Loreena McKennitt - The Highwayman

I listened to the album this song is from, Book of Secrets, so much as a wee one. This song is based on the poem by Alfred Noyes by the same name. So this song taught me some literature! It’s pretty dark. Fun fact: One time someone started reciting to me the part of the poem describing the moon, and I identified it as being from the correct poem because of my familiarity with this song. It made me look all well-read and cultured even though I’m not. :D

Loreena McKennitt - The Highwayman:

Claude - Hero

Sounds like typical R&B, but dude has a nice voice and I’d never heard of him before I ran across this track randomly on YouTube.
Note:  You can listen in hi-def!

Claude - Hero:

BoA - Always

This song, which I believe I acquired through an mp3 rotation site years ago, was further assurance that this K-pop star who’s famous throughout Asia was indeed a talented singer. Not to mention this song is beautiful.

BoA - Always:

Dima Bilan - Всё в твоих руках

I can’t really remember how I found this song—maybe through a fanvideo—but the English version won the 2008 Eurovision Award.
Note:  HD, yo!

Dima Bilan A.K.A. Дима Билан - Всё в твоих руках [Vsyo v Tvoih Rukah - All in Your Hands]:

Shakira - Suerte

Wooo, it's the Spanish version of the song that made her famous in the U.S., "Whenever, Wherever!" I distinctly remember hearing of Shakira because of that song, because I was at a friend's house for a party and all the girls were watching Shakira performing live on TV and admiring her dancing skills, whereas I had never even heard of her before. Normally I would ignore the praises of those girls, but I noticed that 1) the song was catchy, and 2) the woman could actually SING very, very well! So I was impressed.

Shakira - Suerte [Luck]:

Seal - Human Beings

My friend sent me this song a matter of months ago because she liked it and thought I might too. She was right!
Note: You can listen in HD!

Seal - Human Beings:

Queen Latifah - U.N.I.T.Y.

Old school hip hop! I’ve known who this movie star, hip hop artist, cultural icon, etc. is for a long time, but I didn’t actually listen to her music until very recently. Queen L’s got swagger for days, and this is a great women’s empowerment anthem. There is some profanity.

Queen Latifah - U.N.I.T.Y.

Josh Groban - Vincent

This song, whose original artist is, I believe, Don McLean, is about Vincent Van Gogh and the tragedies of his mental illness and his artistry going unappreciated during his lifetime. For some reason this song has been playing in my head lately. I listened to it quite a few times last summer when I was reviewing my albums I hadn’t given enough attention, including this young opera singer’s eponymous Josh Groban.
Note: HD!

Josh Groban - Vincent:

Samaris - Góða Tungl

I found this pretty ditty whilst surfing YouTube.

Samaris - Góða Tungl [Good Moon]:

Javed Ali - तू हि हकीकत

I found this song while looking for music from the Indian film Tum Mile on YouTube. Unfortunately, the credited composer of this track, Pritam, is widely accused of outright plagiarism (which is not unusual for the Indian film/music industry), so there’s no guarantee he’s actually the author of it.  Therefore, I’m only tagging the singer’s name.
Note:  Wow, I found it in HD, AND with English lyrics translations!

Javed Ali A.K.A. जावेद अली - तू हि हकीकत [Tu Hi Haqeeqat - You are the Truth]:

JoJo - Get Out (Leave)

This song was really popular when I was in elementary school. This artist was ridiculously young when she recorded this (13 years old, I think—only a year or two older than me at the time!) and this song ended up topping the charts, thereby making the singer the youngest music artist to have a song chart at #1 on the Billboard chart, but at the time I didn’t know about all that; I just thought it was catchy and her voice was great. It’s still one of my favorite songs to sing!
Note: HD, sweeeeeeet.

JoJo - Get Out (Leave)

Gackt - Cube

Oddly enough, this was the first song of this artist’s that I really liked. Before hearing this song by the uber-popular J-pop/rock artist, I had heard quite a few songs by him but was always annoyed by the nasal quality of his singing style. I think that quality was minimized in this track, though, and I found the chorus addictive, so I listened to this repeatedly and I think as a result became accustomed to his voice in general.
Note: The video has a slideshow, which I didn’t want, but at least it has English subs.  (Plus slideshow videos of this artist are virtually unavoidable.)

Gackt - Cube:

Lindsey Stirling - Electric Daisy Violin

A friend sent me a song by this artist I hadn’t heard of a few months ago. Since then, two more of my friends have sent me songs by her so I guess she’s gaining popularity.
Note: HD!

Lindsey Stirling - Electric Daisy Violin:

Switchfoot - Dare You to Move

I can’t remember how I heard of this artist first, but I know I heard a few of their songs a long time ago. I might have heard of them due to an mp3 rotation site. In more recent years, I’ve heard their music in AMVs, and my friend who’s a fan of this Christian band sent me some more of their music to listen to. I think this is one of their most well-known songs. As far as I can tell, it’s about taking chances and making the most of your life, which is a message I can definitely get behind.

Switchfoot - Dare You to Move

Uh Huh Her - Common Reaction

I already knew who this artist was and posted a song by them a while ago, but I came across this song on Tumblr more recently and found it post-worthy as well.

Uh Huh Her - Common Reaction:

Altan Urag - Хөх толботон

Mongolian folk rock with throat singing, fuuuu! This is the second song I’ve posted by this artist, but the first song I heard by them. It was used as the ending theme of the film Mongol, which I saw in theatres and when it started playing during the credits I was mesmerized by how cool it sounded and went, “I HAVE to have this!”
Note: This is the official music video, using clips from the film. I didn’t want to use it but I couldn’t find another good quality upload on YT. There’s violence in the music video; sorry about that.

Altan Urag A.K.A. Алтан ураг - Хөх толботон [Khukh Tolboton - Blue Mark]:

Ingrid Michaelson - Breakable

Looks like the piano trend shall continue… I heard this artist on the radio, but I heard this song through a particularly good fanvideo for the TV series Six Feet Under. This song would normally be too “light” for my taste, but I grew to like it quite a bit. I like that it speaks to the fragility of humans.

Ingrid Michaelson - Breakable:

Cascadeur - The Odyssey

Unlike the other song I've posted by this artist, no version of this track is on his only album The Human Octopus. Es tan bonita, y un poquito extraño, but alas, it seems this French artist is considered "indie" even in France.  His music has an overall pleasant feel to it.

Cascadeur - The Odyssey:

Keiko Matsui - Beyond the Light

I heard of this artist years ago by browsing a sheet music website and randomly coming across this piece by her. I didn’t know it, but I downloaded it and played it anyway, and found it to my liking.

Keiko Matsui A.K.A. 松居 慶子 - Beyond the Light:

Wordsworth - Unity

The album this song is from, Mirror Music, is one of my favorite hip hop albums, and this is probably my favorite song off it.

Wordsworth - Unity:

Paloma Faith - Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?

This song has been playing in my head a lot lately, I don’t know why. It’s the song that introduced me to this artist, when I heard it on a German soap opera.  This is the 2nd song I've posted by this artist/actress.

Paloma Faith - Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?:

Atsushi Sakurai - Sacrifice

For some reason I thought I already posted this artist’s solo work, but I guess I haven’t. I adore this artist’s voice as it currently sounds, and I’ve already posted music by the band he does lead vocals for, Buck-Tick. They’ve been around since the 80s, but I prefer their newer music and Atsushi’s solo music because I think over time his voice has gotten richer and more controlled. He’s far into his music career and still going at it by working on a number of projects, including this one.

Atsushi Sakurai A.K.A. 櫻井敦司 - Sacrifice:

Pati Sokół - Woman’s Work

I stumbled upon this lovely cover song and its equally lovely music video while using YouTube’s trusty “recommended videos margin” feature, only a matter of days after it was released. I didn’t know of this Polish artist before, but I did know of Kate Bush, the song’s original artist.
Note: When I came across this song at first there were HD versions uploaded, but evidently they’re all gone now… LAME.

Pati Sokół - Woman’s Work:

Sneaker Pimps - Kiro TV

‘Tis another song by this British artist! I really like the whole album this song is from, Bloodsport, and this song kicked off the album in such a way that I knew it was going to be good. The lyrics are about Kurt Cobain and the inability to cope with fame.

Sneaker Pimps - Kiro TV:

Eugene - 폭풍의 언덕

This Korean artist used to be in the girl group S.E.S. but released two albums as a solo artist. This song is from second one, which I acquired back in the day when I was collecting Korean albums.

Eugene A.K.A. 김유진 - 폭풍의 언덕 [P’okp’ungeui Eondeok - Wuthering Heights]:
 

Nasri - It's Not Just You

This Canadian artist has written a number of songs for big-time music stars, but evidently the dude can sing so he’s got his own work now. Just thought I’d put some of it out there.
Note: You can listen in HD!

Nasri - It's Not Just You:

Florence + the Machine - Leave My Body

I was reminded of the magic of this artist (who, despite the name that suggests otherwise, is a solo artist) when a lovely song of hers was covered in a recent episode of the TV show Glee, and again a day later when this breathtaking song was used in an episode of the British soap Hollyoaks.

Florence + the Machine - Leave My Body:

Kyo - Pardonné

This is probably the first French artist I went out of my way to listen to. I heard them through an mp3 rotation site.
Note: HD, ya’ll!

Kyo - Pardonné [Forgiven]:

Angus & Julia Stone - All of Me

I keep hearing this artist’s music popping up in random places. I think the first time I noticed their music was when a song of theirs was used in a dance piece on the dance competition show So You Think You Can Dance.

Angus & Julia Stone - All of Me:

Ungu feat. Iis Dahlia - Hampa Hatiku

I came across this band while searching for more Indonesian artists to add to my collection.  Noyce!

Ungu feat. Iis Dahlia - Hampa Hatiku [Hollow Heart]:

Mary Mary - Shackles (Praise You)

OK, so I’m evidently REALLY slow… At first I thought this song was praising some guy to the point of servitude. It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize it’s meant to be praising God. Which not only makes more sense, but also offends my feminist senses a lot less. I heard this song on a compilation album someone burned for me.

Mary Mary - Shackles (Praise You):