Welcome to the next edition of OST Roundup! While January was a month of heavy-hitters, February saw more featurings from the rookies of the OST world. As expected, Persevere Gu Hae-ra released a whole slew of cute and enjoyable remakes of old classics. And even while some of us might not fully love the plot, the never-ending parade of MVs is definitely something to look forward to.
Jin-young (B1A4) & Min Hyo-rin‘s “Oh My Love”, Persevere Gu Hae-ra OST
I really dig the acoustic sound that the drama is going after, and of course it helps that the songs are arranged to make each cast member sound as good as possible. While Jin-young and Min are not the most phenomenal vocalists, they complement each other well enough, resulting in a well put-together little piece. More performances from Persevere can be found here and here.
Mamamoo‘s “My Everything”, Spy OST
It’s absolutely fantastic that Mamamoo is gaining some well-deserved attention for their talent. There have been so many cases of impressive rookies who get overlooked because of a lack of hype, but thankfully, Mamamoo has managed to avoid falling into that hole. They even picked up a couple of rookie awards, despite hailing from a rather unknown company. In any case, this song reminds us why they’re the group to watch — explosive vocals, perfect harmonization and effortless control.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPxI2WebjjE
Ji Chang-wook‘s “I Will Protect You”, Healer OST
Bet most of you guys didn’t know, but our resident night errand boy is a musical actor by day. I’m always very impressed with musical actors who managed to do the switch to television but still dabble in theatre during their off-seasons. And well, if you still haven’t fallen in love with Ji, this track might just do it. His voice is positively swoon-worthy – deep, steady and passionate. Is there anything he’s lacking?
Shannon‘s “Remember and Love”, Shine Or Go Crazy OST
Shannon initially rose to fame as the half-Korean who imitated IU’s voice perfectly on Hidden Singer, but it’s quite evident that her own singing style is quite distinct. While her voice really shines when she’s belting out the high notes with a slightly airy texture, her lower register is also really solid, providing a really beautiful oscillation within the song.
Park Seo-joon‘s “Letting You Go”, Kill Me Heal Me OST
Our resident Music Bank cutie-pie MV has released another OST single for the drama he’s in. While not an outstanding track on its own, I think the lyrics are just so heart-wrenching in the context of the drama, especially with the actor himself being the singer. Watching his dear sister grow up to be an impressive young lady, it takes a lot for him to recognize that she’s an independent woman who doesn’t need his protection anymore. With Ji and Park, the trend of getting the starring actors to participate in OSTs seem to be something that is well-received by the audience.
