Younha: Hakanaku Tsuyoku

1. Hakanaku Tsuyoku

2. Aitai

Hakanaku Tsuyoku is Younha’s eighth single, released on January 17th, 2007. It reached #36 on Oricon and sold 2 998 copies. Hakanaku Tsuyoku was used as the opening theme for the anime Kiba.

Younha steps out of the realm of piano rock and jumps straight into punk with Hakanaku Tsuyoku (ephemeral and strong). Out of her three singles after Go! Younha, this one blows all others away, easily. Whereas there is no great distinction between chorus and verses, the constant electric guitars and powerful beats keep the song going and prevent it from getting boring. Her voice is as beautiful and powerful as ever, and stays that way for the rest of the song.

Aitai (I want to love you) is moving ballad with a piano and tiny drops of synth. The vocal work, above everything else, on this B-Side is astonishing, especially when she says “aitai”. Like Hakanaku Tsuyoku, it has nothing interesting or catchy, it’s just good.

Younha: Ima ga Daisuki

1. Ima ga Daisuki

2. Inori

3. Ima ga Daisuki (Korean version)

4. Inori (Korean version)

Ima ga Daisuki is Younha’s seventh single, released on September 6th, 2006. It reached #71 on Oricon and has sold 2 638 copies. (I will not be reviewing the Korean versions.)

The best part of Ima ga Daisuki (I love “now”) was definitely the bells in the background. Nonetheless, this is a typical Younha song, with bells added: a nice piano arrangement, wonderful vocals and an uplifting chorus. It’s better than Te wo Tsunaide because, notably, of those wonderful bells and the great piano, but it’s nothing special.

Inori (prayer) reminds me more of a circus than a prayer. It opens horribly, but the verses provide for an interesting turn for the better, with a more jazzy, laid-back ambience. Another pretty good B-Side from an underrated artist.

Younha: Te wo Tsunaide

1. Te wo Tsunaide

2. Rock Star

3. Homegirl

Te wo Tsunaide is Younha’s sixth single, released on June 7th, 2006. It reached #50 on Oricon and has sold 4 495 copies.

Te wo Tsunaide (hold my hand) is an example of what Younha does best: piano rock. The piano provides for drama (I don’t know whether the drama I felt while listening to this song was intended, but it better be) and her voice has a certain grit to it during the verses. The chorus is good, although it could’ve been worked on. I have to say that after Go! Younha, which wasn’t all that good, Te wo Tsunaide surprised me. The overblown drums and guitar were the best part, even though it felt like they were pushing away Younha’s voice.

The first of two B-Sides, Rock Star, sounds like a bad song on steroids. The vocals were fine, but the music score is absolutely ridiculous. It has the feel of a horrible rock song from the seventies made a bit more modern.

Homegirl shortly reminded me of Ikimono Gakari’s Kaeritakunatta yo, with its soft piano and vocals and the eventual harmonica. The verses were slighty on the boring side, but the chorus managed to move me. As usual with Younha songs, it could’ve been improved and it would’ve been really good if it had been, but it ends up sounding like a regular ballad.