Cultural Post #2
I recently listened to "It Just Is" by eaJ and Seori. The first verse is primarily sung by Seori in Korean, the second verse in English by eaJ and the chorus being sung by both in English. Something that struck me is the fact that eaJ is Korean-American and Seori is fully Korean, yet they both sing in each other's respective languages. To be able to cross that barrier through music has always fascinated me especially in the realm of rapping and hip-hop in which some artists even rhyme Korean words with English while maintaining a coherent train of thought! I do have to note that it was quite difficult to understand the Korean that was being sung in this song simply due to how Seori articulates her speech while singing. In the music video, there are lyrics that appear in tandem with what is being sung, but even then I had difficulty hearing what was said. I wonder if non-English speakers would have the same difficulty I did when they hear the English portions of the song. Nonetheless, with the help of the subtitles and whatnot, I figured out what was being said. It's a mysteriously sad song dealing with sad emotions and how one might respond to these emotions. The title of the song is a good summary as to what these two singers have identified as the answer. "It Just Is" is a brutally simple yet accurate depiction of how many of us may deal with emotion. Because of the nature of the song, I believe the way Seori sings (the somewhat slurred, slow articulation of words) is actually an artistic choice that compliments the song. It's often difficult to find the meaning behind sad emotions or tragic circumstances and as one might listen to this song and struggle to understand the words being sung, so it is when we deal with emotions.
I recently listened to "It Just Is" by eaJ and Seori. The first verse is primarily sung by Seori in Korean, the second verse in English by eaJ and the chorus being sung by both in English. Something that struck me is the fact that eaJ is Korean-American and Seori is fully Korean, yet they both sing in each other's respective languages. To be able to cross that barrier through music has always fascinated me especially in the realm of rapping and hip-hop in which some artists even rhyme Korean words with English while maintaining a coherent train of thought! I do have to note that it was quite difficult to understand the Korean that was being sung in this song simply due to how Seori articulates her speech while singing. In the music video, there are lyrics that appear in tandem with what is being sung, but even then I had difficulty hearing what was said. I wonder if non-English speakers would have the same difficulty I did when they hear the English portions of the song. Nonetheless, with the help of the subtitles and whatnot, I figured out what was being said. It's a mysteriously sad song dealing with sad emotions and how one might respond to these emotions. The title of the song is a good summary as to what these two singers have identified as the answer. "It Just Is" is a brutally simple yet accurate depiction of how many of us may deal with emotion. Because of the nature of the song, I believe the way Seori sings (the somewhat slurred, slow articulation of words) is actually an artistic choice that compliments the song. It's often difficult to find the meaning behind sad emotions or tragic circumstances and as one might listen to this song and struggle to understand the words being sung, so it is when we deal with emotions.
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