Happy 1st Anniversary to this Seoulbeats OST segment! It’s definitely been eye-opening keeping a lookout for OSTs that might have slipped through the cracks but that are stellar releases on their own and deserve a listen. Hopefully, these roundups have been as fun for you as they were for me, and may we all pay a teeny-bit more attention to soundtracks from now on. Without further ado, let’s get started with March’s releases.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2dCaFH2Xb8
Ali‘s “I Love You, I’m Sorry”, Angry Mom OST
Ali’s haunting vocals manage to speak so much sorrow and heartache into this powerful message of a track. Her emotive delivery speaks volumes about a mom realizing her helplessness when faced with immoral societal habits attacking her daughter. Angry Mom has been tackling some pretty touchy issues regarding the education system in Korea, but the touching mother-daughter relationship is still the focal point here, highlighted by the deep lyrics of the song.
Jisung‘s “Manchurian Violet”, Kill Me Heal Me OST
Cha Do-hyun himself chose to remake this 1985 release by Cho Dong-jin as his contribution to the soundtrack. Even if Jisung is not a trained singer, his gentle voice somehow makes this track hit a little closer to home. And for the healing drama that Kill Me Heal Me was, “Manchurian Violet” does indeed feel like a soothing healing song just right for the mood of the drama.
Henry‘s “Road#Lies”, Persevere Gu Hae-ra OST
More Henry is always good in my book, especially when he re-arranges old favourites to something that is so uniquely him. It’s such a Henry thing to do, using guitars, waterdrops, wood, and other everyday objects to recreate the melody of the song. His thinner voices lends a more pop-ish feel to this 2002 release, and I love how this MV was filmed in a Mike Tompkins fashion — it’s just Henry and more split-screen Henry.
Another favourite remake of mine is Kwak Shi-young & Jinyoung’s cover of Panic’s “Station”. Sadly, Persevere has ended its run, so we can no longer enjoy their never-ending stream of remakes.
Seulong & Esna‘s “Destiny”, Hogu’s Love OST
A very simple track with just the bare bones of a piano accompaniment and two beautiful voices. Seulong’s higher-than-average register allows him to be a pretty good duet partner, and the resulting tender harmonies are really impressive. There’s minimal buildup and climax in the song, but the duet is conducted almost like a conversation, with two musical actors effortlessly singing their lines. For those who watched the drama, its really sweet how “Destiny” so perfectly describes the main couple who were each other’s first loves, but had to go through a lot of obstacles before they could easily fall into each other’s arms.
Also, check out Kyuhyun‘s accompanying track “Till I Reach Your Star”.
Spica‘s “Because Of You”, Super Daddy Yeol OST
It’s always great to see an underrated but talented group make their mark in the OST world, and Spica is precisely such a group. The quintet has a mix of sweet voices, powerful belts, and melodious harmonies — they can make anything sound good. Give them a pretty upbeat and catchy song, and ta-da, a jam is born!
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Readers, do you have a favourite from this past month?
