Welcome back to the June installment of OST Roundup. A good chunk of the mid-year dramas are on their final laps, while a proportionate number are waiting to premiere. Not a very fruitful crop of OSTs this month, but therein lie a handful of precious gems.
So here’s the OSTs that stood out for me this month:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGw9-trVbmk]Jaejoong‘s (JYJ) “Even Though I Hate It”, Triangle OST
Pretty much my favourite thing about JYJ starring in a drama, is the possibility of an OST single sung by them (or any one of them). It’s really amazing how Jaejoong has his whole rock persona going on, but still manages to belt out a ballad with such delicateness and control. Although I prefer his other soundtrack songs, I can still appreciate the silkiness of his voice here.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sksNJzrG0Y8]Lee Seung-chul‘s “I’m In Love”, You’re All Surrounded OST
Although the drama about Lee not giving credit to Junsu for remaking his original song went overboard, there’s no denying that this ballad is beautiful. It’s sweet, light, cute and catchy. Junsu’s version is absolutely amazing, but Lee does it justice with his honeyed crooning voice. The layering effect in the chorus amps up the emotion of falling in love; indeed, a song worthy to be put on replay for the summer season.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu5T-T_1ozE]Lim Kim & Eddy Kim‘s “Roommate”, Roommate OST
This track highlights beautifully the great contrast between Eddy Kim’s smooth vocals and Lim Kim’s light lilting voice. It’s a laidback and smooth song with minimal instrumentals, and both singers pull it off effortlessly. Eddy’s voice comes through stronger when the two harmonize together, but he doesn’t overpower Lim — her timbre adds texture to their combined sound.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQFaxVummwA]Min-ah‘s (Girls’ Day) “You and I”, Doctor Stranger OST
This reminds me of a High School Musical-esque mid-tempo ballad, and I absolutely dig it. The synths and instrumentals are nothing out of the blue, but the guitar strumming somehow joins in to produce a very pretty and addictive melody. Min-ah’s voice is quite beautiful here, and it doesn’t sound like she’s straining to hit the notes for a relatively high-pitched song.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVC34Q-LGqg]Jung-in‘s “As Life Goes On”, High School King of Savvy OST
As a huge, huge fan of Jung-in’s voice, this OST track definitely deserves a mention. It doesn’t have the feel of an OST, and is probably worthy of being a single track on its own. Her one-of-a-kind voice makes this song shine as a groovy yet sensual song. I don’t think I’ve been the only one to attempt an imitation of her singing voice… Am I right?
