AE Experience's 2014 Playlist: The Best of Cantopop, Mandopop, and K-pop

Another year has come to an end, and us at AE Experience are wrapping up the year by sharing our personal favorites in Cantopop, Mandopop, and K-Pop in 2014…

*Please note that this list reflects our favorites from the music we listened to this year (and we sadly do not have the same amount of time we used to to keep up with music), and does not take into consideration all material released in 2014.

Iris' Top 10 Picks in HK Music/Cantopop: 

#10: Jinny Ng - "Love Me, Leave Me a Message"
While the audience loved Jinny’s “Love is Not Easy” from “Line Walker,” it is her theme song for “Swipe Tap Love” that has left me with an impression long after the series finished airing. This touching and beautiful while bittersweet and melancholic song is one that deserved more love.

#9: Dear Jane - "John and Yoko"
Despite releasing several ballads this year, Dear Jane’s most recent single “John and Yoko” is distinct as it possesses a more raw yet warm feel. As usual, the band’s passion and sincereity in their music is felt. Howie’s guitar solo is superb and a highlight of the song, ending it on a high and climatic note.

#8: Pakho Chau - "Remember"
Pakho’s rich and strong, passionate vocals coupled with this romantic yet solemn melody resulted in yet another great song for his continuously brightening career. His recent music feels as if it always has more emotional depth due to his voice and musical styles.

#7: Kay Tse - "Irreconcilable"
If you aren’t convinced of Kay’s versatility, I’ll point you to this song. Kay not only pulls off the edgy rock style, she owns it and is totally fierce without seeming like she’s trying so hard. I hope to see Kay embracing rock and experimenting with more styles more often.

#6: Kary Ng - "One Thousand Endings"
Although a slower ballad, “One Thousand Endings” is a serene, stunning, and even a slightly haunting song about all the possibilities and paths you can take in life, both good and bad. Kary’s vocals are filled with such emotion it gives the song a strong melancholic feel.

#5: AGA - "One"
AGA’s hit “One,” which spawned a successful duet version with Gin Lee, does not try to do anything experimental, but instead perfects characteristics of typical Cantopop mainstream pop. With a lovely melody and sweet and endearing vocals by AGA, this midtempo song is beautiful and memorable.

#4: Pakho Chau - "Keep Going"
Starting as a model turned idol singer, Pakho has become one of the most talented and well-rounded young artists in Hong Kong today. “Keep Going” is an uplifting, inspiring and thoughtful song encouraging you to never give up and keep looking forward.

#3: Fiona Sit - "Pheromones"
“Pheromones” is hopelessly catchy and infectious while being fun and even a little flirty. Fiona is definitely on her way to becoming the next Cantopop Queen. Besides knowing her musical strengths, Khalil’s touch of flair can also be seen on this Fiona hit, as he composed, arranged, and produced the song for his good friend.

#2: Khalil Fong - "Little Fong"
Known as Hong Kong’s Soul Boy for a reason, the autobiographical “Little Fong” shows off Khalil’s musical specialties and stylistic flair with his fusion of R&B and rap. The end result is a very sleek, smooth, yet catchy track.

#1: Kay Tse - "Eggs and Lamb"
Both Pakho and Kay had exceptional years, allowing two of their songs to make this list. Inspired by the film “12 Years a Slave,” “Eggs and Lamb” is a song about freedom that sees Kay exhibiting a darker pop-rock influenced style with hints of angst. Kay Tse is quite a versatile artist and it’s nice to see Kay showing the audience this again. After a relatively quiet two years, this social commentary with a bite proves Kay will only increase her dominance in Cantopop in the years to come.

Niki's Top 10 Picks in Taiwanese Music/ Mandopop:

#10: Calvin Chen - "How Has Love Been"
I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that Calvin was coming out with a solo EP, because I’ve been a long time fan of his. While I’m not so fond of his title track, “How Has Love Been” quickly grew on me with its infectious melody.

#9:  Selina Jen - "Watch Me Now"
After knowing how much Selina has endured over the past couple of years I’m so proud to see how well she’s been doing. “Watch Me Now” is a perfect reflection of Selina’s cute and spunky personality, she’s definitely an artist to watch.

#8: Pets Ceng - "Just Lose It"
Pets’ song is a gentle and relaxing mid-tempo track that captures the feelings of young love. The song itself is a pretty typical pop song, but the sweetness of Pets’ vocals adds a special element that makes the song absolutely addicting to listen to.

#7: Ella Chen - "Unsolvable"
Ella has matured greatly as an artist since she started pursuing her own music and it really shows in this touching ballad. Her rich vocals give this melancholic song a sense of warmth making it all the more memorable.

#6: Aaron Yan- "That's Not Me"
“That’s Not Me” is a hauntingly beautiful song that captures your emotions with every listen. The arrangement and composition of this song highlights Aaron’s strengths in the best possible way.

#5: Wilber Pan - "Clown (Xiao Chou)"
Following with the success of his previous album “The Story of Billy”, Will continues to play with the dark theme of identity and corruption for his newest album “Crown & Clown.” The heaviness of the song’s lyrics are contrasted by the upbeat tempo and dramatic melody, a style that is very true to Will.

#4: Aaron Yan - "Unwanted Love (Duo Yu De Wo)"
Although I like his voice, I’m usually not a huge fan of Aaron’s work. Most of his stuff is very conventional with little variety, but he makes a refreshing change with his “Drama” EP (which is why not only one, but two of his songs have made it onto my list). “Unwanted Love” is a catchy and funky mid-tempo track that leaves you bopping your head to the beat. 

#3: JJ Lin - "Brave New World"
JJ never fails to impress. As he continues to mature in his songwriting, his material keeps gaining more and more depth to it. In “Brave New World,” he tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world where humans fight to maintain their humanity.  Although it doesn't possess the same smoothness that I typically enjoy from JJ’s work, it’s a fun and creative track that speaks volume on how talented JJ is.

#2: Ann Bai - "If You Ever Thought"
“If You Ever Thought” is an electronic pop track written and composed by the talented 23-year old singer as part of her second album “What’s Next.” Despite her young age, Ann’s songs convey an immense amount of emotion and depth. This song has an entrancing and haunting melody that captivates its listeners from the very beginning. 

#1: Li Rong Hao - "King of Comedy"
Contrary to what the title suggests, “King of Comedy” is a dark and soulful acoustic ballad with rock influences. Li Rong Hao possesses a mesmerizing voice that’s deep and soothing (which many say is similar to Eason Chan's). Although he’s only been in the mandopop scene since last year, he’s quickly making a name for himself in the industry having won this year’s “Best New Artist” at the Golden Melody Awards. I look forward to seeing more from him in the future.

Niki's Top 5 Picks in Korean Music/K-pop: 

*The list for K-pop is a slightly shorter than the other two because I haven't paid as much attention to the K-pop scene in the last couple of years. I realize that there's also a lack of bands on here, but once again this is a list of our favorites songs/artists and unfortunately none of the idol groups have stood out to me lately. 

#5: K.Will - "Day 1"
“Day 1” is the sweetest song I’ve come across in K-pop in a while. K.Will’s voice is warm and relaxing, making this the “feel good song” of the year.

#4: Tablo x Taeyang - "Eyes, Nose, Lips"
Taeyang’s “Eyes, Nose, Lips” was one of the biggest K-pop hits of 2014, so I thought that it had to be included on this list, but I decided to go with Epik High’s cover (featuring Taeyang). While the original is nice, when I listened to this rendition, Tablo’s rap gave me chills and it also set it apart from a typical K-pop song.

#3: Ga In - "Truth or Dare"
Known for her risque and controversial concepts, Ga In decided to address the rumors surrounding her by creating a mock documentary about herself for her “Truth or Dare” music video. The song has a funky jazz vibe that’s a fun and refreshing difference from other artists.

#2: Akdong Musician (AkMu) - "Melted"
“Melted” has a bluesy and sultry sound that’s also slightly haunting with the sibling’s harmony in the chorus. Their sound is hard to come by in mainstream K-pop, which is why they’re so deserving of the #2 spot on this playlist.

#1: ALi - "Crying Hard"
Although horribly underrated, ALi is hands down one of the most talented artists in the K-pop sphere. “Crying Hard” is a romantic and solemn track that showcases ALi’s powerful vocals.

Honorable Mentions: 

• Song Ji Eun - "Don't Look At Me That Way"
  Ji Eun tackles the controversial topic of homosexuality/unconventional relationships with her song “Don’t Look At Me That Way.” While I applaud their efforts, the message was vague and a little weak. Had I not read the fan comments I wouldn't have known that this was the issue they were addressing. However, this song is still very catchy and music video was beautifully done. 

• Sunny Hill - "Don't Say Anything"
  "Don’t Say Anything” was Sunny Hill’s farewell song for their group member JangHyun. The sentimentality and nostalgic feelings of the members transferred very well into this beautiful ballad.

What were your favorites in Cantopop, Mandopop, and/or K-pop this year? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

Khalil Fong - Dangerous World Album Review

Khalil is back again after 2012's "Back to Wonderland" with "Dangerous World", a collection of jazz and R&B soul. The album contains both upbeat songs and slower ones, giving almost every listener something they will like. However, it is the upbeat songs on "Dangerous World" that makes the album memorable.

Niki: On a sillier note, his introduction track, "Welcome", left a very scarring impression on me. I first listened to this album out of order, so before the track came on I had been listening to a slow ballad and was feeling just a little bit sleepy. I lost interest for a minute and failed to notice that the track had ended and the next thing I heard was a deep demonic-like voice saying "Huan yin ni", freaking me out.

Iris: The album officially opens with lead single and title track "Dangerous World/危險世界" , a grand and cinematic-like single unlike anything he has released before and unlike anything you hear in C-Pop normally. It is an infectious and unique song you can't help but start moving to. The instrumental breakdown with the beats is fun and sounds particularly good with headphones or loud speakers, but runs about 2 minutes long.

Niki: This song is definitely a worthy title track, despite it's lengthy instrumental ending. Khalil's ability to create a mini-movie within a song with the infusion of different music genres and vocal techniques speaks to his creativity as an artist. It also displays how much he's grown over the last 10 years.

Niki: "Peace" is a funky R&B track that will get your head-bobbing. The collaboration with Tia Ray adds a new level of dynamic to the song. Although, it suffers the same weakness of being longer than necessary and becoming repetitive.

Iris: You can easily tell Khalil had a grand 'ol time recording "Peace" through the enthusiasm and energy he shows through his rapping. I'm pleased to be seeing Khalil making use of his rapping skills.

Iris: "Xiao Fong/小方" is easily my favorite song off the whole album and showcases Khalil's musical strengths such as smooth vocals, soulful style, and slick rapping skills. The whole song is catchy and unlike many of the other songs on the album, does not suffer from being too long.

Niki: Like Iris this song is easily my favorite song in the album. It's sleek, funky, and a complete representation of who Khalil is as an artist. What I like most about this song is the straightforward yet heartfelt lyrics and the fact that it differs from other artist's typical "thank you" songs (which are usually ballads or pop tracks). It's a track that is uniquely Khalil.

Iris: "Black White and Grey/黑白灰 " is another funky upbeat song that is uniquely Khalil while serving as his homage to his musical inspirations. The mix of jazz and R&B creates a very catchy product and the MV is memorable for being the first we saw Khalil dance in.

Niki: This song is a prime example of Khalil's ability to incorporate two different musical genre into something that's both amazing and unique. Every time I listen to this song I envision a chase sequence in a classic comedy and it invokes the same emotion of amusement. Needless to say Khalil's dance sequence in the mv was the highlight of my day when I first saw it.

Iris: "Love Blossoms/桃花運" and "Special Person/ 特別的人" both fail to stand out, and I find the former very boring and too slow. Is it relaxing? Yes, but more in a way that makes me want to fall asleep. "Special Person" fares better but still isn't a very interesting ballad.

Niki: "Love Blossoms" doesn't contain any hook to capture the listeners attention. Furthermore it sounds like Khalil's voice was muted by the music, since the music was very soft and consistent it easily makes a person feel sleepy. I liked "Special Person" a lot more than "Love Blossoms". In "Special Person" you can hear Khalil's voice better and there's a lot more flexibility in it. It also sounds like he's trying to tell a story through song, which makes it a lot more interesting to me. However, both ballads still fall short from his upbeat songs.

Iris: "Mr. Weather/天氣先生" possesses a tempo that is neither too slow or too upbeat, which is more similar to his past works. However, though an interesting blend of Mandarin and English, it fails to set itself apart from Khalil's older songs and can become quite repetitive.

Niki: Although it may not be Khalil's most outstanding work, it's still one of the better mid-tempo songs in the album, in my opinion. It possesses a simple but catchy melody that I find myself humming to from time to time and is calming without leaving me sleepy or bored.

Iris: After a short instrumental comes "Autumn Leaves/楓葉做的風鈴", a relaxing and mellow R&B song that is very Khalil-like composition. It has a serene and romantic feel so while it is not incredibly memorable, it is a smooth and enjoyable listen, and one of the better slow songs on "Dangerous World."

Niki: "Autumn Leaves" is the one ballad in this album that I like. It's soft and relaxing without boring me because there's more variety in the notes and fluctuations in the melody, unlike the other ballads.Listening to this song makes me envision a 1950s romantic movie which makes me feel happy inside.

Iris: "Paris/巴黎 " is initially catchy but quickly gets old, stretching over 4 minutes long. It would've worked better as a 2 and a half minute track. In terms of composition, this is definitely one of Khalil's weakest, as there is very little if any variety in notes and very repetitive. Things pick up though and we flow to the upbeat and fun "No Love", featuring Miss Ko. It is one of the more dynamic non-singles of the album and worth repeated listens.

Niki: After the "No Love/ 愛不來 Feat. Miss Ko葛仲珊 " we have Zombie, another pleasant surprise. The song has a very distinctive beat that matches the songs peculiar title and theme. Through the changes in tempo and fluctuations in notes within the song Khalil was able to paint a rather dynamic scenario in my head, making it all the more fun to listen to. He includes another surprise at the end of the song with the addition of an electric guitar infusing a rock element into the song, finishing it strong. This song may be one of the most dynamic and creative song of his in this album. The only shame is that it is not one of the title tracks. I would love to see the mv that would match this song.

Iris: "Zombie/僵屍 " is my favorite song after "Xiao Fong", but was unfortunately never released as a single. It is so dynamic and infectious it has a cinematic feel and Khalil at his creative best. I also love how when the song starts to fade out it tricks the listener into thinking it has ended, when it hasn't. The mix of R&B and rock elements was phenomenal.

The album closes with "Lights Up" ,another 4 minute song that would have benefitted from a cut. It is catchy and fun, but quickly becomes too repetitive. Two choruses could easily have been edited out. Nevertheless, it is still an enjoyable and feel-good track.

Conclusion: Khalil's album "Dangerous World" leaves us with some mixed feelings. While some tracks showcase his creativity and strength as a composer and artist, others sound strikingly similar to his past works and fails to leave any lasting impression. The album could also use some reorganizing as most of the slower songs are clumped together in the middle of the album making it seem draggy at times, especially after listening to a chain of up-beat songs in the beginning. However, while there were definitely some low points, songs like "Zombie", "Black, White, and Grey", and "Dangerous World" definitely make up for the disappointment by displaying Khalil's abilities at their best.

Album Review: Fiona Sit's "Tenacious"

After ten years in the music industry, Fiona Sit ended 2013 with a bang with her eleventh studio album "Tenacious," her best work yet and a cohesive representation of her maturation into a dominating HK pop princess.

The album opens with "Contagious," which makes use of club beats and dub step influences, which results in an infectious and catchy dance song. Fiona's vocal delivery is cheeky and fun and not ruined by excessive uses of auto tune like Cantopop dance songs typically like to do. It is definitely one of the better dance songs I have heard and a great way to start the album.

"Weekend Pictorial/周末畫報" is one of the best songs of 2013, and easily the best upbeat one. Cantopop songs usually tend to be slow ballads, auto tune doused club songs, or mid tempo, but "Weeknd Pictorial" is simply a fun, catchy, and refreshing pop song that will have you bobbing your head and snapping your fingers to the beat. It is genuinely a fresh breath of air.

"Tenacious" then takes a slower turn with "Zhu Ge Liang/諸葛亮." The song possesses a very romantic yet sorrowful feel, established by Fiona's gentle and emotion-filled vocals. What sets the single apart though is its lovely musical composition, which has a slight blues influence that perfectly brings out the bittersweetness of the lyrics and vocals.

"A Little Clingy/小小癡纏" brings out the youthful and effortlessly cute side of Fiona and is honestly just a sweet, simple, and good hearted song that makes you smile without being too cheesy.

Things become more laid back with the airy "Art Waits/等待的藝術." It is not one of the album's stand outs, but nevertheless an enjoyable track.

"I Say Goodbye/告別我", composed by Fiona's close friend and musical talent Khalil Fong, is a beautiful ballad reminiscent of 90s Cantopop. The composition of the song is simply gorgeous and everything blends together perfectly, which should come as no surprise given the person behind it. Fiona's vocals shine here with her heartfelt yet slightly restrained delivery. The song truly shows Fiona's maturation and sophistication, and the MV is tasteful.

The album makes a miss with "F.Night", which is made tacky with Fiona's narration through out the song. The song seems to try to be a little mysterious and dream-like, but the effort for the most part falls short.

Meanwhile, the hidden gem on the album is Mandarin track "Recovery/復原", which did not do as well on charts as the other singles. Fiona wrote the lyrics for the song following the death of her beloved cat, who helped her get through her previous depression. I have mixed feelings for the English introduction, which gives off the impression that the song's tone is very dramatic and solemn when it is light and bittersweet, but the rest is in a word, lovely. Mandarin was very appropriate for the song. The light R&B beats and her vocals matched together beautifully with the melody. She looks absolutely gorgeous in the MV, which makes use of simplistic but artsy shots and dark lighting.

The album closes with "Palace Ruo Mei/宮若梅," a song dedicated to the character Gong Er in the film "The Grandmaster." The song boosts a much more powerful feel with an obvious rock influence. While Fiona delivers much of the album in a gentle and restrained register, she allows herself to belt more here without losing control of her vocals, as if to say she is finally letting loose, which is a very appropriate way to end the album.

Overall, "Tenacious" finds a balance between two sounds and images: the youthful, bubbly, and endearing Fiona and the matured, sophisticated, and more artistic Fiona in the slower songs and ballads.  All the singles released from the album are wonderfully produced and sung, and the only weakness on it is "F.Night." After vastly improving her vocals and music sound in 2012, Fiona successfully finished 2013 as a force to be reckoned with and the new HK pop princess.

Regardless of if you are a fan of Fiona, you have to acknowledge the very far way she has come since her debut and the consistency in the music she has released in the last 2 years. Do give "Tenacious" a listen, even if it is just for the singles, whether you are a Fiona fan or want a reminder that there is still good music being put out in Hong Kong.

Song Review: Dear Jane's "不許你注定一人/Never Be Alone"

Dear Jane only released two singles in 2013, but closed the year off solid with "Never Be Alone", easily their best ballad yet.

The song showcases all that is great about Dear Jane: meaningful lyrics, strong vocals, and great composition and production. One of the things I love most about the band is the passion, honesty, and emotion they put into their music, and it shows more than ever here. "Never Be Alone" is a beautiful and uplifting song that tells people that though they may lose a loved one, they will never truly be alone in the world. Tim's vocal delivery is powerful and portrays so much emotion as always. The guitar solo that closes the song makes it feel even more empowering and inspiring and though the song may put you on an emotional ride, it will put a smile on your face by the end.

However, the song is made even better with the MV. It is hands down the most well done MV from Dear Jane yet as it tells a story and amplifies the strengths and emotions of the song without taking away from it. The storyline is simple but touching and makes the song come to life. I also love how the story starts from the present before showing flashbacks, and then finally returning to the present once again. From the waterfall back drop, to the black and white, and all the guys looking handsome and dressed up, the shots of the band were also perfect and added to the melancholic feel.

Dear Jane has outdone themselves with "Never Be Alone." It is an all around phenomenal, touching, and well done song coupled with a memorable music video, and the one that left the most impact on me in 2013.

The band took a break from their usual pop punk sound by releasing two ballads in 2013, so I'm looking forward to hearing their upcoming music, which is supposed to be a return to their punk roots. May 2014 be an even better year for Dear Jane!

Album Review: Kelvin Kwan's "Breakout"

Kelvin Kwan's star continues to shine with "Breakout", his latest and best album yet.

The singer has matured significantly over the years and found the different musical styles that fit him, and "Breakout" shows this. The 8-song album provides a mix of the angst-ridden pop rock Kelvin successfully experimented with in "Occupation", emotion-filled mid tempo numbers, and slower, sweeter songs. Kelvin shows great range in his voice and musical style without including a traditional slow ballad already so often seen in Cantopop.

A closer look...

"Breakout" opens with "手刃情人/Busting My Lover", which bears a similar feel to "People of My Generation" musically wise, but speaks of pain towards a lover. Kelvin's voice and emotions are very raw here and present a different level of intensity than his previous songs.

My personal favorite from the album though is easily second track "你永遠是對的/You Are Forever Right." The mid tempo and melancholic song shows off Kelvin's range and emotion along with a great and moving musical composition. The MV elevates the power and message of the song, but suffers a setback due to Chrissie Chau's mediocre acting.

"一體兩面/Integrated Both Sides" has a slight space-like trance from its beats and arrangement. Although slower than the other songs on the album, it boosts a very serene vibe with a hint of mystery.

"孱弱/Fragile" is a song that takes what Kelvin experimented with from "Occupation" and "People of My Generation" and makes it even better. The song starts off slow with a gentle sadness before going into an angst-ridden and emotional number. This is arguably his best single to date. A more in-depth song review can be found here.

Kelvin once again goes rock with "偉大領袖/The Great Leader", only this time sheds the excessive angst for an upbeat and catchier tune.

"隻字不提/Not Mentioning a Word" is the only song that comes closed to being a ballad on the album, but also one of the less impressive. The arrangement is still very nice and Kelvin never fails to show his range in slow songs like this.

Coming in as another personal favorite of mine is "空氣公園/Air Park," a sweet, relaxing and dreamy song. Kelvin's vocals sound very warm here, putting a smile on your face. It has a very strong calming effect with its thoughtful feel.

The album closes with "舊好/The Old Good," another slower track with a very relaxing and serene vibe. It is an uplifting song with a lovely orchestral and band arrangement, which serves as a nice and sweet way to end the album.

Overall, the album shows great strides in Kelvin Kwan as an artist. "Breakout" reaffirms my confidence in Kelvin as a mainstay in today's Cantopop industry, which is in need of someone with edge and a flair for experimentation like him. He has surpassed everyone's previous low expectations of him as little more than a washed up idol and blown everyone out of the water with his genuine talent. "Breakout" is his most mature and best work yet as well as one of the most consistent and enjoyable albums of the year. I know I will continue to be impressed by him.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Song Review: Dear Jane's "Unavoidable"

Dear Jane makes their 2013 return with their new single "Unavoidable". Right off the bat, it is obvious that this talented band have once again given it their all into this song.

"Unavoidable" is a song that will probably only appeal to a smaller group of listeners. It possesses a softer rock sound, which fans of the band's former rougher and more punk influenced music may not be fond of. At the same time, it is not a song whose melody will immediately stick to you because it's not as catchy as their other material. However, it does not stop "Unavoidable" from being an overall great song.

This may sound strange, but in some ways this is one of Dear Jane's weaker songs, but in other ways their personal best. It's weakness consist of the reasons stated above. One must be more open minded and really appreciate music to realize this is actually one of Dear Jane's best yet. The song embodies what I love this band so much for: true passion and honesty. Howie's songwriting and composition is beautiful, personal and meaningful and Tim is able to showcase his voice and bring his lyrics to life. I'm pleased to see that Dear Jane, while conforming a bit to make it in the mainstream HK music industry, is also staying true to themselves and giving listeners the opportunity to hear something different and full of heart and substance.

======================================================================

Additional Notes: Against my initial expectations, "Unavoidable" is doing incredibly well! It went #1 on the iTune store as well as on HK music charts, and still high up as we speak. It is wonderful to see a song that doesn't conform to usual HK mainstream tastes garnering critical and commercial success. Congratulations Dear Jane!!!

Song Review: Nam Soo Rim (Rimi)'s "Drive Me to the Moon"

Female K-Indie rapper Nam Soo Rim comes back after a year's hiatus with her new mini album "Drive Me to the Moon". For this comeback, Soo Rim trades her previous edgy style for a softer, more romantic one. The album's main focus is to tell the story of romance; each song provides a different perspective and situation. In her album-titled song "Drive Me to the Moon", Soo Rim takes us on a romantic and fantasy-like date.

The Song:
"Drive Me to the Moon" is a mid-tempo rock infused hip-hop track. The song features Nam Soo Rim's powerful rapping and the vocals of Park Ji Yoon.  The vocals and rapping blends nicely together and with the music to paint a story of love. Soo Rim keeps a strong and consistent beat with her rapping, which to me sounds like she's providing narration for the story and Ji Yoon's lovely vocals set the dream-like tone for the song.

I personally love this song, it's different, unique, and definitely not something you often come across in K-pop. Being a heavily rap focused song, I was surprised that Soo Rim was able to pull off a romantic style and sound using a genre that's generally more edgy.

The MV:
The music video uses stunning animations to depict the lyrics of the song. The video follows two girls as they go on a date through a fantasy-like amusement park. As it progresses reality starts to blend with fantasy as the girl's imaginations take over. The MV also raises a question about what the story is telling. It could be a story of two young lovers on a date, or it could be interpreted as two close friends hanging out. Personally, I think it's the former because of the romantic feel the tone of the song and the setting of the MV give off.

Overall, this is a phenomenal song that surpasses the usual boundaries of music. The song is sweet and romantic while still maintaining a funky and edgy sound. The quality of the animation used for the MV is stunning as well. Soo Rim did a fantastic job with experimentation in this new comeback. I will definitely look out for Nam Soo Rim's name in the future. This goes to prove that South Korea has much more to show than just its usual mainstream K-Pop.

Song Review: Fiona Sit's "告別我/Farewell"

Following the smash hit "Cold Joke", Fiona Sit releases her new single "Farewell", which is burning up the charts!

Over the last year, Fiona has made great strides in her musical career.  Her vocals as well as musical style have sharpened and matured, showing she will be the star and diva of tomorrow.  This latest plug joins the streak of great singles Fiona has been releasing.

"Farewell" is a beautiful and phenomenal ballad.  Its musical composition is lovely and pleasing to the ears, with a sound that is slightly reminiscent of 90s Cantopop.  The instruments and musical elements blend together beautifully.  The lyrics, which talk of falling in love with someone you know you will have to say goodbye to, are emotionally sung and executed gracefully by Fiona.  The pacing of the song is very nice, as it is neither too slow for a ballad nor too fast.  "Farewell" also gives a more sophisticated musical direction and image to Fiona.

In addition, the music video is nicely executed with tasteful artistic direction, and as a result compliments the song very well.  There is a melancholic feel to it, allowing the song to touch you more.    Everything about the song comes together so effortlessly and beautifully.

Overall, "Farewell" is a heartfelt and stunning song, and one of the more memorable ballads I've heard. It continues to show how Fiona is improving and maturing, as well as on her way to becoming one of the brightest and biggest singers in Cantopop.  This is definitely my new favorite song from Fiona (which I seem to say every time she releases a new single nowadays?), and I'm sure there is more great material to come.

Song Review: Ella Koon's "So In Love"

Ella Koon is back with "So In Love", her first single under Warner Music HK!  "So In Love" is written and composed by none other than her fellow Warner label mate, popular singer songwriter Khalil Fong.

Although "So In Love" possesses a relatively simple melody and lyrics, it is catchy, fun, and sweet.  There's nothing extraordinary about "So In Love", but it is such a feel good song that easily makes you smile, especially if you are feeling "so in love" yourself.  The sound is fresh and upbeat with its blend of synthetic pop beats and musical instruments, and makes you want to just get up and dance around your room.

The music video lets Ella's bubbly and sweet personality shine!  The colorful backdrop, outfits Ella wears, and various props allows the video to be a little creative and fun.  It looks like Ella herself was able to customize the set to her liking, which slightly resembles the inside of a doll house.  Instead of looking too silly or random, the set and Ella playing around shows the happiness, good mood, and positive outlook of a girl sweetly in love.

Am I blown away by "So In Love"?  No, but that doesn't stop me from loving this song.  It's not impressive, but nevertheless a very fun and sweet song that shows Ella's lovely personality and warm vocals.  It also possesses a fresh sound (most of Warner Music HK's music does) that is sure to be a hit with radio viewers and young HK people.  I'm very happy to see Ella part of the Warner family now, and I'm sure this will only help her to finally win the popularity and recognition she deserves!

HK Artist Spotlight: Terry Zou

I've wanted to write a post on Terry for a while now, but I wanted to wait until his album was released and yay! It's finally here ^_^.

As of right now, one of my favourite Hong Kong singers is Terry Zou. I'm aware that not a lot of people know him because he is still relatively new but here goes...

Terry Zou Man Jing (鄒文正) is a Hong Kong singer who debuted back in 2011. He's back with his second album this year in 2013 called "Terry Zou Album 2013". He is from Guangzhou, China, which makes him fluent in both Mandarin and Cantonese. If I'm not wrong, he was already a singer before he was signed to his music company Gold Typhoon. Terry can play the guitar, the piano, the drums, the violin and the Chinese instrument, Er-hu.

In case you're wondering, the first time I noticed Terry was on TV. His MV was playing, and I quite liked the song so I Google-d it; because he was a new face, I was curious to who this singer was and where he came from.

Terry's a big fan of rock music. He fell in love with rock music because of his dad. His dad was in a band and he would bring Terry along with him when he was on tour. This influenced Terry a lot, because once he was in high school, he joined bands making him a good guitarist, drummer and pianist. He still mentions his dad a lot in his interviews nowadays. =) In his first album, he incorporated rock music into a couple of songs.

Terry Zou Debut Album tracklist
01. 我是人
02. 城中人
03. 留低她於廁所
04. 肚餓
05. 盲目
06. 我只是童鞋
07. 城市人 (國語)

The first track, "我是人", is a playful, whimsical song that I really like. This was the first song he plugged. The second song, "城中人", was arranged and produced by HK band Rubberband. The song is quite slow at the beginning, but it gradually speeds up with its rock elements. "城市人" is the Mandarin version of "城中人". The first MV I saw of Terry's was actually "城中人"!

The third track, "留低她於廁所", is a song with an unusual song title. He wrote the lyrics for this song, if I remember correctly. The MV for this song is quite interesting too. The song's pace is kind of the same throughout but still a catchy song!

"肚餓", which translates to "Hungry" in English, is a catchy rock song that I really like. Track 5, "盲目", is my absolute favourite song of Terry's! It might sound like a typical love song, but I love it. It is one of his most popular songs amongst them all. "我只是童鞋" is also one of my favourite songs by Terry. The song showcases his singing skills very well because of the long notes at the end and I love how sweet it sounds. It is actually a remake of a Korean song.

Earlier this week, Terry FINALLY released his second album (it was postponed several times). I am quite disappointed since there are only 7 songs on the album, and 4 of them I've already heard beforehand, but nevertheless, I still really like the songs from this album overall. 

01. 非人生活 (Inhuman Life)
02. 無關痛癢 (Irrelevance)
03. 糟蹋 (Ruin)
04. 最後警告 (國) (Final Warning)
05. 因為難得，所以難 (國) (Because It's Precious)
06. 愛得不是時候 (國) (Wrong Timing)
07. 紅茶或咖啡 (國) (與AOA合唱) (Tea or Coffee)

"Inhuman Life" was released last year, around 6 months ago, so it's actually quite old. Funny story, I actually thought the song was kind of boring when it first came out, but I think it's one of those songs that grow on you after a while.

Live version of "Because It's Precious" on 360 music show

"Tea or Coffee" MV

The songs "Because It's Precious" and "Tea and Coffee" were also released last year along with their MV's. My favourite out of the three is "Because It's Precious". I loved it from the first time I heard it! "Tea or Coffee" is a cute upbeat Mandarin song with AOA.

Live version of "Irrelevance". The album version of this song has different lyrics now.

 
Live at press conference

My favourite song out of his new album at the moment is "Irrelevance". I loved it the first time I heard him sing it, which was on Music Cafe. There's just something about this song that makes it different from the rest. I like the softness in his voice in this song. I highly recommend this! "Ruin" is a song that I also highly recommend and I think this is the song he will plug next. "Wrong Timing" is the Mandarin version of "Ruin" and I have to be honest, I think the Mandarin version sounds better but I still like both versions.

"Final Warning" is a rock song (so his style). I'm glad he included a rock song because it's a style of music he likes and this song is pretty fast compared to the rest. I remember he mentioned in an interview that people like him singing slow songs more, so that would explain why there are more slow songs in this album.

I think Terry needs more exposure because he's a very good singer (he sings well live too ;)), and I feel that more people should know who he is. A lot of people call him the "pirated" version of Raymond Lam (in terms of look), but I don't see the resemblance.

Terry also was in an episode of Music Cafe with new duo group GoldEN (he recently recorded his own episode of Music Cafe!) and covered songs by Eason Chan and Sandy Lam. I really like the Eason song he covered.

And one more clip of Terry singing Faye Wong's "A Love Letter to Myself". I'm a fan of this song and I just love the fact he sang it even if it was just a tiny bit of the song and he didn't know all the words.

Terry's already filmed the MV for "Irrelevance", and he's filming another MV for "Ruin". This means there might be another version of his 2013 album coming out soon, considering the fact that it has no MVs included at the moment. Anyway, I do hope his album sells well! Let's support this talented Gemini male together ;)

If you're interested in following his news, here's his weibo: http://weibo.com/terryzou

If you've gotten this far...thanks for reading ^_^ If do you end up listening to his songs, please do comment in the section below and tell me what you guys think!

Song Review: G.NA's "Oops!"

G.NA has made a comeback with her fourth mini album "Beautiful Kisses." This album has a total of five songs: "Oops!" (feat. Ilhoon of BTOB), "Hate it, Can't Stand it", "First Kiss", "Oh, Good!", and "Mind Sync" (feat. Hah Gak).

The Song:

Pinki: First off, this song has nothing to do with making mistakes. This song is about when a person likes another person...A LOT. This song starts from a guy's point of view, then the girl responds during the chorus. The guy happens to be younger than the girl because the first line of the song is "Nuna, you know you're the bestest right?" "Bestest" is not a word, while "Nuna" or "Noona" is a Korean term used to call an older girl you respect or admire, and it is also used by males when calling their older sister. The rap part of the song goes on about how the younger guy is "head over heels" for the older girl. The girl responds by saying she is a beautiful girl, what she likes, and to not tell her to do anything she doesn't like. For example, in the song G.NA says, "I'm a beautiful girl, I like to wear jeans, don't ask me to wear short skirts." This song is bubbly and upbeat, but with a sweet melody. There is also metaphors and similes used in the rap, which make me laugh. "Ha ha ^^~"    

Niki: Elaborating on what Pinki has said, G.NA's new song is a portrayal of the "Noona-Dongsaeng" (older woman-younger guy) relationship that has been so popular in K-pop lately. It depicts the older girl to be clever and confident. She know that guys can pretend to gain her trust, but she's not easily swayed. Meanwhile, the guy is depicted as a more impulsive and naive character hopelessly enamored by the older lady, probably because of her confidence and mature aura.  This is a portrayal that's commonly done and is a more stereotypical view of such a relationship. 

The song's lyrics are split into two parts, Ilhoon's raps and G.NA's singing, and takes on two different perspectives. I really like how this is arranged because it sets up a dialogue between two people and creates a somewhat interactive song, making it more fun and different. 

Regarding the title of the song, it does seem out of context and random, but my interpretation is that the noona is flirting with the younger guy. She is leading him on to get close to her, but then pulls away before he gets too close, thus the flirtatious sounding "oops oops". However, it is more likely that the "word" was put into the song as a simple hook.

The MV: 

Pinki: The MV is cute in a way, but it mainly reveals a sexy side of G.NA. It starts out with a guy and his cat. Don't know the purpose of the cat though, as it was just there through out the whole video  Then...BAM! Ilhoon comes out with his awesome rapping, and then G.NA gets out of bed and does the sub chorus  After that, her dance kicks in. I am not very fond of the dance as there is just something I don't like about it. It's cute and sexy but not really to my liking. That's pretty much the whole video. It's her rolling around in bed, Ilhoon rapping, and more of the cat. Then, I got very confused at the ending. It shows the guy that is in the very beginning of the MV, and G.NA dances with him and suddenly disappears  Then the guy look for her but doesn't find her, and when he enters what seems to be his house, he smiles. I don't know what the reason for that smile was. Was G.NA is his house? Then it shows the cat again and that's how the video ends. 

Niki: The cat in the video intrigued me, because I was confused in the beginning as to why a cat was there. But it donned on me afterwards that the cat was an allusion and they were comparing the Noona-dongsaeng relationship to that of a cat and dog. G.NA is being referred to as a "cougar" (an older woman who prefers to date young guys) for going after the younger male character. Connecting back to the lyrics Ilhoon's rap had a line that said "Because of all the packs of wolves around you. I wanna be your jindo dog," which implies that younger guys are seen as loyal an innocent. In a Noona-Dongsaeng relationship instead of having guys chase after the girl (like dogs usually chase after cats) the older lady is teasing and attracting the guy's attention.

The MV also shows the different sides to a woman's personality. The cat in the beginning and end comes to the guy in a calm manner and is seemingly docile, however when the cat transform into human (which always happens in real life right?...your crush is really your cat...totally! It makes total sense....) she reveals a sexier and more seductive side.

With the plot aside, I personally don't like the crossover between cute and sexy that G.NA has been donning for her image. Those are two different if not opposite images and purposely mixing the two would only end up as an awkward image. It also doesn't fit G.NA's personality very much as a confident and strong young lady. I prefer the more natural image she had when promoting "Black and White" and "I'll Back Off So You Can Live Better".  

Overall:

Pinki: I like the sound of the song and the lyrics are very fun. The video however wasn't really my thing. It didn't really "blow me away". But, I still like G.NA and her music, and won't start hating her just because she released one single I did not like.  G.NA FIGHTING!!!! ^^

Niki: I'm not very fond of the style or the message of the song and it's not really the type of music I prefer. However, I agree with Pinki that this is an overall fun song with a quirky MV that you can maybe bounce around to in your house. G.NA is still one of the K-pop artists I fairly like, I just wish that she would recover her initial image soon.