a hater, anyway, if you disagree enough with my opinions enough to get annoyed.

So, Kim Hyun Joong, my favourite person in the entire K-Pop business, recently came out with his 2nd mini-album and 4th MV as a solo artist. Of course, as much as I want to see SS501 back together again, despite the fact I became a fan in the middle of their current hiatus, I'm really loving Leader's solo stuff. Out of all the SS501 members' solo stuff, his is definitely my favourite. Though, as always, I may be biased. But, I think it's mostly that I like his general style of music best. Not that his style is perfectly consistent, but all the genres he's tackled so far have been pretty awesome genres and the songs have gone down brilliantly well with me. His voice isn't the strongest I've heard, but it's really nice and listenable, and I'd listen to it over plenty of better singers, (though, his voice is GOOD, I'm not denying that). The way I feel about his voice is probably similar to the way I feel about Yamapi's, only...the feelings aren't as strong as compared to those which I have for Yamapi xD Though, that being said, Hyun Joong has always looked kind of like a Korean Yamapi to me, anyway.

Right, now, tangent over, on to the actual reviewing part.

First off, the song.
Their seems to be an almost spy/surfer-ish guitar riff playing in the background throughout the song's verses. And lots of big brass instruments in the chorus and stuff. It's not a totally new or original style, but it sounds good. It gives the song a fun and lively feel.
The song is also really catchy. I've heard the song about 3 or 4 times, and the chorus is already completely stuck in my head. It gets under your skin, but in a good way. The vocalisation thingies in the chorus sound really good, too. I love when Hyun Joong does those. Actually, he's one of these people who should just hold notes all the time. He sounds really awesome doing it.
Well, not all the time. I'm exaggerating. But, whatever.
I don't know what else to say about the song itself. It's good, it's catchy, it's lively, it's danceable, so-on so-forth.

So, then...
On to the MV.
It's mostly really awesome.
Only possible complaint is the beginning where the girl's in her bikini and Hyun Joong's totally checking her out. Not because I'm the kind of fan who gets annoyed by her favourite male celebs checking out girls, I feel that getting jealous over celebrities is pathetically futile. Ah, so this is where the 'My opinions are my opinions' thing comes in. Because, yeah, I feel strongly about that crap. And more very opiniated stuff here.
If jealousy isn't why I dislike the scene, what is?
Well, a women standing about looking attractive in a bikini...slightly objectifying. I can't be bothered going into my reasons why, cause that will cause another ramble session, but, yeah, that's my only criticism.
I mean, Hyun Joong looks great throughout the MV, the colour scheme is really nice and effective.
My favourite thing about the whole MV is probably the dance shot scenes. The choreograhpy is really awesome (and fun - I tried the dance and it was fun <3), and his facial expressions during them are so awesome. Also, it's one of these dances taht has like...interaction and stuff. Like, with the female dancer, who is the girl he's trying to hook up with in the video. He interacts with her in a way that almost tells a story, but not quite. I really love dances like that, and I don't know why. I think it's because it makes them more than just dances. It adds character to the dance.
Also, I really love the Mic shots. His hair is gorgeous, and his smile looks amazing! *____*
I'd picspam. But I'm lazy as hell 8D


All in all, love the video, love the song, love the dance, love the man~
This song has managed to score itself a big fat
9 out of 10!

((This was meant to be posted a month ago. Don't I fail? 8D)