90s is when I grow up, and growing up in Hong Kong means that I get to listen to all sorts of weird stuff.
I wasn’t a fan of Chinese music except for what my cousin listen to, because she was my biggest influence until I grow up (out?).
The Chinese band I mentioned before, Beyond played a really big part of me growing up.
The lead singer died when I was eight – I kind of knew what ‘death’ meant at that point.
My mother’s oldest brother died of cancer when I was six. I remember sitting in church and swaying my feet on the benches and thinking I have pretty shoes on, and why did I get to stay up past my bedtime.
But that’s besides the point.
I found someone on YouTube who’s put a bunch of songs together into one video.
My favourite song is at 1:02:46.
The official record company has put a playlist up, but most of the songs are actually from after he passed away, so I am not going to bother putting it on here.
For English music, nothing can beats the Hammer.
MC Hammer and his “can’t touch this“.
Disney music started to pop out of nowhere, and they also started to enter the charts.
Songs like A Whole New World, Beauty and The Beast and Colour of the Wind.
And also Can You Feel The Love Tonight.
Prince of Egypt, which was not a Disney movie but a Dreamwork movie – won the best Original Song (written by Stephen Schwartz – who did Pocahontas and went on and did Wicked the musical) with “When You Believe” (sang by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston).
And whilst we are on Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston…
My All. I have always loved that song. I don’t know why. It’s a really whiny sounding song, but I love the song.
Whitney Houston’s “I’ll always Love You” is a classic.
Random fact: Lots of people in Japan knows this song, but they don’t speak much English. They thought the song was called “Anya” for years because of the Chorus: “ANNNYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, will always love you”.
Everybody knows the words to Fresh Prince of Bel Air too.
And watch it religiously on TV.
(RIP uncle Phil)
R’n’B vocal groups were also massive.
Groups like BoyzIIMen, All-4-One, who had hits likes “End Of The Road”, “I’ll Make Love To You” and “I Swear” are also a big hit.
I Swear was played so much during the 90s when I was growing up, you couldn’t possibly not know the song – it was EVERYWHERE.
And I mean EVERYWHERE.
All My Life by K-Ci and Jojo.
(I have a story behind this, and I will again, put it under “story for another time” when I have time).
And then, the boybands.
OH THE BOYBANDS.
I never liked any of the English Boybands, and my focus has always been somewhere else.
Step By Step by New Kids on the Block.
Quit Playing Games by the Backstreet Boys.
Everybody Backstreet’s Back by the Backstreet Boys.
I Want It That way by the Backstreet Boys.
98 Degrees and their smooth sound that sits between R’n’B vocal and boybands – I Do Cherish You, a song that back then, was my first choice of my first dance in my wedding (That obviously has changed).
(*NSYNC came later, but they were like the rival of the Backstreet Boys and even though they are really good friends, I still don’t like them as much as I do with the Backstreet Boys).
Another boyband (kind of) that was massive in Asia was Michael Learns To Rock (I think they are Danish? If not, they might be Swedish – somewhere from the Scandinavian countries), and That’s Why You Go Away is another song that was over played.
And who will forget Hanson and their “Mmmbop”?
Savage Garden’s “I want you”, contrasting with “Truly, Madly, Deeply”.
But nothing was over played (and overrated for that matter) as much as “My Heart Will Go On”.
English version, Mandarin Version, Cantonese Version, Japanese Version.
Before “My Heart Will Go On” though, there was “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”.
Celine Dion was massive, but so was Shania Twain.
From this Moment.
Man I feel like a Woman.
And Gloria Estafani’s Music of my heart (sung with *NSYNC).
Toni Brixton, who once was sane, has an amazing song “How Could An Angel Break My Heart”.
The younger generation was popping up at the end of the 90s too, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson and Mandy Moore.
But Baby One More Time and Genie In A Bottle were the two songs that were everywhere.
And with movie soundtrack, there is also “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith. The movie was shit (so was Titanic, thinking about it), but the song was great (and I am still not a fan of Ben Affleck).
Another bad movie but good soundtrack, “I Believe I Can Fly” by R Kelly.
Another one: Kiss Me by Six Pence None Richer.
And don’t forget “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt.
Of course, there are songs that I heard cover versions of, and thought was from before the 90s.
Like More Than Words.
90s was the time where I fully engaged myself into Johnny’s Entertainment.
Kinki Kids debuted in 1997, with Garasu no Shounen, a song that I still listen to religiously, knows all the words to (obviously) and knows the dance routine for the chorus.
Two years later they released a song called Flower (and they recently sayid that it’s one the worst songs to sing live, because of the range the song covers… a bit like Dancing Queen by Abba).
Of course, I mentioned Kimi wo omou toki before, and that too, was from the nineties.
I can’t really post the original music videos when it comes to Johnny’s Music because of the very strict copyright law in Japan (I have been lucky with Weekender, Real Face and also Koi wo Shiranai Kimi e – but with Garasu no Shounen and Flower, not so much), but I have a copy of it if anybody wants it.
It’s from the 90s and the quality is bad, and the resolution isn’t that great either.
I also want to mention Ricky Martin “Living La Vida Loca” and Enrique Iglesias’ Bailamos.
Ricky Martin and his hypnotic hip (Hip-notic?) and Enrique Iglesias’ sultry voice.
Cannot get enough of the latter one. Who cares if I don’t understand Spanish?
Middle of nowhere femme 