So the question for today is (which also alludes to today's featured artist), if there was one person that I could work with on a musical level, who would it be?
The surprising thing is that for a metalhead like me the answer is nothing short of odd. No it wouldn't be my heroes in Metallica, Hetfield and Ulrich. It wouldn't be Alice Cooper or Bob Dylan. It wouldn't be Trent, nor Noel Gallagher. Neil Young, Neil Peart, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Marley, Eminem, Dre, Clapton, Lauryn, Bruce and Steve, Gaye, Jaco, Stanley, Wooten, Nas, the boys in PTH, Thom, Morello, Tuomas, Bono and The Edge, Wu-Tang, just to name a few. When I think of who out of all my travels through the sonicwaves of life. One person comes to mind.
That one person is a Korean Pop Singer known as Younha. Go Younha (고윤하) is everything a pop singer should be. Intelligent, talented, driven, and most of all a defined sense of self. Pop musicians are a different breed from regular musicians. Musicians and artist are called on by music to find themselves, to delve in their own misfortunes and their own shortcomings and embrace all of that in the music that pours out of their heart. Pop musicians have no such luxury. No such luxury to bask in their own absurdness and no room for error. Pop Musicians are stuck in their own perfection or at the very least perceived perfection. No person who listens to pop music is looking for a poor sod dribble in their own annoyances and ponderings. No, pop music is for those who are there to be entertained through superficial means and through artificial perfection.
In such a sterile environment a pop musician must be much stronger than any other musician. Not only must they be talented and driven. But they must also be intelligent and above all they must know oneself.
Younha is a singer/pianist. Hugely popular and famous in Korea and Japan. She made her debut in Japan at the age of 16. As time went by she has become one of the most famous pop musicians in Korea and Japan. Now that's all fine and dandy but you might ask why her? why a pop singer?
Ultimately, the music is sub-par and dismissive. However, if you look beyond that and look at the soul of the human being singing the song you'll see a far more impressive portrait.
It's not so much that I think that working with Noel Gallagher wouldn't be cool, quite the opposite, it would be awesome. However, what would I bring to the table. I can't think of anything. Noel Gallagher is already a master of his craft, I don't see what I could bring to his music. That goes for everyone else.
However, when I look at Younha I see incredible talent but more importantly a real human being. All of that trapped under the weights of pop music.
With all that said (as I always tell people), be wary of the pop "artists" for things aren't as they appear. If my characterization of Younha isn't true to reality, well then that illusion will be shattered. But it's hard to fool a skeptic like me.
All in all, if there was one person I could work with, that would be Younha and that makes her my featured artist today.
maybe not the best video to showcase her talent, however it does show a human element to her performance
At the end of the day, she got through the song. But more importantly it showcases her attachment and belief in the music she sings. She actually BELIEVES in her music... what a thing of beauty.
A cover of an American song
of all the songs to pick, I don't know why this is picked except that it's in the piano rock genre, but a showcase of her rhythm and coordination
Probably the song that most people know her by (this is the Korean version)
