[#14] IU - "Someday"

From: "Dream High Soundtrack" (OST), South Korea
Released: January 2011
Rating: 3.85

"Someday" was actually the very first song I put into this year's list, and no, this is not on the list just because IU's releases have always managed to miss the cut-off date by a few days/weeks, because really, "Someday" is a stunning yet simple song.

Scrap all the fancy studio effects, the vocal gymnastics and whatever other frilly things people add to songs these days, and you're left with a gorgeous melody accompanied by a simple, yet timeless arrangement and good vocals.

One of the things I value the most in a song is simplicity. You have a point to put across, I understand, but there are many times when less is indeed more. The simpler it is, the more people can imitate it, and the more people imitate it, the closer it is to becoming a classic. I always raise this point, but it's true -- even if arrangement and technology and effects are very important, the melody is the part that will ultimately transcend time. In pop, when you remix a song, you take the melody and slap it on top of another arrangement. Again, the melody.

"Someday" shows off IU's vocals, not in the screaming, "I can hit notes this high" way, but in how she delivers something simple. The true measure of a singer is not how high he/she can go, but how he/she makes use of his/her vocals and technique to deliver the simplest melody. A good singer doesn't show off, but doesn't shy away either. And that's exactly what IU did with "Somebody".

1 comments:

  1. I watched Dream High myself and whenever I heard this song, it was so lovely to hear in my ears.

    ReplyDelete

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