Listen to the Music/Música/Musique

We knew KoontzRocks, but we didn't know KoontzRocks in, like, 17 different languages! —SparkNotes editors

We all know the feeling: The dreadful clench in your stomach reminding you of an impending foreign language test. You know you have no hope to understand it at all before your teacher slams a thick batch of incomprehensible gibberish on your desk, expecting you to be fluent in a language you’ve been learning off and on for around three years, for about 50 minutes, 180 days a year.

Do not despair my fellow students! There is a cure, a cure that will strike your fancy if you appreciate dancing like a maniac, banging your head, or even fist pumping: foreign music!

French:
Kyo is one of the few French rock bands out there, and they have really catchy lyrics that you can understand easily. "Je Cours" is a personal favorite because I can sing the chorus with a great
accent. And the lead singer is cute.

Spanish:
Allison was featured at last year’s Vans Warped Tour, so you know they are legit. They are considered Mexican punk, and my personal favorite song of theirs is "Algo Que Decir".

German:
Tokio Hotel is also a widely known band in America, but in case you were not aware, all of their songs were written and performed in German, and they had someone translate them into English to establish a wider audience. "Durch Den Monsun" is the best of their German songs, because you can kind of understand what they are saying. Kind of.

Japanese:
Utada Hikari had a couple songs on the soundtrack for the video game Kingdom Hearts, and that’s how I came to love her music. The song "Passion" is in the entry theme of the game Kingdom Hearts II with Roxas falling down into the ocean or something…

Korean:
Lee Sun Gyu didn’t start out a singer, he started out as an actor in the crazy addictive Korean drama Coffee Prince, and he had to sing the song "Ocean Travel" to the woman he loves in the season finale and it’s just so. dang. cute!

Indian:
I’m sure we all saw Slumdog Millionaire. And if you didn’t I suggest you head over to your local Blockbuster and rent it right now. I don't care if it's rated R. "Jai Ho" is the song at the end of the movie as the credits roll, while the cast does a crazy awesome dance I’ve been teaching myself to do…

Swedish:
Ahhh, yes. Basshunter.  He is best known for his dance music, which basically causes you to start dancing in a frenzy wherever you are. Just take a listen to "DotA" and tell me your foot didn’t start bouncing to the beat. I dare you.

Italian:
Meganoidi is an Italian rock band, and a good one at that. Their song "Solo Alla Fine" is a little bit slower than the other songs I’ve included on the list, but everyone needs a mellow down song before they take their foreign language test, so hear you go.

Now that you have an awesome new playlist, burn yourself a CD, or put it on your iPod… because soon enough you will know all the words, and all the people around you will be jealous that you can sing French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Swedish, and Italian. It’s also a really great CD to blast in your car so people think you are an exotic foreigner—it sure makes for interesting conversation.

Who are your favorite non-English-speaking artists?

Related Post: What Your Second Language Says About You

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