This playlist will be updated throughout the month. It compasses a lot of the songs I’ve been stuch to lately.
蘇詩丁 Su Shiding – As I Believe
I first heard this song by Su Shiding in a drama called “Crush原來我很愛你” (directly translates to ‘Actually I Really Love You’). The drama itself was decent, it had very good cinematography for a show of its budget. The moment I heard this song, I started digging around for it and was pleasantly surprised to find who sang it. Su Shiding came into public view a few years ago on a music show where she partnered with Hua Chenyu many times. And while she didn’t explode to popularity or anything, I’m happy to hear she’s still in the loop with music projects. This song is relatively mellow and simple but the melody is memorable and perfect for an OST. The unique qualities of her voice isn’t realy demonstrated in here but she is an absolute powerhouse on stage.
周深Zhou Shen – Life Should Always Face the Light
“Life Should Always Face the Light” is fit for an epic film. It is the main OST for a heartwarming drama called “The Bond 喬家的兒女” at the moment. I personally don’t think the style of this song matches the mood of the drama as I find it more suited for a Disney movie, but the song itself is still amazing. I can’t wait for a live performance of this song as that’s when Zhou Shen’s voice shines the most.
When I listen to music of this kind, I’m anticipating a chorus that hits the right emotional beat. Many songs miss that beat but this one knocks it out of the park, making it satisfying to listen to.
There is no genre or song Zhou Shen can’t tackle. His natural talent paired with years of tireless hard work and practice has made him unstoppable. Every cover he makes is superior to all other covers (sometimes even better than the original). He is very explicit about his label as a vocalist and not as a composer. This is why he hasn’t had too many of his own songs until the last year or so. I’m very happy to see him releasing his own songs now because he deserves it. The unique qualities of his voice probably posed a challenge to producers previously due to his versatility and range but I think they have grasped how to make the most of his voice by now.
RENJUN, XIAOJUN – 永不失聯的愛 Unbreakable Love
I’ve heard a billion covers of this song which was originally by Eric Chou, an excellent Taiwanese-American artist. Renjun and Dejun’s cover is probably one of my favorite and so has been on repeat since they released the cover last month. As some of SM’s top vocalists, they really did a great job. I’m so happy they had the opportunity to actually sit down and record a cover instead of only giving snippets on TV shows and interviews. They deserve to showcase their talent so much more often than they are given the opportunity to.
I like the contrast in which they’re singing. Renjun seems to sing in the present while Dejun sounds more like he’s reminiscing a story from the past. It’s actually not easy for them to sing to this degree at such a young age as genuine emotions oftentimes require that emotional experience and understanding. I wish there was a bit more harmonization between them because they both are incredible with harmonizing.
It’s sweet how even though both of them have superb voices and vocal techniques that can deliver intense, powerhouse songs with belting, they prefer to sing calm ballads where they focus on the delivery of emotions paired with voice instead of just vocal techniques. They have no deep desire to try to show off the full extent of their vocal talents and instead, stay true to what they like.
魏語諾 Wei Yunuo- 側臉 (Side)Profile
Another drama OST. This song was released two years ago but I never heard it until it popped up in a drama I had given a shot at without expecting anything. “Mysterious Love”, while sounds dumb, is actually a pretty good watch. It is short and to the point with amazing chemistry. It is not a fluffy drama at all, it’s packed with action and mystery.
‘Ce Lian’ or ‘Profile’, was originally sang by Yu Guo but they had Wei Yunuo record for the drama and so the second version what I have gotten used to listening to. The song caught my attention right from the beginning, I was afraid the chorus might be a let down but it delivered. Yu Guo and Wei Yunuo put different emotions into singing this song. Both are great, Wei Yunuo’s just has a weight to her voice that I personally prefer for this song.