July OST Roundup: It's Okay, Fated for High School

Welcome back to the next installment of OST Roundup. Perhaps as a parallel to the K-pop world, July has been a great month for OSTs. Many releases by high-profile balladeers, that it was actually really tough weeding out the not-so-impressive ones. We saw the highly anticipated It’s Okay That’s Love debut with much fanfare. And right off the bat, it already pampered us with a couple of high-profile OST releases. So let’s take a look at the month’s standouts.

Kim Junsu & Jung Sun-ah‘s “Loving You Keeps Me Alive”, Dracula Musical

Although technically this is not an OST, I chanced upon this gem and it was really too great to leave out. Being an international fan, it’s a pity that we miss out on the domestic musicals scene. After seperating from SM, Junsu has managed to carve out a niche for himself in the musical world, making headlines for successfully crossing over from the idol world. It takes more than a decent set of pipes to make it in the musical world, it requires a passionate and emotive voice which makes the listener feel.. things. And this video demonstrates splendidly why Junsu sells out crowds to his performances. His trembling yet controlled, husky yet smooth singing voice suits this genre so splendidly, that splitting from SM is actually a blessing in disguise for him.

Jaejoong‘s “Coincidence”, Triangle OST

Compared to his previous release “Even Though I Hate It”  for Triangle, “Coincidence” suits Jaejoong’s soft rock voice much more. It’s telling why Jaejoong choose rock as his solo genre, because the range and texture of these songs suit his raw vocals fantastically, something not common in the K-pop world. “Coincidence” could have been a track on his solo album, and it shows how fitting this song is for him.

Junggigo‘s (featuring Boyfriend‘s Minwoo) “Too Good”, High School Love On OST

Junggigo has made somewhat of a name for himself in the R&B genre after his extremely well-received duet “Some” with Soyu. His smooth and light vocals makes it easy for any song to sound pleasant, and it’s good news for us that he has finally made his OST debut. His voice fits this sweet love song to a T, and it’s a perfect song for the summer.

EXO Chen‘s “Best Luck”, It’s Okay, That’s Love OST

There was evidently a lot of anticipation for Chen’s OST debut, to the point that there was even a teaser for his OST release. It even topped charts immediately upon release, and while it’s partly due to the EXO name, this track is not shabby at all. A decent ballad, powered by Chen’s strong vocals, although he could use a little more emotional range in his singing.

Seo In-guk‘s “Finding Myself”, High School King of Savvy OST

Probably one of the more successful singer-actor to date, it’s really impressive to see how Seo In-guk straddles both spheres without compromising on either. This release is another example of how his singing activities are greatly underrated compared to his actor status. Featuring a rather simplistic and quiet instrumental, his voice really brings out this track with his expressive emotions and honeyed texture.

Jung Dong-ha‘s “Destiny Sonata”, Fated to Love You OST

I recall watching an episode of Hello Counselor, where a participant was absolutely obsessed over Jung Dong-ha’s husky voice, and I did not quite get it. But now, I totally understand why. Any lesser vocalist would have made this melody rather forgettable, but his unique texture creates a rather dreamy quality to this OST.

Megan Lee‘s “Ready for Love”, Fated to Love You OST

The introduction alone reminds me of a whimsical fantasy movie, along the lines of a Cinderella soundtrack, which is frankly not too far from the actual tone of the drama. A cheerful and cute song, Megan Lee is serviceable in bringing out the fun aspect to this track.

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