Yeah...I just didn't have enough time on Wednesday to write this post, and I'm still trying to finish up School 2013 so that I can review it tomorrow (we'll see; I don't think I will, though)... Ah, well, let's get on with this.
See, last week, when I was thinking about what to do for this week's "Wopping Wednesday"...I was originally going to compile a bunch of K-pop/video games/etc. songs that relate to Halloween, since Halloween was yesterday.
However, then I remembered something:
Heo Young Saeng enlisted yesterday.
Anyway...on to the good stuff.
Heo Young Saeng was born in Gochang County (in the North Jeolla Province, a.k.a. Jeollabuk-do) on November 3, 1986. He is an only child. He also was apparently a trainee of SM Entertainment before transferring over to DSP, with whom he debuted as a member of SS501 in June 2005. During the group's time with DSP, Heo Young Saeng wrote three songs. One was his solo song, "Is It Love?",
from their subgroup's album, U R Man, in 2008.
Aww... He even wrote the lyrics for two of SS501's fan songs; "Green Peas" (wrote with the group?) for their Rebirth EP in 2009; and he wrote the lyrics to what I consider to be their farewell song of sorts, "Until Forever," which was on their last album as a group (for now...I guess), Destination (2010).
For his 2013 Memories to You album in Japan, there is a song called "Hajimete Miru Sora Datta (First Sky I've Ever Seen)" which he composed a memorial version of for the album. The song had originally been included as his solo song for SS501's Japanese album, Kokoro, as well.
After SS501's contract with DSP expired, both he and Kim Kyu Jong joined B2M Entertainment. In 2011, he released his debut solo EP, Let It Go. In 2012, he released Solo in Korea and Overjoyed in Japan. Apparently, he also participated in a KBS2 daily sitcom, I Need A Fairy...
Then came this year...
Heo Young Saeng was a cast member in the Japanese musical, Summer Snow, which he left to start working for after the release of his Korean EP, Life. Then, after it was announced that *sniffle* he would be enlisting, his farewell Japanese album, Memories to You, was put on the marked in June.
On October 16, 2013...She was released as his farewell Korean album...
Aww, man - and I just realized that he's going to be 27 (Western years) in two days, too! I just can't... O~O
However, now I have to include videos/songs with one of the sweetest adult male voices that I'm aware of, so let's get going, shall we?
Do you see what I mean? His voice is just so nice and pretty... Plus, Kim Kyu Jong raps for a little near the end, so I'm happy. This is "Rainy Heart" from Let It Go.
Oh, look, it's another sad song! He just... He expresses emotion in his voice so well - whether it's happiness or heartbreak. I personally like "Rainy Heart" a little more, but "Crying" from Solo is a good song, too.
I really recommend looking up some of the songs from Overjoyed. The ballad songs are amazing, and the upbeat ones... Well, it depends on your style, but some of those ones are cute. :) Some take a little getting used to, though...
...such as "1.2.3." This song and I are okay now, but I was kind of iffy about it at first, to be honest, because I wasn't sure how I liked his voice with this sort of style, which I hear a bit in parts of J-pop, anyway... Now, I think it's fun to rock along to. "Vacation" from this album is a cute little tune, so it almost went here instead...
"Art of Seduction" is not only a fun song, but it fits his voice nicely. It doesn't differ too much from the kind of style I'm used to from him as much as do some of his Japanese songs do Overjoyed.
I haven't discussed the music videos much, but this one is interesting. Certainly, I am not the only person who relates to the video's first few seconds?
Since the only songs I've listened to (as of yet) from his Memories to You album are ballads, and I don't want to have 4 slow or mid-tempo songs and only 2 upbeat-ish songs, we'll just go straight for his most recent Korean song, which is also going to be his last for a while O~O
Just...aww... Even if you just listen to the song (because I don't watch the music video as often as I press the repeat button on my phone for this), it's just so nice... His clean tone fits the melody and grows within the chorus and the verses and just the whole freaking song.
There's also the passion that Heo Young Saeng expresses in his songs that threaten to hit me right in the feels more so than in the solo careers of his fellow SS501 members, to be honest.
You know, I wasn't sure if I wanted to put another song in here, in fear of making this post too long, but considering the awkward ending of "Weak Child" (the song by itself, anyway; I just noticed this while listening to it just now), it would be good for me personally to end on another song from the She EP...
See, it's just... Aish, I need to find another adjective besides fun... Energetic? Yeah, that's it.
The lyric's translation is a little sad, yes, but it's also in remembrance of the female fans and it at least says to me that he's going to miss his fans. Whether he means it or not (I'm choosing this moment, of all opportunities, to be cynical), though he and his bandmates have a reputation for being nice to their fans, this is what I'm going to take from his last pre-military Korean mini-album. (And the cynicism's gone again.)
I also think that the fading out of the music is symbolic of the fact that he's getting farther away, even though he's still going to be in South Korea, and Heo Young Saeng will likely be coming back after finishing as a conscripted policeman. It reminds me of that cliche ending to the majority of Pokemon episodes:
Oops, wrong one...
-Pamela
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