November 27, 2020

[Bonus] Best Of Karaoke Songs

November really do be ending soon huh. And I've done jack shit for wiring this month. The good news is that even if I never published another post the remainder of the year, 2020 would still be on the top half of all years regarding number of posts. So maybe we'll set a soft goal of 80 posts before December comes to a close. In theory that should be doable, as we still have two Late Reports, Best Of 2020, Kpop Awards, and then three song reviews next month would put us right at 80. Anyway, here are some of my favorite songs to sing. Treat this as a slightly modified shitpost.
#7. Baekhyun - UN Village
There's a soft spot in my list of favorite songs to sing from the EXO squad because they have consistent quality tracks and simply put, I enjoy singing their tracks. Mostly the slower ballads and the like, as "What Is Love" barely missed the cut. "UN Village" is fucking smooth and I wish I memorized the lyrics to this song. Baekhyun really shines in this element and yeah that's all there is to it.
#6. INFINITE - The Eye
Rarely does an energetic dance number like "The Eye" become a primary karaoke target, but this is a special case. Back in my college dance crew days we covered this song and I was on this team, and I have memories of singing along at practices to help get the timing down. Most people know it's difficult to sing and dance at the same time, and being a part of this song really hammered that thought into my brain. Shoutouts to another song that we covered: Madtown's "Emptiness" that also was similar in terms of the singing plus dancing combination.
#5. Taeyang - Eyes, Nose, Lips
Taeyang has long been a staple, whether as part of Big Bang or his plethora of solo hits like this and "Wedding Dress." This track is beautiful, plain and simple. And no, I cannot go talking about "Eyes, Nose, Lips" without mentioning the incredible Fanstastic Duo duet. Talk about a perfect blend of voices and chemistry. Not the best duet on this list, however.
#4. Super Junior-M - Blue Tomorrow
I've said this before, but if I could steal anyone's voice or change it to match like a chameleon, it'd be Kyuhyun of Super Junior without a second thought. That man has a legendary voice that has been spectacular since day one. "Blue Tomorrow" is a gorgeous ballad despite a couple of the Super Junior members not having stepped up vocals-wise at the time of release way back in 2009. Ballads typically age very well and this is no exception. Ryeowook, Kyuhyun, and Zhou Mi all put in work.
#3. EXO - Baby Don't Cry
First and only entry that isn't a title track or any capacity. I told you EXO has that something special when it comes to karaoke songs. Baekhyun, Suho, and D.O have shown their talents ever since debut and this to me is the pinnacle of their powers together. Plus throw in a Chanyeol rap that is one of my all time favorites, and "Baby Don't Cry" is a certified classic. The Korean version trumps the Mandarin one as Chen cannot carry the Chinese members to the same level as the Korean trio.
#1. Younha - Ima Ga Daisuki
#2. Jooyoung & Hyorin - Erase
Man, this piece has all sorts of sentimental value for me. But naturally, I'm not gonna talk about that. Only want to talk about the excellent performance from both Jooyoung and Hyorin in "Erase." I know I just talked up Kyuhyun during his entry, but Jooyoung would be my second choice. Silky smooth vocals out of both performers, what more could you want? Unlike "Baby Don't Cry" however, the inclusion of Iron in the rap break hurts the overall replayability for me because his section isn't anywhere close to the level of the vocalists, whereas Chanyeol's was. Still, the perfectly executed duet and synergy between Jooyoung and Hyorin make this the #2 selection.
#1. Younha - Ima Ga Daisuki
Outside of the duet mentions, all the songs here have been by male artists and for obvious reasons. It's hard to sing high(er) notes as a guy ha. But at the end of the day that doesn't stop Younha from gracing us at the top of this list. She got me into the sphere of Korean music and her early Japanese work was a huge part of that. "Ima Ga Daisuki" pairs a simple piano instrumental with her voice and presto: magic. I think my favorite part about this song is that you can listen to this and then her later work and really see the maturation she underwent as both a singer and artist. So yeah, Younha wins the karaoke battle royale, or whatever you wanna call it. Hope everyone had a safe Thanksgiving.

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