PHILIPPINES' MYX INTERNATIONAL TOP 20 MUSIC VIDEOS FOR 2012 YEAR-END RESULTS

Who Reigns MYX International Top 20 For 2012? Year-End Results Here! - MYX | YOUR CHOICE. YOUR MUSIC.

There's not doubt, 2012 is the year of One Direction. They reign not just in the music charts of Europe and America but also in the music charts of Asia particularly in the Philippines.  In this year's MYX International Top 20 Year-End Results, One Direction has five music videos, two of which are in the top two.  But Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Maroon 5 are still strong contenders.  Taylor Swift has three music videos in this year's top 20 music videos, while Justin Bieber has two music videos.  

K-pop is also a strong force in 2012.  In fact, there are eight K-pop music videos in this year's 2012 top 20 hits, three of which - from Super Junior, 2ne1 and BigBang - are in the top ten. 

Next year, will One Direction still be able to rule the Philippines' music charts?Only time and Directioners can tell.  One thing's for sure, the success of an artist always depends on the support of his or her fans.

IL VOLO - O SOLE MIO

Title: O Sole Mio Artist: Il Volo Country: Italy

When I first saw Il Volo performed O Sole Mio in American Idol in 2011, I was blown away.  I was totally amazed by their unique voices. I say UNIQUE because they were only sixteen, seventeen and eighteen years old and yet they have that powerful natural voices that are simply amazing.  They are totally different from today’s teenage male artists and male groups who are usually over hyped and over rated. 

I noticed that in order to be successful in today’s music industry, young male artists and male groups have to be good looking, have silly but cute music videos, a little bit of intrigues and huge fan bases composed mostly of screaming teenage girls and young adults.

But Il Volo’s success is strongly anchored on each of the members’ real, natural and unique talent.  What makes them different from other young male artists is that they appeal not just to young adults and teenagers but also to the elder ones – the grandparents and parents alike.

One more thing, I love how they sing, because they sing from their hearts, you can really feel it.  God bless Il Volo.

ARTISTS AT A GLANCE: IL VOLO

CC BY-SA 3.0 photo by Bjoertvedt on Wikimedia Commons

Il Volo is an Italian trio of operatic pop tenors.  

Members:

Piero Barone

Born on June 24, 1993 in Sicily, Southern Italy

Ignazio Boschetto

Born on October 4, 1994 in Bologna, Northern Italy

Gianluca Ginoble

Born on February 11, 1995 in Abruzzo region, Central Italy

They started their career in 2009 when they each joined a music competition in an Italian show Ti lascio una canzone.  During the competition, the three of them were chosen to perform a classic song "O Sole Mio".  They continued to perform together even after the competition. At first, they used the names "Tre Tenor", "The Tryo" and "Il Trio" for their group name, and finally in 2010 they settled for the name "Il Volo" which means "the flight" in Italian. 

On November 30, 2010, Il Volo released their self-titled debut album in Italy where it was certified platinum.  The following year, they released the album's international edition on April 12, 2011. They were the first Italian artist to have signed with a major U.S. label, Geffen Records owned by Universal Music Group.

Achievements:

Album: Il Volo

Number 1 - International Federation of the Phonographic Industry

Number 1 - Top Classical Album, U.S. Billboard Charts

Number 1 - Austrian charts

Album: Il Volo (Spanish Version)

Number 1 - Latin Pop Album, U.S. Billboard Charts

Live Albums: 
Il Volo - Takes Flight:Live from the Detroit Opera House

- Number 1 - Top Classical Album, U.S. Billboard Charts

Single: O Sole Mio

Number 1 - Classical single, U.S. Billboard Charts

Billboard Latin Music Awards:
- 2014 Latin Pop Album Artist of the Year, Duo or Group

Il Volo's Official Site: ilvolomusic.com

_____________________________________________

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_Volo

IL VOLO - O SOLE MIO LYRICS

IL VOLO - O SOLE MIO LYRICS

I really don't understand each of the words of this Italian song, but I saw the English translation of this song. This is one of those few slow tempo songs that I really like. When I first heard this song, I immediately thought that this is an Italian version of the English song "It's Now or Never" popularized by Elvis Presley. But I was wrong. I researched about this song and I found out that this is a Neapolitan song or Southern Italian song composed in 1898 by Giovanni Capurro and Eduardo di Capua. The melody of Elvis Presley's "It's Now or Never" was an adaptation of this Italian song.

This song was performed and covered by many Italian tenors such as Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti whose rendition of this song won him the 1980 Grammy Awards for Best Classical Vocal Performance. But, it is thanks to Il Volo, the three pop operatic tenors from Italy (again), who gave this song fresh sound that suits the taste of contemporary music lovers.

MUSIC IS A GREAT UNITER

     Music is the great uniter.  An incredible force. Something that people who differ on everything and anything else can have in common.

- from the novel Just Listen

Author: Sarah Dessen

So true, music is the only force that transcends belief, culture and language. Take for example the latest music craze "Gangnam Style". It's a Korean song  that only Koreans can understand, but the whole world loves it.

How many fans does UK's One Direction have? Millions of fans. Directioners - the name of One Direction's fans - spread all over the world. You can find Directioners not just in the U.S., but also in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and the rest of Asia. There are also Directioners in Australia, New Zealand, South America and Europe. Try to write nasty things against One Direction and you will get hate replies from Directioners from different countries.

Those are just few examples of how music unites people of different races. In my opinion, music is more influential than religion and politics.

PHILIPPINES' CHART TOPPERS ARE 2013 GRAMMY AWARDS NOMINEES

The nominees for the 2013 Grammy Awards were announced last December 5.  Some of these nominees were also chart toppers in the Philippines.  Here are the nominees that are also big hits in the Philippines.

Record of the Year

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)

Artist: Kelly Clarkson

We Are Young

Artist: Fun. featuring Janelle Monae

Somebody That I Used To Know

Artist: Gotye featuring Kimbra

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

Artist: Taylor Swift

Song of the Year

Call Me Maybe

Artist: Carly Rae Jepsen

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)

Artist: Kelly Clarkson

We Are Young

Artist: Fun. featuring Janelle Monae

Best Pop Solo Performance

Set Fire To The Rain (Live)

Artist: Adele

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)

Artist: Kelly Clarkson

Call Me Maybe

Artist: Carly Rae Jepsen

Wide Awake

Artist: Katy Perry

Where Have You Been

Artist: Rihanna

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

We Are Young

Artist: Fun. featuring Janelle Monae

Somebody That I Used To Know

Artist: Gotye featuring Kimbra

Sexy and I Know It

Artist: LMFAO

Payhone

Artist: Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

Safe & Sound

Artist: Taylor Swift & The Civil Wars

All of these songs were on the top ten on the different countdowns on Philippine radio stations and on music channels. Some of these songs stayed on the number one spot for many weeks, and even stayed on the charts for more than five weeks. 

SCORPIONS - WIND OF CHANGE

Title:  Wind of Change

Artist:  Scorpions

Country: Germany

For me, this is Scorpions' best song of all time.  Whenever I hear this song, the first thing that comes to my mind is the fall of the infamous Berlin Wall (1961-1989), the wall that formerly divides Germany into West Germany and East Germany, and the fall of communism in Europe. Watching the music video is like watching part of an important European history.

This song peaked at the number one spot in the music charts of Austria, France, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and of course, Germany.  This song is also considered as one of the best-selling singles of all time.

MUSIC'S INFLUENCE

     "Music is one of the most forceful instruments for governing the mind and spirit of man."

- William F. Gladstone

Just by listening to music changes my mood.  When I do some household chores, I listen to music.  It makes my task faster and less tiring.  At work, listening to music lessens my stress.  And before I go to sleep, I listen to some of my favorites songs. There is not a day that I don't listen to music.  It relaxes my mind.

THE SCORPIONS - UNDER THE SAME SUN LYRICS

THE SCORPIONS - UNDER THE SAME SUN LYRICS

Choice quotes from the song:

"'Cause we all live under the same sun, we all walk under the same moon, then why, why can't we live as one?"

"Do you ever ask yourself; is there a heaven in the sky?  Why can't we stop the fight?"

"'Cause we all live under the same sky, we all look up at the same stars, then why can't we live as one?"

What are the reasons why we can't live as one?  There are so many answers to this question.  Every answer differs from person to person, from country to country and from continent to continent. But as an Asian, my personal answer is racial discrimination and greed.  Some people who are from "rich and powerful" countries feel that they belong to superior races just because their countries are rich and powerful.  There's no problem if they feel that way, but do they have to look down or discriminate those people who are from poor countries or those people who are different from them in terms of religion, culture and race?  

How many times do I hear from my fellow Asians who studied and migrated to these rich and powerful countries experienced some discrimination?  Until now, discrimination of all sorts is still happening around the globe, and the usual victims are the blacks, the Asians and the Muslims.  Then they wonder why we can't live as one.