You’re my dream, you’re my soul, you’re my reason . . .
We all know G.O has a magnificent voice and can sing. We tell him over and over. He has been reminded of it by the many legends he covered during his time gracing the Immortal Song 2 stage, and was equally commended by all who heard him perform in his three musicals as well as most recently during his stint on King Of Masked Singer. The man has a beautiful voice. Still, with all of the accolades, he probably remains one of the most underrated vocalists in Korean popular music. So yeah, I am working on changing that.
As the days go on, I get more resourceful in categorizing these countdown posts. I would like to add another one here so I can take a closer look at individual MBLAQ songs over the years where I feel G.O’s vocal prowess deserves a little more concentrated attention and praise. Okay, for me that is easily every song, but I think there are a few that should get a little extra attention. I particularly love focusing on G.O’s voice in songs so this gives me the opportunity to boast on his behalf!
I will christen this category Vocal Virtuosity and will start off with one of the earliest MBLAQ ballads in their catalog, My Dream. From their very first CD single, Just Blaq, this is the first time we really get to feel G.O, hear the tenderness in his voice, and experience his vocal power even when embraced in the confines of a ballad. In this early fancam (25 November 2009), G.O takes us on a journey when he sings and I for one get lost in the rich smoothness of his voice and gentle caress of his expressive eyes. Oh and when he belts out with some noticeable force, “You’re the one that I need, girl,” I believe it!
The one thing G.O has always been more adept at than his MBLAQ brothers is the ability to improvise in songs. His vocals move effortlessly like the wind, looping around other vocals, between lyrics, during musical interludes and in this live performance, he adds a gentle and romantic close to the song.
I have absolutely no doubt that there were fans from the outset who knew MBLAQ’s main vocal was something special and that he would be a driving force in what would set MBLAQ apart from their idol colleagues. G.O would bring emotion and authenticity to the songs he sang and he would accomplish what the artist Van Gogh wanted people to believe of himself when they viewed his art: that he was an artist who feels deeply and feels tenderly.
Yes, I’d say G.O accomplishes that with every note he sings.
~♥~
[Video cr. absolutemblaq]