Jive Monkey Playlist: 3/17/14

There are a lot of unassuming artists out there.  Whether it’s not getting the widespread promotion or whether they’re labeled as a “faceless singer”, it’s worth noting their small contribution to the K-Pop world.

Lunafly debuted two years ago and while they’re not an indie artists many K-Pop fans may not know who they are.  They’re with the same label as Brown Eyed Girls and the group is made up of three members: Sam Carter, Shin Taeho (aka Teo) and Han Seung Yoon (aka Yoon).  They all play a variety of instruments and sing for the group.  I can’t say that their music blew me away but there’s something simple and comforting about their sound.  I’ve noticed that they always release two versions of the same song, a Korean and an English version but their English version isn’t quite an exact translation of the Korean.  Probably for lyrical timing reasons.

Their latest album “특별한 남자 (Ain’t No Normal Guy)” feels like an homage to the drama, You From Another Star.  Except their concept is You From The Moon.  The song starts off with a cheesy rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” on the xylophone but the rest of the track is your typical boy band track.  That sounds quite boring and you’d probably want to pass listening to the song but there’s something sweetly melodic to the track that makes it so easy to listen to.

Below are  both the Korean and English versions below as they have slightly different lyrics.

Lunafly – Stardust (Kor Ver.)

루나플라이(Lunafly) – Stardust (Kor Ver.)

Stardust (Kor Ver.)

눈을 감아 딴 생각은 그만
지금 중요한 건 you and I together now

좀 특별한 여행을 할 꺼야
이제 보여줄게 하늘 위 캔버스에

아련히 쏟아지는 magical stardust
너를 위해 그린 lovely tonight yeah

flying up high in the sky
oh with the beautiful stars
찬란한 빛 사이로
우리 만에 내일로 wanna go
더 많이 보고 싶고 더 많이 알고 싶어
날 허락한다면
날 허락한다면

romantic strolls
walking in the fields of gold
너와 함께 하는 모든 게 예술이야

beautiful girl 내 삶에 이윤 걸
귓가에 맴도는 달콤한 멜로디야

upon a shooting star 니 소원을 빌어
니가 원한다면 뭐든지 all right yeah

flying up high in the sky
oh with the beautiful stars
찬란한 빛 사이로
우리 만에 내일로 wanna go
더 많이 보고 싶고 더 많이 알고 싶어
날 허락한다면 oh
날 허락한다면 oh

온 세상에 들리게 외칠래
사랑해 널 정말 사랑해
꼬집어봐 let me know I’m not dreaming

better with you and together
better be now and forever

flying up high in the sky
oh with the beautiful stars
내가 잠든 사이에 말해줄래
say ye 사랑해
내가 더 사랑할게 니가 더 행복하게 oh
I promise you my love

Stardust (Kor Ver.)

Close your eyes, don’t think about anything else
Now the important thing, you and I together now

We’re going to go on a special trip
Now I’ll show, the canvas above the heavens

Falling faintly magical stardust
Drawn just for you, lovely tonight yeah

flying up high in the sky
oh with the beautiful stars
Between the shining lights,
The tomorrow that belongs to us, wanna go
Want to see more, want to know more
If you’ll accept me
If you’ll accept me

romantic strolls
walking in the fields of gold
Doing everything with you is a work of art

beautiful girl, you’re the meaning in my life
the sweet melody I keep hearing

upon a shooting star, make a wish
If there’s anything you want, all right yeah

flying up high in the sky
oh with the beautiful stars
Between the shining lights,
The tomorrow that belongs to us, wanna go
Want to see more, want to know more
If you’ll accept me oh
If you’ll accept me oh

So that the whole world hears, I’ll shout
I love you, I really love you
Pinch me, let me know I’m not dreaming

better with you and together
better be now and forever

flying up high in the sky
oh with the beautiful stars
While I’m sleeping, will you
say ye, that you love me
I will love you more, so that you’ll be happier oh
I promise you my love

Lunafly – Stardust (Eng Ver.)

루나플라이(Lunafly) – Stardust (Eng Ver.)

Stardust (Eng Ver.)

Let’s take a drive
I’ll make you feel alive
All we need is love and you and I together now

Just stand by me
Take a look at the sky
I can show you what is written in your destiny

Magical stardust oh its making me feel like
We’re in heaven baby me and you tonight yeah

Flying up high in the sky
Oh with the beautiful stars
Living in a movie now
Kissing under raindrops (wanna go)
Let’s see a whole brand new world
Oh take my hand and you know
You’re in this movie too
You’re in this movie too

Romantic strolls
Walking in fields of gold
There ain’t nothing we can do that can’t be done yeah

Lie next to me
Take a look up above
Let me show you everything you ever dreamed about

Magical stardust oh it’s making me feel like
We’re in heaven baby me and you tonight yeah

Flying up high in the sky
Oh with the beautiful stars
Living in a movie now
Kissing under raindrops (wanna go)
Let’s see a whole brand new world
Oh take my hand and you know
You’re in this movie too
You’re in this movie too

Oh I’ll make you forget your troubles
They are all past and history
Don’t worry now me and you’ll keep dreaming

Better with you and together
Better be now and forever

Flying up high in the sky
Oh with the beautiful stars
Living in a movie now
Kissing under raindrops (wanna go)
Let’s see a whole brand new world
Oh take my hand and you know
You’re in this movie too

_____________________________________________________

While I’ve been really enjoying 3 Days, I can’t quite say the various OST tracks that have been released for the drama are a good fit for the show.  I felt very conflicted about the drama’s OST tracks as they feel more like they belong in a romantic melo rather than anything else.  On their own merit, I do like the songs themselves.  The latest release is by Shin Yong Jae from 4Men called “널 사랑한다, 지운다, 또 운다 (I Love You, Erase You, And Cry Again)”.

For the longest time, Shin Yong Jae was another one of “faceless singers” who does all these great ballad songs for dramas but I never really knew who he was or what he looked like.  Until more recently for 4Men promotions and when he joined the Cool Kidz on the Block basketball team for the variety show, Our Neighborhood Variety Sports.  I didn’t know he was that young as his mature voice made me think he was around Sung Shi Kyung’s age.  Certainly the group, 4Men, has had a lot of member changes through the years which originally included members like VIBE’s Yoon Min Soo.  Having now seen Shin Yong Jae, he reminds me of a young Yoon Min Soo except with a sweet and gentle voice whereas Yoon Min Soo’s is husky.

“널 사랑한다, 지운다, 또 운다 (I Love You, Erase You, And Cry Again)” is sweetly but sad love song.  The gentleness in Shin Yong Jae’s voice is the opposite of the fast and dark pacing of 3 Days.  I can see where people might compare 3 Days to Iris except it doesn’t really have a love story (as of yet) nor do I want to see a love story. So you can see why I would be conflicted.  However, both Shin Yong Jae’s voice and lyrics are wistfully beautiful that the song touched me on its own merits.

Shin Yong Jae [4men] – 널 사랑한다, 지운다, 또 운다 (I Love You, Erase You, And Cry Again)

신용재 [4men] – 널 사랑한다, 지운다, 또 운다

널 사랑한다, 지운다, 또 운다

내 가슴이 널 불렀었나봐
내가 힘든가봐 눈물이 차올라

왜 이렇게도 슬픈지 몰라
바보처럼 울고 있잖아 눈물이 나잖아

야윈 얼굴로 하루종일 널 찾아
너 아니면 정말 안되는가봐

널 사랑한다 지운다 지운다 또 운다
자꾸 생각나잖아 내가 눈물이 많아
하루가 간다 비운다 너를 비워본다
너를 너를 너를 또 하루가 이렇게 간다

꿈에서라도 보고 싶어
눈감아
널 그리며 혼자 울먹이잖아

널 사랑한다 지운다 지운다 또 운다
자꾸 생각나잖아 내가 눈물이 많아
하루가 간다 비운다 너를 비워본다
너를 너를 너를

내 터질 듯한 가슴에
미치도록 아픈 사랑에
나 어떻게 살아 너를 불러봐

널 사랑한다 지운다 지운다 또 운다
자꾸 생각나잖아 내가 눈물이 많아
하루가 간다 비운다 너를 비워본다
너를 너를 너를 또 하루가 이렇게 간다

I Love You, Erase You, And Cry Again

My heart must be calling for you
I must be having a hard time, tears fill up

I don’t know why I’m this sad
Like an idiot, I’m crying, tears just form

With a grim face, I look for you all day
If it’s not you, it mustn’t be anyone else

I love you, erase you, erase you and cry again
I keep thinking of you, I have lots of tears
A day passes, get rid of you, I try to get rid of you
You, you, you, again another day passes like this

Even just in my dreams, I want to see you,
I close my eyes
As I imagine you alone, I’m about to cry

I love you, erase you, erase you and cry again
I keep thinking of you, I have lots of tears
A day passes, get rid of you, I try to get rid of you
You, you, you, again another day passes like this

With my heart about to explode,
With my love that’s insanely hurt
How am I supposed to go on? I cry for you

I love you, erase you, erase you and cry again
I keep thinking of you, I have lots of tears
A day passes, get rid of you, I try to get rid of you
You, you, you, again another day passes like this