Easy listening.
When I'm doing my homework or writing our thesis, listening to relaxing or light songs is the way for me to get started. When I commute during the rush hour, listening to the aforementioned music really relax and put me at ease though I know I'll be runningbriskwalking through the campus like a madman once I get off the train.
Sifting through more than 350 songs in my phone, I listed down around 65 songs that I consider easy listening. Among the 65, I chose my top 10 songs and listed why I love them so much. I had the sudden urge to post it here as a valid reason to procrastinate for one of my minor subjects. XD They're composed of English, Japanese and Korean songs from various soundtracks and artists. I also included a link to YouTube if you're interested to listen to the song (if it's available in YT XD).
1. KISS SHITE - KOH+
KOH+ is the special subgroup Fukuyama Masaharu and Shibasaki Kou formed for the drama, "Galileo". KISS Shite is the ending theme for Galileo--composed by Fukuyama Masaharu and sung by Shibasaki Kou. Every time I listen to this, there's this happy feeling that rushes through my body. The lyrics are quite poetic as compared to other love songs, and that's one of the reasons why I love it so much. Every time I listen to it, I try to decipher as much as I can and then compare it to the translation to see if I'm correct or not. If not, I'll analyze why so. I listen to both the original version and the piano version. So beautiful.
2. Toradora soundtrack - Hashimoto Yukari
I listen to around 4 or 5 songs from this soundtrack. It's so beautiful! The music's light enough to support a story, but heavy enough to tell its own. That's one thing I noticed in soundtracks--they're light and simple. Of course they're specifically made to support a story, so it has to be light so as not to overshadow the character's conversations, etc. I love the diversity and uniqueness of this soundtrack if compared to others. I know this sounds weird but it's so modern without trying to be modern. It encapsulates the modern day student--it's vibrant, energetic and quite unpredictable.
3. Saiai
I listen to versions by KOH+, Fukuyama Masaharu and 2AM, but my absolute favorite has to be Massha's. The timbre of his voice and the way he sings it is just so beautiful. 2AM's version is also really nice, especially when it comes to the bridge. JoKwon and ChangMin's soulful renditions make me speechless. I'm not 1000000% fond of Shibasaki Kou's voice 'cause I find it too nasal at times, but this song helps me practice the pronunciation of "ga" since majority of Japanese pronounce "ga" as "nga". XD
4. Kawaranai Kimochi - Burimyu
Need I say more? XD I actually listen to medley that I did a couple of years ago, right after DX was relased, I think. The song's underlying tone of camaraderie and the easy-going melody are the reasons why I love this song so much. The link directs you to the Bankai Code 001 version since I haven't uploaded the medley I've made to YouTube yet XD
5. Piano Instrumental of upcoming theme - WEAVER
I accidentally stumbled upon this song a couple of years ago. It was included in WEAVER's Hard to say I love you single (Hard to say I love you is part of Sunao ni Narenakute's soundtrack). As the only track without a proper name in the single, it really intrigued me. After listening, I fell in love with it almost immediately. The song only lasts for around two minutes, and for me it's a huge pity. The piano is actually quite heavy but still upbeat in my opinion--a huge contrast to Yiruma's pieces.The song has this heavy, happy and sad feeling that is so well interlaced with each other that I can't stop listening to it. I honestly don't know what that "upcoming theme" is as indicated in the title, but for me, it's perfect as a background music when making a goodbye video for a group of people or for someone. You're really sad you're parting ways, but you're very thankful for everything he or she has done for you.
6. Blurry Eyes (Acoustic)
I got this from Limewire around six years ago (and luckily, I found the exact same thing in YouTube!). There's no information who did the cover or any information whatsoever included in the file, so I just placed acoustic. L`Arc~en~Ciel's Blurry Eyes is unique but not my absolute favorite. This guitar instrumental is lighter and more intricate compared to Sung Ha Jung's covers. I love his covers too, but there's this certain lightness that places this acoustic version a cut above the rest. The shifts between the melody and the bass are well done, and they don't overpower each other too. It creates this very chill atmosphere with the listener--synonymous to what you'd feel if you're sitting on a hammock on the beach, sipping your juice and enjoying the coastal breeze on a sunny day.
7. Hitomi no Juunin - L`Arc~en~Ciel
This is one of my favorite L`Arc~en~Ciel songs of all time. Most probably because of Hyde's warm and low vocals that really make you feel relaxed. It's a typical ballad but then L`Arc gives it a very different twist. The poetic lyrics in itself is already a statement. They're so beautiful, simple and complicated at the same time. You feel the passion of the persona as it builds throughout the song, and the melody accentuates his or her wish to be with the person he or she loves forever. I figured out why it's called "Hitomi no Juunin" before but I was not able to write it down immediately so I forgot it TT____TT. Another thing why I love this so much is how well the song showcases Hyde's vocals. The song starts in a low note, but reaches this very high note in the coda, followed by this violin-ish solo and Ken's guitar solo. It's just so beautifully composed. Also I can't find the PV in YT DDD: The link leads to a live.
8. Spirit - Iryu
If you watched any of the three seasons of Iryu, this is a very familiar tune to you. It's song they usually play when they found out a way to save a patient after finding out the patient's condition is worse than they thought. The most memorable scene, however, is in the last episode of the first season. Team Dragon has just completed the first successful Batista Operation, and they're walking down the stairs in a V formation, with Asada leading the group. You can see the rest of the doctors clapping on the sides of the stairs as the camera focuses on each member of the team, and flashes back on what they've done to make this operation successful.XD The instrumental is quite multi-faceted and diverse in my opinion. It has a central theme, however there are different other phrases built around it that are quite representative of Team Dragon's personalities and hardships that they've endured for success. While listening to it, I feel like I'm Asada, proudly walking down the stairs with Miki, Ijyuuin and the others behind me. Kidding. XD
9. Arekara - Shimokawa Mikuni
This song is apparently part of the Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu? Soundtrack, but I can't see why. There was no break-up scene in the whole season. I think it fits the Second Raid better XD Anyways, I love this song so much because there's this certain sadness and gentleness that's ironically light compared to other break-up songs. The piano and Shimokawa Mikuni's high vocals may have done the trick, but I think the way the lyrics are written add this certain touch. It's actually quite easy to understand once you've grasped the basics of intermediate Japanese, making it light as compared to other break-up songs like Saiai.
10. Banmal Song
Ahh yes. I have the released version, WGM version, Seohyun's version in the last ep, this beautiful piano version and the Niigata performance version. However I only listen to the WGM, released and the piano version. To me it's a very memorable and candid song. The emotions are quite raw and they're expressed in a very nostalgic manner. It's really a song for first time lovers.
Other songs in my playlist include the following:
Yume wo Tsunage - Shirota Yuu
Track 7 - Zhang Li Yin
Aozora Piano Version - Air TV
Dal Peng I - Kyuhyun
Geu ipsureul magaboonda - 8Eight
Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
Happy Goody - Golden Pair
Heart is an Egg (Jetman ending theme)
It's your day - Yiruma
Chunji theme song - Jessica and Taeyon
KISS Shite - KOH+
Kiss the Rain - Yiruma
Kiss ~Kaerimichi no Love Song~ - Tegomass
Konna chikaku de (piano version) - Matsutani Suguru
Love at the Gate - Full House
Love Light - CN Blue
Jigokuchou no uta - Inoue Harumi
Maybe - Yiruma
Melissa - Porno Graffiti
Milk Tea - Fukuyama Masaharu
Milk Tea - G.NA
Natsukage ~1st Performance~ - Air TV
Piano no tame no kibou - Matsutani Suguru
Planetarium - Otsuka Ai
Platinum - CCS
Wonderful Days - POT
Season of Fireworks - F4
River Flows in You - Yiruma
Best Friend - SNSD
Sore ga ai deshou - Shimokawa Mikuni
SPECIAL HAPPINESS - Kame and Jun
Sunao ni Narenakute - Sugawara Sayuri
Sunlight - Kevyn Lettau
Thank you Love - YUA
Semai Sora - Sato Miki
Dual
You're my melody - DBSK
Yuugure no Yakusoku - Hashimoto
Manazashi Daydream - Sakaiyuu
Chisana Yasuragi - Sato Miki
All my Heart- Super Junior
What do you think? I'm open to suggestions too :3
Sifting through more than 350 songs in my phone, I listed down around 65 songs that I consider easy listening. Among the 65, I chose my top 10 songs and listed why I love them so much. I had the sudden urge to post it here as a valid reason to procrastinate for one of my minor subjects. XD They're composed of English, Japanese and Korean songs from various soundtracks and artists. I also included a link to YouTube if you're interested to listen to the song (if it's available in YT XD).
1. KISS SHITE - KOH+
KOH+ is the special subgroup Fukuyama Masaharu and Shibasaki Kou formed for the drama, "Galileo". KISS Shite is the ending theme for Galileo--composed by Fukuyama Masaharu and sung by Shibasaki Kou. Every time I listen to this, there's this happy feeling that rushes through my body. The lyrics are quite poetic as compared to other love songs, and that's one of the reasons why I love it so much. Every time I listen to it, I try to decipher as much as I can and then compare it to the translation to see if I'm correct or not. If not, I'll analyze why so. I listen to both the original version and the piano version. So beautiful.
2. Toradora soundtrack - Hashimoto Yukari
I listen to around 4 or 5 songs from this soundtrack. It's so beautiful! The music's light enough to support a story, but heavy enough to tell its own. That's one thing I noticed in soundtracks--they're light and simple. Of course they're specifically made to support a story, so it has to be light so as not to overshadow the character's conversations, etc. I love the diversity and uniqueness of this soundtrack if compared to others. I know this sounds weird but it's so modern without trying to be modern. It encapsulates the modern day student--it's vibrant, energetic and quite unpredictable.
3. Saiai
I listen to versions by KOH+, Fukuyama Masaharu and 2AM, but my absolute favorite has to be Massha's. The timbre of his voice and the way he sings it is just so beautiful. 2AM's version is also really nice, especially when it comes to the bridge. JoKwon and ChangMin's soulful renditions make me speechless. I'm not 1000000% fond of Shibasaki Kou's voice 'cause I find it too nasal at times, but this song helps me practice the pronunciation of "ga" since majority of Japanese pronounce "ga" as "nga". XD
4. Kawaranai Kimochi - Burimyu
Need I say more? XD I actually listen to medley that I did a couple of years ago, right after DX was relased, I think. The song's underlying tone of camaraderie and the easy-going melody are the reasons why I love this song so much. The link directs you to the Bankai Code 001 version since I haven't uploaded the medley I've made to YouTube yet XD
5. Piano Instrumental of upcoming theme - WEAVER
I accidentally stumbled upon this song a couple of years ago. It was included in WEAVER's Hard to say I love you single (Hard to say I love you is part of Sunao ni Narenakute's soundtrack). As the only track without a proper name in the single, it really intrigued me. After listening, I fell in love with it almost immediately. The song only lasts for around two minutes, and for me it's a huge pity. The piano is actually quite heavy but still upbeat in my opinion--a huge contrast to Yiruma's pieces.The song has this heavy, happy and sad feeling that is so well interlaced with each other that I can't stop listening to it. I honestly don't know what that "upcoming theme" is as indicated in the title, but for me, it's perfect as a background music when making a goodbye video for a group of people or for someone. You're really sad you're parting ways, but you're very thankful for everything he or she has done for you.
6. Blurry Eyes (Acoustic)
I got this from Limewire around six years ago (and luckily, I found the exact same thing in YouTube!). There's no information who did the cover or any information whatsoever included in the file, so I just placed acoustic. L`Arc~en~Ciel's Blurry Eyes is unique but not my absolute favorite. This guitar instrumental is lighter and more intricate compared to Sung Ha Jung's covers. I love his covers too, but there's this certain lightness that places this acoustic version a cut above the rest. The shifts between the melody and the bass are well done, and they don't overpower each other too. It creates this very chill atmosphere with the listener--synonymous to what you'd feel if you're sitting on a hammock on the beach, sipping your juice and enjoying the coastal breeze on a sunny day.
7. Hitomi no Juunin - L`Arc~en~Ciel
This is one of my favorite L`Arc~en~Ciel songs of all time. Most probably because of Hyde's warm and low vocals that really make you feel relaxed. It's a typical ballad but then L`Arc gives it a very different twist. The poetic lyrics in itself is already a statement. They're so beautiful, simple and complicated at the same time. You feel the passion of the persona as it builds throughout the song, and the melody accentuates his or her wish to be with the person he or she loves forever. I figured out why it's called "Hitomi no Juunin" before but I was not able to write it down immediately so I forgot it TT____TT. Another thing why I love this so much is how well the song showcases Hyde's vocals. The song starts in a low note, but reaches this very high note in the coda, followed by this violin-ish solo and Ken's guitar solo. It's just so beautifully composed. Also I can't find the PV in YT DDD: The link leads to a live.
8. Spirit - Iryu
If you watched any of the three seasons of Iryu, this is a very familiar tune to you. It's song they usually play when they found out a way to save a patient after finding out the patient's condition is worse than they thought. The most memorable scene, however, is in the last episode of the first season. Team Dragon has just completed the first successful Batista Operation, and they're walking down the stairs in a V formation, with Asada leading the group. You can see the rest of the doctors clapping on the sides of the stairs as the camera focuses on each member of the team, and flashes back on what they've done to make this operation successful.XD The instrumental is quite multi-faceted and diverse in my opinion. It has a central theme, however there are different other phrases built around it that are quite representative of Team Dragon's personalities and hardships that they've endured for success. While listening to it, I feel like I'm Asada, proudly walking down the stairs with Miki, Ijyuuin and the others behind me. Kidding. XD
9. Arekara - Shimokawa Mikuni
This song is apparently part of the Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu? Soundtrack, but I can't see why. There was no break-up scene in the whole season. I think it fits the Second Raid better XD Anyways, I love this song so much because there's this certain sadness and gentleness that's ironically light compared to other break-up songs. The piano and Shimokawa Mikuni's high vocals may have done the trick, but I think the way the lyrics are written add this certain touch. It's actually quite easy to understand once you've grasped the basics of intermediate Japanese, making it light as compared to other break-up songs like Saiai.
10. Banmal Song
Ahh yes. I have the released version, WGM version, Seohyun's version in the last ep, this beautiful piano version and the Niigata performance version. However I only listen to the WGM, released and the piano version. To me it's a very memorable and candid song. The emotions are quite raw and they're expressed in a very nostalgic manner. It's really a song for first time lovers.
Other songs in my playlist include the following:
Yume wo Tsunage - Shirota Yuu
Track 7 - Zhang Li Yin
Aozora Piano Version - Air TV
Dal Peng I - Kyuhyun
Geu ipsureul magaboonda - 8Eight
Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
Happy Goody - Golden Pair
Heart is an Egg (Jetman ending theme)
It's your day - Yiruma
Chunji theme song - Jessica and Taeyon
KISS Shite - KOH+
Kiss the Rain - Yiruma
Kiss ~Kaerimichi no Love Song~ - Tegomass
Konna chikaku de (piano version) - Matsutani Suguru
Love at the Gate - Full House
Love Light - CN Blue
Jigokuchou no uta - Inoue Harumi
Maybe - Yiruma
Melissa - Porno Graffiti
Milk Tea - Fukuyama Masaharu
Milk Tea - G.NA
Natsukage ~1st Performance~ - Air TV
Piano no tame no kibou - Matsutani Suguru
Planetarium - Otsuka Ai
Platinum - CCS
Wonderful Days - POT
Season of Fireworks - F4
River Flows in You - Yiruma
Best Friend - SNSD
Sore ga ai deshou - Shimokawa Mikuni
SPECIAL HAPPINESS - Kame and Jun
Sunao ni Narenakute - Sugawara Sayuri
Sunlight - Kevyn Lettau
Thank you Love - YUA
Semai Sora - Sato Miki
Dual
You're my melody - DBSK
Yuugure no Yakusoku - Hashimoto
Manazashi Daydream - Sakaiyuu
Chisana Yasuragi - Sato Miki
All my Heart- Super Junior
What do you think? I'm open to suggestions too :3