Lena Park's 5th Album is out!
Check out the reviews below..
Released: February 3, 2005
Note: Title track in bold
01 Ode
02 Beautiful You
03 Long Goodbye
04 Moon
05 Miracle
06 I'll Look Into It
07 Future
08 Don't
09 If It Was Today
10 Mia
11 Single Ring
12 Very Thought
13 Ghost
14 Miss Havisham's Walts
It is said that when Confucius discovered music he forgot the taste
of meat. Confucius is not the only inspired soul, because though he
had the courtly music of the Odes, we have the beautiful, sensual
and captivating tunes of Park Jung Hyun (Lena Park). Her latest
album has dropped and there really is only one word to encompass
it: Heavenly. Not only does she take her God-given voice and
incorporate it perfectly with the music, but she accompanies it
with such diverse and sensual lyrics that the listener is pulled
out of their reality and thrown into the world of Lena Park.
Her greatest accomplishment with this album is that it is the first
album in which she has made significant contributions to the
production and cultivation of the album. And if this is any
indication of her talents beyond her wonderful voice, then she will
have an even longer and more prosperous career than initially
thought. We were given a brief insight into the album with the
release of her Japanese single, which the Korean version falls on
this album, "Moon." The song was brilliant when first released, and
it complemented by every other song on this album to elevate it
even higher.
Every one of her albums is known for telling a story. The placement
of the songs on the album is crucial to really understand what Lena
is trying to convey through her music. This album is no different.
This latest album, 'On and On,' is a story of redemption, of new
beginnings, and of changes. She begins the album with a simple 'new
age' meets choir concert song that signifies the curtain being
raised and the show beginning. Then with the start of her second
song, "Beautiful You," it is as if she appears to us and the
audience is drawn into the world. It begins the rising action to
the album, to the performance of a lifetime, and as each song
passes the passion and intensity only increases. Each song
possesses a distinctiveness that distinguishes it as original and
as a 'Lena Park Classic.' This song, though a bit more 'popish'
than traditional Lena, it is exciting, colorful, and a cultivation
of relief and brilliance all tied together. This song closely
mirrors a later song, which signifies the falling action in her
album and performance, "If It Is Today," that also has a very
exiting flavor to it and that marks a changing point in the
album.
It is easy to comment on every song individually, but the truth is
that it is almost impossible to talk about the album without any
one of these songs. Each song adds to the album a new feeling and a
new point of view that was once kept hidden in Lena's mind, in her
soul. Through her magnificent voice, ever present and ever
captivating, the music comes to life and surrounds us; we can see
the vibrant colors surround our bodies as we interact with them. We
can have many artists that sing ballads, rock, pop, and any number
of musical genres. But what makes an artist truly talented and
truly brilliant is their intuition. From any given album we can
remember maybe a few songs and remember vaguely the feeling of the
album. Yet with Lena Park, and a selected number of Korean artists,
we always remember the message; always remember the feeling,
because we are part of it, part of what she creates. She possesses
a craft that many know of, few can explain, and even fewer have.
Confucius was wise to say that music is innate in all of us, that
it lives and affects us all. Lena Park really does epitomize this
wise sage's words in ways that many will experience, but few can
master.
Grade: A
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