[Album Review] EXO - XOXO

* This has been in my draft bin for sometime now. I figured it was time to complete it.*

K-Indie Music: Yaya "Nightmare"

I've been in the exploration-mode of new and different music for awhile which is a big reason why I started this segment. One of the people I've come to appreciate their music is singer Yaya. Yaya is an exceptional singer and composer blending the two to create such invoking and haunting music. Quite frankly I didn't know what to think of her style. Musically, its different from anything I've ever heard before. So different I cant put her in any particular category or genre. She perfects the talent of integrating different genres such as jazz, tango, classical, cabaret - all into one masterpiece.





"Nightmare" is crazy, chaotic, and a tumbling mesh of different instruments in one piece. There is never a slow moment in the song. It starts out crazy and never settles down. But that's the beauty of it, its suppose to represent something dark and yet mesmerizing when you listen to it. At first listen, it was kinda jarring to the ear but after repeating it again and again, it became less harsh and more amazing. Its best to listen to it more than once in order to get the full impact of the song.

K-Indie Music: Clazziqua's "Brown Gold Eyes"

Sorry this is a day late but blame it on my recovery from ice skating late last night, and recovering from volleyball practice during the week. Sitting for long periods of time just isn't working for me at the moment.

A blogger friend recently recommended the group Clazziqua to add to my must-listen to list. The group consists of Alex, male vocalists, who might be more well known as a actor that played second lead to Gong Hyon-jin in the drama Pasta, the female vocalist of the group Horan, and DJ Clazzi who composes, mixes, and produces the groups music. So far I've only listened to this song about eighty times already. Its a very nostalgic song about missing that special someone and how they keep thinking about their past memories and their "brown gold eyes." I love how they used the instruments in the song, keeping it simple so not to overwhelm the vocalists. Using just the acoustic guitar in the beginning was pure bliss I liked how it set the tone for the rest of the song. This group is a must to check out.

Song of The Moment~ Younha~ The Real Reason Why We Broke Up

The Korean singer Younha recently came into my radar and boy do I wish I had found her sooner. She's a gifted singer in that every song she just shines. I'm becoming a fan the more times I listen to her songs. What stands out the most to me is her youthful, energetic voice. In just a couple of minutes I listened to a few of her older and newer songs and the growth she displays with every album is just amazing. Definitely the poster child for progression with every release.

The Real Reason Why We Broke Up

Even though it is a break up song, it doesn't have that sad,mournful quality to it. I feel the lyrics themselves reflects how a person feels when you've done everything you could to salvage the relationship but recognized how futile it was to reconcile. My favorite part is when the acoustic guitar comes in as that is where the song actually picks up the temp and has an happier sound to it. For instance, in the beginning she was sad about the outcome but towards the middle of the song accepts the outcome and ends up happier. This song really showcases her vocal ability where instead of the music overpowering her, its set as the backup to her voice. I absolutely love the finger-snaps in the background it definitely helps keep the song upbeat.

When the video first starts with just the slow melody playing everyone in the scene is frozen then when the guitar comes in, life returns back to them. What I perceived from the video is how the dancers move and dance around Younha and Park Ki Woong but time and life seem to pass them by. Its like their stuck in this rut and going nowhere. Throughout the video these particular scenes reiterate that while the world is alive, this couple have been dead a long time. It kept eating at me how they would show Park Ki Woong drawing a flower and I wasn't fully getting it but now seems somewhat clear. The drawing is suppose to represent their relationship in progress and then towards the end when he stops and burns the drawing, its a symbol of the relationship being burned. Sad, but a moving video of the reasons why this relationship ended. Hope you guys like the song!