Eight New K-Drama OSTs You Shouldn’t Miss

“Breaking Down” from Doomed at Your Service

Doomed at Your Service tells the narrative of ‘Tak Dongkyung’, a woman who has been working hard since her parents died. She is diagnosed with glioblastoma (brain cancer) and blames her unlucky life, curses everything to disappear, inadvertently summoning ‘Myeol Mang’, neither human nor deity, to come. Dong’s wishes can be granted, according to Myeol. As a final resort, she enters into a contract with Myeol for a hundred days to live her life as she wishes, putting everything on the line. The OST “Breaking Dawn” is a song that features Ailee’s delicate and powerful vocals, as well as her explosive singing abilities, and it perfectly complements the story’s cinematic ambiance. This beauty of a song is born from Ailee’s unique timbre.

“Yours” from Jirisan

Jirisan is about the ‘Jirisan National Park’, the oldest and largest national park in South Korea, with a team of professional rangers dedicated to both conserving the park and protecting the innumerable visitors who hike over the eponymous mountain. One of these rangers is the exceptional ‘Seo Yikang’ ( Jun Jihyun), whose knowledge of the area and talent as a tracker has saved many lives. Seo, ex-military lieutenant ‘Kang Hyunjo’ (Ju Jihoon), and ranger ‘Jung Gooyoung’ (Oh Jungse) make an excellent team. The team’s determination is put to the test as bizarre stories about the mountain’s uncharted regions begin to circulate. “Yours” by Jin (BTS) brilliantly depicts the varied emotions felt by the actors while also weaving the drama’s plotline together. Jin’s mastery is reaffirmed by the song’s key changes, riffs, and chord variations. He precisely enunciates his words and modulates his voice matching the feel of the song.

“Leave” from Burgasal: Immortal Souls

The series is about a lady ‘Kim Hwayeon’ (Kwon Nara) who recalls her previous life through repeating death and rebirth for 600 years, as well as a man ‘Dan Hwal’ (Lee Jinwook) who can neither kill nor be killed and has spent the previous 600 years as a ‘Bulgasal’—a mythological beast that lives on human blood and is condemned with eternity. By lavishly embellishing the shape of a bow reminiscent of various moments in the play, 4MEN’s “Leave” emphasizes immersion and emotion. It lends realism to the narrative that depicts the life of two characters with a tragic fate. 4MEN, who sang this song, demonstrates great musicality by singing in perfect unison and with voices that connect with the listeners.

“Drawer” from Our Beloved Summer

This song from Our Beloved Summer is about the two ex-lovers hiding small, precious bits of memories in the corner of an old drawer and peeking inside. Will it fade away with time, or will it get more intense? In this drama, the ex-lovers are forcibly summoned due to the popularity of a documentary shot in high school.  ‘Choi Woong’ (Choi Wooshik) and ‘Kook Yeonsoo’ (Kim Dami), who fell in love for the first time, journey back and forth between the past and the present, offering a gift full of heart-fluttering moments. Set against this backdrop, the OST “Drawer” by 10CM was released, evoking the two’s glittering recollections. With a pleasant and warm acoustic guitar arrangement, “Drawer” is a song with a beautiful and vibrant melody of delicate expressiveness that seems to conjure a pleasant nostalgia.

“Love Always Runs Away” from A Young Lady and Gentleman

A Young Lady and Gentleman, a weekend drama on KBS2, follows ‘Lee Yongguk’ (Ji Hyunwoo) as he battles to raise his children. When he employs ‘Park Dandan’ (Lee Sehee) as a tutor, the two fall in love with each other. Through this OST, “Love Always Runs Away,” an emotional song sung by Young Woonglim, he has received attention for his heart-wrenching singing abilities to stir the hearts of viewers with a more delicate sensibility. Composer Midnight has arranged it in a way that Young Woonglim’s feelings can be transmitted effectively while retaining as much of the acoustic and light original mood as possible. It’s the main theme song, which plays throughout the drama.

“Dream of You” from Moonshine

Moonshine, a KBS drama, is a pursuing romance between a moral inspector (Yoo Seungho) who cracks down on moonshiners and a woman (Hyeri) who tries to redeem her life by brewing alcohol amidst severe prohibitions in the late Joseon period. It revolves around a lot of adventurous circumstances involving the youth who cross the boundaries of restrictions that society has set for them.  “When the flowers bloom, I think of the moon” OST part 3, “Dream of You” is a lovely song about the thrill of discovering something new. The soothing soundtrack and piano playing reflect the desire to get closer to one’s lover, and the warm vocals generate a romantic vibe.

“Melting” from Forecasting Love and Weather

Forecasting Love and Weather, is a rom-com about an office romance at the Meteorological Agency that is hotter than a tropical night and more unpredictable than heavy rain. “Melting” by Cheeze is one of the best songs from this drama series; a song that was first released in the drama teaser. Its medium-tempo and rhythmic melody harmonizes with the soft string sound, and the sweet vocals uplift the romantic mood. The lyrics and addictive hooks frankly express the fresh excitement and emotions between ‘Ha Kyung’ (Park Minyoung) and ‘Si Woo’ (Song Kang) in the play thereby leaving a deep long-lasting impression.

“Starlight” from Twenty-Five, Twenty-One

The story of ‘Na Heido’ (Kim Taeri) and ‘Baek Yijin”s (Nam Joohyuk) love is told in Twenty-Five, Twenty-One. Na is a member of her high school’s fencing squad, which is disbanded due to the financial crisis in South Korea. She is chosen for the national fencing squad after overcoming all barriers. The financial crisis also causes Baek’s father’s firm to fail. As a result, his life changes from that of a prince to a pauper. While studying, he works part-time jobs such as newspaper delivery and gradually rebuilds his life by working for a television network as a sports reporter. The first OST of the drama, “Starlight” by Taeil, is a song about the innocent heart of youth. Like the theme music that plays throughout the show, this song captures the pleasant emotions of adolescence. The chorus’s recurrent lyrics, “Remember that we are the shining beings more than anything else,” is a message to the audiences and the listeners.