One oddity in k-pop is, that they incorporate English words, or even
whole expressions in English into their songs, that are otherwise in
Korean. Usually it works pretty well, such inserts are very cleverly and
smoothly fitted in with the song flow, but sometimes its awkward. Yet
Korean pop artists are very "dedicated " to including these English
"ornaments" in their songs, as if the songs would be less appealing
without. I used to think it was weird, and funny, and a bit annoying,
then I got used to it. Who cares about this one minor flaw, when generally their pop songs have great melodies, wonderful beat, fantastic
and original instrumentation?The inserted English words or phrases are mostly very basic simple easy things, so there is not much space for error in pronunciation. Unless, it's something like Dong Ha sang at one time - "love lain" (it was supposed to be "love rain").
But singing an entire song in English is a different thing. Jung Dong Ha has been attempting to sing in English since quite a long time ago. I have seen and heard his Youtube performances from early on, when he was with Boohwal.
I am such a language zealot, so I have payed a lot of attention to his singing in English.
Is it bad, or is it good, or is it just OK? Well, my judgement is, that it varies a lot, from song to song.
But what gives me the right to judge somebody's English proficiency, when English is not even my first language? I live in the United Sates, but Poland is my country of origin. My spoken English is far from very good, but I strive to be always correct. I am definitely not very successful, because people notice my accent immediately. Yet, I think, even though I am not able to speak with ideal accent, I have the ability to hear all the imperfections, when listening to non-native English speakers.The university where I work is full of foreigners from all over the world. I can pick up all the errors, and in my mind I always repeat what is being said, thinking of how it should have been said correctly. It may be a form of OCD on my part.
I have established one thing: Jung Dong Ha definitely knows what he is singing. He understands the lyrics, because his phrasing is very good. A few examples of him tackling the English songs, are below.
The good...
The video below is actually very unusual, and very unique, because of a scenery. It's not a concert hall, and it's not a TV performance in Korea. It appears to be some kind of night club, here in the USA. I almost want to say it may be a gay club, but let's not speculate. Perhaps it is LA, or another California location, or perhaps it's New York, or Washington. Dong Ha was trying to earn some money? Anyway, clearly, he is very much appreciated by the small crowd in the club. This is a very good performance, both vocally, and as far as language is concerned. I give it a 9. I'm feeling generous.
****
The performance below, which is a duet from "Phantom Of the Opera", is very good, because it is clear that Dong Ha practiced English pronunciation for it. Somebody must have been teaching him that in English it is very important to work your mouth, open them wide with vowels, move your lips; do not swallow the endings. Good job!
****
It was a huge surprise for me that Jung Dong Ha chose to sing this Barry Manilow song . It was the encore of his very successful Summer 2015 tour, and he promised the fans he would prepare something different and special for his last 2 shows, which were in October. And so he did. He sang the goodbye to the tour, which made some fans cry. Here, his pronunciation is overall very good, except two words. You don't have to be perfect, but you need to be aware that some words, when mis-pronunced change meaning. "Same" and "sam" is not the same. Also, it's too bad that he sings "oh how I "hat" to see October go". Hate! is the word! It's very important to open your mouth wide. This reminds me of the time when I tried to teach my Chinese colleague the difference between "shit" and "sheet".
****
"Midnight Blue" - he sings it so often, and I really like it. I have no criticism about the English. It is as good as it can get. Overall, I just realized, that he does very well in English with slow songs. He just remembers to be proper.
But he also does well in the faster "I Was born to Love You".
The bad...
Uptown funk, really? The song lyrics are written in slang, I can't even understand the original version, never mind a Korean singing it. True, it has been a big hit of Summer 2015, but I don't know.
****
...and the CUTE!
This is a March 2010 video. I don't know what exactly is going on here, but it seems that he is singing to two different fans on stage, and declares his love to both of them. He liked some fun already then. Why do some people say he has no sense of humor? This is so cute, I want to keep it forever on this blog. Even though I didn't know about him then.
****
Another version of Midnight Blue, but I post it anyway. I like his entry on stage, and he looks happy, smiling, and totally kissing up to the fans! I just almost can't take it, how cute he is when he is trying to be cute. He moves in a cute way, and looks cute, maybe a little gay.
During the tour 2015, JDH attempted to incorporate more contemporary songs to his play list. He did sing some Bruno Mars, and Maroon Five, With various results. But this one is cute. I won't comment on English, it's just not always possible to understand due to all the crazy screams.
More... ****
The below rendition of "Superstar", I decided to keep it here, although I couldn't decide where it belonged. I guess it's on it's own. The English is OK, not bad. Dong Ha is doing a lot of vocal gymnastics here. Either testing, or practicing his vocal skills. Or, he just wanted to show off for the fans. Very nice, I would say. But I'm not a fan of the song itself.
I was quite happy he sang it, even though Sinatra wasn't in my generation. I just appreciate so much in Dong Ha that he is fearless, and tireless with continuously trying new things, and experimenting with different styles. He never stops.
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