What songs and albums were most loved or best received this year? Major broadcasters have decided to cancel their year-end music awards after a series of stars said they are boycotting them for their lack of objectivity. Nor are the music charts provided by record companies, TV, radio and the Internet reliable, as their widely differing results show. But public curiosity remains, so the Chosun Ilbo asked 33 singers in several genres -- from ballad to Hip Hop -- what song and album was their favorite of the year. They were asked to name their three top picks in each category, giving three points to the best, two to the second and one to the third. The results are based on accumulated points.
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From left, Vibe, Lee Sung-chul, SG Wannabe, Nell and Sung Si-kyung
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The unexpected winner was the relatively obscure duo Vibe. Although its songs became popular on the Internet whenever they were released, the group remained relatively unknown because they seldom appeared on TV. But their third album ¡°Re-Feel¡± beat strong rival Lee Sung-chul¡¯s ¡°Reflections of Sound¡± as album of the year with 19 points. The album was rated for its ¡°addictive¡± tunes and impressive lyrics, ¡°sweet¡± harmony and mixture of innocence and technical prowess.
Lee Sung-chul followed it with 16 points. He was praised for being as fresh and powerful as a young singer in terms of both popularity and quality despite being an older, experienced singer and creating ¡°calm, liberating ballads¡± with outstanding arrangement and production.
SG Wannabe¡¯s ¡°3rd Masterpiece¡± came in an appropriate third, in recognition of the popularity and musicality they achieved on the album and their effort to lose their ¡°cattle-driving¡± way of singing (¡°woo woo¡±). Fourth place went to modern rock band Nell¡¯s ¡°Healing Process¡±, seen as the climax of the band¡¯s evolving style, followed by Sung Si-kyung¡¯s ¡°The Ballads,¡± which was also named ¡°best to listen to¡± for this autumn, and ¡°Ashes to Ashes¡± by Jaurim, who critics say know how to appeal to the public without jettisoning their musical identity.
Vibe and Lee Sung-chul shared the top spot in the song-of-the-year category. Vibe¡¯s ¡°He & She,¡± a trio with Jang Hye-jin, was recognized for its tune and the perfect harmony between male and female voices. Lee¡¯s ¡°Shout it Out¡± got the thumbs-up for being perfect for Lee¡¯s unique soothing voice.
Paik Ji-young, who made a successful comeback after all the trouble she had, took third place with the ballad ¡°I Won¡¯t Fall in Love Again.¡± Our panel felt she proves that the best songs are the ones most loved by the public, and applauded her for making a successful comeback by leaving behind pop dance for a completely different genre.
Eru, who overcame being labeled as the son of famous trot singer Tae Jin-ah with his second album, came in fourth with ¡°Black Glasses.¡± Sung Si-kyung¡¯s ¡°On the Street¡± came in fifth, with the panel rating its appeal to both the masses and professional musicians with its tune. Following were SG Wannabe¡¯s ¡°Partner for Life¡± and Ha Dong-gyun¡¯s ¡°Please, Love Her.¡±
One veteran singer praised new face Ha for his clear and unique voice. ¡°I happened to hear his song on radio in the street, and I just stopped in my tracks. His voice resembling the funky voice of Lenny Kravitz is outstanding,¡± he said.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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