Music – November 2009

November’s coming to an end which means it’s nearly CHRISTMAS :D Here are the songs that I’ve enjoyed listening to this month ^^ Adding ratings as well now (:

You’re Beautiful OST
I’m just going to do a separate post for this because I’m in love with every single song XD

2PM – Heartbeat ✭✭✭✭✩
The instrumental for this song is very different, you might not be use to it but it feels good to listen to something different. The violin melody really suits the theme of the song and makes it sound very sad yet powerful at the same time, also love how JYP incorporated the heartbeat. Everything fits the concept really well from the beats to the dance; it’s pretty much a perfect combination.
On a side note, you MUST watch one of 2PM’s performances of Heartbeat, I found that I enjoyed the song a whole lot more after watching them perform it. These guys have amazing stage presence and they’ve only been around for a year!

Taeyang – Wedding Dress ✭✭✭✭
I said this when I first heard the teaser but I’m going to say it again, I LOVE THE PIANO MELODY! The song is similar to the other stuff Taeyang has released but who can get sick of listening to his smooth voice? The piano melody in the background is so beautiful, it sounds really sad but I love how Teddy/Taeyang have incorporated it with the rnb beat. I also like how they added in the wedding song towards the end of the song, that kinda helps you feel the song a bit more.

CL & Minzy – Please Don’t Go ✭✭✭✩
This song really gets you moving XD The beat is so funky and makes you want to get up and dance. The chorus sounds good but doesn’t really match the verses of the song not that it bothers me that much, just that I’ve heard some say that’s why they don’t really like the song. CL and Minzy’s vocals…not bad at all. The only thing that I don’t really like is how CL says she’s “the baddest female rapper Seoul city’s ever had”…I’m not a big fan of that whole “bad girl” image because everyone knows she’s not rofl.

T-Ara & Supernova (Cho Shin Sung) – Time To Love | TTL Listen 2 ✭✭✭✭✩
I was in love with TTL at first listen. Amazing vocals, catchy tune and decent rapping – can’t go wrong with that. This song is sooo underated, it really deserves some awards. You don’t get sick of listening to it, definitely one of the better songs of 2009.
TTL Listen 2 sounds like a remix of TTL, it’s slightly faster and some parts are different. Didn’t like it as much as TTL at first but after a few listens I think I like it just as much. This one is more fun and makes you want to get up and dance XD I was really surprised with T-Ara’s vocals when I first heard TTL, I’ve never heard any of their other songs before so I didn’t know they could sing so well!

Jade Liu (劉力揚) - 禮物 ✭✭✭✩
Cpop has been kinda slow lately so this might seem random amongst all the kpop songs I have ^^; Love Jade’s voice! Typical Cpop ballad but Jade’s voice differentiates it from other songs. This would be a great song to sing at karaoke ;)

✩ = half star

You’re Beautiful OST

The awesome thing about this OST is the fact that some of the songs are sung by people in the drama. That just makes the songs so much more meaningful ♥ And the other thing is the fact that Jang Geun Suk & Park Shin Hye aren’t even proper singers yet they are probably better at singing than a lot of the ‘proper’ singers out there. There’s only 5 different songs here but the whole OST has 11 songs because some songs are sung twice (i.e. sung by 2 different people) and there are a couple of instrumentals.

1. Still/As Ever (여전히) – Lee Hong Ki
I really like Hong Ki’s husky voice so I’m glad they gave him a couple of songs to sing in the OST even though he’s only the drummer of A.N.JELL. This song sounds like a typical F.T Island song but better because it has the YB feel XD

2. Descend from the sky (하늘에서 내려와) - Miss $ (미스에스) ft. Oh Won Bin (오원빈)
I first heard this song before I started watching YB and I wasn’t really feeling it even though I love Won Bin and miss him so much ♥ Now that I’m watching the drama the song stands out a bit more but I’d have to say it’s one of the weaker songs in the OST. The song reminds me of the scene where Go Mi Nam shops around in Myungdong and Shinwoo is secretly following her ♥

3. Without Saying (말도 없이) - 9th STREET (나인 스트릿)
The guy who’s singing it has a smooth voice but I prefer Park Shin Hye’s version, I feel that she puts more emotion into it. Maybe it’s because she’s in the drama? LOVE the melody though!

4. Lovely Day - Park Shin Hye (박신혜)
PSH sounds so CUTE in this song XD This song is not too overly happy but it’s definitely cheerful. I really like it ^^

5. Promise(약속) - Lee Hong Ki (이홍기) ft. Jung Yong Hwa
Another song full of F.T Island flavour haha. It has a fun pop rock tune with Hong Ki’s awesome vocals and Jung Yong Hwa’s (Shinwoo) rapping.

6. My Heart’s Calling (가슴이 욕해) - Kim Dong Wook (김동욱)
Every OST must have some sad ballads and this is the one for YB. The melody is very soft and slow accompanied by Kim Dong Wook’s strong voice. You don’t have to watch the drama to feel the melancholy. It’s sad how it’s normally played during Shinwoo’s parts T_T Poor guy!

7. Without Saying (말도 없이) – Park Shin Hye (박신혜)
I prefer this version over 9th STREET’s one because I feel that PSH expresses her emotions really well in the song. I actually liked this song before I started watching YB because I heard it on someone’s blog and I fell in love with it. It starts off slow but the verses build up and evolves into a very powerful chorus which is all accompanied by lyrics that match the drama perfectly. Love PSH’s voice! It sounds so different to her voice in Lovely Day though, she sounds really mature here. The song is so sad T_T I loved the scene where she sings it in the recording studio while looking at Tae Kyung ♥

8. Still/As Ever (여전히) - A.N.JELL (에이엔젤)
I seriously wish A.N.JELL was a real band, I’d totally spazzzz over them so badly! This is my favourite song in the OST because it’s sung by the two leads (Jang Geun Suk & Park Shin Hye) which makes you feel the song more since you can relate back to the drama :D The lyrics are so perfect ♥

9. Promise (약속) – A.N.JELL (에이엔젤)
JGS’s voice kinda gives off a different feel for this song but I can’t exactly describe what and how *fail* I love how the 3 A.N.JELL boys all get to sing/rap in this :D JYH’s rap part sounds so cool, or maybe I’m just biased XD I love A.N.JELL so much!

10. Without Saying (말도 없이) (Piano ver.)
One of the sad instrumentals played throughout the drama, I think this would be a great ringtone! I’m totally using it :D

11. Still/As Ever(여전히) (Bossa ver.)
The other instrumental featured in the OST. You’ll also hear it a bit in the drama. A less sad version of Still/As Ever which gives off a fun vibe (:

You’re Beautiful ♥

Let the drama marathons begin ;)

Holidays have started so I can start my drama watching again.

To be honest, I started watching dramas like a week ago but this will be guilt-free drama watching ;)

Last week I started watching kdrama You’re Beautiful and I have to confess I AM INSANELY ADDICTED AND OBSESSED with it! It has been an incredibly incredibly long time since I was last in love with a drama like this, I managed to watch and catch up with the episodes in like 2-3 days even though I had exams to study for. I normally dislike korean dramas because they’re either too sad for me or the acting just bores me e.g. Goong, Full House, Boys over Flowers…the list goes on and on. So far the one and only kdrama I have managed to finish and thoroughly enjoy was My Girl even though there were still some little things that annoyed me (like Lee Dong Wook’s crazy *I’m having a heart attack* expressions). But as of now You’re Beautiful hasn’t particularly annoyed me yet, I’ll write up a full review when I finish it though.

I’ve also started watching Nodame Cantabile…actually, I’m technically half way through it but I think YB has wrecked NC for me XD I’m not enjoying it as much now that YB has taken over my life but I’ll try to have it finished and write a review on it anyway. The drama seems to be a bit exaggerated for me but after reading various websites on it I think it’s meant to be like that since it’s based on a manga?

Can anyone recommend me a drama to add to my list? Go under the cut to see the list I have…

Kary Ng x Eason Chan @ Jade Singers Anniversary

The other day I was watching TVB’s Jade Singers Anniversary 2009 when I saw a duet with Kary and Eason which you can watch below. I was amazed at how much Kary has improved after not being able to watch any of her live performances all year since I don’t have TVBJ anymore T__T She hit those high notes pretty much perfectly near the end of the song and I was wowed.

See for yourself (:

Very solid performance (Y) I hope I get to see this girl in concert one day!

Big Bang – 声をきかせて (Let me hear your voice) + mp3 ringtone

Big Bang never disappoint, I am so obsessed with this song right now ♥ I love how Big Bang are releasing some slow stuff now, it’s good to have something different to listen to every once in a while. I know Big Bang have changed a bit over the years and people miss their old hip hop songs but I personally prefer songs like 声をきかせて and Stay :P Anyways, 声をきかせて is very pretty imo. It’s not a full on ballad because I’d say it sounds kinda rnb-ish. Whatever the genre is, the song is addictive even though it doesn’t have the typical repetitive lyrics that all the other catchy songs have. Once again, TAEYANG AND DAESUNG ♥♥ I love their vocals in slow songs, they sound so smooth (:

Also, check out their live performance of the song HERE

Their vocals were pretty much close to perfect and they even have a little dance for the song ^^ Dance wasn’t anything special but beats just standing there singing because the song isn’t powerful enough for that kinda performance. And to top all that off, every member has nice hair ;) I’m so in love with T.O.P’s recent look ♥

Btw, today I was searching everywhere for an mp3 ringtone for this song but couldn’t find a proper one so I gave up and made my own. Thought I’d post it here in case anyone else wanted it. I so want someone to ring me right now :P

Download ringtone here.

JaeChunSu vs SME; over it much?

Is anyone else sick of all this drama involving DBSK and SME? Cos I know I am.

I’m not even going to bother taking sides now not that it will affect them in any way but I’m just over all of this. Before I was on JaeChunSu’s side not liking SME for ‘making’ them sign the ’slave’ contract (even though technically LSM didn’t point a gun at their heads and forced them to sign it) but thinking realistically, can’t Jaejoong, Junsu and Yoochun just give up and hack the fact that they’ve already signed the 13 year contract and they might as well live with it like what Yunho and Changmin are doing. The impression I’m getting is that they signed it however many years ago hoping SME can make them famous and then now that they are famous they just want to leave SME because they’ve got what they wanted. I don’t care if it’s a so called ’slave’ contract, the term ’slave’ seems to be a bit exaggerated because come on, without SME would they be this successful? They may not get a large percentage of the profits but I’m sure their incomes are still quite high compared to the average person who has to pay rent, food, electricity and like 10 other bills whereas SME provided DBSK with a majority of those things.

These 3 are telling people to “always keep the faith” but I don’t really see them keeping it. If they were to keep the faith they should be satisfied with what they’ve achieved so far in life and continue working with the other 2 members promoting DBSK to make the group even more successful. Right now they are risking their careers by going to court with SME because I believe DBSK will only excel even greater lengths as a 5 member group, I really don’t want to see them split up and going their separate ways.

One last thing, they should remember that without SME there wouldn’t even be a Dong Bang Shin Ki; shouldn’t they be grateful that SME created the group in the first place.

This is just a personal opinion so please don’t bash me (: I will still always love DBSK, the group that got me into kpop in the first place!