Up and Coming Korean Idol Actors and Actresses
*Editor note: This was originally written in late December*
Earlier this year, I did a little countdown of some of my favorite OSTs from the first half of the year. Now that 2016 is coming to a close it's time to highlight some of my favorite original soundtracks from the second half of the year! The latter half of the year left us with no shortage of amazing dramas and OSTs to accompany them.
7) Forever Love - Haebin [gugudan] (Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim)
There is so much emotion in this track. I'm a huge fan of songs with soft verses that build up to epic and emotional choruses and bridges. Haebin's voice is sweet but steady and powerful which really helps convey the emotion of the track. I also think the drama has done a great job with when they use the song within the drama. It is always very fitting and gives impact to the story.
6) In The Illusion - Basick, INKII (W)
I've been pretty vocal about the fact that W was probably my favorite drama of 2016 and I think the OST boasted a lot of unique tracks that fit with the uniqueness of the story. I love the combination of rap with strong female vocals. I love the laid back feel of the rap verses with the emotion of the vocals. I think it makes for an extremely quality song.
5) For You - BTOB (Cinderella and the Four Knights)
Okay, confession... BTOB happens to be my favorite Kpop group so I am an automatic fan of everything they put out and when I heard they were doing an OST for CatFK, I knew I would love it. I think it was super fitting as the main OST of the drama. It was upbeat and relaxed and BTOB's vocals are always extremely pleasing to the ear. I looked forward to every time I heard it throughout the course of the drama.
4) Tiger Moth (Acoustic) - Monsta X (Shopping King Louie)
Monsta X is another Kpop group that I'm a huge fan of and I was completely obsessed with this OST while SKL was airing. The acoustic version fits so well with the scenes they used it for and I never get tired of hearing Kihyun's vocals. It was soft and sweet and really fits well with the light and innocent romance that Shopping King Louie showcased.
3) Love Story - Lyn (Legend of the Blue Sea)
Lyn is the OST queen, let's be real. She sings one of my all-time favorite kdrama OSTs (My Destiny from You Who Came from the Stars) and I think that any OST she sings strikes a chord in people's hearts. Her voice is just one you associate with romantic Kdrama ballads and I'm a huge fan of ballads, so it's not a surprise that I'm a huge fan of her and this song!
2) Forgetting You - Davichi (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo)
I'm sure many people are surprised that a Moon Lovers OST didn't take the top spot on this countdown considering how hard the drama shook the Kdrama community. Despite it not being number 1 on my list, the Moon Lovers soundtrack was beautiful and breathtaking and choosing one favorite was so hard for me. Davichi's OST just happened to be the one I found myself singing along to the most and that's usually a good indicator of a favorite for me. I keep talking about emotion because that tends to be one of the things that draws me to an OST. Moon Lovers had plenty of emotional songs to fit with an extremely emotional drama. Even thinking about it now is bringing back allllll the feels.
1) Main Theme - Instrumental (The K2)
So, number 1 on this list is a little different because that it's actually part of the instrumental soundtrack from The K2 but I am absolutely obsessed with it. From the very first second I heard the epic opening, I knew this score would be one of my favorite things about the drama and it definitely was. Instrumental scores are a huuuuge part of any drama, movie, or television show and the main theme from The K2 is absolutely gorgeous. The instruments and the choral vocals are just so beautiful and I think this score really set the mood and emotion for this drama a lot more than any of the actual OSTs did. Needless to say, I am 1000% in love with this score and I think it is completely deserving of the number 1 spot on this list.
So that's the list. My seven favorite tracks from the second half of 2016. If you go back through this article and the one I wrote earlier in 2016, I think you can definitely start to see a trend in the type of OSTs I'm drawn to. What were your favorite Kdrama OSTs from the second half of 2016? Or from 2016 as a whole?
