What genre of music is Final Fantasy VIII's "Eyes on Me"?

[sephfire]

I'm trying to find a name for my hatred.

Starting with FFVIII, Square had a habit of including some sort of ballad in their games. In Final Fantasy VIII, we had Eyes on Me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNefNLOHVYk&feature=related). Then in Final Fantasy IX's end credits, we heard a cheesy rendition of Melody of Life (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye7BGnlTZmQ&feature=related). Final Fantasy X's Sutaki da ne (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlwSPMwAqbM) actually wasn't bad, but still fit into the same style and genre. The absolute worst example I've heard so far is the ballad for Lost Odyssey: What You Are (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COaBlK4kvJw).

Don't get me wrong: the melodies in most of these songs are beautiful. The same melodies were used many times in each game in various tracks and they really added a lot to the game. And the lyrics in these ballad versions aren't terrible either. And I have absolutely no problem with lyrical songs being used in these games. Kingdom Hearts has had some great Utada Hikaru tracks. The Disgaea games are flooded with lyrical tracks, and they're fantastic.

But that style ... the cheesy, smarmy sound of these songs. I must know what the specific genre and/or origin of that sound is. Where did it come from? It sounds so classic and familiar, yet I can't think of any other place I've heard that style of song outside of Japanese video games. I must know my enemy. :-x

[DarkeSword]

I'm trying to find a name for my hatred.

Starting with FFVIII, Square had a habit of including some sort of ballad in their games. In Final Fantasy VIII, we had Eyes on Me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNefNLOHVYk&feature=related). Then in Final Fantasy IX's end credits, we heard a cheesy rendition of Melody of Life (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye7BGnlTZmQ&feature=related). Final Fantasy X's Sutaki da ne (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlwSPMwAqbM) actually wasn't bad, but still fit into the same style and genre. The absolute worst example I've heard so far is the ballad for Lost Odyssey: What You Are (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COaBlK4kvJw).

Don't get me wrong: the melodies in most of these songs are beautiful. The same melodies were used many times in each game in various tracks and they really added a lot to the game. And the lyrics in these ballad versions aren't terrible either. And I have absolutely no problem with lyrical songs being used in these games. Kingdom Hearts has had some great Utada Hikaru tracks. The Disgaea games are flooded with lyrical tracks, and they're fantastic.

But that style ... the cheesy, smarmy sound of these songs. I must know what the specific genre and/or origin of that sound is. Where did it come from? It sounds so classic and familiar, yet I can't think of any other place I've heard that style of song outside of Japanese video games. I must know my enemy. :-x

It's a pop-ballad.

And it's not that bad. >:|

[Gario]

It's a pop-ballad.

And it's not that bad. >:|

Oh, I was wondering what it was... but it isn't that great, either. Listen to that recording on Eyes on Me - waaaaay to wet, and that singer is a bit too thin. It's hard to make out what's going on, there :?. I'm sure other renditions are better because they'll tend to clean up that stuff and make the actual music legible.

Fortunately, they're not going through the J's panel, so they don't need to worry about their quality as much :tomatoface:.

[Palpable]

Yeah pop-ballad. Really not that far off from Celine Dion and a lot of stuff from the 90's, if you're looking for where you might have heard similar stuff.

[ambinate]

Don't forget "Kiss Me Good-Bye" from FFXII!

[audio fidelity]

i'm a fan of all those jams :P

especially the lost odyssey one

the one that kills me the most would probably be the one from end of evangelion 'komm susser' - it's a little more retro but same idea

[anne amère]

komm susser tod is awesome and perfect for end of evangelion are you kidding me

[audio fidelity]

komm susser tod is awesome and perfect for end of evangelion are you kidding me
WHOAH! hey now - big misunderstanding - i LOVE that tune - kills me in fantastic do it over and over again way :P ha

[sephfire]

I don't completely hate these songs. Like I said, the melodies are great and are used to great effect throughout each game. The melodies from Suteki da ne and Melody of Life in particular are among my favorites from each game. But that cheesy style just grates on me.

"Pop ballad," you say? Would Utada Hikaru's Kingdom Hearts tracks fit into this same category, do you think? I love the way those turned out, but perhaps they're more "pop", less "ballad". It's something about the slightly retro vibe Eyes on Me and those other have that irritates me so much, I guess.

Now that you mention it, it does sound similar to some of Celine Dion's stuff. Perhaps that's why it feels sort of familiar.

[audio fidelity]

i thought you were talking about this song from Lost Odyssey - Eclipse of Time (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3dkTnb-LR0)

and yeah 'pop ballad' is good - but for Uematsu you might put epic in front of that heh

[Dhsu]

More great VG ballad classics!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD5_aKUl4Vs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU0C1xHS8BI

[Thin Crust]

Speaking of which, The Spoony Experiment just finished his review on the game and he made a section on that song. http://blip.tv/file/2373077

Very funny stuff.

[Otakatt]

Speaking of which, The Spoony Experiment just finished his review on the game and he made a section on that song. http://blip.tv/file/2373077

Very funny stuff.

Ha! I just saw that yesterday. XD Spoony is great. <3

[Bleck]

Christian Gangsta Rap

[Bahamut]

Here's another! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrlULaH-rzM&feature=related

[SwordBreaker]

I think these tracks can be classified under J-pop, which is sometimes classy/cheesy.

[ifirit]

If these songs were to play on the radio, they'd probably classify them as soft rock or soft pop.

[kamoh]

The genre is "old"

[Kenobio]

Oh, I was wondering what it was... but it isn't that great, either. Listen to that recording on Eyes on Me - waaaaay to wet, and that singer is a bit too thin. It's hard to make out what's going on, there :?. I'm sure other renditions are better because they'll tend to clean up that stuff and make the actual music legible.

Fortunately, they're not going through the J's panel, so they don't need to worry about their quality as much :tomatoface:.


Faye Wong is the shit. Not too many asian singers right now as celebrated as her.

[Fishy]

Hah, smarmy; that about sums them up.

[Malaki-LEGEND.sys]

The absolute worst example I've heard so far is the ballad for Lost Odyssey: What You Are (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COaBlK4kvJw)

Never... EVER... EVER mention this song anywhere. It took me a week to get that retarded song out of my head the first time I heard it. After that I had to mute the game every time. :-x

Also, the original language versions of the songs are generally better. Hell, that goes for any song. This is especially true for Melodies of Life and Kiss Me Goodbye. Not TERRIBLE in English, but not as great either.

[Shadow Wolf]

I do have to chime in and say I thought Suteki Da Ne was an absolutely beautiful song. My favorite was still the instrumental version from the Rikki single, but the version she did for the game itself was powerful and gorgeous.

[KyleJCrb]

I'd classify them as "awful".