Veronica Maggio - Välkommen In

Heck if I know where I got this song from. I’m not familiar with this Swedish artist outside of this song, but it's a good first impression. I think it’s kinda cool how the lyrics switch between Swedish and Italian, both of which are this singer’s heritages.

Veronica Maggio - Välkommen In [Welcome In]:

Jinusean - Phone Number

Yet another example of how Korean hip hop artists do it right. I saw the music video years ago on TV, when there was a show that played Korean music videos on. I’m including that video because, honestly, I find it kinda funny.
Note: The audio-only video has HD.

Jinusean - Phone Number:


And the official music video:

Christina Perri - Human

I heard this song on the radio the other day, having never heard it before. I found it pretty, and recognized the voice as that of this artist (after first thinking it kinda sounded like Lana Del Rey).
Note: This is the official music video, which has HD quality!

Christina Perri - Human:

Shane Mack - More Than This

I heard this artist through the movie Shelter, which used a number of his songs on its soundtrack. He usually is credited under elsewhere in his country music career as Shane McAnally. I also JUST found out that he co-wrote a song I’ve posted by a different artist, “Merry Go ‘Round” by Kacey Musgraves. It’s one of the few country songs I’ve posted, and at the time I posted it, I even commented on how much I liked the writing! He also wrote a country music song that I was considering posting at some point in the future, by another artist.

Shane Mack - More Than This:

Icon for Hire - Watch Me

I very recently discovered this artist has a more recent album than the one I’d been listening to, and decided to give it a shot. I quite liked their first album, and felt similarly about their second. This song was one of my favorites from the album, but it doesn’t really sound like their other songs in some way.
Note: HD listening is available!

Icon for Hire - Watch Me:

Jones Shi - 火光

I can’t quite my finger on why I enjoy this song so much. As soon as it starts playing I get the warm fuzzies, and they last throughout the entire song. For a while, this was one of my top go-to song for singing in Mandarin.

Jones Shi A.K.A. 石康軍 - 火光 [Huo Guang - Firelight]:

MØ - Pilgrim

I’ve had a music recommendation column open for literally months that included music by this artist, but didn’t get around to listening to the music in it until very recently. Immediately after finally listening to this artist, YouTube started putting ads for her albums all over the place. There’s some profanity in this song.

MØ - Pilgrim:

Epidemic - Problem

I came across this hip hop artist by YouTube surfin’. I’d never heard of them before, and was blown away from the very first track of their album Illin Spree. Then this track came on and the instrumental had me in addition to the lyrics. It had my head nodding while I was at work. It’s no family-friendly song, though, so probably don’t play it in front of your 8-year-old brother or something.

Epidemic - Problem:

Preslava - Как Ти Стой

This song sounds like it has a combination of genres and influences, all of which make my earholes happy. It even sounds a little like reggaeton to me, but it's Bulgarian! I guess this is the first Bulgarian song I've posted so far.

Preslava A.K.A. Преслава - Как Ти Стой [Kak Ti Stoi - How Does It Suit You]:

Linkin Park - Lies Greed Misery

I haven’t given this behemoth of an artist’s more recent music as much attention as I did their first two classic albums, but I did listen to 2012’s release Living Things all the way through. This song may be my favorite from that album.
Note: Here’s the official lyrics video, which has HD!

Linkin Park - Lies Greed Misery:

Björk - Hyperballad

I don’t necessarily like this famous Icelandic artist’s oddly literal and meandering lyrics, but she definitely has her own sound. I kind of forgot how pretty this song is (particularly the chorus) until I heard someone else’s cover of it.

 Björk - Hyperballad:

Urban Zakapa - Always Be Mine

In some ways, this is pretty typical Korean indie music, but I find the androgyny of the main singer in song’s voice ear-catching. I only came across this artist recently, and I must say I like the inclusion of both male and female leading members in the group, as opposed to the much more common all-male or all-female groups that dominate the K-pop scene.
Note: This soothing tune available in HD.

Urban Zakapa - Always Be Mine:

TLC - No Scrubs

It’s time for a bit of a throwback. If you don’t know this song, you probably weren’t listening to American pop & R&B radio stations in 1999/2000. This is essential listening for the playlist of my childhood, and even though it was popular it never got old for me. There’s a little profanity.
Note: HD listening available!

TLC - No Scrubs:

Reik - Igual a Nada

Last time I posted a song by this Mexican artist the post was taken down… We’ll see how long this one stays up.

Reik - Igual a Nada [Equal to Nothing]:

Jess Glynne - Home

I looked up this artist when I saw she had collaborated with another British artist I recently discovered, Clean Bandit. Her voice is pretty awesome, and bonus points for use of strings! There’s a little profanity.
Note: You can check it out in HDDDDDDDDD.

Jess Glynne - Home:

Brinck - I Don't Wanna Love Her

I was just thinking about how it’s not common for music outside the U.S. to sound distinctly country, but then I re-listened to this song and realized it kinda qualifies as country-sounding. Obviously, it also sounds like pop rock. This Danish artist’s voice and style kinda remind me of the music I've heard from Daughtry. I found this by YouTube surfing.
Note: You can listen in HD!

Brinck - I Don't Wanna Love Her:

Sarah McLachlan - Fear

My mom went to a concert of this artist without me… Based on my mom’s description of the performance, this song was part of it. Now this songwriter is scheduled to perform in my area in the upcoming months, and I’m seriously considering going. Of course when I said this my coworkers started making fun of me…
Note: You can listen to that hiiiiiigh pitch in HD!

Sarah McLachlan - Fear:

Israel Houghton - Hosanna

I found this track while YouTube surfing for music. It’s a Christian praise song. The artist’s voice isn’t my favorite, but I like the instrumental component of the song. I guess his claim to fame (in Christian music circles) is that his music incorporates different genres. In this one you can notice the gospel and rock influences.

Israel Houghton - Hosanna:

Siya feat. Georgia Reign - No Time

I was cruising YouTube for newer hip hop and came across this artist. I liked her style, so I checked out her mixtape and this was one of my favorite tracks off it. It gives you some background info on the emcee. Autobiographical ish! It’s got profanity.
Note: This is the official upload of the track, in HD!

Siya feat. Georgia Reign - No Time:

Buck-Tick - Thanatos (Japanic Pig Mix)

There are so many songs by this Japanese band I love I have a hard time picking which one to post next. Usually I like listening to original versions of songs over the remixes, but I encountered this version first and it has a cool cyberpunk sound to it.

Buck-Tick - Thanatos (Japanic Pig Mix):
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Tanya Chua - 被馴服的象

This is a rather unusual singing style for Taiwanese pop. At first I thought the lyrics were in English simply because of the way she was singing. I’m not very familiar with this artist’s music, but I just found the style interesting for the regional origin.
Note: This is the official music video, with HD!

Tanya Chua A.K.A. 蔡健雅 - 被馴服的象 [Bei Xian Fu de Xiang - Tamed Elephant]:
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Chris Garneau - Relief

Heck if I know what this song is about, but it’s nice. This is the first song I heard by this American artist. An excerpt of it was played as part of the artist’s nomination years ago for a NewNowNext award, and just those few seconds of it were enough to get me to look up the entire song, and then the other songs by him.
Note: It makes that cello action easier to hear if you listen in HD!

Chris Garneau - Relief:

Leona Lewis - I See You

Hey, I’ve never posted anything by this artist, despite her being a great singer who’s been known worldwide for at least a few years now. While she’s best known for her pop/R&B hits of recent years, this, the ending theme of the mega-hit movie Avatar, caught my attention when the credits rolled. It’s got that epic feel to it that’s only befitting a movie of that scale.
Note: It’d be weird if this song WEREN’T available in HD.

Leona Lewis - I See You:

The Cab - Angel with a Shotgun

I never heard of this artist until I stumbled across their album on YouTube. Considering how radio-friendly the music is, it’s a little strange this band isn’t more popular. It sounds like the kind of music that would appeal to Maroon 5 fans (and fans of other American pop/rock acts). Funnily enough, after reaching that exact conclusion, I learned that they toured with Maroon 5.
 
The Cab - Angel with a Shotgun:

Fanny J - Le Ou Jwen Lanmou

I came across this artist and song when I was on a zouk binge. And with this, I can add another country to the list of artist origins: French Guiana. In fact, new country, new language, new artist. Sweet!
Note: ‘Tis good fortune that I found this song in HD!

Fanny J - Le Ou Jwen Lanmou [When You Find Love]:

Brother Ali - Us

Wow, I thought I posted this song AGES ago. This is the intro track to this hip hop artist’s album of the same title as the song. It encapsulates the theme of the album, which is that we are different but that shouldn’t stand in the way of us getting along, and all that good stuff. This theme is even supported by the non-rap aspect of the song, which is distinctly Christian gospel style while the emcee himself is vocally Muslim.
Note: You can be all uplifted 'n shiz in HD!

Brother Ali - Us:

Cirque du Soleil - All Come Together

Last weekend, I saw a show by this famous Canadian circus troupe. This was my first time seeing them live, and it was grand; thanks for asking. The show was AmaLuna, and this was the opening song for the performance. The whole sequence (music, visuals, and all) was so beautiful I felt like I could cry! My friend who saw the show with me sent this to me to remind me of the magic.

Cirque du Soleil - All Come Together:

Mindless Self Indulgence - It Gets Worse

Here’s what appears to be this artist’s cynical answer to the anti-suicide campaign It Gets Better. Not only does it argue that the fundamental message of the campaign is untrue, it also (ostensibly) encourages suicide. “I doesn’t get better unless you’re pretty; it doesn’t get better unless you’ve got money.” There is some truth to that… This band seems to specialize in songs that are the exact opposite of what you’re supposed to say (they also have a song called “I Wanna Be Black”). Obviously, you probably don’t want to listen if you are easily offended, and no MSI song would be complete without profanity.
Note: You can watch the official lyrics video in HD!

Mindless Self Indulgence - It Gets Worse:

London Grammar - Wasting My Young Years

The British soap Hollyoaks is once again to credit for me discovering a British artist. This time, it’s this trip hop group, whose Britishness is worn right in their name. Supposedly this song is about the singer’s ex-boyfriend.
Note: You can experience this in HD!

London Grammar - Wasting My Young Years:

Robot Koch feat. Susie Suh - Here With Me

This song was featured in a show I’ve never seen, The Blacklist. I believe that’s how a lot of people were exposed to it, but I found it through YouTube surfing for music. I'd never heard of either artist, but it's some nice downtempo music.
Note: HD listening is available!

Robot Koch feat. Susie Suh - Here With Me:

Cherry Filter - 꿈꾸는 쎄일러

Behold, one of the very first songs (I think the second one, in fact) I heard by this Korean artist. I already was impressed by the first song I heard by the band, but this one sealed the deal, especially for my love affair with Youjeen’s voice. This song is a good illustration of how well their music can combine beauty and power.
Note: I recommend HD listening, and there are English subtitles!

Cherry Filter - 꿈꾸는 쎄일러 [Kkumgguneun Sseilleo - Dreaming Sailor]: