N.EX.T - Thee

This song is not remotely new, but I can't not post it because it really represents the exact kind of music this blog was designed to spotlight. N.EX.T was a Korean rock band most prominent in the 90's. Its frontman (and mastermind), Shin Hae Chul, tragically and suddenly passed away last October. Though I don't know all that much about him, it's clear that he was a very influential and important artist in his homeland. I do know that he dabbled in almost every genre imaginable, and seemed to have a strong penchant for epic, theatrical rock. To honor his legacy, his songs have been performed by many of my favorite K-Pop idols during the annual end-of-the-year song festivals. That's how I was introduced to this music, and thank god I was. There aren't a lot of translations available for this track, but I've heard it called both "You" and "Thee." I've been teaching myself Korean for a few weeks now, with the goal to be semi-fluent eventually. I believe that the Korean title uses honorifics, hence the reason I went with "Thee." Doesn't matter, though, because a song this triumphant and galvanizing breaks all language barriers. Some might call the epic opening minute cheesy. I would describe it as everything I love in music. I you like Queen or the Ark or any rock opera, you have to listen right now. It's transcendent stuff.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.