The Goddess of Happily Melancholy - Akino Arai

The Goddess of Happily Melancholy - Akino Arai

A Goddess is one that explores the elements, one that is not always in the public eye, one that's humble, nice, and recognized for their strengths. Akino Arai fits all these qualities. But why a Happily Melancholic Artist you ask?
Listen to "Voices[Video]" or "Wanna Be An Angel[Video]" and then rethink that question. Ok, if you're still wondering why, I understand. Those songs to me are not her ultimate best ones but they're the most popular songs.
To me she really broadcasts the sense of Happily Melancholy in pretty much all of her good songs. The balancing of the two polar opposite emotions, the vocals, melodies, lyrics, sounds, feelings, all of it is so powerful and needed for recognition.
All of her songs are either, other-worldly, down-to-earth, melancholic or happily melancholic.
This Goddess has really gotten in touch with the earth and the beauty of life, nature, love, and the universe. I don't know what Akino Arai does to make such great songs but I'd love to know her secret.
The first song I loved from her was, "Tsuki No Ie", in 1999
I thought that I was listening to an Angel singing. Later in time, I then found more songs by Akino Arai and heard more recent songs. I was blown away by her songs. I still am each time I find a new songs I like by her. It's so hard to really narrow down the songs that are happily melancholic because about 75% of them are Happily Melancholic! Ok, Her album, VHMusic, is filled with a few songs that are really soothing and are Happily Melancholic like, "Blooming Spring", "Little Dream", "Trance Transistor Table Radio (VH Version)" and "Princess of Winter". The rest are soothing songs like, "Yellow Star", "I'd Love To See U", "It's Snowing" and "An Angel Is Smiling".
On Her Album, Eden, Happily Melancholic songs on their are, "New World", with an other-worldly feeling, and "Kamisama no gogo". Soothing/ Melancholic songs are, "Nijiro no wakusei", and "Roundabout Drive". I love Roundabout Drive and New World because Roundabout is so filled with a "weathered" emotion, while New world has that feeling of flying high and motivation.
Then on her other album, Furu Platinum, there's only two songs that really stands out and it's, "Garukei no Raken", a song filled with a "weathered" and "Orange Noel", a down-to-earth track.
A B-side that I really love is called, "Forou Mii", which is a Happily Melancholic track. It builds up from a really quiet beginning to a really upbeat ending. It's great.
The Kakusei Toshi Single was filled with down-to earth songs. Just like the song "Kakusei Toshi", with "Tasogre Wa Mirai De Matsu" and "Pouriinu Pouriinu" the single can put you to sleep if you're not used to really soothing songs.
Luckily, "Kimi e Mukau Hikari", is a pretty upbeat, Happily Melancholic song.
Next up her album, Kouseki Radio, I love this album. There's two Happily Melancholic songs on this album, "Satellite Song", and "Kirei Na Kanjou". Up next is "Sakasami no niji", is probably the most isolated feeling song in her collection. I love it so much.
From her most recent album, "Sora no Sphere", her songs are similar to flying around in the air or hanging around in the nature of the world. I love it.
"Haleakala", the first track on the album, is a great entrance to a wonderful album of Akino's. The build-up, the feeling, all of it gives you a feel of flying. A song to listen to when you're walking around at 5 am. When the morning blue skies are out. I love "Monday, Tuesday", because of the chill melody, and the sounds that makes it feel like an everyday song. It's nice. "Terminal", is great, because it's so upbeat and interesting to listen to.
"Wings of Blue", is the most upbeat song on the album. The backing vocals and the melody as if you're going out to sea. It's cool.
Now the final song I'm going to talk about is, "Natsukashii Umi", because this song is the most happily melancholic song Akino Arai has made so far.

-I love Akino Arai-

*please note that the free downloads are in the paragraphs*

The Empress of Happily Melancholy - Dido

The Empress of Happily Melancholy - Dido
In the beginning of her career she had some pretty melancholic demo love songs on her unreleased first album, Odds & Ends, then with her official studio album, No Angel, she really showcased her talents of balancing Happiness and Sadness in "Thank You" and presented, spooky ethereal sounds on "Here With Me" while also showing a vocal attitude on "Hunter". With her first album it had a feeling of sad love and spooky sounds.
Then with her second release Life For Rent, songs like, "Sand In My Shoes", "This Land Is Mine" and "See The Sun" were Happily Melancholic songs. They balanced that Happiness and Sadness in a song. While other songs like, "Life For Rent" and "See You When You're 40", have more of a feeling of realizations and growing up. I love that.
Then her recent third release, Safe Trip Home, took a turn of melancholy with the melodies, lyrics, and vocals, Dido offered on the album. But there's still a small feeling of understanding in some of the songs. Like, "Quiet Times", "Look No Further" and "Us 2 Little Gods".
While other songs are purely melancholic like, "Summer*", "For One Day*", "Grafton Street", "The Day Before The Day" "Let's Do The Things We Normally Do", and "It Comes And Goes".
While the rest were about love and moving on, "Don't Believe In Love", "Never Want To Say It's Love" and "Burnin' Love".
I've noticed that with her ethereal voice and her creative melodies, her songs can be from purely melancholic to happily melancholic. It's as if Happily Melancholy is in her voice. Luckily with that wonderful voice it makes her songs very powerful.I think that's she's an Empress because of her vocals, melodies, and lyrics. She's a really happily melancholic woman. She's growing fast personally, and she's going through the death of her father. That shows great honors of being the Happily Melancholy Empress.
Free Download
Everything To Lose
*the rest of the free downloads are in the paragraphs.*

The Queen of Happily Melancholy - Sally Seltmann

The Queen of Happily Melancholy - Sally Seltmann
Sally Seltmann was more Happily Melancholic as New Buffalo than as herself in her recent album, Heart That's Pounding. Mostly with her first album, The Last Beautiful Day, it was so full of happiness, sadness, isolation, and distant feeling that it was a purely happily melancholic album. New Buffalo is the only artist I know that has the most happily melancholic songs in one album.
Songs like, "Recovery", "It'll Be Alright", "Inside", and "While You're Away" are all happily melancholic songs to me. Practically half of the album was happily melancholic while the rest were melancholic love songs and lullabies.
She showcased her balancing skills again on "Cheer Me Up Thank You" and "Harmony To My Heartbeat" but right now I don't know if she's going to be bring back anymore Happily Melancholic songs for me.
But to me she'll still be the Queen of Happily Melancholy.

The Princess of Happily Melancholy - Maria Taylor

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything but I'm done with finals and High School, officially graduated! I'm a High School Grad now! Now I have some free time before I go to my Cruise on June 5th.
There are three royal musicians, that are and remind me of the meaning and definition of being "Happily Melancholic".
*please note that the free downloads are in the paragraphs*
The Princess of Happily Melancholy - Maria Taylor
In all things said, Maria Taylor is kind of a beginner with Happily Melancholy genre. Her first two albums were pretty calm and soothing, more folk and folktronica oriented sounds.
Then she released her third album, Ladyluck and she proved her skills of being a Happily Melancholic Songwriter.
With songs like, It's Time, Green Butterflies & 100, 000 Times, you have to give her credit for her creative ways of balancing two polar opposite emotions in a song.
I hope to see more "HM" songs from her.