KARA ~ Step sounds so good!

Okay, so I know Kara is not really a household name in many parts of the world. People usually heard Wonder Girls, Girls' Generation but not Kara when it comes to Korean girl groups. But they are quite big in South Korea and they are very succesful in Japan too.

Consists of 5 members; Gyuri, Seung-yeon, Nicole, Goo Hara (which reminded me a lot of J-pop sensation Namie Amuro) and Jiyoung, I first came to know them with their song 'Honey' with soft and girly concept. But when they came out with 'Wanna' with more mature looks that I started to really like them. Then 'Mister', 'Lupin' and 'Jumping' came out, securing their place as one of the top girl group in South Korea.

But now with 'Step', I'm totally in love with them. The song 'Step' was made by the people behind the song 'Mister', so it's hardly anyone surprise that the song became so popular. It sound really good, a dance tune that will surely make you want to stand up and dance.

You can click here to see the awesome video to 'Step' at YouTube. Happy viewing!

The cool girls from f(x)

f(x) is a South Korean girl group. The five members of the group are Krystal, Victoria, Amber, Sulli and Luna. They first caught my attention when my cousin introduced me to their hit song Nu ABO. I love the song! I also searched for their previous released songs like La Cha Ta and Chu~. Both were pretty good. Then this year they released an album featuring hit songs like Pinocchio (Danger) and Hot Summer. Both songs are remakes of other people's songs I believe but it still doesn't change the fact that they are good songs. And they dance very well too. Kudos to them, I'm very impressed.

I believe fan of K-pop would already know them but if you're new to this genre, please search them up. You can easily find their music videos on YouTube. They are beautiful, talented and pretty cool. I still haven't found their album in my hometown but hopefully I will soon.

Utada Hikaru ~ Top 10 Favourite Song part 2

Here are the remaining 5 songs that complete my top 10 list.



1. Beautiful World

Another great song from Utada. It was featured as a theme song for the Rebuild of Evangelion movies. I like the piano sound in the song, well I think it was the piano. Anyway, it was very relaxing listening to this song. There's another version called Beautiful World: Planitb Acoustica Mix that were released for the 2nd rebuild film, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance. This version is pretty good too. You should definitely check it out.



2. Wait & See ~ Risk

This one is included in Utada's 2nd Japanese album, Distance. This song is kind of upbeat and fast compared to the other songs on the list. I love it very much and it's one of the songs that got me really interested in her music.



3. Be My Last

Another strong ballad from Utada Hikaru. Very slow, very emotional, and very touching. She played more with her vocal and sound of her voice than just singing the lyrics which might sound a bit strange at first. But take a listen carefully and you might appreciate the emotion that coming out from the song.



4. Hikari

Gamers may recognize this song as the theme song for Kingdom Hearts video game series. The English version for this song is called Simple and Clean. The song started out with no music intro, it was like you just switch on the radio and the song was already playing. I think it was creative for her to start the song that way. You should check out the music video for Hikari too, very simple and creative. I love it!



5. Heart Station

I love the beat to this song. It was really soothing and calm. Although this list of my top 10 favourite Utada Hikaru songs come in no particular order, I can assure you that Heart Station sits somewhere in the Top 3. I also love the music video which was mysterious and simple, which of course fits the song. Another great song from Utada that begs people to hear it over and over and over again.


So there you have it, my 10 most favourite songs from J-Pop sensation, Utada Hikaru. If you haven't listen to any of the songs yet, I recommend you to do so because these are, in my opinion, some of her great works of art. Enjoy her music!

Utada Hikaru ~ Top 10 Favourite Song part 1

Utada Hikaru is my favourite J-Pop artist. She's definitely one of the biggest music icon from Japan. Unfortunately she's taking a break now from releasing new music, so I guess we won't be hearing from her anytime soon. To somehow fill the void of missing her, I came out with a list of my favourite songs from her. However, I only count songs that were released as singles, easier to make my choices that way.



1. Exodus '04

The only English song in the list, Exodus '04 was taken from Utada's English album, Exodus. It has that unique sound that so common in Utada's other songs like Sakura Drops and Colors. It's such a great song, too bad it doesn't have its own music video.

2. Final Distance

A very sad song. Although I don't really know what the direct translation of the song, but I still could feel the emotions pouring out from the song. The song was actually rearranged from 'Distance', a song from Utada's 2nd album. She wrote it as a dedication (I think) to a young schoolgirl who was 6 years old when she was killed in a school stabbing rampage. Utada heard that she wrote an essay about how she wanted to become a singer just like her. Now you know why the song sound so sad.

3. Keep Tryin'

A very positive song that urge us to keep on trying in life. It was quite an energetic song and kind of playful too. It has an upbeat and cheerful tone that suit the message that it brings. The music video for the song was one of my favourite video from her too. You should check it out.

4. Sakura Drops

I think this song is one of the most played Utada Hikaru song on radio in my country. Well, I can't confirm this, but it was pretty popular back then. The song had a unique traditional touch that set it apart from other J-pop songs that I listened to. Very unique indeed. I love the song and I think other people that don't really listen to Japanese songs can find it very interesting too.

5. Prisoner of Love

It's not really a ballad but the theme for the song was quite...melancholic? Well, I don't know what the song was really about, yet again, but the music and tempo does sound like it was a sad song. The title also suggested the same right? But like I said, it was not really a ballad, it was kind of upbeat. I like the beat and the way the sings 'I'm a prisoner of love' and 'Stay with me' through the end of the song. It was rather touching.

The X Factor - Matt Cardle

OMG, I love this version of ...Baby One More Time. And I really like this guy's voice. He's amazing. Matt Cardle is one of the finalist for The X Factor seventh season. Thanks Rickey for posting this. Click here to watch the clip. Enjoy!

Hot music!

Here are some of the songs that I'm listening to (and crazy about) now. Just want to share it with the rest of the world.

Kylie Minogue - Get Outta My Way

This song is awesome! Another great song from Kylie Minogue. The video for the song is not as energetic as I would like it to be, but I love it so much anyway!

Ke$ha - Take It Off

So far, I like all of Ke$ha's songs, and this one definitely one of the best. I like the colour dust concept she used in her video for this song, it really makes it beautiful despite the raunchy lyrics she used in the song.

Travie McCoy - Need You

This is a song that I would never expect from Travie McCoy. It's more pop than anything that I'd heard from him before. Nevertheless, it's an addictive song, like so many other songs from him.

BoA - Hurricane Venus

She changed her style (again!) for her new Korean album. I love the song although I think it's not as good as her previous Korean singles. Still love BoA though.

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

Oh my, Teenage Dream is a great pop song, I LOVE IT!!! I'm not really into her 1st single so this one was quite a surprise for me when I first listened to it.

Nelly - Just A Dream

Nelly is one of my favourite hip hop artist. I like his voice and this song is definitely one of his best (in my opinion at least).

2NE1 - Clap Your Hands

Yay, new song from K-pop girl group 2NE1!!! One of three promotional songs for their 1st full-length album, this song is catchy and hip, and my favourite from the three songs. The music video is awesome too. They are definitely the most stylish group from Korea, great job 2NE1!

Attack of the Korean girls

We have seen an emergence of a lot of girl groups from South Korea in the last few years. With catchy songs, sexy dance moves, cute faces, they have melt the hearts of not just music lovers in Korea but all across the globe. As the Korean Wave has strongly swept the Asian region and rapidly making its way beyond Asia, I present you my Top 3 favourite Korean girl groups that had catch my heart with their lovable music. Get ready for these hot girls.

Image from here

3. Brown Eyed Girls

Also known as B.E.G., the group consists of four members and they are; Jea, Ga-in, Narsha and Miryo. Debuted in 2006, some of their hit songs are L.O.V.E and How Come. In 2009, they change their image into a more mature and provocative style with the release of their new album, Sound G. The single from that album, Abracadabra, became a huge success and also sparked some controversy regarding the music video.

Although Abracadabra had been such a huge hit on the web, my personal favourite single from them is How Come. My favourite music video from them is, of course, Abracadabra. With sexy swinging hip moves, what not to like about it. Their latest single, Sign, is also quite addictive to listen to. You can check out the links below for their music videos on YouTube;

How Come
Abracadabra
Sign

Image from here

2. 2NE1

Made up of members CL, Dara, Park Bom and Minzy, the group is more like the girl version of the Korean boy band Big Bang. Created by the same company, YG Entertainment, their debut single Fire was a huge success. Their 2nd single, I Don't Care, was also a big hit. After that, they focus on solo careers before joining back together to release a new single, Try to Follow Me.

Although they have not as many singles as some of the other groups (at least single released as a group, not solo efforts), but their up-beat songs and extraordinary fashion style really caught my attention. Just watch the music video for Try to Follow Me and you'll understand what I mean. CL is definitely my favourite member from the group...no, wait, she's my favourite from all the Korean girl groups that I've known. She's really stood out. You can check the links below for their awesome music videos on YouTube;

Fire
I Don't Care
Try to Follow Me

Image from here

1. Wonder Girls

Currently consists of Sunye, Ye-eun, Sohee, Yubin and Hye-rim, Wonder Girls debuted in 2007 with their single, Irony from their mini-album. Then they released their full-length album, The Wonder Years that feature the hit single, Tell Me. It became so popular that the dance feature in the music video had been followed by fans all over the world. Their other notable hits are So Hot and Nobody. In 2009, they begin to venture into the American market by promoting the English version of the single Nobody. They also joined the Jonas Brothers in their North American leg tour.

Although I had listened to several other Korean female groups like Fin. KL and Baby V.O.X. before, Wonder Girls was the main reason I'm into K-pop right now, and that's also why they are on top of my list. Their infectious songs and dance moves really lightened up my day. And I think I had a crush on Sunye. Anyway, I had posted their music videos in my blog before, just click on the link below. I had also listed the links for the videos at YouTube;

K-pop section
Tell Me
So Hot
Nobody


I hope you enjoy my post about these amazing talents. Feel free to add some comments if you have anything on your mind.

Wonder Girls on US television

Image source: Asia enews

Yup, the girls have been busy promoting their music in the US. They already had their hit single Nobody in the Billboard Top 100 back in October, had joined the Jonas Brothers on their North American leg of the Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009 and recently they have performed on So You Think You Can Dance. You can watch the video of their performance here. So cute!

For those of you who don't know, Wonder Girls is a South Korean girl group. Some of their popular songs are Tell Me, So Hot and Nobody. Yay to K-pop!!!

CeleBRITion! My top 5 favourite Britney's singles

I'm so sorry. I couldn't resist myself.

Here are my Top 5 Favourite Britney's Singles.


5 ~ Me Against the Music feat. Madonna

It's catchy and just makes me want to stand up and dance. I absolutely love the fast-part before the chorus (sorry, I don't know what its called). There are a lot of good tracks in In The Zone, (Britney's fourth studio album and where this track came from) but Me Against the Music is absolutely one of the best.




4 ~ ...Baby One More Time

Addictive and infectious. When I first heard the song, I fall in love with it. One of the reason I love Britney is because of this song. I reckon she would not be as famous as she is today if it wasn't for this song. Max Martin (writer & co-producer of the song) really knows how to produce a good pop song.





3 ~ If U Seek Amy

I know the lyrics is somewhat inappropriate but the song is so addictive that I don't really mind about it. Another track by Max Martin (he co-wrote and produced the song), this song sparked another controversy in Britney's career. No need for me to explain more on that. Anyway, the strong pop sound with easy sing-along chorus, this song is one of the standout track in Circus (Britney's sixth studio album and where the track came from).



2 ~ Break the Ice

The first moment I heard the song (in my cousin's car through her newly purchased Britney's CD), I was stunned by it. It was soooo good! In fact, I think it's the most well-produced track among all Britney's singles in terms of music, lyrics and appeal. It's sexy, flirty, and hot. Absolutely the best track in her Blackout album (Britney's fifth studio album and where the track came from).



1 ~ Born to Make You Happy

As an avid pop song lover, I unquestionably crazy over this pure bubblegum pop song. It's my personal favourite single from Britney Spears and that's why its on top of this list. It got a bit of sad tone in it which makes me fall in love with the song even more. Did you know that the track was originally written to sound sexual? Hard to believe isn't it since the released track sound so innocent.



And there you have it, the top 5 of my favourite Britney's singles. Britney Spears latest compilation album, The Singles Collection, had already been released in certain region so if you like her songs, please don't forget to buy it.


All images courtesy of Wikipedia.

Play the music!

Here are some of the music that I currently enjoy listening to;





Toni Braxton: Yesterday

(image source: Wikipedia)








Big Bang: Gara Gara Go!!

(image source: Spillin' My Beans)









Miley Cyrus: Party in the USA

(image source: Wikipedia)










Tata Young: My Bloody Valentine

(image source: divxklip)









One Republic: All the Right Moves

(image source: Wikipedia)









BoA: I Did It For Love

(image source: Wikipedia)







2NE1: I Don't Care

(image source: K~Freaks!!)








Kristinia De Barge: Future Love

(image source: Wikipedia)









Cascada: Evacuate the Dancefloor

(image source: Wikipedia)

Heroes & Thieves!

Finally I bought Vanessa Carlton's 3rd studio album, Heroes & Thieves last Saturday. After more than 2 years of its release, finally I owned it. Hooray! It's really hard for me to find this album in my country but I knew eventually I would find it. I would give it a few spin before I review it. Or maybe not since it already had been out for 2 years. Mmm...we'll see.

CeleBRITion! My top 5 Best Britney's videos

Yes, I'm a huge Britney Spears fan. Well, nothing obsessive, I just love her music and style. So hopefully you guys wouldn't mind me counting down my top 5 Best Britney's videos to celebrate the release of her new greatest hits album, The Singles Collection, on November 24, 2009. At first I want to do my top 5 favourite Britney's music videos but that proves to be too hard for me to decide (because I like almost all of her videos!). Hence I come out with this one, the top 5 Britney's videos that I think the best that she had come out with so far.


5 ~ I'm A Slave 4 U

Okay, this video is hot. I was surprised to see the change of attitude and art direction when I first saw it but it's still a great music video nevertheless. The theme, about the drought-affected city-dwellers, is very interesting. Combine that with sexy dance moves, and you have an awesome video. And I also like the lighting effects that make everything appears...hot! (I mean literally).

4 ~ Toxic

Definitely one of the hottest and sexiest Britney's video. Taken from her In The Zone album, this addictive song had even won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2005. The airplane scene is very funny and I think Britney looks hot when she dyed her hair black in the video. Although the diamond scene is way too sexy for minor, but I think her face looks prettiest during that scene.

3 ~ Lucky

I know not all would agree with me on this one. The song would sound too pop for most people but I just love pop songs, that's why I love Lucky. I really like the story and settings for this video. Plus, I put it so high up in the chart because I like the theme of loneliness that it brings. It kind of makes me feel sad. :'(



2 ~ Me Against the Music

The combination was flawless. I mean it's Britney Spears & Madonna, should I say more? Love the settings, love the dance moves, love the outfits, love the chase scenes (although it's a bit controversial in the end). I think Britney's appearance for this music video is her best look yet. Did I mention that I really like her outfit?

1 ~ Womanizer

So this is it! The number 1 spot for Best Britney's music video! I think this video is very, very classy and stylish. It's totally in a different league compared to the rest of her videos. Plus it featured the best looking male model (his name is Brandon Stoughton by the way) among ALL her music videos so far. The story is funny and together with the addictive beat, we have one amazing and unforgetable music video. Britney (and of course Brandon and the rest of the dancers) rock!!!


So there you have it, the best of the best of Britney's music videos (according to my standard of course, LOL). Don't forget to buy her greatest hits album when it come out. Peace!

Utada Hikaru ~ Could this be the One?

I finally got myself a copy of Utada's new english album, This Is The One. I'm a huge fan of her music so buying this album is definitely a must. But what about other people who are not her fans but curious about her style of music? Should they/you buy it? Here's a brief track-by-track review for you to make the choice;

1. Come Back to Me

- This is definitely one of the best song in this album and to make it the 1st single is a brilliant choice. Very melodic and easy on the ears. I think this song could attract both fans and non-fans alike. A good start for the album.

2. Me Muero

- According to Utada, Me Muero is her favourite track from this album and she would listen to this even though she usually would not listen to her own songs. I felt weird that Utada found this to be her favourite because for me there are many other nicer songs than this. Maybe it's personally related to her? I don't know. Anyway, the song tells about depression (or so I guess) and I think lyrically, it's quite interesting.

3. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - FYI

- I love this song, and it's a possible future single. It was made on a sample of an old Japanese song written by Ryuichi Sakamoto. I'm not sure what instruments did they used to make the music but I definitely fall in love with the sound. Two thumbs up!

4. Apple and Cinnamon

- My personal favourite track. I really think this song should be released as a single, it would be a waste if she/they didn't. It's also a sad song especially at the ending bit. I think a lot of people can relate to the story of the song.

5. Taking My Money Back

- Influence of R&B can be heard from this track. She even sound like Destiny's Child in it. The arrangement is quite simple and bring in less impact than the other tracks. But it's still a nice song.

6. This One (Crying Like a Child)

- This is quite a powerful song. It really shows the strength of her vocal and the sadness in it makes the song even greater. I can almost sense the desperation when I listen to this track. I also found the lyrics to be quite interesting. It's like she's singing in a point of view of a fan to one of her favourite artist; in fact she sounds like an obsessed fan. But I'm not sure whether my interpretation is true though. That's why I love this song; it's sad, it's mysterious, and it kept me guessing.

7. Automatic Part II

- I found this song to be fun and enjoyable. I can also dance to this song. The beats are addictive and I can't help myself but to move my body.

8. Dirty Desire

- As the name suggest, this is a dirty song...lyrically. Well, at least for a couple of lines. I don't really mind because there are plenty of sexual related songs out there and Dirty Desire just a mild version of them. Also, this song sound like it was taken from a Britney album. Definitely has a mainstream sound to it.

9. Poppin'

- This is my least favoutite track from the album. I don't think this song suit in this great album. I hate the talking parts and the pointless lyrics make it even worse. I don't mean to be cruel but I really, really think this song should be sung by somebody else other than the great and talented Utada. But it is quite bearable after a couple of spins.

10. On and On

- This track is suitable for clubs. Fun, amusing and danceable. I love it! I think this song is written especially to those clubbers.


In general, it's another great effort from Utada. Although most of the tracks are more mainstream compared to her previous songs, but you can still sense the 'Utada flavor' in it. You can listen to the samples of the songs together with brief explanation from Utada about each track in her official site.

Now I can't stop playing the disc in my car on my way back home from work. It's addictive. Thank you Utada for such a great album!

Got myself Upside Down with pop music

I'm bored. I need some pop music. Pure pop music. It's kinda hard to find some real good pop music nowadays. Sigh.

Source: A-TEENS.COM

Do you guys ever heard of a teen pop group called A* Teens from Sweden? I hope you did coz they were really popular back in the early 2000's. They were definitely huge in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and several other Asian countries, and of course Europe. I also found out from Wiki that they were huge in Mexico and US (!) which surprises me coz I thought they never did promoted themselves in the US. They also had an album called Pop 'til You Drop! released exclusively in the US. No wonder I couldn't find the album in my country.

Some of their big hits are Floorfiller, the Elvis Presley's cover Can't Help Falling In Love (soundtrack for Lilo and Stitch), Halfway Around the World and Upside Down. They first started as a group dedicated to sing only ABBA songs with their debut album contains all the cover songs from ABBA. Then they started making their own image with a pop album, Teen Spirit. Later they released Pop 'til You Drop exclusively for US market, and New Arrival, their fourth album internationally.

Here's the video to their massive hit Upside Down from the album Teen Spirit. This song was in my head all day long when I was a teenager. I totally love it! One of the best pop song ever! Hope you guys would love it too. Enjoy!

This Is The One that I'm waiting for!!!

Utada Hikaru's 3rd English studio album, This Is The One had been released! Oh my god, how did I miss this? I remember checking the music store last week and I saw no new album from Utada. Weird. Well, according to Wikipedia, the album has been released in Japan on 14 March 2009 and in the US digitally on 24 March 2009. The physical CD would only come out in the US on 12 May 2009. It also stated the release dates for several other Asian countries like Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand though I'm not sure whether it was for digital release of physical CD release.

I'm happy that this album had somewhat some promotions in my country; the music video for the lead single, Come Back to Me, had been screened on TV. The song had also been played on local radio station (although I only heard it from 1 radio station). I wish there would be more promotion so that people will become aware of this new album. Utada Hikaru had been huge before in Malaysia when her 1st Japanese album hit stores, so I hope history will repeat itself.

Ganbatte Utada!

Lee Hyori- Hey Mr Big

Lee Hyori is one of my favourite singer from Korea. She's beautiful, talented, and she's a fine dancer. Check out her video that I had posted below. It's called Hey Mr. Big from her 3rd album, It's Hyorish. Although I prefer the singles from her previous album (Get Ya, Shall We Dance) but I do find this song to be quite addictive. XD

So here's the video. I found it on YouTube. You can find more of her videos there. Enjoy!

I need more airplay of these songs!

I just wanna share with you guys some of the songs that I'm so crazy about now. Some of them are not really new or current but the lack of airplay makes me hope that they will be played more. So here they are, the songs that I wish will be played when I switch on the radio:

Gym Class Heroes feat. The Dream: Cookie Jar
(It sure sounds delicious)

Britney Spears: Circus
(Being a Britney fan, I cannot bring myself to not putting this song on the list)

Taylor Swift: Love Story

(I love the story in this song)

Sara Bareilles: Love Song

(I love Love Song!)

Thriving Ivory: Angels on the Moon

(I'm not sure about the rest of the world but they are quite new to Asians, I think. I love the lead vocal, his voice is so unique)

Westlife: Us Against the World
(Aaahh...such a sweet ballad)

Christina Milian: Us Against the World

(Aaahh...another sweet ballad. I'm melting...)

David Archuleta: A Little Too Not Over You

(I could listen to this song all day long. It's lovely and sad at the same time)

Leona Lewis: I Will Be
(Powerful vocal, amazing song. Should I say more?)

I could not think of anyone who would not love all the songs that I've listed above. All of them are so good. Here's a confession, I'm addicted to them!