Hit-5′s album pictures were released, along with a leaked copy of the EP.Up next they will be seen in Jie Jie Gao Sheng/Mix-box, the show that let’s burgeoning artists go up against other newbies in the music industry. They will PK Cotton Candy, a Taiwanese boy-girl indie duo that’s uber cute and will probably crush HIT-5 mercilessly, just like Long Kuan’s awesomeness left Butterfly group on the verge of tears because of critics saying how bad they were in comparison. More pictures below the cut, or you can see them all conveniently in the youtube vid (thanks Swingsily!).
I Want You To Know (new song from their EP)
Another song uploaded from Swingsily:
Advertisement
Tags: Hit-5
May 7, 2009 at 5:02 am
This is such a pretty photoshoot.
Cotton Candy also has pretty good songs, though I think it’s closer to “mi yao” than HIT-5 since both are boy-girl groups that actually compose.
May 7, 2009 at 7:20 am
I came across their new EP songs very late last night…
completely fell in love with the catchy tune.
i appreciate talented guys but hot guys make me drool rover.
havent thought Fresh Music can do a better job to promote them be4 and i changed my mind last night.
mainland companied r learning how to create our own idols though many things have to be done.
those 2 songs remind me of suju’s SORRY SORRY(only the music style-dont think it is smp but some of JYP or leehyori etc style with catchy main melody…maybe smp isnt that hot as it was be4,so uncle lee have to make some change to compete with other companies’ bands..lol)
saw their dance…
not bad but hope those crazy kfangirls wont be so critical towards them.
GaoYu and Ziyu performed well on stage with confidence.
dont know if they can beat mian hua tang in the coming JieJieGaoSheng.
anyway,jia you.
they can be bigger with hard work,why can’t they?
who knows,time tells.
JiaYou.
May 7, 2009 at 7:57 am
All of H.I.T-5 have awesome voices
=)
the beginning of I want you to know sounds
a bit like Haru Haru by Big Bang
but I like it ^^
does anyone know where I can download I want you to know?
May 7, 2009 at 8:04 am
@Lynne
here
all songs in this ep.
http://www.brsbox.com/filebox/down/fc/531dce294c72606e20dc1feaf373649d
May 7, 2009 at 1:09 pm
WOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
im really really happy right now and im jumping around everywhere…lol jk
May 7, 2009 at 1:14 pm
im going to china in june!!!! this will be on the top of my too buy list!!!! (along with tc of course)
can someone tell me more about “cotton candy”…im really confused cuz i keep thinking thats the song name for one of top combine’s song
are they called the “7 flower band”? of is it something else?
May 7, 2009 at 1:17 pm
^ ooohh pft nvm i need to read more carefully
May 7, 2009 at 3:08 pm
wowwwwwwwww, love the song!! top notch stuff
May 7, 2009 at 6:47 pm
I… think they need to learn how to shout more crisply – something sounds a little off about the way they do their “hey” and “oh” shouts.
I had these guys pegged as being a pretty generic boy band, and after hearing these songs, I’m more or less convinced of it. They’ll probably do well, because those kinds of boy bands did well, but they just don’t intrigue me any, because when I listen to them, there’s nothing there that I haven’t heard from everywhere else before. They’re talented singers and dancers, but they don’t add much of their own flavor, far as I can tell; if I were to disregard the language, I could mistake them for any number of Korean and American boy bands. But hey, this fluff sells plenty well, and there’s nothing against it, so…
I have to say I’m not particularly impressed. Also, I’ve noticed that all the songs on the EP sound similar – there’s no change in style (a la Top Combine’s Arrival versus Cotton Candy, or SHINee’s Real versus Replay from their respective first EPs)nor much in tone, and most of the songs use the same instruments sets, creating the same kind of mid-tempo, synth-backed pop for every single song, and with them using the same kind of vocals… Even for an EP, the repetitiveness is a little much, IMO. I’m hoping whatever they release next will show off their own talents a bit more, because I’d like to see them be more than just pretty faces and marketability.
May 7, 2009 at 7:38 pm
I think I agree with the person above. Their singing is very average as they could not hit some of the notes, their dancing is average nothing too special as they do not choreograph their own dance.
I do think the songs in their EP are really really good. Nice melody with a really beats. Their songs are pretty fashionable at the moment with a mixture of hip hop, R n B and techno lol.
In my point of view they seem to be the best looking band in asia but I do think they have to work much harder to catch up with the likes of super junior in terms of talent……i am afraid to say looks fade after years but talent only improves.
jia you to HIT 5, hope they can get better and better hahahaha
May 7, 2009 at 7:43 pm
They sure do make guys want to be like them and girls be with them lol
May 7, 2009 at 8:14 pm
@Nepheliad…I agree with the criticism, but you also think their singing is good? I think their dancing is okay, but the singing? I’m surprised.
@shoups I never thought I’d hear the day when Super Junior would become the definition of talent.
I agree with Ding Wei…the only way anyone can guarantee long-standing success is if they compose for themselves. Boyband members with great voices can fail if given really crappy songs. Success depends so much on song quality.
May 7, 2009 at 8:21 pm
No denying that they’ve got style, haha! They’re quite good-looking; I just wish they’d polish their singing and develop a more distinct musical style if they’re going to be a boy band.
Eh, they’ll probably sell well enough regardless, but with the right nudges, they can go higher.
May 7, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Well, they’re quite young. All were born in the 90s, so I don’t think they need to start off being as polished as possible, although if they don’t start getting a lot better in the future then yes.
What interests me more right now is their company…I think they did a good job with the timing of the releases of their songs etc and it’ll be interesting to see how and if they can make this boyband popular.
May 7, 2009 at 8:30 pm
@ cfensi – Their singing is good enough for what it’s supposed to be, and I hear some potential – they’ve got a good enough vocal balance. None of them are standout at all – there are no Zhang Yuan-types out of the lot of them so far, but that’s part of the purpose of a boy band. I think, again, that these guys lack a lot of polish. Their biggest weakness is in whoever sings their bass part; the guy’s voice just does not mesh with the others’. That there was a rather large difference in vocal quality (tone being the same, for the most part) between “I Want You to Know”, which had pretty ear-pleasing harmonies and decent solos, and the two versions of “懂爱的孤独”, which were mediocre at best with jarringly incongruous harmonies, IMO, shows that these guys have potential, but aren’t nearly trained enough to use them. If this EP is what they came out with after months of sitting around, though, I’m not optimistic that they care.
May 7, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Yes, unfortunately when I hear Zhang Yuan sing Cotton Candy, I think quite frequently I wish he was singing the entire song. But I’m always mollified by the fact that Ma Xueyang wrote the song (as with a lot of those singer-songwriters) so it works out.
I feel like at least one of the guy really doesn’t care about music, but that’s how I feel with all boybands.
I really wonder how they will fare in Jie Jie Gao Sheng. It was rather refreshing seeing a funky indie artist crush a pop group and a little funny to me (no offense to Butterfly group fans if there are any on this site) but to be honest, it’s not a fair matchup because their purpose music-wise is simply not the same.
May 7, 2009 at 8:46 pm
@ cfensi
hahaha in my dictionary super junior is the definition of a perfect boy group. The got great singers, Kyuhkuhn, Yesung and Ryeowook. Siwon, Donghae, Kangin and Leeteuk are not bad either. They have great dancers Hang Geng (trained as a professional dancer), Eunuhyuk, Shindong and Donghae. They got the funny guys Heechul and Kangin. They have got it all haha
Super junior also compose their own songs. They choreograph their own dance. They have a wide range of music.
May 7, 2009 at 8:53 pm
i think duan huangwei is pretty good…
do you know when jie jie gao sheng is going to air?
May 7, 2009 at 8:53 pm
They’ve had months to prepare this EP. I’m not liking that it actually makes them seem inconsistent with regards to quality; personally, I find their “debut” songs better than Say You Love Me Again.
You think they timed it well? It seems to me like they could’ve either waited until they had a better set of songs or higher quality to release, or released back when they were really in contention (a sort of PK one, no less) with Top Combine… The latter would’ve raised their hype regardless of their quality back then, and the former… well, they haven’t really improved in the months they spent EP-less after debut. With TC rather far along now, they’re going to have to do better than this to break out (unless, well, fangirls really do go for looks far more than sound).
Ah, I definitely disagree about Cotton Candy (the song, not the duo). While Zhang Yuan’s got powerhouse vocals, since Cotton Candy isn’t a ballad, I liked everyone else’s more cutesy vocals in that song, along with KISS, more than in the other songs. Now, Next Stop, Forever… That’s a different story. That one almost makes me wish Ensheng was fluent in Chinese, and that those two were a duo (they come close in Clown, haha).
I actually feel that way about all of the HIT-5 members; I feel like if any of them cared about music, they would not have made an EP full of essentially the same set of sounds, and would’ve recognized their vocal weakness in Say You Love Me Again. However, that may be because I know less about them, too. And I don’t understand matching up indie with pop artists – it’s a bit silly, considering that indie is a genre based on the individual style while pop is inherently mainstream. The criteria for a good boy band is not much like that of a good indie group…
May 7, 2009 at 8:57 pm
But it’s really not fair to compare Super Juniors to other boybands by number because they have 13 people. I mean, TC has 5 people, and they have a better composer, a better singer, a funny guy, a feminine guy (this goes out to Heechul, who, I profess, is my favorite in SJ simply because he’s hilarious), and even a chubby guy. They don’t win in dancing, of course, because no amount of hip-hop will beat Han Geng’s ethnic dances (this is from the girl who grew up with Yang Liping as her idol) Percentage-wise, TC is on par with SJ, but number-wise, it never will.
May 7, 2009 at 8:59 pm
lol idarklight I didn’t know your favorite is Heechul too. Great minds think alike…heh
I guess in a group of 13 (15?) (12?) yes…they do seem to have it all.
The Chinese market doesn’t work that way though Nepheliad…they lack the publicity factor, a good launchpad for Chinese artists. Consequently if HIT-5 had debuted that early, then they would not be able to make back the amount of money they probably spent on this EP, because it takes time for people to get to know them. And this is why A-One can not release their album full-scale just yet. Top Combine could because they have Hunan publicity.
May 7, 2009 at 9:03 pm
I agree with the fact that super junior has 13 members so it is unfair to compare, but comparing with super junior M, only 7 members….
hmmm zhang yuan from Top combine is good but not as good as kyukuhn or ryeowook at singing….i agree was top combine having a better composer though.
May 7, 2009 at 9:07 pm
@shoups – Doubtlessly, K.R.Y. are powerhouse singers, which is why they’ve got their own subgroup. SJ is a good entertainment group, but as a boy band? Their latest album might as well have been tagged “by K.R.Y., featuring Siwon, Kangin, and Sungmin, with backup singers and dancers”. SJ’s latest live performance was a bit of a disappointment. KRY + Sungmin sung most of an entire song while the rest either sang chorus or stood around doing nothing (oh, Shindong…). While I’ve never been a huge fan of SJ, I like them a lot more as a band when they all actually sing. They’re cohesive and powerful as an all around entertainment group, but as a boy band, not so much.
Side note: Kangin? Really? He’s… not exactly known for his singing prowess…
May 7, 2009 at 9:13 pm
true the songs werent hq, but is it because it got “leaked”?
maybe the real EP will be better…idk tho
May 7, 2009 at 9:17 pm
The Chinese market doesn’t work that way though Nepheliad…they lack the publicity factor, a good launchpad for Chinese artists. Consequently if HIT-5 had debuted that early, then they would not be able to make back the amount of money they probably spent on this EP, because it takes time for people to get to know them. And this is why A-One can not release their album full-scale just yet. Top Combine could because they have Hunan publicity.
@ cfensi – I supposed as much – it’s not just the Chinese market, it’s all markets (recent American boy band NLT failed quickly partially because they launched too early without the same publicity factor as Varsity Fanclub, backed by pop powerhouse Disney). However, I would not say that they chose the right time to debut, either, because I’m not seeing how this is any better of a time than before, considering the weakness of the EP and, as far as I can tell, the lack of fanbase hype over it.
As for SJ versus TC, I… I don’t know that I would say ZY’s vocals are greater than Ryeowook’s. Kyuhyun and Yesung can be in turn inconsistent and apathetic (especially Kyu’s on the latter), but Ryeowook is consistently on-key and powerful. I also disagree with your arithmetic, because for all that SJ is good at, you’ve got to divide by 12/13/14/15, so to have the same percentages, they’d have to be collectively over twice as talented/diverse as Top Combine, and I don’t think that’s the case. Overall, SJ’s got more talent, but percentage-wise, I actually think TC ekes out the win, especially if we’re looking at them from a boy band perspective. It’s still too early in TC’s career to really tell where their peak lies, though.
May 7, 2009 at 9:19 pm
@ julie – it’s not about the technical quality – it’s about the fact that the EP itself is simply subpar. However, now that you mention it, perhaps some of the screwy things in Say You Love Me Again stem from not having equalized it properly yet?
Still, there’s no excuse for an EP full of similar, somewhat generic songs.
May 7, 2009 at 9:41 pm
I still think “Say you love me again” sounds like “say you’re American” when they sing it… maybe it’s a sign that I should apply for US citizenship?
I really love Ryowook’s voice, too. His voice + Kibum’s looks + Han Geng’s dancing + Heechul’s speaking… swoons…except to be honest, being not the most musical nor dancing talent in the world, I get wooed mostly by personality. And I’m a sucker for charitable acts and environmentalism. Leehom’s music is not on par with Jay, but he’s so perfect in every other way.
May 7, 2009 at 9:51 pm
^ hahaha lol at the say youre american part
@nepheliad, true the songs need more variety, but i think the photo concept is cool
woah this post is getting a lot of comments
dong yufeng’s pic (first row, fourth pic) makes him look more manly (or should i say less girly) lol
May 7, 2009 at 9:56 pm
@nepheliad Zhang Yuan vs Ryeowook is a very hard choice. It’d say while Ryeowook has an edge in technical aspects, I think Zhang Yuan’s voice is more soothing. Matter of preference there.
Jie Jie Gao Sheng will get them a lot of publicity, so the fact that they are debuting now could be a very good choice if fangirls don’t care they can’t see that great yet. They just need to get known.
@idarklight Most people do get wooed by personality which is why Jane’s fans aren’t willing to do as much for her as Li Yuchun’s. They love her voice first and foremost. I think I fell for personality more when I was younger though. For someone to be wooed by personality, you have to have the time to keep up with that personality, and well, at one point it gets tiring trying to keep up. But it works better in boybands where you see dynamics between people.
While I like Leehom’s personality more, I feel like Jay Chou has created more than Leehom though. He’s brought out new groups (Nan Quan Mama), new acting talent (Guey Lun-mei), etc. He’s tried very hard to move Taiwan’s movie industry forward. Jane Zhang may have gotten a boost from Leehom, but she was already famous to begin with.
I think ultimately, that’s what I admire. The ability to create in the entertainment industry. The ability to move it forward.
Oh, and you should apply for American citizenship. Having a Chinese passport is a total drag when all the countries of the world make you jump through hoops and hoops just to vacation there.
May 7, 2009 at 10:14 pm
For me, though, entertainment is more than entertainment. This is going to sound terrible, but many times, I see entertainment as a mean rather than an end. I admire music, films, but more importantly, I admire the messages and the influence they have on people. I disliked Nanking because despite its artistic beauty, it had the wrong message. I love Leehom because of the things he tries to achieve through music. I love how he uses his music to promote environmentalism, to promote his love for the Chinese culture and the world.
I don’t remember who said this, but he’s right: “China needs more good idols, not for their talents but for their influence. If I tell someone to save animals, they won’t care. But if Baby Zhang tells someone to save animals, they will.”
May 7, 2009 at 10:58 pm
hahaha jay chou, lee hom….I actually love gary chaw曹格. He has an average personality and a great great voice, so explosive. He is an excellent composer too. He composed for guo fu chen, S.H.E since 1991…..so for me gary chaw is the man hahahaha. He is like the asian stevie wonder (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxbRYglEnJE)=him singing a classic song in the original female key!新不了情
between Jay chou and lee hom. Jay chou has definitely influenced the chinese music industry a lot more than lee hom. Bot are talented and are great singers…but i think lee hom might have the edge due to his looks(seems vane)…it is probably because of his looks that makes him that little more perfect lol
zhang yuan….. He is a good singer, he can sing with emotion but there are limits to his voice, that is why he did not win superboys(some singing competition). It is not so powerful or can he sing really high without the use of fauceto. Maybe i am being too harsh….for me, I think yesung has a better voice than ryowook because his voice is more powerful. Yesung can definitely hit the high notes when he is singing with power, demonstrated in the K.R.Y song
@idarklight : Kangin is actually a pretty good singer, he is not noticed due to super junior having so many good singers lol…in the song he sings really well. I actually think zhang yuan sounds like Donghae.
It seems lots of the people here are from the US…I am from London lol, I am chinese though
May 7, 2009 at 11:21 pm
@ cfensi – I personally prefer Zhang Yuan’s voice, too, actually, but I very much admire Ryeowook’s precision and consistency. As for the debut, I suppose that does make sense, but why weren’t they booked on a show like that earlier?
@ idarklight – That’s not a statement that reflects well on the Chinese populace, really. Makes it sound as though the Chinese are so idol-crazy and so uncaring of humanitarianism and responsibility that one has to make idols tell people to do things, which unfortunately, rings more true than it should.
Huh, looks like I’m alone in my viewpoint, because I view the entertainment industry as primarily showcasing talent; because of this, along with my somewhat discerning (I guess?) ear and eye for talent, I admire artists for their artistry and quality at least as much as for their impact or message (though I pay attention to those, too). To contrast, despite being a reputed enviro-nut, I pretty much solely admire Leehom for his musicality. But hey, if we all had the same viewpoint on the entertainment industry, there’d be no conversation, just a lot of agreeing.
@ shoups – Leehom, vain? I can’t say I’ve ever heard that before… And as for Zhang Yuan, his voice gets rather raw with a bit of gravel in the upper registers. I actually really, really like that about his voice, but I can see where it could be considered a flaw. Yesung’s voice is gorgeous, and I prefer it tonally to Ryeowook’s, but he’s so inconsistent that I can’t like him more. And Kangin’s voice is more notable for uniqueness than power, IMO, but that’s not a bad thing. I… can’t say I hear a resemblance between Zhang Yuan and Donghae, really.
May 8, 2009 at 12:32 am
The first time I saw Hit-5 on Happy Camp and I thought they were a bunch of spoiled, narcissistic, immature little boys with no talent (I didn’t think they were that cute, esp compare to SJM’s Henry). But I have to admit I like these songs, of course they didn’t compose ‘em but most boy bands don’t compose their debut album. I think I’ll give them a try and see how they develop.
SUJU compose their own songs? I thought Zhou Mi is the only one from the whole Super Junior (group+subgroup) that wrote songs?
@shoups: though what you said about Jay Chou influencing Chinese music more then Leehom is truth. However, I think Leehom is the one with the personality and charisma (and yes look) to bring Chinese music to the world stage. I know Jay Chou has won awards outside of China, however I believe Leehom could become the male version of Coco Lee. Coco could have totally broke into the the American music industry (something many Asian singer can dream of) if she hasn’t disappear (retired? IDK what happen to her?). Plus, I don’t think Leehom is vain, he’s just a hard worker.
@Nepheliad: Ryeowook has an amazing and unique voice, he the only one that I can recognize in their group songs (maybe I’m just not a big enough SUJU fan) and what you said about Chinese idol-driven society is not true. I think companies are making these idols seem like little angels because that’s what the public expects. Idols that are good look but have no other talent is tolerable, but if they are rude and cruel then eventually people will get turned off by it.
May 8, 2009 at 12:58 am
I don’t know why most comments here don’t like their EP, I think the songs are better than their debut song. That Hit song was not a good song, but the boys look and dancing made the mv watchable.
Why criticizing their concept because they stay away from the chinese ballad style? Yes, their music genre is very western but this is boyband that we are talking about, they cater to kids and teens, who happens to like catchy songs, good looking idols with likable personalities. Besides, their luck and packaging will decide whether or not they would be successful, but watching utube vids and counting the number of hits, these boys fared much better than Bobo or A-one which are considered c-pop, and Bobo started much earlier than them. Even though they r not as popular as TC in China, but they seem to gain similar popularity outside China and they probably will attract non ethnic Chinese as well..so, is it bad?
There r many people with good voices but not all of them can be successful, do you think Britney got good voice?
Reality check here, non Chinese can not be forced to listen to ballad music guys..please understand that, whether it came from Han hong, Jay or Leehom, not everyone could shallow Chinese style ballad or zhongguo feng jay style.
I personally prefer more singer songwriters, but I think as a beginner, they do better than taiwanese boybands overall.
May 8, 2009 at 1:34 am
I’m not too impressed with HIT-5′s EP, they strike me as being rather westernized and a very generic group, not very different from other Korean boybands.
@kale: Why can’t we criticize HIT-5′s concept? People criticize China’s ballad music style all the time, after all. We know they’re a boyband, but I’m sure many of us wish they had more talent/sang better/had more variety in their EP. Is that so bad?
A ONE is apparently going to be a more Chinese styled boyband, so boybands aren’t always necessarily westernized.
I don’t agree with you saying that they are “stay[ing] away from the chinese ballad style”, their style seems similar to a lot of Chinese songs I listen to actually, just not as good quality (of course, this is my opinion).
HIT-5 will attract -a lot- of non Chinese obviously, because their style is similar to Korean/Japanese/American music. It can be a good and bad thing. Good because people will be introduced to Chinese music and potentially move on to other (better) artists. Bad because those people will probably think Chinese music has -finally- ‘modernized’ and then look in further and be potentially disappointed. I don’t want Chinese music becoming like Korean/Japanese/American, I love it the way it is, with it’s own style. As you said, people like “catchy songs, good looking idols with likable personalities.” I’d rather people get the right impression of China’s music industry and ignore it than be disillusioned and then bash it.
Of course people in general can’t be forced to listen to “ballad music guys”. People also can’t be forced to listen to rap, hip hop, rock, pop, anything. It should be obvious that not everyone is going to like a certain style of music… so I don’t care much if the ABCs I meet like Korean/Japanese music more than Chinese.
Other than that, do we really need to compare artists? haha, because clearly, it’s all going to be a matter of preference…
May 8, 2009 at 2:14 am
I think Zhang Yuan lost because he was so quiet during Super Boys. He didn’t have a magnetic personality. His voice, I feel, was better than a lot of those who placed higher than him. I love its soothingness. But it was obvious that he lacked the confidence and unique personalities of some of the higher placers… I mean, Jane has a way better voice than Li Yuchun, but LI Yuchun placed higher.
And I do love Ryeowook’s voice. His voice changed my mind about the singing ability of SJ. No comment about the other ones.
Leehom is not vain. He’s extremely humble. I actually didn’t think he was that good looking in the beginning (again, I confess I’m more for the feminine guys than the masculine). His music was alright for me, but I really fell for the lyrics and the meanings behind them. Nepheliad, I wish I had your discerning ear, but I don’t. I think that’s the reason behind our different perspectives on this issue. I enjoy music, but it’s not something that I can judge or evaluate correctly. I love Chinese music over other ones because I love the beauty of Chinese lyrics.
May 8, 2009 at 2:15 am
@chinkirox
“Plus, I don’t think Leehom is vain, he’s just a hard worker.”
btw i heard he scored a 1600 out of 1600 on SAT and was planning to go to prestigious ivy league to become a doctor. but he followed what he loved best. music
May 8, 2009 at 2:26 am
I actually think Jay’s a lot more confident. Not vain, but confident. Sometimes I feel like Leehom needs a bit more confidence, he’s a bit shy at times.
he went to Williams College, which is consistently named one of the top 2 liberal arts colleges in the US. They have amazing teachers. He majored in music and minored in Asian studies.
May 8, 2009 at 2:50 am
@ chinkirox – I didn’t say what I said was true – I said that was what the quote made it sound like. There’s a ring of truth to it – China does still have some problems with mustering up volunteer work and suchlike – but it’s hardly that Chinese people are idol-driven and shallow.
@ kale – I gave my reasons for why I thought it was musically unimpressive, and of course, no one has to agree with them. I’m not criticizing their concept at all – in fact, I made note that it’s a concept that has worked well in the past and will probably continue to work well into the future. What I criticized was a lack of any defining traits – any traits where I can listen to them and instantly recognize their musical style. I don’t care whether whether it’s a Western or Chinese influenced style, nor what genres it was influenced by, be it R&B, hip-hop, rap, whatever – only that they 1) have to be musically good, which wasn’t the case, especially with Say You Love Me Again, and 2) that something about their take on it makes it distinct – I found them pretty generic with nothing that stood out stylistically, and monotonous to boot.
@ idarklight – Zhang Yuan is still very quiet, especially for a group leader – I’ve noticed that when it comes to public speaking, he often defers to Li Mao, who seems eager enough to jump in. He’s too quiet to have the charisma to win a competition like Super Boy, and I wonder if that quietness is why they placed him in a boy band when his voice is obviously powerful enough to stand alone.
Haha, see, I actually recognize individual voices in the backup singing parts for groups like SJM and Top Combine in addition to instrumentation and composition, so even if I didn’t want to be so picky, I can’t help it. I do strongly admire good lyricism, too, however – which is part of the pull of Asian music in general, especially J-rock and Chinese indie/rock. For me, it’s mostly about the overall artistry of a song – the lyrics, the composition, the vocal tones and emotiveness, etc. Leehom really manages to capture most of those together in some of his songs, which is why he’s one of my favorite artists.
May 8, 2009 at 2:57 am
No one in SJ has composed anything that’s been released yet. Zhou Mi has only written lyrics for SJM not composed.
I think you can draw a parallel here…(forgive me for comparing Leehom to HIT-5 idarklight). I think HIT-5 is not confident either, though seemingly blessed with those good looks, etc even though they may come off as vain.
chinkirox, you think HIT-5 seemed narcissistic because of Happy Camp and I did too, but after watching them some more I think a lot of them are just really shy. Especially the “good-looking” one, Yang Fan, who after watching one show where they say he just stays home a lot to play on the computer rather than go out makes me think he’s really just a big nerd in some ways, and isn’t very good at being social.
Top Combine on the other hand exudes a lot of confidence imo, not arrogance, just a lot of eagerness to make something of themselves, and to be artists. They seem to know what they want to do more.
May 8, 2009 at 3:02 am
*jealousy* I wish I had the musical ear. I listened to Super Boys’ Wo Zui Shan Liang the other day, and I could only tell Zhang Yuan, Zhang Jie, Wang yuexin, Yao Zheng, Allen Su and Chen Chusheng’s parts…not even my favorite Wei Chen! And that’s when they’re singing alone, too. T_T
speaking of them, Super Girls 2009 MV, by the Super Boys:
Volunteering…that’s one thing I really wish China had more of. I wish China’s education system wasn’t so rigid so that the youth would have more time to volunteer. I mean, it’s not like they don’t want to, as seen by the huge amount of people that signed up for the Olympics. It’s that there’s so little opportunities and incentives for it. T_T
May 8, 2009 at 4:37 am
Not having confidence and a strong sense of direction would explain some of the weaknesses of their EP, certainly, but at the same time, as a boy band that sells appearance at least as much as musical talent, they’d be well-advised to try to get over that as quickly as possible, and not just for musical purposes.
Aw, that’s such a fun-seeming MV. I dunno… I thought the Super Boys’ voices are fairly distinctive, but maybe that’s just me? I definitely hear distinct voices in Wo Zui Shan Liang, though since I don’t know the Super Boys nearly as well, I identify who was who except for the three whose voices I know well enough (ZY, WYX, and CCS).
And eh. The Olympics don’t count because, well, they’re the Olympics. Incentives shouldn’t really be necessary – volunteering should be done out of nature and interest. It’s probably more a function of lack of time, ’cause of the rigor of the Chinese educational system, and a bit of a societal difference.
May 8, 2009 at 4:48 am
I didn’t mean incentive as in rewards…well, maybe a bit. I wish Chinese universities cared more than scores (I know they have “bonus points,” but not usually for volunteering). in the US, if you’re a student, you can volunteer and use that to get into college. But in China, if you want to get into a good college, then it’s studying, studying. Since volunteering doesn’t amount to anything, parents and students are less willing to let their kids do it because they would rather their kids get into a good college.
but on the other hand, my elementary school had an anti-gum campaign where I remember walking around the city trying to rub off the gum off everywhere…but my elementary school was a bit unconventional. We had a Peking Opera club; we went to a chocolate factory and an amusement park for fieldtrips. and we got to be on Chinese zaboomafoo and recite poetry to high government officials…we were spoiled.
May 8, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Fei,
I am trying to see this from a different perspective, I don’t mind to see Chinese music stays the way it is with chinese style ballads if all Chinese decide to stay that way, but in reality, some young Chinese also like other styles and I think their company already did a market research before taking this r&b hip hop style music.
I tried not to compare c-pop singers cause my fav singer is Anson which is very c-pop and I like Bobo as well, but sometimes it’s difficult to explain my view without real examples *smile*
When I visited some chinese sites, I red comments like ‘ support nei di yi ren’. Maybe the people who posted this kind of comment would like to see more and more mainland idols no matter what kind of style their idols have. So, I can’t really say that China should stick with Chinese ballad style cause it’s up to the Chinese themselves to decide what they want to do.
Western genres like rock, hip hop, alternatives are gaining popularity among young Chinese, so why not making local versions of these genres.
And don’t worry, Chinese style music is still the most popular style, so this is just a niche market I think.
Nepheliad,
Sorry if I misunderstood you. I agree that there is (major) room for improvement, but you need to understand that they are still new to this genre and boyband business. I stop criticizing boyband’s musical talent cause it is ‘boyband’ after all. haha.
May 9, 2009 at 1:04 am
Back to Super Junior. Yes, they are a big group than TC or HIT but they have been longer around. They got pretty big when they debuted but still they weren’t that known at the beginning. The same with other boybands in Korea unless they have a big group in the same label (Entertainment).
Everyone is at the beginning a newbie. They have to learn how the showbiz works. Like singing live with dancing. It’s easy in the practice room but when you have to perform life in front of the fans while the fans are screaming. You have to know how hard you have to sing that the fans can hear you. It’s about experience. Many bands are getting better and better because of experience… =D
@idarklight: China just needs to catch up with the other countries. I agree that the kids work too hard for their studies but look at the bright side. If they don’t work hard to get in a good collage, how does the country work up to get the economic higher so that the people in China get a better life. The life in China is for some people okay or not.
I think the next few or more generations get it better that the past or now.
May 9, 2009 at 1:47 am
I didn’t mean incentive as in rewards…well, maybe a bit. I wish Chinese universities cared more than scores (I know they have “bonus points,” but not usually for volunteering). in the US, if you’re a student, you can volunteer and use that to get into college. But in China, if you want to get into a good college, then it’s studying, studying. Since volunteering doesn’t amount to anything, parents and students are less willing to let their kids do it because they would rather their kids get into a good college.
but on the other hand, my elementary school had an anti-gum campaign where I remember walking around the city trying to rub off the gum off everywhere…but my elementary school was a bit unconventional. We had a Peking Opera club; we went to a chocolate factory and an amusement park for fieldtrips. and we got to be on Chinese zaboomafoo and recite poetry to high government officials…we were spoiled.
@ idarklight – At the same time, I’d argue that Americans don’t just do it for those “incentives”, because that doesn’t explain why those who are employed, and even retired, go out and do things like pick up trash along the roads or help out at food shelters. I think the whole bit about colleges and such is actually caused by how commonplace volunteering is, so that instead of it being an incentive, not volunteering is seen as aberrational. It’s a bit of a societal difference that I hope China can pick up at some point. BTW, it’s not fair that you did so many fun things! Lucky…
@ kale – completely agreed that genre doesn’t matter, since that’s a matter of preference. However, I don’t think they should be excused for the flaws on their first EP – TC and SHINee, as I’ve already mentioned, put out first EPs that were significantly stronger, musically speaking. These guys do have potential, but they’re going to need to kick it up a few notches. Also, boy bands are musical groups, and frankly, catchiness itself is a musical talent, along with everything else, so of course people can (and should!) be attentive to the quality of the music they make. I might be more critical because I’m pretty analytical when it comes to music, but this EP wasn’t on par with other boy bands’ debut EPs.
May 9, 2009 at 5:13 am
okay..how about deterences? I feel like the Chinese educational system, instead of promoting volunteering, actually deters it in early stages. This really isn’t a fair judgement because I loved my schooling in China and I feel like it taught me all the right values…but from my friends and my parents’ friends in China, it sounds like that’s not true in most places.
I love to volunteer, but sometimes I need a little nudge to do it. People who volunteer for Li Yuchun probably have that loving heart already, but Li Yuchun was the idea that made them actually go out there and use that heart.
May 9, 2009 at 10:16 am
Wow, such long discussions. I started reading the comments and kinda gave up lol. The members of Hit 5 are v good looking. But I have to say they seem a bit bland- it is the song? Their voices? I’m not sure. They remind me of TVXQ when they first debuted. While I felt they (tvxq) were good singers/dancers- I didn’t really like their songs and found them boring as hell. But as time went by they kinda grew on me. Maybe because their personalities shined a bit more, or perhaps I just don’t like SM songs and their Avex Japanese songs sounded nicer to me… I think Hit 5 needs some time to develop their own unique style which I can’t seem to find now. (I remember reading a profile on them and they all seemed to really like tvxq/kpop music/idol wise etc (lol fanboys)
Anyways they’re still young- hope they find they’re own style and image in time.
May 10, 2009 at 8:07 pm
^ I totally agree with you. they’re really good looking, but their voices are just so-so and their live performances haven’t wowed me. they seem really tired/bored in some interviews and they just don’t seem to be that into it.
I had high high hopes for them in the beginning, but not any more…
oh! and their promo pics, especially the fence shot reminds me of one of ft island’s album covers. the concept is sooo similar.
May 12, 2009 at 9:39 pm
@cfensi/idarklight/everyone:
where can i find the lyrics for dong ai de gu du?
May 13, 2009 at 12:38 am
lyrics
坦诚对你诉说 被伤害的是我
是否应该用谎言去面对 或保持沉默
明明是深爱着 却只能隐藏我
明知是煎熬却只能承受 躲闪他不过
你转身 放开了我的双手
轻轻的对我说
叹息着 明知前面没有路
心却继续走着
你转身 就这样让你哭着
悄悄离开了我
叹息着 这缘分不会有结果
爱是如此的残酷
象曲折的曲目
渴望被懂得的幸福
不过是 懂得一种哦落寞孤独
每一次道别
是否都是诀别
Baby我早已经清楚
渴望被爱是因为懂爱的孤独
懂爱～～ 懂爱的孤独～～～
(RAP)你说我像个孩子 想照顾我一生一世
如果说我是锁 你就是我的钥匙
可我们的爱情故事像 一道数学公式
就算Einstein（爱因斯坦）在世他也无法解释
我给你我的诺言 换来了你的表演
我给你我的笑脸 你却没有给我时间
我的你的你的我的
孤独沉默成习惯了
你的我的我的你的
全部灰了碎了没了
May 13, 2009 at 1:29 pm
YAY thankks so much shoups!!!! im going to make english subs!!!!!
May 14, 2009 at 8:18 pm
anyone got the lyrics for sweet dream?
May 14, 2009 at 9:47 pm
SWEETDREAM
杨帆：（I wanna a sweet dream with you now）（爱原来如此奇妙~）
风轻轻拂过天，热闹的海边
被大家围着的你 那么自然我却红了脸
郭子渝：假装要躲很远，假装看不见
忍不住偷偷看你 却说不出简单的喜欢
合：每天都上演 同样的画面
段黄巍：最喜欢坐着和你聊天肩并肩
合：是否有交点 还是平行线
高宇：是否该假装我们有明天
合：everytime you come 只想跟你一起唱
郭子渝：爱的和弦停在这幸福乐章
合：everyday I want 牵着你手看夕阳
段黄巍：爱就在 目光交汇的方向（I wanna a sweet dream with you now）
董玉峰：香草味的阳光 洒在我身旁
每次你靠近一点 都像给我最甜美的糖
高宇：白天思念好忙 梦里也会欣赏
就像在童话书上 你微笑的靠在我肩膀
合：每天都上演 同样的情节
段黄巍：听你的专属铃声就会笑出来
合：不是平行线 一定有交点
郭子渝：那就是我们存在的明天
合：everytime you come 只想跟你一起唱
高宇：爱的和弦停在这幸福乐章
合：everyday I want 牵着你手看夕阳
段黄巍：爱就在 目光交汇的方向（I wanna a sweet dream with you now）
Rap:
不知道 爱 原来像黑森林蛋糕 味道如此美妙
我想藏起你的好 怕你转身走掉 自私的 抓住你的每个转眼和微笑
多分给我一点依赖好不好？疼你的愿望就不会在夜里睡不着
冬天的寂寞烦恼 夏天的无奈煎熬 你在这里 一切都被涂上甜蜜的味道
everytime you come （香草味的阳光）只想跟你一起唱
爱的和弦停在某个幸福乐章（给我最甜美的蜜糖）
everyday I want 牵着你手看夕阳
爱就在 目光交汇的方向
everytime you come (I wanna a sweet dream with you now)只想跟你一起唱
爱的和弦停在这幸福乐章
everyday I want （害羞~模样~）牵着你手看夕阳
May 15, 2009 at 1:32 am
how would you translate 爱的和弦停在这幸福乐章
May 15, 2009 at 1:42 am
Love’s harmony stops at this joyful musical section/measure
May 22, 2009 at 2:53 am
When I listened to their EP, I got addicted to their song I Want U to Know. Anyway, can’t find Chinese and Pinyin lyrics. Does anyone here knows where? Thanks.
May 22, 2009 at 11:21 pm
try sogou dot com
May 24, 2009 at 3:51 pm
when will they release their album?
i wish they yesasia will have it too…
May 26, 2009 at 12:05 pm
agree with chinkirox!
i saw them on happy camp too ! , and i was like
wow the companies have so much money wasting it on these lanky guys , and then i saw them laugh *so gay loooking
but then i listened to the songs ! (L)(L)(L)(L)
so i take back everything
June 9, 2009 at 2:41 am
kido,yangfan and david are fans of YUNHO?in their profiles(in the fav.singer)…they wrote TVXQ YUNHO…oww gee~~LOVE YUNHO ^^;;;
June 9, 2009 at 2:43 am
and kido’s b’day same as YUNHO’s b’day??oww…but HongKi also has the same…love all~ By the way, forget it larkh! where can i download Hit-5 songs??
July 20, 2009 at 7:52 pm
any news of hit-5′s MV ever coming out.. its been a while.. long time
July 21, 2009 at 7:31 pm
^ I was wondering the same thing…they kind of disapeared
August 13, 2009 at 4:07 pm
What bothers me is the random shapes/colors on the photographs.
What is their publicist doing?!
Also, their debut pictures were not the most flattering. I really wonder about chinese people and color sometimes. (that was not a racist comment. i am chinese).
August 13, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Oh annie…
I’m seen too many people vitriolically prejudiced against their own people that “I’m _______, so that’s not racist/prejudiced doesn’t mean anything. There are a lot of Chinese people that I would say are prejudiced against Chinese./mini-rant
Specifically your statement wasn’t bad at all though and you’re right, I don’t their publicist is good at all I think at this point.
Even A-One is faring better than them….at least they have continuous activities, even if they don’t have as many hardcore fans.
August 13, 2009 at 4:47 pm
teehee
oopsy-daisies
It just bothers me that the guys all beautiful, they take beautiful pictures, and then someone comes along to screw it all up. Actually even the pictures in the first place–on the more monochromatic individual pictures, Duan Huangwei’s nose shadow looks like a giant booger and Yang Fan’s background has a car. It may seem nit-picky, but ultimately I think that these mistakes make them seem sort of unprofessional (along with the tacky shapes, of course).
And yes, A-One is faring better! I feel like HIT-5 could do so much more, because frankly, they have something necessary to win the hearts of 90 percent of fangirls: looks.
Their voices aren’t terrible, either–Duan Huangwei, of course : D ! And whats-his-name Leader Guy has a pretty good voice as well. And surprisingly, Yang Fan is improving a lot! I couldn’t even tell it was him singing in Say You Love Me Again.
October 17, 2009 at 4:29 pm
ohhh…any news on when their next mv will b out?? since they split with their old company recently….
January 19, 2010 at 6:57 am
This might seem unrealistic and a bit off-topic, but I’m hoping Hou Xian (aka HOHO, who is also in their new company) could write a song for them.
I know that most of his songs are ZGF style and wouldn’t go with their more ‘westernized’ feel, but Hou Xian just recently put out “Babyface”, which isn’t ZGF unlike all of his other songs. It’s a bit cutesy, but I think he has a lot of potential as a composer to branch out even more. Although I would like him to stick to his ZGF style too..
And even though HIT-5′s new songs didn’t blow my mind or anything, I have to admit they’re pretty catchy. It’s much better than HIT in my opinion, but I’m a greenhorn at judging things- seeing as I used to think Fahrenheit sang well.