World Music Day Special: 10 Soulful K-Pop and K-Drama Songs

First things first: This is a subjective list solely comprised of names that I consistently turn to. And although there are some superhits in the ensemble, there are also a few that are underappreciated. I hope you’ll find some of your favorites from the lot while cruising through some of mine—those I’ve picked from the canon of K-pop and K-drama songs.

“Answer: Love Myself” by BTS – LOVE YOURSELF 結 Answer (2018)

I need not explain why this song speaks to the soul. Primarily two lines—“It’s just that loving myself doesn’t require anyone else’s permission” and “Even all the scars from your mistakes make up your constellation”—are its real claim to fame, I imagine. Lyrically, this song is very personal to me; this is one I employ for self-care. I’m not in this alone; I know millions out there feel alike. Amid a few variables, the joy and comfort of experiencing something that helped me evolve and be content with myself is this. In the depths of my heart, it makes me appreciate my sense of being, my failings, and my imperfections. Thank you so much, BTS.

“Paper Cuts” by EXO-CBX – Magical Circus (2019)

I’m a burning soul for “Paper Cuts,” this strain covered by the vocal kings that centers more on the true meaning of love. It taps a soft spot, particularly when it names “paper cuts” in the hand, pertaining to the hardships and frailty of time passing for the lovers in a bleak world where they are yet optimistic for a brighter tomorrow.

When Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin’s luxurious falsetto harmonies explode into high notes, their blended melodies seem to echo in cosmic realms before plummeting down.

“You Calling My Name” by Got7 – Call My Name (2019)

The vibe for “You Calling My Name” is promptly set by JB’s vocals within a surreal soundscape before the ensuing rap part. For me, the song’s transition into Jinyoung’s infectious chorus merges the magnificent orchestration and impassioned singing into an all-new celebration. It has such a distinct, slow rhythm while still sounding bright. The song’s earnest impulses swirl and slide like rolling waves as they expand into the breathtaking masterpiece that it is.

“Bittersweet” by Mingyu and Wonwoo (SEVENTEEN) Ft. Lee Hi – Bittersweet (2021)

“Bittersweet” is my love-to-love-it song, rooted in the theme of R&B songs. A moment of grief, as well as victory and failure in relationships. It is inventively pictured in a still more cinematic MV drenched in rain, starring two of my favorite artists: Mingyu and Wonwoo. Their musical reverie flows like an enveloping trickle across profundity torn between love and friendship, the quandary of choosing, the anguish of sacrifice, or perhaps letting go.

A smidge bitter yet sweeter, the song has been on repeat in my head for days now. Two incredibly adept rap stars take center stage as vocalists, evoking acute emotions. The musical bridge is a stunner, mingling their rasping, heady tones unimpeded. In the chorus, Lee Hi’s silky timbre sounds golden, as if whispering into the moment.

“Know Me” by Gemini – Know Me (2021)

“Do you know the fight / To keep you by my side? This love will never change / But I just might go insane,” sings Gemini in this R&B soul song. He is so effective in conveying the repressed emotions felt in a sluggish relationship, but beyond that, he conveys the stress of being unwilling to fall out of it. Nevertheless, Gemini’s signature sensuous voice makes mourning sound blissful. There are moments when you’re at a loss for words; this song gives me one every time I tune in.

“Stay with Me” by Chanyeol and Punch – Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016)

This one sounds like an idyllic reminiscence from a fable. Punch’s sublime voice and Chanyeol’s (EXO) unrivaled rap prowess empower the song with its moody attraction. “Stay with Me” is perhaps a bit more rewarding to me in terms of evoking intense longing than a lot of romance duets. In the sense that I routinely listen to it. Even now, at the time of writing. You get the drift, right?

“Lucid Dream” by Monogram – While You Were Sleeping (2017)

In the song of the same name, Monogram’s Kevin and Riwon conjure up a lucid dream. Its soundscape—both magnificent and melancholy—manifests more at the crescendo. Riwon’s delicate, breathy notes are aided by Kevin’s innate modulation; she sounds dulcet in the higher register. Essentially, Monogram melds its distinct magic with this sonic wistfulness.

“Another Day” by Monday Kiz and Punch – Hotel Del Luna (2019)

Punch and Monday Kiz’s luminous collaboration on this stirring music piece can be felt in the bones. Mellow vocals and a serene tune underscore this sob fest; its recall value remains too strong for me, like a timeless anthem of unrequited love—one that will forever be remembered as one of the greatest K-drama OSTs.

“Gravity” by Kim Jong-wan (NELL) – The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)

This lyrical narrative has me smitten. “Gravity” stands up to its name in that it has an insurmountable magnetic pull on the ears and relates the parallel lives of a couple whose preordained reunion defies space and time; it is inescapable, much like the force of gravity. The lush rhythm line amplifies the overt desire resulting from the recurring guitar riff. With his distinctive vocal texture and singular sense, Kim Jong-wan dazzles, lending the song its resonating effect.

“Don’t Cry My Love” by Cha Eun-woo – Under the Oak Tree (2021)

Cha’s voice is incredibly reassuring and inherently soulful. When he flexes it in romantic songs, it ruptures with unconstrained passion like a choral delight. This song, a bluesy love ballad that overflows with feelings for the lover, is a gorgeous portrayal of that.