[#35] Kyuhyun and Tiffany - "To The Beautiful You"

From: ""To The Beautiful You OST"
Format: Digital Single
Released: August
Territory: South Korea
Previous Best of Appearances: First Appearance (as a duo)

Like I said earlier this year, it was an almost-magical moment when I found out that not only had my favorite voices in Super Junior and SNSD recorded a duet, but said duet was not a ballad. Praise the heavens! Frankly, that alone was enough to land this track a spot on the countdown.

But it wasn't enough that "To the Beautiful You" isn't a ballad, it's also a gorgeous, gorgeous song. But it's not the frail kind of gorgeous either (!!), it's the gorgeous that can potentially punch you in the face. Gracefully. And playfully. At the same time. It's such a fun song during the bridges and the choruses that you just want to burst out in song and dance and jump around to it, but then the verses and that stunning middle 8 show up where everything's so beautifully urgent and confident. The subtle contrast between those two qualities, and how they take advantage of it, is really something.

Earlier this year I talked of a good contrast between Kyuhyun and Tiffany, and that still stands. I love how even if Tiffany has a pretty deep timbre, it's also very feminine and slightly fragile around the edges, and how it both contrasts and and complements Kyuhyun's very deep, yet high, vocals. Chemistry matters in a song like this, but both voices deliver it with conviction.

After running around like a headless chicken during "Twinkle", it's good to know that SM finally figured out how to do this "retro" thing they had going this year, and it's even better that they gave it to a duo who are more than capable of pulling off.