Music Review

Most of my friends back in Hawaii dont listen to the same music that I do. And that's the way it's always been, so I've just gotten used to not talking about what I like to listen to. But in the HUSA program, I'm lucky to have found people with similar interests. One of my friends here has posted several music reviews on her blog (which you can read here and here), and I think I'll join her on this bandwagon. Also, I very much believe that these two albums are among the best I've ever heard (as one friend would say, they are "eargasms").

The first album we'll discuss is MBLAQ's "BLAQ Style" album. MBLAQ is a five member KPop group, and I started listening to them by chance, when I saw one of their performances on Youtube. I'll be honest, at first I was like, "Okay, standard KPop fare"; but after listening to more of their songs, and watching their other videos on youtube, I was much more keener on them. When I heard that they were going to release an album this year, I was very excited. Although I was two months late, I finally managed to pick up my copy last month, during my trip to Kyoto.


MBLAQ - Cry

Quite honestly, this is the best KPop album I have ever bought. My favorite song is "Cry", which is the video above. I dont really care for the whole eye makeup thing going on, but as a song, I really do love it. I still have to go look up the lyrics, but from what I gather, it's one of those "Dont break up with me" songs. I have a couple of other songs that I really like on this album, but they're all in Korean, so I have no idea how they're pronounced, so I cant very well tell you them. But that's besides the point. Whenever I play this album, my mood is instantly brightened, and all is better. According to Wikipedia, they're scheduled to make their Japan debut in May, with concerts in Sapporo, Fukuoka, and Osaka, among other places. Am I debating the pros and cons of seeing them in person? ...Maybe.
:D

The second album I'm nuts about is "KJ With...", and as you can imagine, all of the tracks are collarborations between this artist KJ (Kohei Japan) and various other singers. I learned about this album after I subscribed to Pony Canyon's youtube channel. Of all the record labels in Japan, Pony Canyon is pretty small, and I'm not a big fan of a lot of their singers, but I sure am glad I'm subscribed to their channel! From what I gather, Kohei Japan is a rapper, and most of his discography is just that - rap. I'm not into rap. But I really do think I'll change my opinion on that, at least for this album.


近づきたくて with YU-A - KJ feat. YU-A

The video above is the music video for "近づきたくて with YU-A", and is actually the second track I heard from this album. However, it is definitely my favoite track because of its lyrics. The song title translates to something like "I want to get closer to you", and the rest of the song is basically about that. I'm sure we've all been in that position: You're really good friends with this person, and you cant help but think about how happy you would be together. And yet, you're not sure about how they feel about you, and it's driving you crazy. In the song the KJ finally tells the girl, "If we're just going to be friends, let's just end it right now". And I'm not going to lie, that kind of feeling is what I really enjoy. Maybe it's the masochist in me, but as much as I hate it, I also enjoy longing and wanting someone. Is that why I love this song so much? Because it's basically me?

Like I said in the beginning, it's always been the case with me that my friends havent been interested in the same music as me. And it's not wrong to disagree with me as to what constitutes wonderful music. But these two albums are definitely on the list of the top ten best albums I have ever bought. Money well spent, I would say.