This song is a regular on my countdown, and I'm sure everyone is familiar with John Lennon's original song, but have you heard many covers, especially this one?
Google Images
Today's song is J-Min's rendition of Happy Xmas (War is Over).
Everyone knows the original to this song, but I think many are missing out on this stunning version, I don't know why but for me this one just hits differently.
Google Images
Today's song is J-Min singing John Lennon's Happy Xmas (War is Over)
Whenever I hear this song, I can't help but think about what sort of future Skye and the rest of her generation have with the constant threat of not only terrorist attacks but also with the fear of Kim Jong-un's need to create atomic weapons and rule the world. I'm sure we're far from the world that John Lennon envisioned when he wrote this song, but today it's not him singing the track, today it's sung by a South Korean singer and songwriter called J-min. I love her vocals on this song and it's one of my favourite tracks off SM's winter album: The Warmest Gift.
Today's song is J-min's rendition of Happy Xmas (War is Over)
I wasn't really a fan of this song till I heard it sung by J-min, think it's safe to say that everyone would know this song, even more so if they are a Beatles fan. Like so many other Christmas songs this one of them that has lasted the test of time, I've only ever heard Happy Xmas (War Is Over) sung by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, so it was like a breath of fresh air to hear it sung by a younger generation and I think J-min's vocals fit it perfectly. Sadly 3 things I don't think we'll see and end to anytime soon is war, racism and homophobia.
So today's K-pop Monday has a slight twist, this post is all K-pop idols singing in English. You're probably wondering what this has to do with being a Christmas Week Special post well it's an album of Christmas songs a few that you will recognise and some created especially for the album.
Created and released in 2011 SM Entertainment released the 8th winter album via SMTown (the artists under SM Entertainment), this album was the first winter album in 4 years and their first album to all be in English. There are 11 tracks on the album and each track is sung by a different artist, with 2 of these being used for the first time on an SMTown album.
The lead single from the album is Santa U Are The One by Super Junior including Super Junior-M members Zhoumi & Henry, the music video features the group singing in the studio and the other artists in behind the scenes footage of the photo shoot for the booklet. Check out the MV now.
Owned by SM Entertainment.
The CD was released with 2 separate versions, a gold version for the Korean release and a silver version for the Taiwan release, I have the Korean release because I thought it looked prettier in gold. In Korea 45,581+ copies were sold and 6,827+ copies sold in Japan making a combined sales of 52,408+ copies. I highly recommend this album and think it should be in every Christmas music lovers collection. The album is set out as the usual sized CD case in a book style with the booklet attached on the left as you open the case and the CD on the right. the booklet is full of Christmas colours with all the artists wearing items that are green & red, all the pictures are in the front of the booklet with the lyrics taking pride in the last few pages, just the layout of it give a Christmas feel.
Track List:
Santa U Are The One
Sleigh Ride
Distance
Last Christmas
Diamond
For The First Time
Like A Dream
The First Noel
1,2,3
Amazing
Happy X-mas (War Is Over)
Donghae (Super Junior)
L-R Leetuek & Kyuhyun (Super Junior)
L-R Siwon & Yesung (Super Junior)
L-R Sungmin & Ryeowook (Super Junior)
L-R Eumhyuk & Shindong (Super Junior)
L-R Henry & Zhoumi (Super Junior-M)
L-R U-Know & Max (TVXQ)
L-R BoA & Key(Shinee)
L-R Onew & Taemin (Shinee)
L-R Minho & Jonghyun (Shinee)
L-R YoonA & Jessica (Girls Generation)
L-R TaeYeon & YuRi (Girls Generation)
L-R Sunny & SeoHyun (Girls Generation)
L-R SooYoung & Tiffany (Girls Generation)
L-R HyoYeon (Girls Generation) & Kangta
L-R Jay & Jungmo (TRAX)
L-R Zhang Liyin & J-Min
L-R Dana & Sunday (The Grace)
L-R Sulli & Victoria (f(x))
L-R Luna & Amber (f(x))
Krystal (f(x))
Each song is as amazing as the last and to say for a lot of the artists English isn't their first language they do pretty amazing with their pronunciations, the original tracks are also just as amazing as the covers and I've found with this album that I wouldn't normally listen to The First Noel but I love the singers vocals on that song, it also makes a nice change being able to sing along to each song, lets check out the tracks now shall we?
Sleigh Ride sung by TVXQ
(By MinEunRi)
Distance sung by BoA
(By ilove2icesk82300)
Last Christmas sung by SHINee
(By julielee3595)
Diamond sung by Girls Generation
(By TV-People)
For The First Time sung by Kangta
(By LyricsVideo106)
Like A Dream sung by TRAX
(By MNBsubs05)
The First Noel sung by Zhang Liyin
(By Rikawendy)
1,2,3 sung by f(x)
(By 2NE1 Bang)
Amazing sung by The Grace - Dana & Sunday
(By Auroraslights6)
Happy X-mas (War Is Over)
(By Pastel Jenna FL)
Do any of these songs hit your Christmas spirit spot?
Can you guess the English speakers?
Did any of the covers make you like a song you disliked?
Today's song was going to be We Wish You A Merry Christmas but I decided to change it, in a couple of weeks I will be doing a Christmas week special and one of the posts is a Christmas album by the Korean company SM Entertainment which is an album with some of their idols entitled SMTown, some of the idols on this album include three groups I have blogged about before Girls Generation, Super Junior & SHINee and I can't wait to share this album with you but lets get back to opening the next window shall we?
December 9th
As we get closer to the end of the year I can't help but look back at the past few months and realise how scary the world is becoming again, especially when I wonder if this is the world I will be leaving Skye behind in. I've seen many posts being shared on Facebook daring people to share a post if they think anything Muslim related should be removed from our country etc, from my many years on the internet I've spoken to many Muslim men and women a small few I found to be rude to me because of how I live but a big majority of these people have been polite and kind and not one has tried to throw their religion in my face or said that others needed to die because of their beliefs, so if your reading this post and seen these type of posts on the internet remember it's not the religion that has caused these terror attacks but a GROUP of people that are probably grinning at the fact your blaming a massive population for their hideous actions. I would like to use todays song to encourage people around the world to stand together and unite for a better future.
In typical beauty pageant reply unite for world peace!
'So this is Christmas and what have you done? another year over and a new one just begun'
J-min - Happy X-mas (War is Over)
(By Pastel Jenna FL)
John Lennon - Happy X-mas (War is Over)
(By nonstop Beatles, Eight Days A Week!)
As much as I love John Lennon's original release I love J-min's cover, I've not heard many people pull off this song really well.
