Top 15 Albums of February 2014 - Part 2

Oh My Goodness!! So my plan was like the biggest failure of all my blogging history. It's not almost Halloween and I am still on February. Well, I guess expect a bunch of posts coming up throughout the next month. I am setting a schedule and STICKING to it this time! I promise myself! Let's try to get caught up! :) As for charts, those are all done for the months except for Quarter 3. I need to finish compiling July, August, and September; but it will be done! :)

Okay, anyways, let's get start with the top 5 album releases of February (dated around the end of February)!

Youtube Playlist for February 2014

| Part 1 | Part 2 |

05. Arashi - Bittersweet Released: February 12, 2014 [105 Points]

In mid-February Arashi released their 42nd Single, Bittersweet. Bittersweet was the theme song for MatsuJun's drama Shitsuren Chocolatier. The "B-side" track to Bittersweet is Road to Glory, which was the theme song on NTV for the 2014 Winter Olypmics. The other two tracks on the single, beside instrumentals, are Sync and Motto, Ima Yori. Bittersweet is an upbeat track that has that classic Arashi sound and feel. Just listening to it makes me think, "Yes, this is Arashi." It actually is my second favorite song off the album however, my first being Sync. Sync is what I would classify as one of their "experimental" songs. It's a little different than most of the music they've released, but that doesn't really matter. The song starts off a little slow, but has a very strong metronome feel to me and I love the small plays they did with temp throughout the song. And even though I'm not the biggest fan of electronic manipulations, I feel it really suits the song and it's not 100% of the song. It's only at certain parts and really is blended well into the other pieces of the song. It's hard to explain how much I like this song since I'm not too knowledgeable about all of technology, but it's a great song! As for Bittersweet's PV, it's nothing too amazing. We see Arashi on a train in various places and at the platform, mostly looking deep in thought or melancholy. However, I love the scene when three members end up sitting together and the almost instant smiles and laugh they share. And the town that they are going through makes me think of the town from like Sleeping Beauty or Beauty and the Beast or some other fairy tale!

And since Arashi Videos are hard to find online, here is a link to watch it! Sorry couldn't find any good embedding codes! 

04. Lee Min Woo (M) - M+Ten Released: February 6, 2014 [107 Points]
February 2014 saw the return of Shinhwa's main dancer's 3rd Mini Album. The mini-album was long awaited, the last time Lee Min Woo releasing a solo album being in 2009. The promotion song for M+Ten is Taxi and features the leader of Shinhwa, Eric Mun. The mini album has five tracks on it, my favorite being the promotional song, Taxi. Taxi has such a fun, funky groove that you can't help but nod along, or shake your shoulders, or tap your foot. It's such a great groovy song! As for the MV, it's got some pretty funny scenes and basically follows Lee Min Woo as he drunkenly stumbles around an alley, a bathroom stall, and of course the back of a Taxi. The dancing is pretty cool too, though with Lee Min Woo I don't expect anything less! :) Also, we see a cameo of Sam Hammington, an entertainer from New Zealand working in South Korea! Definitely check out the fun video and funky song!



03. Sunmi - Full Moon Released: February 17, 2014 [108 Points]
Late February saw the debut mini album from return artist Sunmi! Sunmi was formerly a member of Wonder Girls, but in 2010 left the group for academic reasons. However she has reentered the lime-light, this time as a solo artist! The promotional song off of the album is Full Moon, and also includes her previously released single 24 Hours. Four other songs were included on the album, Off the album, my favorite songs are definitely Full Moon, Burn, and Who Am I featuring Yoobin (the current rapper of Wonder Girls). Of those three songs, it's hard to pick just one. All three songs are great and unique and something new to the Kpop industry I feel. Burn is a more electronic pop song with a great chorus that's just fun to sing out loud when driving, especially with the windows rolled down! :) As for Who Am I, it's a great chill song. What I mean when I say "chill song" is a song that you can put on and just listen to. It's faster tempo, so between the stages of a ballad and dance song. It's hard to explain, but definitely check it out! As for Full Moon, this song and MV is awesome! And fits today's timing! In the MV Sunmi is a vampire and is seducing a young man to be her lover and turn him. WoooooOOOOoooo~~, scary! Well, not really, but it's a great music video and doesn't go overboard with the Vampire theme. It's almost simple in that respect, but done masterfully. The song is awesome, another one of those songs with a faster tempo, not a ballad, but not quite the norm as far as pop music. If you check out any of these songs, I would definitely suggest Full Moon being at least one!



02. Super Junior Donghae & Eunhyuk - Ride Me Released: February 26, 2014 [112 Points]
Late February saw the release of Super Junior's Donghae & Eunhyuk's first full Japanese album Ride Me. Included in the 13 tracks are the previously released singles Oppa, Oppa (amazing song) and I Wanna Dance (also a great song). The promotional single off the album is the song Motorcycle. It's the same kind of dance pop song that one would expect from Donghae and Eunhyuk. It's a great fun song, and makes me giggle a lot at the double entendre English! :) However, my favorite songs (besides the previously released) are definitely Android Syndrome and Hello. Android Syndrome is along the same lines musically as Motorcycle, and just a fun song! "You're my adrenaline!"  Hello is a little on a different pace, with a slower tempo and more of a pop-ballad. It's just a fun song in general and another great one to sing along too! As for the Motorcycle MV, you just need to watch it for yourself. And trust me the giggles will arise when watching them as "bikers." Plus we get a great surprise cameo from Siwon and a great dance complete with the backup dancers acting as motorcycles! I know I say this a lot, but this is definitely a must watch MV, if nothing else then for the lolz factors! :)

And as we have another Japanese release, here is a link to a good HD version of the Music Video! ;)

01. BAP - First Sensibility Released: February 3, 2014 [136 Points]
Early February saw the first full album release from popular Male Group BAP. The album, containing 13 tracks, has 1004 (Angel) as it's promotional song. Fun side note, for those that don't know Korean, how you pronounce 1004 is cheonsa, which is also the word for Angel. Hence the English name of the song! Okay, I'm going to say it, 1004 is my favorite BAP. This song is just magic for me and I really doubt that BAP can release something that will topple it from the top. It's just great with Zelo and Yong Guk's rapping through out and the great guitar riffs that really just kick the song up a notch! I just can't get over how great this song was for BAP, well at least how great it was in my book! :) And just for kicks since they've topped my chart, we'll go ahead and post a live video as well. The dance is pretty cool for the song. As for the rest of the album, I really liked Bang x2, a more rock style song that's really fun to sing along too and Save Me, a slower song that's a little more rock and uptempo than the normal kpop ballad but great. Actually, now that I think about it, these to songs are also in my top 5 of BAP's songs. They're both really great! Well back on track a little, the video is a little weird, and I really want to know where Yong Guk is with that giant bone formation. And why isn't he blocked off from just digging there? It makes no sense. But as I mentioned before, the song is awesome-sauce! :)



And there you have it folks! February is finally up! Stay tuned for March and soon after Quarter 1 of 2014! As always, here is the link once again to the Youtube Playlist.Questions, comments, concerns, and random scribbles are always welcome and highly encouraged!


Stasi ♫

Top 15 Albums of January 2014 - Part 2

So I'm back with part two of the Top 14 Albums of January 2014! This will be the top five albums, the other ten in the previous blog post (see part one below). I won't blabber too much here, so let's get started. YouTube Playlist if you usually check the videos out that way!

| Part 1 | Part 2 | 

05. Dal Shabet - BBB [104 Points] Released: January 8, 2013 

Early January fan saw Dal Shabet's comeback with their seventh mini-album BBB. BBB stands for Big Baby Baby. The album concept and music video is a little darker compared to Dal Shabet's previous releases and really focused on showing their more mature side. BBB keeps a little bit of the disco feel that Dal Shabet is known for, but I have to say I still like some of their previous works a little more. However, I definitely like this song, especially when compared to other girl band releases in January. Girl's Day released around the same time (they end up doing that a lot) and I have to go with BBB over Something with like 60 to 40 percentiles. As for the rest of the mini-album, I really liked Rewind as well. Anyways, the music video is pretty simple, but has some interesting choreography at parts. 

04. Kim Jaejoong - WWW Makeup Repackage [115 Points] Released: January 20, 2014 

Yes I know that Kim Jaejoong's WWW was released in 2013 and ended up as number 2 in the Top 50 Albums of 2013, but he released a repackaged version in late January with two new songs. Since I've already gone over the rest of the album, I'll just share my thoughts here on the new ones. My favorite of the two is Makeup, a remake of a Japanese song I believe. Here is a video with English subs. It's such a pretty ballad that has a lot of emotion both in his vocals and in the melody. The other song is another ballad, but a duet with talented female solo artist Gummy. The name of the song is Heaven and is also really pretty. Jaejoong is so freaking talented, pulling off some more rock songs, and then pulling out ballads like this. Gummy really fits with the duet well and I really like the way their voices harmonize. Well, as for the music video, I'll just post Just Another Girl Again. It's still the video that goes with this album, so enjoy again if you want! XD 

03. B1A4 - Who Am I [117 Points] Released: January 13, 2014

B1A4 came back with their second studio album in January! Over half of the songs on the album were actually produced by leader Jinyoung. One of them being the promotion song Lonely, with Jinyoung and Baro (the rapper) writing the lyrics. Being super excited for B1A4's comeback, I was a little disappointed at first with the slower song and not as much covered in the pizzazz that usually accompanies B1A4. However I think it fits well with the Korean industry's usual winter songs (I don't know why everyone things Autumn and Winter means ballads?). However after listening to the song a few times and throwing away my predispositions, I really came to love Lonely. Even though it's more of a Ballad, there still is a feel of it being B1A4, especially just listening to the song itself. I also found the dance choreography pretty interesting and it even has a practice video (I love those if you haven't noticed!)! As for the music video, it has a lot of snowy shots and is more depressing, but I did like the way that Jinyoung's girl turned into a balloon and the scenes with them on the couch. As for the rest of the album, I really liked Who Am I. It was also produced by Jinyoung with the lyrics by Jinyoung and Baro. It's style is more closer to their previous releases, except it sounds a little more mature. Definitely check it out if you haven't heard it before. 

02. Seo Inguk - Everlasting [137 Points] Released: January 15, 2014

Seo Inguk released his first full album in Japan halfway through January. It has a few of the previous singles he's released there, as well as a smattering of new ones. I really love Seo Inguk's voice and was super excited to see a new release! I really love this album, with a good chunk of the songs having over 30 plays each! The promotion song for the album is Everlasting Love, a ballad (no surprise here) with a sad, reminiscent music video. It's a pretty song, but not one of my favorites. In no particular order, my favorite songs off the album are Toxic Girl, Space de Tour, Hands Up!, and Lovely Girl. All are a little more in pop genre, except for Lovely Girl; it's more of a pop-ballad I guess. I'm really hoping Seo Inguk releases something else this year, and soon! I can't wait to hear what he does next. 

01. Rain - Rain Effect [142 Points] Released: January 2, 2014

January 2014 saw the return of World Star Rain! His first release since 2011 and after completing his military service, Rain released Rain Effect, his sixth studio album. Along with the album, two music videos were released. 30 Sexy and LA Song were the two chosen promotion songs and both have music videos. LA Song is my favorite of the two songs and music videos, but I love them both! 30 Sexy is pretty much just Rain dancing (which is always amazing). LA Song is a more fun music video, with Rain dancing as well as other "random" people. Since this will be a shorter post, I'll go ahead and post both videos below! I was so happy Rain was coming back, I've been a big fan of his since Rainism and Full House (the kdrama). His first glimpse of a comeback came during the 2013 MAMA awards. And boy was I surprised. We had to pause it while I completely fangirled out and got super duper excited. The rest of the album is pretty good, my other favorite songs being Superman and Found Out. 

January is officially done and over! Stay tuned for February (hopefully I'll start knocking this out faster!)! As always, here is the link to the YouTube Playlist. Keep rockin' and enjoyin' music from around the world! Any questions or comments below will be answered! Until next time! 

Stasi ♫

Top 15 Albums of January 2014 - Part 1

Hello fellow Music Lovers! I'm finally getting started on 2014's Music! Before we get into the nitty-gritty of it, just a side note. I just noticed the last post was my 50th! And it was the top 10! If only I noticed before! Anyway, I just wanted to thank those few that have been with me pretty much from the start!

Now on to music related things. I have finally came to a decision on how to do countdowns for the smaller amounts of time. I will be doing the top 15 for every month, top 25 for every quarter (three months), top 30 for half years, and top 50 for the entire years (like previously). If you're curious, I just figure I could go through and figure out how I want to split the posts up within the rankings, and it looks like we'll go with two a month, three every three months and six months, and five to close out the year! Yeah, so now it's solidified, lets get started with January!

And as per usual, the link to the videos in playlist form on YouTube here!

| Part 1 | Part 2 | 

15. Kiss&Cry - Domino Game [60 Points] Released: January 24, 2014 

Domino Game is the debut song of a new four member girl group known as Kiss&Cry. Oh my goodness do these girls have some vocal power. For being a new group, most of the members have previous debuts and have done work in previous groups or as a soloist. They're concept is also more sexier for their debut, and it didn't feel as forced as others tend to be. I am so impressed by this new group and can't wait to see what else they do in the future. They are also pretty good live, so definitely watch it if you enjoy live shows! As for the song itself, it has a really fun and funky Latin vibe with trumpets galore. It's one of those songs where I just sing and dance along while folding my laundry. It's just got a fun beat! 

14. A-Prince - Yes Or No [61 Points] Released: January 15, 2014 

Mid January newer boy band A-Prince released the single Yes Or No. This is a more normal dance pop Kpop song, and my favorite of A-Prince's. I especially really like the chorus. It's so much fun to sing along too! As for the music video, they are a new band and not from one of the top production companies. It's a little disappointing, but they do upload their music videos with English subtitles which it nice to see for international fans. The music video, just seems like a B-movie. But, if anything just focus on the lyrics. The song is really solid and one of my favorites of 2014 so far! 

13. GaIn - Fxxk U [64 Points] Released: January 27, 2014 

News of GaIn's impending comeback came out in January along with a risque and sexy teaser for a pre-release single. Now, for those of you who know me personally know that I'm not very fond of cussing and very rarely do so myself. I just find it a turn off a lot of the time. However, there are times where I've seen where those types of words are needed to get across a certain message. I think that this song is one of those few cases. Going into the lyrics, Fxxk U tells the story of a couple (played by Gain and actor Joo Ji Hoon [I love him]) that in a relationship that is intense, rocky, and both physically and emotionally abusive. It has such a strong message, which is something I really respect about Gain, and Brown Eyed Girls in general. When songs like this come out, I really am grateful to those artists (no matter where they are) for trying to bring to light issues that plague humanity. Yeah, so going back to something a little more light hearted, Bumkey features in this song (he has a really good R&B voice). I will post the music video below, but just be warned that it could be a little graphic at times. 

12. Ailee - Singing Got Better [68 Points] Released: January 6, 2014 

Ailee cameback in early January with her third digital single, Singing Got Better. Singing Got Better is more of a Rock Ballad that really shows off Ailee's power voice once again. Everything I hear from her just has such power to her vocals. And live, she's incredible. I would love to see Ailee in concert one day. As for the music video, it's in a flashback format. We have Ailee famous and reflecting on a previous relationship that ended badly when she was still training. Lee Joon from MBLAQ plays her opposite. Yes, the song is a little slower, but it just has so much power. If you've enjoyed previous works of Ailee I've posted, definitely check this out as well if you haven't! 

11. Got7 - Got It? [78 Points] Released: January 20, 2014

January brought JYP Entertainment's new boy band's debut, GOT7. The promotional song for their debut album is Girls Girls Girls. It's a hip hop style song produced by JYP (because that's a surprise XP) and is said to have JYP's style of Swag. I enjoyed the song, although the lyrics are pretty cocky. But hey, it fits the concept they were going for. The dancing is pretty awesome and fun. Here's a practice video to show more of the dance that also has large name tags! I also really like the editing with the different split screens. I really like what JYP Entertainment does with their music videos, and this one is another on that very long list. For my readers out their more into hip hop, definitely check out Girls Girls Girls (and let me know what you think). Plus we also get Sohee (from Wonder Girls) famous "Omana" featured throughout the song. Back to the album, I also really liked Like Oh. 

10. Royal Pirates - Drawing the Line [81 Points] Released: January 15, 2014 

Finally mid-January we got the first extended play (EP) from Royal Pirates, Drawing the Line! Royal Pirates is a Korean-American indie rock band that have been pretty big on YouTube for a while and I'm glad they have finally officially debuted. The title song is Drawing the Line, and the EP contained two versions, one in Korean and one in English! The official music video is in Korean (obviously), but here is a link to the English version as well! I love the fun song and music video, and really enjoy the flavor of rock music that Royal Pirates produces! I can't wait to see what they'll release next! 

09. DBSK - Tense [82 Points] Released: January 6, 2014 

Early January we saw DBSK's seventh album release Tense. This album was also in celebration of their 10th year anniversary, which occurred December 26th. The title song is Something and has a big band and swing jazz feel to it that really struck a cord with me. For those that aren't aware, if I were to pick my favorite singer of all time, my number one has been Frank Sinatra for years and I grew up with my dad singing his songs all the time. But back to DBSK, talking album wise, I just wasn't as grabbed as I was with Something. Something has the most plays, with the second most only being played three times. I feel bad, but as an entire album, it just didn't grab me at this time in life. Who knows though, maybe three years down the road it'll be exactly what I need to listen to. But back to Something, the music video was true to SM's style, but the dance was pretty nifty with all of the string work. I really liked the little shuffle step during the chorus as well. And oh my goodness! Look at all those foreigners! XD 

08. K-Much - Beyond the Ocean [86 Points] Released: January 7, 2014

January 7th saw the debut of a new five member boy band, known as K-Much internationally. Their debut album is Beyond the Ocean, with the promotion song Good to Go. Having only three songs (as well as the instrumental versions) made their first foray small, but impressive. I enjoy all three of the songs, my favorite is either Good to Go or I'm Sorry; but I also really like What Should I Do? Anyway, I'm pretty impressed with their first album and look forward to what else they'll release!

06. J-Min - Cross the Border [91 Points] Released: January 22, 2014

J-Min is a Korean singer-songwriter under SM, but she's mainly active in Japan. She covers a bunch of genres, most of them fitting into what I would call feel good pop rock. She's released a few singles and mini-albums before, but Cross the Border is her first Studio Album. It has a few of the songs she previously released, as well as two from a single that was cancelled. I love a lot of the songs, but since there's no official promotion song (that I could find), I'll be posting one of the music videos from one of her previous singles that is included on the album. It's called If You Want. She also has a video for Heart Theater. As for the rest of the album, my favorite song is Earth-aholic followed closely by Knock the Walls Down and Song On My Guitar.

06. Girl's Day - Everyday III [91 Points] Released: January 3, 2014

Early 2014 brought about Girl's Day's release of their third mini-album. The promotion song selected was Something, a slower but more sultry song. Girl's Day amped up their sex appeal as they get older and I think they did it well without seeming to off or just wrong with this dance and music video. I still prefer their more pop songs though. As for the rest of the album, I also really enjoyed their song Whistle. 

Alright, well there is Part 1! Stay tuned for the top 5 albums of January (hopefully will go out sometime this week)! As always, stay jamming! Once again here is the videos in a YouTube Playlist. Comments are always loved and answered!

Stasi ♫

My Top 50 Albums of 2013: 10-01

Finally, we are finishing the countdown of 2013! I'll save my thoughts until it's actually over (the end of the post), so let's get started with the final ten albums! And as always, here is the link to my Youtube playlist!

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | 

10. U-Kiss - Inside of Me [257 Points] Released: July 24, 2013 

In 2013 Kiss Me's (U-Kiss' fanclub name) were graced with U-Kiss' second full Japanese album. Beside adding several of their previously released single songs, the album used it's namesake song for promotions. The way I feel about Inside of Me is that it's a good, but interesting mix of pop and ballad styles. Just listening to the instrumental track, it could be a superb pop song, especially if we kick the bpm up a little. However the music is paired with U-Kiss singing more in a ballad style that gives it a nice song that can fit in both of my slow and pop playlists. Even the rap is a little more slowed down to match the overall feel that just the lyrics give. The music video is fairly straight forward, with U-Kiss belting it out in various dimly lit rooms and giving sad yet hopeful faces. Plus we get AJ since he was on a break from Columbia University! I love the black and white clothing choices, especially in the apocalypse room. Except for Hoon. Poor Hoon looks like he got attacked by zombies, so they used someone's pants to make a giant chest bandage for him. (Oh, and side note, U-Kiss, you're doing it wrong. If you are going to board up the windows, don't use such flimsy boards and leave more than enough holes for the zombies to come through. Just saying.) Back to the album, it generally has a more ballad feel to it, besides the singles that were compiled into the album that I love (Alone anyone?), I also really like Play Back (more pop-rock) and The Only One. Also, I just want to point out that the Intro and Interlude songs that U-Kiss usually have are really good and sometimes I find myself listening to them more than the actually songs. Don't know why, but I guess they do them right! (Especially in their latest Japanese Album!) Alright, I think that's enough ranting for now, because I could go on more, but I don't want to bore you! If you made it this far (I know it's just the first one), thank you! Without further ado, here is the PV for Inside of Me (yes it's the short version; Why Japan, WHY?). 

09. Kerli - Utopia [264 Points] Released: March 19, 2013 

I was super excited before 2013 even rolled around knowing that Kerli was planning on releasing a full album in early 2013. I stumbled across Kerli when her first album came out in 2008. I stumbled across one of the songs on YouTube while at work in the basement of Candelaria. After that I was hooked. I googled her and looked up everything she had done before that point. I was such a fan of Kerli because her first few singles and album were super unique and so original compared to anything I had heard before. So this led to my excitement for her next album. I will say however that my first impression of Utopia was fairly bad. Most of the songs fit into the European Electronica genre and felt like it was missing the certain uniqueness I was expecting based off of her previous songs. After not listening to it after a week or so and sitting down to listen to it with a fresh mind, I liked it a lot more knowing what to expect musically. I once again enjoy 90% of the album, with two songs not necessarily fitting my tastes. And a few of her songs actually have some uniqueness, just not of the same variety from before. Since I love almost all of the songs, I could post links to all of them, but I think I'll just post a select few. Okay, this will be tough, I should try to do this objectively. So the songs I am going to share with you are Sugar (not as electronica and more similar to her previous unique songs), Last Breath (my favorite song off the album and my most played), and Chemical (a more acoustic feeling ballad). Also on the album is Zero Gravity, one of my favorite Kerli songs of all time and one that was previously released as a single. If you haven't listened to any of Kerli's stuff before and you are interested in more Indie, feel-good, pop/folk, weirdness, please click here and at least check out her Music Videos (there are four more that have been shared in this post, one from the Tim Burton's remake of Alice in Wonderland!). Side note, she also have really fun and quirky fashion!

08. Super Junior-M - Breakdown [288 Points] Released: January 7, 2013 

The first week into 2013, started one of my favorite Kpop boy bands' sub-unit released a new album! This is their second album and was a comeback for the unit, after not released anything since Perfection in 2011. I was super excited (as one can expect) and totally love Breakdown (the promotion single). It is one of those songs that just gets me nodding my head and singing along (in nowhere near correct Chinese). They released two version, one in Korean and one in Chinese. For those that do not know, Super Junior-M is a sub-unit of Super Junior that mainly promotes in China; the M standing for Mandarin. Besides Breakdown, my favorite song is It's You and has the same amount of plays as Breakdown (+/-1). As for the MV, I have embedded the Chinese version below, but if you would rather watch the Korean one, here is the link! Both versions are pretty much the same, just with different audio. It's also a classic Super Junior music video, with the group just dancing in oddly lit rooms interspersed with singing close-ups and the members getting attacked by feathers. Also, I just want to point out that Siwon is wearing a fuzzy hat, and that is odd, and that is all. 

07. Gackt - Best of the Best: Mild & Wild [309 Points] Released: July 3, 2013 

In the summer of 2013, Japanese star Gackt released a compilation album split into two CDs. Mild contains more of his pop and ballad songs, while Wild tends to have more of his rock songs. I love this compilation album. It's always been on my list to go through and see what I'm missing from Gackt's discography that I love, but now I don't necessarily have to anymore! Also each version has one new song, Mild's being Sakura, Chiru... and Wild's being Claymore. My favorite of the two is definitely Claymore. This album just has A LOT of good songs, and all of my favorite Gackt songs. Looking at the Mild version, my favorite is definitely Ghost and has been my favorite Gackt song of all time since it's release in 2010. Seriously click the link to watch the PV, it has really cool choreography and is an awesome song (and has clips from The Sarah Connor Chronicles since it was used as a promo song for the show in Japan)! As for the rest of the Mild version, I also really like Missing, Vanilla, and Dispar. Even though I tend to choose rock over pop most of the time, I definitely listen to the Mild version more than the Wild. Wild still has some great songs on it. We have the new song Claymore (the PV below), Jesus (one of my favorite Gack PVs after Ghost), and Ever.  To try to keep this short (we aren't even half way done), here is the PV for Claymore. Definitely check out the other links above, at the very least Ghost. Trust me, you won't regret it! 

06. Lunafly - Fly to Love [330 Points] Released: April 3, 2013 

Oh my goodness. Lunafly is so awesome. They are a very talented trio that debuted in September of 2012. Fly to Love is their first full album and chalked full of feel good music. Lunafly has an acoustic type feel to their music that I absolutely love and cannot get enough of. Plus, the leader Sam is from England, so a good chunk of their songs are also released with English versions. If you look at their YouTube, they also have a lot of really good covers. I particularly like the more acoustic versions of their own songs. Maybe one day they'll release an acoustic album. One can hope. Anyways, back to the album at hand. The album was split into two discs, pretty much an English and Korean version each. This may be weird, but there are some songs I prefer in Korean, and some in English. Don't know why, but some of them just sound weird in a different language. The promotion song for the album, is once again its namesake, Fly to Love. This is actually a weird one for me, because I prefer both versions equally. Fly to Love is just a great, feel good song with a fun upbeat melody. I'll have the English version below, so if you would like to view the Korean version, just click here! Here is the link to a live version as well (the singing starts around 1:10)! A good chunk of the songs we actually previously released, just not with an English version as well. Here is the rundown of my favorite songs. I prefer the Korean version of Super Hero, the English versions of One More Step and What's Your Name?, and both versions of You Got That Something I Need. Trying to cut back, if you enjoy acoustic, feel good music without a lot of bells and whistles, definitely check out Lunafly! 

05. Fall Out Boy - Save Rock & Roll [397 Points] Released: April 12, 2013 

Number Five! And look at that point jump! So it is all thanks to my little sister Ariel that this album is on this countdown. During our road trip back from Arizona (after picking her up from college for the summer), she had us listen to Fall Out Boy's new album. My Mom and I completely latched on this was one of the albums that all three of us listened to a bunch that summer and fall. As for MVs, they are doing an entire series, where each song off of the album has its own music video and they all are telling one story. WARNING: Before you watch them, they are very graphic in a violent, bloody, gross way, but extremely interesting and I can't wait for them to finish releasing them. Currently 9 out of 11 have been released, with the latest just coming out March 6th. So back to this album, it is freaking AMAZING. I love or really like all of the songs. There is only one song that I don't listen to as much and it still has 16 plays. My favorite song actually has over 60! Since they are doing something for their videos, all videos that are in this rant block are not going to be the actual music videos so nobody watches them out of order or gets really confused. However you could just watch the entire series so far! So the favorites of my favorites are Where Did the Party Go?, Death Valley, Young Volcanoes, and Rat a Tat. Actually, I just love all of the songs, and my least favorite is the last, Save Rock and Roll. It's just a slow finish to a superb album. Seriously, if you enjoy Rock, or Alternative, or Punk, or whatever, just listen to the songs. IT'S SOOOOO GOOD! Trust me! Without anything further, I bring you the first video of The Young Blood Chronicles. 

04. Shinee - Misconceptions of You [408 Points] Released: February 19, April 26, & August 8, 2013 

So I did a little weird thing here with Shinee's album Misconceptions of You. The way that Misconceptions was released is Chapter 1: Dream Girl was released in February, Chapter 2: Why So Serious? was released in April, and then they were combined into one album and released with two tracks. So to make to easier, I just combined the plays and points from all three releases into one! We'll start with Chapter 1 first. Chapter 1 is Dream Girl and the music video I'm placing below because I like it a little more than Why So Serious? and it was released first. Dream Girl was a fun, quirky, Shinee-esque song with a really fun microphone stand dance. I also really enjoyed Hitchhiking, Beautiful, and Dynamite. Chapter 2 had the promotion song of Why So Serious?. I really enjoyed Why So Serious? and it has probably my favorite lyrics of any Shinee song. I just love how fun it is, and I love the zombie dance. From Chapter 2 I also really like SHINe (Medusa I) and Evil (EVIL!(my Mom's nickname...and she's a shawol...just saying! XD). As for the two new songs from the combined version, they are two pretty ballads (and Shinee does good ballads as some don't know from their dance pop promotions), but I wasn't as excited for them as other songs. So in trying to keep things short, here are the Dance Version MV of Dream Girl, and a live version of Why So Serious? with English subtitles (so you can see the dance and see the lyrics)! 

03. VIXX - Hyde and Jekyll (Repackage) [410 Points] Released: May 20, 2013 

WARNING: I will try to keep from fangirling too much, but seriously, it's Vixx's Hyde & Repackage Jekyll. Rounding out at number three we have Vixx's first mini-album Hyde and the repackaged version called Jekyll. Now if I didn't have a point system here, this album would be tied for first with the album that is first on this list. That is how much I love this album. A good chunk of the songs are still on my everyday playlist, and it has almost been a year. On & On really put VIXX on the map for me, but Hyde really nailed it in place. VIXX is now number three on my list of favorite Kpop boy bands and probably won't be going anywhere anytime soon. As I stated before, I love that they do things a little bit darker and Hyde is currently (as of this moment) the most listened to song in my iTunes (over 150 plays), that was released in 2013, plus it's just my favorite song of 2013. I just can't even properly express how much I love this song. So I'll just pepper you with a live video, a dance practice video, and the music video below! As for the rest of the album, I also really enjoyed Light Me Up and CHAOS. As for the repackage song G.R.8.U., VIXX went with the more cutesy style, as most Kpop groups do. However, there was something different about the way they did it. It wasn't over the top with aegyo (the cutesy stuff) and the music video had a really cool start with everything in reverse followed my newspaper stop-motion and a fun dance (that has a Hyde flashback). As for the repackage songs there were only two more besides G.R.8.U., and one of them is my favorite VIXX non-promotional song, and definitely in the top 5 of my favorite VIXX songs. It's called What To Do. It's just a fun feel good song, and you just have to listen to it yourself. So once again, I leave you with a few more links; G.R.8.U dance practice video and a live version with English subtitles! 

02. Kim Jaejoong - WWW [506 Points] Released: October 29, 2013 

Another big point jump! October brought many wonderful things, my favorite holiday and Kim Jaejoong's (of JYJ) first full solo album. After his solo debut earlier in the year, I super excited to see what he was bringing us again, especially since he was continuing his foray into the Rock genre. The title song is Just Another Girl, and good rock song to kick off the album's tone. Before the album was officially released, two songs were pre-released; Sunny Day a ballad featuring Lee Sang Gon of ballad group Noel, and the rock hit Butterfly. Side note, Butterfly is still my ringtone. I was pleased with both, and even more pleased with the entire album. The night it was released (night for me here in America) I immediately got it and listened to it. I was so impressed with all of the songs and that most of them were rocks songs. There are a couple ballads and more mainstream pop songs, but overall the album was very well rounded and one of my favorite albums of the year. (And will pop up in future ratings as well since the repackage came out in 2014.) As for other songs, I have to narrow it down (and not include the ones already linked above XD). Okay, I am going to go with my favorite of all of Jaejoong's ballads (and the song I was listening to when I got in my big accident - but it didn't ruin the song for me) Paradise, Rotten Love, and Don't Walk Away featuring Young Junhyung the rapper of B2ST. As a last note, I also would like to add that Jaejoong did lyrics for 10 of the 13 songs, as well as composed four of them! I love it when artists take part in writing their own songs! 

01. Kim Jaejoong - I and Y [773 Points] Released: January 17, 2013 

The final album, and my top ranked album of 2013. I bring you another large point jump and Kim Jaejoong's solo debut Mini-album I and the repackage, Y. For I I was super duper excited when Jaejoong released not only that he was doing a solo album, but it would be rock. Mine is the promotion song, a fun rock song with a lot of meaning and wonderful cinematography. It totally blew me away, and I immediately latched onto the song. When the rest of the album came out, I was a little disappointed the rest were more ballad and pop songs, but boy are they still some of my favorite songs. Of the seven songs of both the normal and repackage versions, Jaejoong wrote the lyrics for six and composed four again. My favorite song off of the album is definitely Mine (with over 120 plays), but I loved them all, including the two repackage songs. And since there are only seven songs and this is the number one album of 2013, I'll list them all! :) We have One Kiss, Healing For Myself, You Fill Me Up, and my favorite of the ballads All Alone. The repackage has two songs featuring Flowsik (who I am a big fan of, especially when paired with JYJ), Kiss B (my favorite of the two) and Only Love. And without further ado, I bring you the last music video of my 2013 countdown, Kim Jaejoong's Mine. 

Well that wraps up my countdown of the top 50 albums of 2013. Stay tuned for the first few posts of 2014! I hope you enjoyed going through some of last years best music with me! If you have any comments or thoughts please actually comment! I look forward to seeing you all in the 2014 rankings! Keep on rocking! 

Stasi ♫

My Top 50 Albums of 2013: 20-11

Okay, finally back! Going to try to get these out quickly! Getting down to the wire! With out any further rants, I bring you numbers 11 through 20 for 2013!! As always, here is the link to the YouTube playlist!

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 |

20. Voodoo - Vixx [216 Points] Released: November 25, 2013 

Oh this album. In 2013 I became a big, a huge, a ginormous fan of Vixx. I had seen their music videos and listened to the singles they released for their debut year in 2012, but Oh My Goodness have they stole 2013 for. They started off the year with On & On (AMAZINGNESS), brought out the mini album Hyde and repackage Jekyll for the summer, and ended the year with another single with Okdal Girls and their first full album, Voodoo. As far as On & On and Hyde/Jekyll go, they'll be further up on the list. Honestly, the only reason that isn't in the top ten is because of it's late release. I still have been listening to a good chunk of the album a bunch, and it's almost to the end of March. Starting out with Voodoo, the promotion song, oh my goodness. Now this song has a little bit of the genre mash-ups that was popular in 2013 for Kpop, but I think this is one of the ones that is done right. The song just completely grabbed me and the music video is full of wonderful and gross creepiness. The dance is really awesome, especially with the stick the members pass around and stab each other with. I'll post the clean version below, but if you want to watch the rated one, click here! Also, if you enjoy the live videos, here is a comeback video full of fan-chants! I also bring you another practice video! As for the rest of the album they have a good mix of ballads and dance, with my favorites off the album being Beautiful Killer, B.O.D.Y, Secret Night, and Say U Say Me (besides Voodoo). Honestly thought, just looking at plays none of the songs have less then 10 plays (and Voodoo above 50 at this point). Anyways, if you enjoy the more darker side of Kpop, definitely check out Vixx and their MVs (especially from 2013 on). Before I continue ranting for the rest of the blog post, I bring you Voodoo! 

19. Incredible - Xia [228 Points] Released: July 15, 2013 

July of 2013 brought one of the former members of DBSK and current member of JYJ, Xia Junsu's comeback with a second album. The promotion song (and title of the album) is Incredible. Most of the album is ballads, which isn't really what I want to listen to in summer, so I mainly just listened to Incredible, but that song alone has over 80 plays. Incredible was produced by Bruce Automatic and features Quincy who is P.Diddy's son. I had to look that up when they announced he was featuring.... Just saying. Anyways, the music video was also filmed in California, so it's mainly foreigners (to Korea)! Yay! It's a simple video with the setting a pool party in Cali and a girl creepily wandering around Junsu's bedroom. Plus we get some really good dancing. Also, Quincy's rap is a little....let's just say JYJ certainly picks odd features when they choose American rappers. I still have no idea what he means when he says he wants me to "shake my spaceship candy," but whatever. Xia also released a music video for the ballad song 11am. The video is pretty cool, because the first three minutes or so is just Junsu singing out in a field with no music or anything; then a piano comes in. It has a very pretty acoustic feeling to it. Definitely worth checking out as well!

18. Endless Game - Arashi [231 Points] Released: May 29, 2013 

Yay! Arashi's 41st (yes 41st) single came out in early summer of 2013 and the title song Endless Game was the theme song for rapper Sakurai Sho's drama Kazoku Game (Family Game). With just a single, Arashi once again grabbed me with just a few awesome-sauce songs. And speaking of Arashi, I just want to throw out there that I have now officially listened to Arashi for 11 years in January. I don't remember the date, but yay! I also want to through out that September this year will be Arashi's 15th anniversary! So awesome! I wish I could go to their concerts! Okay, focus, back to Endless Game. I don't know how else to describe it besides being very Arashi. It's got their great harmonies and solo parts, and I guess has a little more of a pop-rock feel to it. The other songs on the single are Intergalactic (LOVE), Monochrome (SUPER LOVE), Magic Hour (LOVE). Magic Hour is a little more of a ballad feel, while Intergalactic is a fun pop song with lots of space references. Monochrome is my favorite song off the single with it's fun guitar opening and just good melody. The first time I listened to it I was smiling before they even starting singing. It's just a song that makes me feel good and happy and like I could walk in the sun forever. It's got this fun little funky twist to it that reminds me a little of the french film Triplets of Belleville soundtrack! So if you like Arashi, definitely check out this single!

17. Collage - U-Kiss [237 Points] Released: March 7, 2013 

2013 brought fans U-Kiss's third full album Collage. The promotion song for Collage is Standing Still. Standing Still is a great mix of a dance pop melody with ballad type singing and lyrics, and is absolutely brilliant. I love Standing Still even now, and it is one of my favorite U-Kiss songs, and is my favorite when I look at Korean promotion songs. The music video has a good feel between U-Kiss' spot on dancing and belting out close-up moments. My favorite dance move is during the chorus when they pop their knees out and travel going both directions. I don't know why, but I just find it incredibly sexy (weird I know) and it also looks really easy. However I think I would break my leg or something if I tried to duplicate it. Going back to the music aspects, Collage has a lot of great songs, some of my favorites being Sweety Girl, 사랑하니까, Party All the Time, and Can't Even Breathe. U-Kiss are one of my favorite bands so if you like Kpop definitely check them out. They also release some songs in English, and are very active in Japan as well! 

16. Calling/Breathless - Arashi [243 Points] Released: March 6, 2013 

In early 2013 Arashi released their 40th single Calling/Breathless. This is another one of their double sided singles, with both Calling and Breathless being promotion songs. Calling was the theme song for Aiba's drama Last Hope and Breathless was the theme song for Nino's movie Platinum Data. The single overall has a rock tone to it, which completely excited me when Aiba mentioned it in interviews before it was released. Then it was released and I couldn't stop listening to 3 of the 4 songs. The fourth song is full of love and a ballad, which completely got overshadowed by the others. Now a funny story, when I pre-ordered Calling, for some reason I completely missed that there would be two versions of the DVD version. I ended up getting the Calling version and was super excited when it came, watching it immediately. However, when I went on Live Journal to fangirl I saw a second PV. Completely flabbergasted I searched and searched for the Breathless version, which of course was out with preorders in Japan. However I got lucky and stumbled across a version that was released in Korea, so the packaging is a little different, but I was able to get all versions and see both PVs. Anyways, I'll only be posting Breathless since the PV is a bit more entertaining. If you would like to watch Calling, click here! As for the other song on the single, it's オーライ!! and is a completely fun song that has me jumping up and down chanting オーライ! along with the song! 

14. On & On - Vixx [245 Points] Released: January 17, 2013 

In Januray of 2013, Vixx officially not entered my top ten favorite Korean boy bands, but my top five! On & On really brought me into the Vixx fandom and even now it's one of my favorite Vixx songs. It's got such a good rhythm and beat, plus is super catchy. "I need therapy. la-la-la-la-la therapy!" This song itself is one of my most listened to songs at 98 when I started typing this paragraph. Honestly it'll be over 100 once I sync my iPod and finish this blog post! The dance is super awesome and fun, the music video is super weird and a little darker with their concept being space vampires. The other song on the single is I Don't Want to Be an Idol and is a pretty ballad, but nothing else can really compare to On & On...except maybe Hyde and Voodoo. But anyways, here is the link to a live performance so you can see more of the dance and be blown away at how good they are live; they had only debuted the year before and released only two singles! Also I am giving you the link to the dance practice video! As stated above, Vixx popped into my life with this song and I'm so happy they have. If you would like to know their current standing, wait for the last part of my 2013 countdown! Anyways, please join me in the amazingness that is On & On!



14. What's Happening? - B1A4 [245 Points] Released: May 6, 2013 

"Everyday-ay-ay-ay-ay...Ya!" Okay, so when B1A4 released their min album What's Happening? two very big things happened. First, I was completely addicted to What's Happening the song. Second, I got it stuck in EVERYONE's head, including my own. This song is so fun and addicting and makes me laugh. B1A4 is another band that is in my top ten that I adore and have since they debuted. I remember reading all the articles about them before their debut and the endless teasers WM Entertainment released (granted not as endless as EXO). Anyways, What's Happening? is a great song that's catchy and has a really fun and crazy music video. My favorite scene is Baro's rap in the elevator! It's very B1A4! Currently it's the 4 most listened to song that was released in 2013 (after On & On and two songs to come!). Of the few other songs on the extended play I also enjoyed Yesterday, but let's be honest. What's Happening? has like 70+ more plays than Yesterday. Anyways, if you have seen B1A4's music videos before and somehow missed What's Happening?, YOU NEED TO WATCH IT NOW! That is all! XD



13. The Classic - Shinhwa [248 Points] Released: May 16, 2013 

In 2013 many fans were greeted by Shinhwa with their 11th studio album, which also happened to coincide with their 15th anniversary. Apparently I like bands with older members... Anyway, This Love is a pop song that they meant to be for an older audience (most Kpop fans in Korea are around the high school/college age). Anyways, Minwoo (one of the members) choreographed the dance (once again) and it has some elements inspired by Madonna's Vogue. I loved this album, particularly the songs Scarface and Hurricane. This rant may seem a little smaller, but I have to make dinner soon, and I already have a few longer rants above, so the song is good. The album is great, as well as the other songs I've linked above. They also have a dance version of the music video, so check that out as well if you want!



12. Super Show 4 Concert Album - Super Junior [253 Points] Released: June 28, 2013 

Super Junior finally released the live album from Super Show 4 recorded at their Seoul concerts in the summer of 2013. I had been waiting what felt like forever since I wasn't able to see them live and just had to fangirl with partial fancams. I was super excited when I found out it was finally getting released, and the album is to no disappointment. We've got rearranged versions of several hit songs (Bonamana, Superman, Don't Don, etc.) plus we have all of the members solo songs! Just listening I love Teukie's version of She, Kyuhyun's version of Kyuhyun, and Shindong's fun song Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. As for watching the DVD, it's Ryeowook's Moves Like Jagger. We also get Henry and Zhoumi songs for the first time! Yay! Super Show 4 is also the birth of Oppa, Oppa by Donghae and Eunhyuk! Anyways, this is a great version and so much fun live, and it get's even better once you've seen the DVD so you can picture it as well. Since there isn't any real promotion songs, SM Entertainment has posted two different highlight clips for Super Show 4. Displayed below is Opps featuring f(x). This song is awesome, each corresponding member wrote their own rap. Plus we get a VR version of Heechul since he started his mandatory military service right before Super Show 4 started. The second clip is of White Christmas a remake of an old song. The clip is fun and cute, so check it out here!



11. Pioneer - The Band Perry [254 Points] Released: April 2, 2013 

Rounding out our top 20 albums of 2013 is country group The Band Perry with their second album Pioneer. I saw them perform Better Dig Two at the Country Music Awards in the end of 2012. I was super excited for their next album and couldn't wait for Pioneer to be released. Once released, I saw them perform Done on Ellen and knew I had to get the album immediately. I love the album, ballads and all. My favorite songs off the album are Better Dig Two, Done, and Chainsaw. Below I have the music video of my favorite song Done, but they also released one for Better Dig Two. We've got another American band on the last, and only a couple more!



That's it for Part 4 of the 2013 countdown. Stay tuned for Part 5, the top ten albums of 2013! Until then, keep listening to the music that moves you!

Stasi ♫

My Top 50 Albums of 2013: 30-21

Okay, well now that things have calmed down a little bit, I'll finally be posting the rest of my countdown. I also have the stats for January and February all ready, so expect the both of those to be posted by the 15th! (That's my goal!) Anyways, sorry for the delay! Let's get right back into it! YouTube Playlist!

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 |

30. All About My Romance OST - Various Artists [189 Points] Released: April 24, 2013

Once again we have the cute and fun Akdong Musicians gracing the list! Now I enjoyed All About My Romance as a drama. It was fun a quirky with a political setting (which I was hestitant on at first). But honestly, with Dal Shabat, Tiffany, and various other artists contributing to the soundtrack, Akdong Musicians really grabbed me. I loved the Music Video released (which didn't really have anything to do with the drama) and was as cute and sugary as the song is itself. If you like K-Drama soundtracks definitely check out the All About My Romance OST, and if you like K-Drama, All About My Romance is definitely lolz worthy at times. If you enjoyed the previous Akdong Musician song (Kkong Ddeok Bing Soo) I think you'll like this one too! 

29. Eraser - ALi [192 Points] Released: January 30, 2013

So ALi has got to be one of my favorite South Korean solo female singers. Scratch that, just one of my favorite solo female singers. PERIOD. I love the uniqueness of her voice. Her first full album was released in the end of 2011 and I was immediately hooked. The tone and power of her voice just grabbed me, as well as the accompanying music video. Anyway, she came back with a mini album here (YAY!) and I was super happy. The main song is Eraser, a pretty ballad (and the music video down below). However, my favorite song of the album is Selfish, which has more of a pop-rock vibe and completely became my anthem for the first half of 2013. Unfortunately, there isn't a music video for Selfish, but HERE is a live video for one of her comeback stages. She sings Selfish and Eraser, but Selfish is first. I really implore to click HERE and be sucked into vocals made of amazing. She has released other songs since this album, but most of them have been digital singles or songs for dramas. Which are amazing, don't get me wrong, but I want another album, mini or full. Please ALi, bring us more music with that amazing voice of yours!

27. Letter From Secret - Secret [193 Points] Released: April 30, 2013

Yay! Secret came back in late April with a fun, summery feeling mini album. Secret (for those that don't know) is my favorite girl group in the Kpop industry! (Sorry but worldwide Spice Girls is still #1 in my heart!) I really enjoy all of their personas, from cutesy to super sexy spy/assassin/saloon girl (Poison anyone?). The promotion song for Letter From Secret is Yoo Hoo and more along the lines of their cutesy image. I enjoyed it and it was on my main playlist late into fall! Also on the album were three other songs that are ballads. I enjoyed them as well, but my favorite of the three is B.O.Y (Because of You) (can someone explain to me why a lot of these abbreviations are missing the last period? I don't get it. T_T). It's really pretty and stayed on my playlist almost as long as Yoo Hoo did! The Music Video is fun and summery, involving Secret's boat somehow leaving them stranded on an island. I won't spoil the ending, but it's cute and fun and silly, and will bring a little warmth into this crazy cold! :)

27. No. 1 - Teen Top [193 Points] Released: February 25, 2013

"La-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-laa-laaa" Teen Top presented fans with a full album late February. One of the songs, I Wanna Love, was pre-released digitally and had a music video. The promotion song is Miss Right (if you've heard the song, you understand the previous las) and also had a music video. I enjoyed both songs, but I think overall I like I Wanna Love just a tad bit more. Miss Right involves a silly video where the boys get stuck in jail with one girl (WHAT?) and sing about her. I enjoyed the dance a lot, and the Las as well as the "몰라몰라몰라몰라몰라." Honestly, those make the song for me. Plus CAP's hair. Back to the music, HERE is the link for I Wanna Love, my favorite of the two. It's more of a pop-rock-ballad-electronic mix (that's mixed well) and I really enjoy the song. The music video pretty much has them being sad (or eating unusually large amounts of canned fruit) and wandering the streets, out in the world! Once again, check both of them out! Let me know what you think in the comments between the two!

26. Boys Meet U - Shinee [197 Points] Released: June 26, 2013

Mid year Shinee released their second full Japanese album. I enjoyed a good chunk of the songs on the album, including a few from their previously released singles (Dazzling Girl & 1000年、ずっとそばにいて…). Of the new songs, their PV was for Breaking News (PV=MV in Japan), my second favorite song off the album. My first though is Kiss Yo which is just a fun song that has some hip-hop undertones with Key's awesome English rapping. Plus, I like to make fun of the ending. So the song starts off with the sound of a telephone ringing. At the end of the song we here a dial tone and then Key asking, "Hello? Would you like to kiss me?" I don't know why, but I always say the same stupid line and laugh to myself afterwards. But the music is fairly SM-like, focusing on Shinee's dance and close up of the members singing. But Shinee is a group of awesome dancers, so I'm not complaining! Above I linked the previous singles that were compiled into this album, although I think they're are a couple more. But I liked those the best. Also, what PVs that get posted on YouTube are almost always short versions, so if you would like to see the entire video, try here! PS: EVIL! You better watch all of them because I'm pretty sure you have seen them all. Bad Shawol! XD

  

25. XOXO - EXO [208 Points] Released: June 3, 2013

Oh EXO, I was super impressed by the promotion songs they released for XOXO, both the normal and the repackage versions. Below is the first, Wolf. This song has some parts that have odd lyrics, but has a fun chorus! I showed it to my roommates and Billy kind of walked around for a few days randomly going "a-wooo." She probably will now since she's listening to the song again with me.... but that's beside the point. I thought the drama version was cheesy, but I really enjoyed the dance. And the vocals were really good, especially during the crooning parts. And for those that haven't seen the lyrics for it....some of those lines. Here's a link, the official video is below and doesn't have lyrics.  As for the second  promotion single, I actually like Growl more. It has a really good R&B feel to it. Also the dance is pretty cool and the music video is all filmed in one shot. I like things like that. The only thing I don't get is why are they dancing in an empty warehouse? Eh...it's SM. Oddly lit rooms for everyone! Check out Growl if you haven't already! Especially if you like more of the songs that have good head nodding grooves. Just saying; I head nod to it. You should too.



24. Re:Blue - CN Blue [209 Points] Released: January 14, 2013

In January of 2013 CN Blue released their fourth mini album, Re:Blue. The promotion song for Re:Blue is I'm Sorry, a good pop-rock song. I really enjoyed the mini album overall, my favorite songs are I'm Sorry, 나란 남자 (Guy Like Me), and Coffee Shop. They also released a song completely in English called Where You Are. I enjoy Where You Are, although sometimes it makes me laugh at how it can be misconstrued as a stalker song. "I'm searching where you are." Although if it's where I am, why is he still searching? I don't know, but I enjoyed the mini-album overall. Another fun lyric: "Oh please touch my body and my face." It just makes me giggle. Don't mind me. If you're a fan of the more pop rock style and looking for something Korean (or just foreign), definitely check out CN Blue and this album (also FT Island {speaking of FT Island, anyone else watching Bride of the Century and completely addicted already?}). Check out the links above for the other songs I enjoyed, otherwise just watch the video for I'm Sorry. It involves CN Blue playing on a rooftop and kind of just being miscreants around a city. Plus Jonghyun has his hair styled up, and goodness gracious does it look good. Plus we get to see his forehead/face. Just saying. :)



23. The Blessed Unrest - Sara Bareilles [211 Points] Released: April 23, 2013

Oh my goodness this album. I love love love Sara Bareilles and was so happy and excited when she announced a new album. I immediately got The Blessed Unrest and still have a few of the songs on my main playlist. What would be considered the promotion song in Korea is Brave. The song itself is amazing, with such a wonderful message lyrically, but just has a melody that makes a person feel good. Well, at least it's a feel good song when I listen to it. As for the other songs, some of my other favorites are Hercules (the video has some info about the name of the album before her singing), Little Black Dress, and I Choose You. My favorite song off the album, with over 60 plays (just in 2013 - it's gone up since then) is I Wanna Be Like Me. I find it completely empowering (like most of Sara's albums and songs) and was completely sucked in only after a few seconds. It's got some fun background sounds and is a good mix of string instruments and more electronic tones. Seriously, I can't fully express how much this song means to me both musically and how it just generally makes me feel. Please, please, please listen to it and share it with anyone and everyone. It needs to be heard. So check out the fun music video of people dancing in random areas and pay attention to the great lyrics!



22. A's Doll House - Ailee [213 Points] Released: July 12, 2013

Ailee came out during the summer, promoting with the diva-licious song U&I. I love Ailee and I love this mini-album. Ailee has such a powerhouse of a voice and definitely in my top three female solo artists in South Korea (with ALi and BoA). U&I has some big trumpet parts and gives it a little bit of a big band vibe, which I find completely awesome and music-licious. Apparently Ailee just has -licious descriptors. Back to the music, Ailee is one of the singers referred to as Korea's Beyonce, with her power voice, strong rapping and snazzy moves. To top it off, I also give major props to Ailee for not being obnoxiously stick thin. She's got some thunder thighs and some curves, and a lot more sexy to me than some of the really popular girl groups out there. Most of the other songs on the album are more ballady, but I really enjoyed No No No and Rainy Day. Honestly though I love everything Ailee's released so far. Her voice is so pretty. Excuse my fangirling, but really. If you enjoy Beyonce and power vocals, definitely check out all of Ailee's stuff. Plus she just debuted within the past couple years. Big stuff already! Also if you didn't notice, most of what I linked above are the live versions. Yes, she's pretty good live as well!



21. Black Box - Brown Eyed Girls [214 Points] Released: July 29, 2013

So I have to say, Brown Eyed Girls definitely popped back up into the top of my rankings with this album. A big part due to the promotion song Kill Bill. The normal music video (posted below) is a fun take on Quentin Tarantino's hit movie series Kill Bill. Now for the actual song, I love it. The girls and back-up dancers look cute and sexy in their western/cowboy styles and the opening dance move in the dance version...holy guacamole! Plus...let's just say I have a thing for cowboys...and dancing....and the back up dancers.... <_>_>... So the music video is a fun parody (but more serious than most parodies are), the dance is fun and sexy (as one would expect from BEG), and I just overall love Brown Eyed Girls and the more mature material they grace all Kpop fans with! 



Well that's all for now! Stayed tuned for the last two parts of the this countdown, as well as countdowns for January and February! Any comments or questions, leave them below! Until then my music loving peeps! YouTube Playlist!

Stasi ♫

My Top 50 Albums of 2013: 50-41

Well, here we are kicking off the countdown! I bring you albums 50 through 41, complete with thoughts about the songs and even accompanying music videos! WARNING: will quite possibly be video heavy. And with no further ramblings, I bring you Part 1! If you just like to skip my ramblings, or read them all and then watch the videos, here is a playlist I'm updating with each post on YouTube!

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 |

50. Lee Jung Hyun - V [156 Points] Released: July 22, 2013
I love this song and music video. It's so creepy and weird. Despite being a single, this ranked pretty high on my list (considering there ended up over 100 that I looked at specifically). The music video is directed by the same guy that directed the original Old Boy. It's dark, but funny, and definitely creepy. I don't know why, but I always have a soft spot for the music videos and songs that have a darker side.



49. Zion.T - Red Light [159 Points] Released: April 9, 2013
I enjoyed Red Light overall, but I think that Babay is the best song on their and probably my favorite song released in the Spring. It's crazy and funny music video paired with the funky rhythm and beats is just pure gold. I found myself singing along pretty quickly and it became on the jams I listen to while folding laundry. I haven't listed to it in a few months, but going through everything for this has boosted it back up to my everyday list. I love the sound and tone of Zion.T's voice, and it pairs really well with Gaeko (from Dynamic Duo) in this song. Prepare to have your funky groove bust out!



48. Shinee - Everybody [160 Points] Released: October 14, 2013
Despite coming out later in the year, Shinee's Everybody has made the top 50 list! I wasn't as impressed with Everybody as much as I was with Dream Girl and Why So Serious? at first, but this song really grew on me. Plus anytime I hear someone say "everybody" I can't help but singing it. As with Shinee the dance is really cool, I love the toy soldier beginning. It gets a little repetitive, but I found that I'm not as bothered by it anymore, especially since it makes it easier for my Mom to sing it with me! The EVIL Shawol. Anyways, the music video is pretty simple (as we come to expect from SM), but really Shinee's music videos are watched for the dancing. I also enjoyed watching the Dance Practice video (the dance starts around the 1:45 mark), so check it out if you really want to see the choreography without all the other distracting bells and whistles! The rest of the album is good as well, some other favorites off the mini album being Symptoms and Destination. A lot of people are surprised, but Shinee has some really nice ballads under their belts.



46. Super Junior EunHae - I Wanna Dance [162 Points] Released: June 19, 2013
I Wanna Dance is the 2nd Japanese single that Super Junior's subgroup (affectionately called by ELFs as) EunHae. This song is just what we would come to expect from them, especially after Oppa Oppa in 2011. It's got a good dance beat, the pair being their crazy personas in the music video, and is just plainly a lot of fun. The music video has some good funny moments between the two and even includes some cameos from other Super Junior members. The other song released on the single features Henry and I enjoyed it as well, just not as much! I was excited to hear with what they were doing after Oppa Oppa (it's still on of my favorite Super Junior songs) and I wasn't disappointed at all. Plus it doesn't seem weird that it's Japanese and not Korean (sometimes you can tell it's not their native language or just sounds odd). I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!



46. Akdong Musician - Kkong Ddeok Bing Soo [162 Points] Released: May 23, 2013
So the translation for this song comes out to Bean Rice Cake Bing Soo. For those not familiar with the popular Korean summer time treat, Bing Soo is shaved ice that is topped with various things, commonly fruit or ice cream. This song was actually released as a promo for Paris Baguette, a cafe chain found around the world. The accompanying music video is more of a behind the scenes shots of the duo during a photo shoot set to the song. The song is very happy (as most of Akdong Musician's music) and just has a good summer time feeling to it. Plus every time I listen to it I want Bing Soo. :( Go ahead listen, bringing some summer to this cold winter!



45. Infinite - Destiny [166 Points] Released: July 16, 2013
*Sings* "You are my Destiny woo~~ wooo~" This song grabbed me from the first beat and took me on a wild ride. With Infinite's amazing choreography, catchy chorus, and Sung Gyu's many solo parts I was stuck. Destiny is my favorite song of the year from Infinite. I can't say how much I like it without repeating myself. It really just grabbed a hold of my ears and lulled them into a sense of security before stripping them of all cells. I don't know....that metaphor just got weird, but back to the song. The choreography is really, really cool with the members weaving in and out of each other like one organism. As for the other songs on the album I also really enjoyed Inception. It's got a great beat and just makes someone bob their head along without really noticing. Plus the flutes in it really give it a cool twist paired with the electronics. The video below is version B, which was the only one that was released officially. There is a version A, you can find it on Youtube, but around the time of the release there was a plane crash and version A is set around some junked planes and stuff. Hence the creation of a version B that was released instead. "You Are My Destiny!"



44. AA - Come Back [167 Points] Released: March 27th, 2013
AA (pronounced "Double A") really struck gold with this mini album. Come Back is a good song and I like the music video (which is the one below), but reason why this album is ranked so high is for the sixth, and last, track of the album: Call Me. This song. Oh my gosh this song is so pretty and I think is the best song that AA has released. I would classify it as a fusion song, with ballad lyrics and undertones, but with a quicker and more upbeat melody. I can't quite find the right words to convey how much I love this song. It's good. You should listen to it (the link) and revel in the amazingness I stumbled upon. The music video below is the promotion song and showcases their dance talents well. Don't get my unenthusiastic rants wrong, I think it's a good song, but it just can't compare to Call Me. (See that! I liked it again. That's how much I want you to listen to it! XD)



43. Vanness Wu - Different Man [169 Points] Released: June 7, 2013 (My Birthday!)
The first Chinese album on my list comes from Vanness Wu! Released on my birthday, I jammed out to the Different Man music video when I got home from work. Shortly after I listed to the full album, quickly adding Different Man and one other song to my everyday playlist. The other song that I latched on to is Love Overtime. Love Overtime is an awesome song that has it's own music video and I highly recommend you watch it as well. Vanness did it as a tribute to Michael Jackson and Prince, so it's no wonder I like it. I still have Love Overtime on my everyday playlist, one of a few songs to last so long. I also like the song Let It Go featuring Flowsik. Please listen, and if you're a fan of Michael Jackson or Prince, definitely also check out the Love Overtime music video! (See, I posted it again! XD)



41. C-Clown - Shaking Heart [170 Points] Released: April 18, 2013
Tying at #41, we have C-Clown's hit of the year, Shaking Heart. This song has a good R&B feel to it with the vocals, paired with some really solid rapping throughout. And instead of the rapping just being a small verse or a "cameo," instead about half the song is rapping, which I actually really enjoyed. There are only a few other songs on the album, another one being Do You Remember, a collaboration with ALi (my favorite female solo singer). Her unique voice paired with C-Clowns smooth raps and vocals really made a great pair for another great song.



41. John Park - Inner Child [170 Points] Released: July 3, 2013
John Park, for those that aren't up on Kpop, but have watched American Idol, he should sound familiar. John participated in the 9th season of American Idol, leaving as a semi-finalist. He then went to South Korea and competed on one of their music shows. Inner Child is his first full album, and holy cow do I love this album. The entire thing is pure magic and just makes me feel warm and cozy. Like curling up on the couch with a hot cup of tea, good book, cat on my lap, and snow slowing falling outside. Out of all the songs, I really like Baby the best. It's the promotion song and he has such a good, yet unique tone that really stands out to me. I the song Baby, and for some reason I found the music video funny, especially at then with all the things falling down in the background. Don't ask me why I found it funny, I just did and almost died laughing. But back to the song, it's just an all around feel good song with a great melody, John Park's amazing voice, and just leaves a warm feeling in your soul. I know I'm repeating it, but really guys, really. If you haven't heard it already, please listen to it and join me in the cozy feels.



Well that's it for videos 50-41. I hope you enjoyed my small rants and listening to some of the music that got me through this past year. We're only going to get bigger and better from here! Once again if you would like to watch all the videos in succession with out worrying about my rants, here is the playlist I will update with each post. Stay tuned for more of the countdown!

Stasi ♫