Best of 2009: July #6 - #1

Who topped my list for July? Kpop or not kpop?

#6: Brown Eyed Girls - 잘할게요

Correct me if I'm wrong but the title of this translates to 'I'll Be OK' or something like that. The Brown Eyed Girls may have taken over kpop with Abracadabra and now Sign but I love the fact that they used to be ballad singers and that they can actually, actually sing - unlike a lot of the girl groups today. Their vocals may be processed to infinity and doctored in every way possible but there are songs that prove they have the vocals to be one of the most influential girl groups. I love the bells/whatever instrument that is in the background - it makes the song sound like a fairy tale.

#5: 2NE1 - I Don't Care

2NE1 have become gigantic in such a short span of time that it hurts. I don't necessarily adore I Don't Care but I think it has to be on this list - it was a big enough hit to be nearly influential this year. And whether I like it or not, I Don't Care has always been a hit in the making. It's got a boring instrumental and the song revolves around the melodic hook, I'm just thankful that the hook actually has a melody. This is one of the few songs with rap parts I can actually stomach so for that, I gotta give it to the girls. It was also the song that proved to me that my favorite voices in the band are Minzy and CL - they sang exceptionally well. (Hmmm, time to do a vocal commentary! Next year, I promise.)

#4: Kristinia DeBarge - Somebody

There's a part of me that says I can't like Kristinia because of this and this and this but there's another part that screams "I LIKE HER SONGS". I think the latter part won when I was choosing the songs. She's not the best at what she does and she's not this or that but I love the fact that she's doing what she does. Somebody is one of the few songs from her debut album that really made an impact on me - potential single, perhaps?

#3: Taio Cruz - Break Your Heart

Taio Cruz was one of those acts I was listening to Christmas last year at about this time and so listening back to this song reminds me of that time, even if this exact song wasn't even out then. The guy has the ability to make songs that one, sound like hits in the UK and two, appeal to me. LOL. No really, I'm not one to adore hits but Taio makes them well. He may not be in Craig David's league in the world of British R&B (I highly doubt anyone will) but he has his own appeal.

#2: Jordin Sparks - No Parade

I've said it once but I'll say it again - No Parade is stunning. The piano part at the beginning makes me melt, the chorus makes me tear up and how the song builds up makes me burst out crying. If I'm depressed enough. But really, the chorus is stunning and the emphasis on the piano throughout the song makes me smile. This song won't work though if the singer doesn't know what he/she's doing - Jordin does. Although I don't think she deserved to win her season of Idol (Yes, I'm still bitter - BLAKE!!!), she has learned how to be a good singer over the years.

#1: Ola - Sky's the Limit

I'm afraid my love for European pop still managed to rule this month - Ola's single just knocked all the (tough) competition out of the race. The melody, the super pop-y arrangement and the whole package are just too good to be left out on. It's catchy, well-produced and Ola can damn sing.

# 10: Taio Cruz - I'll Never Love Again

Listening over to the song while I'm writing this, I just discovered who he sounds like.

A less annoying Akon.

Think about it, his pronunciation is similar and this song, with a little tweaking on the arrangement, could actually be an Akon song.

The first time I ever heard of him was when I first heard the Sugababes album, their duet with him was the bonus track. I liked the song, so I got curious and did my research before getting a hold of the album.

I loved the album.

He's kinda like Lemar actually, but I think Lemar has a nicer voice and makes even more brilliant melodies. Taio Cruz's melodies are amazing as well of course.

I mean, why would he be on the countdown if the melody of this song wasn't amazing? It just doesn't make sense.

Some new obsessions..

Quite a few, actually.

• Mya's new song, 'Paradise', is amazing! She doesn't have the strongest voice, but she knows which songs give her that egde. It's got that African vibe that we heard with Jordan Pruitt's 'One Love', the only catch is that this is heavier on the R&B side. Still, I have a fixation for African-inspired songs that manage to fuse those elements with other genres, most often R&B. That plus those mentions about 'jungle' and 'eden', make the song simply brilliant! I never really took notice of her last album, but now that I've heard this, could her previous effort be this good as well? I'll give it a listen sometime this week. EDIT: I heard Ridin' from her last album and I just have one word, BRILLIANT. I can't wait to hear the rest of the album!
• Why does the lead single of Britannia High(that's being offered as a free download on the site..) sound a lot like the stuff from the I Dream soundtrack? I know a lot of people had been saying this for a long time already, but I just got the chance to actually download the song today so forgive me. Seriously, the song sounds like it could've been on the I Dream soundtrack, and I adore the songs there. This song though, I'm not so sure, it's a bit too camp-y and it's trying too hard to be a modern cross between I Dream and HSM 1. I'm afraid it's failed. OK, there are some good points in the song, like the melody of the chorus, but I don't really like the song as a whole.
• Taio Cruz's album. Let me just say one thing, Brits make some amazing R&B. First Craig David, who's just mind-blowing and now Taio Cruz, who may even follow in Craig's footsteps. All the tracks on his debut album are worth listening to, but there are some that I adore more than the others. My favorites are I Don't Wanna Fall In Love, I Just Wanna Know, I'll Never Love Again and Never Gonna Get Us(which reminds me of a Seal song..). The songs are simply amazing! Seriously.
• Can't Stop Thinking About You from the new Boyzone greatest hits album may be cheesy at the start and sound like something from a musical(I have no idea who's singing, is that Ronan?), but I adore it for some strange reason. The melody just makes me adore the song, but I wish the instrumentation was a bit different. All in all, it's an amazing song and I'm seriously obsessed with it.
• The more I listen to Greatest Day, the more I adore it. As if I never did. When can we get it in HQ? Garrrr...
• I just noticed something. My top five most listened songs for the week are all Sugababes songs! Hurrah! I guess that shows how much I'm adoring the album, and how eager I am for the new GA album!

This is me being bored, again. I don't have school for the next two weeks, face it!