More than ballads for Baek Ji Young in "PITTA"...

I got excited over Baek Ji Young releasing her newest album, "PITTA", last Thursday. There are lots of really talented soloists in Korea, and if there were any solo artists that I wanted to hear more of, one of them would be her.

Baek Ji Young is considered the Queen of Ballads in Korea, and her voice is absolutely a joy to listen to. Deep, rich and passionate, and often leering towards the desperate when the message of the song calls for it. She's not exactly a power diva, but she knows how to make people tear up... that's real talent!

The very first song of hers that I ever heard was the ever popular ballad "That Man" from the K-drama "Secret Garden". It's a haunting song about unrequited love that became part of a national phenomena. The song and drama became so popular, that the song's been covered by so many other Korean artists.

But for someone so well known for ballads, most people aren't very familiar with the other side of Baek Ji Young --- she started out with dance pop! She debuted in 1999 as a dance diva, and apparently she's pretty good at it too. She even had a techno dance pop collaboration track with Taecyeon of 2PM in 2009 for a song titled "My Ear's Candy". Based on the video, she's a rather decent dancer too!

"That Man" by Baek Ji Young (Fan MV with Eng Subs)

"My Ear's Candy" by Baek Ji Young feat. Taecyeon of 2PM

(MV with Eng Subs)

"PITTA" brings together two very different genres of music. It's interesting how Baek Ji Young is comfortable with both ballads and dance pop. She plays around with a lot of musical influences ranging from techno, acoustics, R&B, and latin --- all of this, together with her deep and soulful voice.

Her first release for the album is the second track from the album, "Average". The song is about an unfortunate love --- the wrong kind of love for the wrong kind of person. Just reading through the lyrics alone is painful enough, but hearing the song and watching the MV gives you that deep sinking feeling in your chest. It's a classic Baek Ji Young ballad.

It's a simple MV --- Baek Ji Young running through the street running and crying. Oh Ji Ho (the male lead in the MV --- who's a pretty popular actor in Korea) is shown in cut-scenes, giving you a pretty good idea where the drama is all coming from. The rawness of the vid gives it intensity, which sustained my interest.

"Average" by Baek Ji Young (MV with Eng Subs)

The first few songs in the album are the most interesting musically (unfortunately, I couldn't fully appreciate most of the songs since there aren't any decent English translations since the album just came out --- as usual, when subs come out, will post updates!). 

The first track, "Lost Star", focuses on the strong Latin and acoustic influences of Baek Ji Young. The song has a laid back, Lone Ranger kind of vibe, and gives you the feeling that it's part of a soundtrack for a modern western (something like "Kill Bill").

The third and fourth tracks of the album, "Why Close Your Eyes?" and "Bad Girl" give us a peek into the fun side of Baek Ji Young --- both tracks are strong techno dance tracks that take advantage of the wide range of Ji Young's wide vocal range.

The rest of the tracks are ballads mostly, but the last track, "In and Out of Time" caught my attention the most because the song seemed to sound like a Spanish lullaby. The delivery was deep and soulful, and I loved the classic guitar work mixed with the light acoustic arrangement.

"Lost Star" by Baek Ji Young (Audio Only)

"Why Close Your Eyes?" by Baek Ji Young (Audio Only)

"Bad Girl" by Baek Ji Young (Audio Only)

"In and Out of Time" by Baek Ji Young (Audio Only)

"PITTA" definitely highlights the many talents and versatile range of Baek Ji Young. Be it ballads or cool dance pop, she can definitely deliver great entertainment!