Sam Kim’s ‘Smile’ was used by the record label Unbound Entertainment Group and Recordsto create a music video in a metaverse environment. The race towards the metaverse never ends and there are already several platforms that want to position themselves as the leader of the music industry through immersive musical experiences.
A metaverse is a virtual world for which Facebook or Google, Nvidia, and Microsoft are deciding to bet to such an extent that Facebook has changed the name of their company to Meta. It is not any kind of new concept. We have already seen it in the cinematographic world, with movies like ‘Ready Player One‘, tv shows like ‘Black Mirror’.
Who is Sam Kim?
Kim Gun-ji (Sam Kim) is a Korean-American singer. He participated in the SBS audition program K-Pop Star Season 3 (2013) and finished runner-up. In that show, he was known for his very young age (15 at the time), his soulful guitar genius, and was characterized by his groovy guitar playing skills.
After a two-year hiatus, in 2016, he released two projects: the first part of his EP My Name is Sam and the full-length I Am Sam. On the lead single ‘No Sense’, Crush was featured.
In November 2018, after another two-year break, Sam Kim released his full-length studio album Sun and Moon. In the album, Sam showed his versatility in various genres such as R&B, jazz, hip-hop, acoustic, and pop ballad.
In June 2021, he came back with ‘The Juice’. It is a retro funk pop/hip-hop song with autobiographical content that expresses the energy, the various burdens that Sam Kim feels. It is an impressive song with kitsch lyrics that stand out.
Since the release of his first project, Sam Kim has been actively engaging in various music programs, collaborations, and expanding his musical capabilities by participating in composing, writing lyrics, and featuring various musicians including IU.
Sam Kim’s Metaverse Video
On, January 28, 2022, Sam Kim’s ‘Smile’ music video was released. It portrays a metaverse reality.
‘Smile’ is low-key questioning digital health and mental stability. Sam sings: ‘you won’t be here till tomorrow, till then, don’t be sad’. A virtual world that makes us feel that we are living a parallel reality is by definition highly addictive. This addiction is probably greater than that produced by video games. An ideal reality, which makes the brain believe that it is experiencing real and satisfactory situations, makes the brain secrete hormones such as dopamine. Therefore, our brain will always want more.
Sam Kim – Smile (Message about Social Relationships)
The visuals are colorful, joyous but the lyrics are quite important, philosophical. What is real and what is fantasy? The characters in the video are dancing. However, the words suggest isolation. A virtual universe may make us feel more isolated than ever, lose empathy and deteriorate, in general, socio-emotional skills. Last line of the song: ‘I love the way you f***ing smile’. For some, there is no problem with this line. Nevertheless, in this context, the use of the expletive is telling. Without real people to hug, touch, look into the eyes of, behaviors may change dramatically.
Looking for something closer and more human, the metaverse will allow us to interact with people who are physically far away in a more realistic way, to look at our body and our gestures reproduced by the sensors of the virtual reality helmet. We will be able to talk to each other, we will be able to walk through virtual worlds, and it will not matter where we connect from. We will even be able to express ourselves as we would like to be, and not how we physically are.
The metaverse will change our lives, for sure. Maybe the key to its success, the panacea to all of its potential problems is to just smile.
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Music videos are one of the best ways to create or develop the visual identity of a singer or a group. Their importance should not be taken too lightly, as they play a very important role in an artist’s promotion and image. More noticeable than a soundtrack, music videos offer significant reach to an increasingly large audience. A video must amalgamate creativity and technical prowess in order for it to stand out.
In addition, nowadays, a great deal of money is invested in music videos. Why? Because a music video will have more impact than the release of an album.
So, here are some of this year’s best music videos based on the combination of the public’s reception, the aesthetics, and the number of views (to a lesser extent).
There is no order in this list, at all.
IU(아이유) _ strawberry moon
Set in a fantasy world, IU is living the perfect love story. It is easy to grasp her emotions when you watch this video as she wears her heart on her sleeve. This is a great cradle song.
It seems like they have already been on the metaverse. In this video, they are dancing with their metaverse avatars. The visuals are set against a backdrop of a futuristic world. ‘Savage’ was only their third video but they hit hard.
In the video, JEON SOMI’s boyfriend cheated on her. Because of that, she is showing how great of a badass she is. Causing a mess, breaking, destroying things, and even blowing up her boyfriend’s car. SOMI is unstoppable. The cutest part is her dad’s cameo in the music video.
Through this video, Jessi made a lot of people know about the show Street Woman Fighter. She featured all dance crews and only appeared in the last 50 seconds. The dancers gleamed with astounding skills.
In just a little over a year since their debut, aespa has received a few honorable nominations i.e. Daesangs. It is not surprising they won the Best Dance Performance Female Group, at the 2021 MAMA.
This is one of the songs/videos Korean people have enjoyed the most in 2021. It is emotional and not mainstream. Therefore, the elders loved it as it reminded them of their youth. This song/video allowed people to rekindle memories and emotions associated with a particular event.
Of course, they have to be here. ‘Smooth like butter’. Yes, throughout the whole video, they displayed smooth dance moves, smooth decors, smooth transitions. The colors can do nothing but ‘melt your heart’.
Here, LISA is showing off her versatility. She is rapping, dancing, and singing. The dance moves captivate the audience and her confidence can be felt through the cameras. The visuals draw you in. And the first seconds, in the background, we can read ‘money is a terrible master but an excellent servant’. What does it mean?
The video is very original as it focuses on one dancer who, from the start to the end, is fighting against herself. This duality, this yin and yang shows how complementarity is crucial. Because, at the end of the video, the two opposing forces were dancing together.
You can say whatever you want about LISA but she is super confident. In the first seconds, she made it clear: “You know just from looking at my back…I shake up the world”. The video is a display of LISA’s delicacy and boastfulness. A lot of sets and outfits. “From Thailand to Korea, and here, went for the throat”. How to express it better than sitting on a golden throne?
The song is energetic. And as for the visuals, their outfits were flashy and the refulgent colors just set the mood. Besides those points, it was also exciting to see them put on a whole show.
Dance performance-wise, they definitely are at the top. The choreography is pleasing to watch. As the title indicates, for a better video experience, focus on their eyes, their facial expressions and notice how telling they are.
They made their debut in early December and ‘ELEVEN’ became the best-selling debut album by a K-Pop girl group, the same-title video is the most-viewed 2021 debut MV.
The choppiness of the beat on the video makes it catchy. The slowdowns play with the listener’s sensations. They confess their love to a person and they just feel untroubled.
They have garnered a lot of attention since their album release. We can’t wait for their comeback in 2022.
Baekhyun is the first to be awarded best male artist 3 times in a row at the MAMA. With this heartfelt song, he delivered a great performance both musically and visually. The inspiration from Michael Jackson is conspicuous. With this R&B song, his melodic voice, and the visuals, Baekhyun is reminding people what they are going to miss out on if they do not hop on the train.
The sextet debuted in 2019 and has been living up to the hype. On “FIRST”, they are showing people that they are ready to fight, ready to do whatever it takes. And for that, they are in their battle uniform. They executed a very intense choreography with breathtaking transitions. The music itself motivates and makes you want to strive for more.
2021 was rich in talent and visuals. Obviously, there are other great, deserving music videos that could be on this list. Next year’s music will, for sure, be more phenomenal, knowing how competitive artists are.
2021 was an amazing year in terms of the number of albums, songs, and OST’s we have received. Of course, Korean groups get a lot of attention, but we wanted to shine a nice light on the solo artists as well, as they are absolutely amazing. So here are a few of the best Korean solo artists who we thought could be on this list. There is no order in this list, so we’re not saying one is better than the other.
Everyone knows IU. She is one of the solo artists who was always a solo artist, and some people may not know her songs, but they do know her. Every single year she is growing with her album sales and her socials and that also happened this year. With her album ‘Lilac’ she got her highest personal record for first-week sales. For just the first week of Lilac being released, she sold over 280.000 copies! On Spotify alone, she has over 5.5 million listeners per month. With the growth that she made and with everyone knowing her name, she definitely deserves to be on this list of best Korean solo artists.
Taemin is of course also part of this list of best Korean solo artists. Everyone knows his songs and his dances. In May, just before he went to the army, he released an album named ‘Advice’. The album didn’t get a lot of promotion and of course after Taemin himself was in the army. Regardless of not a lot of promotion, Taemin still was able to sell over 64.000 copies on just its first day, which is of course amazing. On Spotify as well, he has over 1.5 million listeners per month, even though he is in the army.
Lisa. The photo was taken from K-pop Database – Celine Photoshoot
Lisa was a whole hit in September and October with her album ‘Lisa’. Especially the songs ‘Lalisa’ and ‘Money’ became a hit. ‘Lalisa’ became a big hit on its own, while ‘Money’ became the TikTok sound for Squid Game videos, which was of course very unexpected that this would happen. In total, she sold over 950.000 albums, with pre-orders included. Not only did she sell a lot, but she also has an insane amount of listeners. On just Spotify alone she has over 25 million listeners per month. Which is fantastic for a first-time solo artist and therefore she also definitely deserves to be on this list of best Korean solo artists.
Another amazing artist. Taeyeon came back with a song called ‘Weekend’ back in July. It’s a very catchy song, that will be stuck in your head for days. Taeyeon also got nominated for a Mnet Asian Music Award, for the section Best Dance Performance – Solo. And just for that, she should be on this list of best Korean solo artists. She also has a lot of listeners, at this moment she has over 2.8 million listeners on Spotify per month.
Not only is he also number 10 in the list of most sold albums of 2021, with over 1 million albums sold on just his latest album, but he is also nominated for Best Male Artist for MAMA 2021. Which is quite amazing, since he has been in the army since May. Even while he is away, he is still showing his impact with his music onto this world, with over 2 million listeners per month on just Spotify and the sales of his albums keep on going up.
If you listen to K-pop you would have definitely heard some of the songs of this wonderful artist, Chungha. You might not know her name, even though she is amazing, but you will know her songs as they are often used for trends or played on the streets and at shops. Per month she has over 2.5 million listeners on Spotify, which is also an amazing number.
Best Korean solo artists in Korean Hip Hop and R&B
We not only want to show light on the K-pop industry but also the lesser-known/listened to genres for this list of best Korean solo artists.
DPR LIVE
DPR LIVE. The photo was taken from I-D Magazine – VICE
DPR LIVE was first a member of the dance crew Newest Crew. His first EP was released at the start of 2017 and since then he has been growing and growing. For his music videos, he has an average of 3.5 million views which is great. On Spotify alone, he has 1.7 million listeners each month. Not only that, but three of his music videos are even nominated for the music video of the year at the Korean HipHop awards 2021.
Ash Island might be a lesser-known artist, but he is also growing each and every year. Just two weeks ago he released a new music video and it already has 108.000 views which is a really good number of views for a rapper. Not only that but his most listened to song this year was also a song that was released this year with over 4.8 million listenings. So you can definitely say he has an impact. On Spotify, he has over 350.000 listeners per month.
You might know Heize since she is quite popular and is signed by P Nation. Her music video that was released earlier this year already has over 13.4 million views and her views and listeners keep on growing and growing. She has also been nominated for multiple awards this year of which one is Best Female Artist, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Vocal Performance, and a Female Solo Singer Popularity award. Besides that, she has already won an award this year: Female Vocalist. On Spotify as well she has over 1.5 million listeners per month. And so she definitely deserves to be on this list of best Korean solo artists.
And last but not least, Sam Kim. You may know him from his OST for the drama ‘Nevertheless’ with the song ‘Love Me Like That’, which is not crazy, since it is also his most popular song at the moment, with over 54 million listens on just Spotify. He also has the most monthly listeners in this part of the list, with over 3.9 million listeners per month.
Of course, more artists deserve to be on this list of best Korean solo artists besides these, as they all did well. These were just a few who we really wanted to highlight, because of either their exceptional growth or their amount of nominations. To all artists, such a great job you’ve done this year!
As you may have noticed, a lot of Korean albums have been released (60+ to be exact). Out of those albums we went to see which artists sold the most amount and with what album. So here is a wonderful top 10 with the most sold albums of this year. If you want to see all the Korean albums, click here.
Baekhyun – Bambi
Albums sold: 1.005.467
Who is Baekhyun?
Byun Baekhyun was born on May 6, 1992. He came into SM in 2011, which makes him quite old for a trainee. Luckily for Baekhyun he only was fourth months in the training before SM moved in to the soon-to-debut training group, in which he trained for another seven months together with the others. Later In April, 2012, the group EXO debuted, of which Baekhyun is the main vocalist. Seven years after debut, Baekhyun got his first solo album and he has released a total of four solo albums since then, of which one is Japanese.
The Bambi Album
This Korean album was released on March 30, 2021, just before Baekhyun went to the army. The album is his third mini album (excluding the Japanese album) and has a total of six songs. The name ‘Bambi’ has two meanings – The cute deer we all know from Disney, and night rain in Korean. The album has two versions of which one goes with the cute deer aesthetic while the other one goes with the night rain aesthetic. The latter one has the same aesthetic as the music video.
Click here to see the music video for this Korean album
The album versions of the album Bambi by Baekhyun. Photo taken from Yesasia
ENHYPEN – Dimension: Dilemma
Albums sold: 1.139.099
Who is ENHYPEN?
ENHYPEN debuted just a year ago, on November 30, 2020. So it is really impressive to see them on this list already. The group exists out of a total of seven members: Sung-Hoon (Born: December 8, 2002), Jungwon (Born: February. 9, 2004), Sunoo (Born: June 24, 2003), Heeseung (Born: October 15, 2001), Jay (Born: April 20, 2002), Jake(Born: November 15, 2002) and Ni-ki (Born: December 9, 2005). ENHYPEN has a total of two albums, which is not so crazy, regarding the fact they only debuted a year ago.
The Dimension: Dilemma Album
Dimension: Dilemma was released on October 12, 2021 and is their very first full album. The name of the album comes back in the music video, where you travel through dimensions via a ball. In the video you can also see the members struggle to decide which path they should follow. The album itself has three different versions, with each a different aesthetic, which also kind of gives of the different dimension feeling.
Click here to see the music video for this Korean album
The album versions of Dimension:Dilemma by ENHYPEN. Photo taken from HYBE Labels
Stray Kids – Noeasy
Albums sold: 1.272.822
Who is Stray Kids?
The group trained together since 2017, but they officially debuted on March 25, 2018 with an album. Stray Kids has a total of seven members: Hyunjin (Born: March 20, 2000), Felix (Born: September 15, 2000), Bang Chan (Born: October 3, 1997), Lee Know (Born: October 25, 1998), Han (Born: September 14, 2000), Jeongin (Born: February 8, 2001), Changbin (Born: August 11, 1999) and Seungmin (Born: September 22, 2000). At first the group existed out of eight members, but Woojin left the group because of some scandals and personal circumstances. Stray Kids have two full albums, tow compilation albums, one reissue, eight EP’s and eighteen singles.
The Noeasy album
The album was released on August 23, 2021, making it the second full album Stray Kids has released. The title of the Korean album is a play on the word ‘Noisy’, because the members want to leave a loud impact on the world with their music. The album has a total of two versions (limited version excluded). The main colours are black and then for one version bright green and for the other bright purple. Giving it like the ‘light in the dark because of the noise’ aesthetic.
Click here to see the music video for this Korean album
The album versions of Noeasy by Stray Kids. Photo taken from Music Plaza
NCT Dream – hello future
Albums sold: 1.276.645
Who is NCT Dream?
NCT Dream debuted on August 25, 2016 with the single ‘Chewing Gum’. They were. The third NCT group to debut, before NCT 127 and NCT U debuted. This means that two members of NCT Dream debuted before the other members. At first NCT Dream was the under 20 squad, but SM changed this after last year. NCT Dream has a total of seven members: Mark (Born: August 2, 1999), Jaemin (Born: August 13, 2000), Jeno (Born: April 23, 2000), Renjun (Born: March 23, 2000), Haechan (Born: June 6, 2000), Chenle (Born: November 22, 2001) and Jisung (Born: February 5, 2002).NCT Dream has five EP’s and one full album.
The Hello Future album
The Hello Future album is the repackage of the Hot Sauce album and was released on June 28, 2021. The main idea for this album is growth, growth for the world and for every individual, constructing and hoping for a brighter future. The album has two versions, both have a hippie kind of vibe to them mixed with a warm and welcoming aesthetic.
Click here to see the music video for this Korean album
The album versions of Hello Future by NCT Dream. Photo taken from SM Entertainment
6. EXO – Don’t fight the feeling
Albums sold: 1.334.682
Who is EXO?
EXO debuted on April 8, 2012 with a total of 12 members. Three of those members left EXO in 2014 and 2015. Which now makes EXO nine. Out of these nine, one of the members is also in this list as a solo artist, yes Baekhyun (Born: May 6, 1992). The other members are: Kai (Born: January 14, 1994), Chen (Born: September 21, 1992), D.O (Born: January 12, 1993), Chanyeol (Born: November 27, 1992), Sehun (Born: April 12, 1994), Suho (Born: May 22, 1991), Xiumin (Born: March 26, 1990) and Lay (Born: October 7, 1991). EXO has seven full albums, four live albums, 52 music videos, 7 Eps and 28 singles.
The Don’t Fight the Feeling album
The Don’t Fight the Feeling album is considered an extra special album from EXO to EXOL. This Korean album was made just before Baekhyun and Chanyeol went to the army and was released after they were already there. The concept of this album goes together with the whole concept of EXO and their superpowers. The Don’t Fight The Feeling album takes place in spaceships and outer space planets. The album has two all group member versions and then each member also has their own version.
Click here to see the music video for this Korean album
The album versions of Don’t Fight the Feeling by EXO. Photo taken from Shawolzen (YouTube)
5. Seventeen – your choice
Albums sold: 1.465.781
Who is Seventeen?
Seventeen debuted back in 2015 on May 26 on MBC. The group has a total of thirteen members, who are divided into three sub-units as well: ‘Hip-hop unit’, ‘Vocal Unit’ and ‘Performance Unit’.
The members are: Jeong-Han (Born: October 4, 1995), Mingyu (Born: April 6, 1997), Hoshi (Born: June 16, 1996), Junhui (Born: June 10, 1996), Joshua (Born: December 30, 1995), Wonwoo (Born: July 17, 1996), Woozi (Born: November 22, 1996), DK (Born: February 18, 1997), Vernon (Born: February 18, 1998), Minghao (Born: November 7, 1997), S.COUPS (Born: August 8, 1995), Dino (Born: February 11, 1999) and Seungkwan (Born: January 16, 1998). Seventeen has three full albums, one compilation albums, twelve EPs and thirty-three music videos.
The Your Choice album
The Your Choice album is the eighth EP of Seventeen and was released on June 18, 2021. Seventeen wants to convey their respect for the other’s choice and preferences. The album shows a more mature approach to love. The album has a total of three versions, that goes back to the album name: ‘One Side’ meaning one’s opinion, the ‘Other Side’ meaning the other opinion and ‘Beside’. The ‘One Side’ version has a vintage look. The ‘Other Side’ has a magazine feel and then the ‘Beside’ version has both of these aesthetics in one album.
Click here to see the music video for this Korean album.
The album versions of Your Choice by Seventeen. Photo taken from Mokketshop
Seventeen – attaca
Albums sold: 1.993.307
The Attaca album
Attaca is the ninth EP of Seventeen and was released on October 22, 2021. Attaca is derived from the Italian term ‘attaccare’, which is a musical direction used at the end of a movement to signify that the next should begin without pause, also known as: attack at once. The album has also three versions, a white one, black and a red one.
Click here to see the music video for this Korean album
The album versions of Attaca by Seventeen. Photo taken from KpopMart
3. NCT Dream – Hot Sauce
Albums sold: 2.081.267
The Hot Sauce album
The Hot Sauce album is the very first full Korean album of the unit NCT Dream. The album has a total of three version: ‘Boring’. ‘Crazy’ and ‘Chilling’. The insides really correspond with the names of the versions, while also still being connected to the design of the music video.
Click here to see the music video for this Korean album
The album versions of Hot Sauce by NCT Dream. Photo taken from Gaon Music Chart
NCT 127 – Sticker
Albums Sold: 2.391.193
Who is NCT 127?
NCT 127 was the first sub-unit that doesn’t change, after NCT U (NCT U does change the members), that debuted. They debuted on July 7, 2016. NCT 127 has officially ten members, but one of them (Winwin) hasn’t been in a comeback with NCT 127 for a few years now.
The other members, who were included in this comeback are: Yuta (Born: October 26, 1995), Jaehyun (Born: February 14, 1997), Taeyong (Born: July 1, 1995), Jungwoo (Born: February 19, 1998), Mark (Born: August 2, 1999), Haechan (Born: June 6, 2000), Johnny (Born: February 9, 1995), Doyoung (Born: February 1, 1996) and Taeil (Born: June 14, 1994). As you may have noticed, two of these members are also in the NCT Dream sub-unit. They are therefore three times on this list. NCT 127 has nine studio albums, fourteen EPs, thirty-nine singles and five repackages.
The Sticker album
The Sticker album is the third full album of the group NCT 127 and it was released only a few months ago on September 17, 2021. The Korean album has a total of three versions. One of them is very much the aesthetic of the promotion photos, bright green and purple. The other one who is the same size, has photos taken in the night sky of Seoul. And the last one has photos from the music video set. The album aesthetics are therefore very different from one another.
Click here to see the music video for this Korean album
The album versions of Sticker by NCT127. Photo was taken from Shopee
BTS – Butter
Albums sold: 2.926.756
Who is BTS?
BTS or the Bulletproof Boyscouts or their other English name: Beyond The Scene, debuted on June 12, 2013. Their fandom is one of the biggest in the world right now after gaining exceptional growth In the latest years.
The group has a total of seven members: Jungkook (Born: September 1, 1997), V (Born: December 30, 1995), Jimin (Born: October 13, 1995), Jin (Born: December 4, 1992), Yoongi (Born: March 9, 1993), RM (Born: September 12, 1994) and J-Hope (Born: February 18, 1994). BTS has nine studio albums, six compilation albums, three single albums and one soundtrack album. The group stand for loving yourself and they have made quite some songs with ‘Love yourself’ as the message.
The Butter album
The Butter album was released on May 21, 2021. The album has two different versions: ‘Butter: Peaches’ and ‘Butter: Cream’. The peaches one is more orange while the cream version is yellow. Both giving a summery but buttery aesthetic.
Click here to see the music video for this Korean album
The album versions of Butter by BTS. The photo was taken from Kpop Mart.
If you are interested in watching a video summarizing all this information instead, check out the video below!
What are the best K-drama OSTs of 2021? OSTs are one of the best parts of K-dramas. They are catchy, some are underrated and highlights the emotion moments in the drama. They also provide a glimpse of the character’s current emotion state. Therefore, no K-dramas can be made without OSTs. This year K-dramas have given us beautiful and catchy OSTs. Here are the 10 Best K-drama OSTs of 2021:
Let Me Be is the original soundtrack of the K-drama “The Penthouse season 3”. It was sung by Baek Z Young. It is one of Baek Z Young’s popular K-drama OSTs.
Synopsis of the K-drama
The Penthouse revolves around wealthy families living in Hera Palace. A woman who wants to enter the high society by becoming the head of a luxury 100th floor penthouse apartment. It premiered on October 26, 2020 and continued till September 10, 2021 with total 3 seasons.
Baek Z Young is a popular South Korean singer. Over her career she has released her 8 Studio albums, six compilation albums, two video albums and thirty-four singles. She has sung OSTs of many popular K-dramas like- “That Woman” for drama Secret Garden, “Spring Rain” for drama Gu Family Book, “Is Crying” for drama Good Doctor, “If” for drama The King’s Affection etc.
Adrenaline is the original soundtrack of the K-drama “Vincenzo” and it was sung by Solar (Kim Yong-sun). It is one of the popular K-drama OSTs of 2021.
Synopsis of the K-drama
The story revolves around a Korean-Italian guy who was adopted by an Italian family, who later on joins a mafia and becomes lawyer and consigliere for the mafia.
Solar (Kim Yong-sun) is a popular South Korean singer and songwriter. She is the leader of the girl group Mamamoo. “Spit it Out” was her solo debut single that came out on April 23, 2020. She has sung OSTs for other K-dramas like- “Blue Bird” for drama Run On, “Always, Be With You” for drama Lovers Of The Red Sky and “Star” for drama Twenty Again.
My Name is the original soundtrack of the K-drama of the same name “My Name”. It was sung by Hwang Sang Jun. This K-drama is one of the popular dramas of 2021 and as well as the “My Name” has become one of the popular K-drama OSTs of 2021.
Synopsis of the K-drama
This thriller/action K-drama revolves around a girl who joins a gang who wants to avenge her father’s death and later on goes undercover as cop.
Hwang Sang Jun is a South Korean singer and composer. He has composed songs for popular movies like “Midnight”, “The Negotiation”, “Money” and K-dramas like “Extracurricular” and “My Name”.
4. I’m In The Mood For Dancing- Yuju (True Beauty)
I’m In The Mood for dancing is the original soundtrack of the K-drama “True Beauty” and one of the popular K-drama OSTs of 2021. It was sung by Yuju.
Synopsis of the K-drama
True Beauty K-drama is based on the webtoon of the same name. It revolves around an 18 year old high school student who has an inferiority complex as she has been discriminated by her peers and even by her family regarding her appearance. But she starts learning make up techniques and stay hidden behind it.
Choi Yu-na who is known for her stage name ‘Yuju’ is a popular South Korean singer and former member of the girl group “GFriend”. She is also the first Korean female idol who became the winner of Fantastic Duo 2. She sang original soundtracks for K-dramas like- “First Day” for drama Was It Love?, “Secret” for drama Alice, “Falling” for drama Run On, “Snowflake Love” for drama My Strange Hero, “Stay” for drama Police University and “Spring is Gone by Chance” for drama The Girl Who Sees Smells.
One and Only is the original soundtrack of the K-drama “The King’s Affection”. It was sung by Lyn.
Synopsis of the K-drama
It’s a historical drama based on Joseon era. It tells the story of a pair of royal twins where a girl is abandoned, but later on she forced to disguise as a crown prince after her twin brother dies.
Lee Se-jin who is known by her stage name LYn is a popular South Korean singer. Till date she has released her 10 studio albums. She sang original soundtracks “Back in Time” for drama Moon Embracing the Sun, “My Destiny” for drama My Love From The Star, “Such person” for Oh My Venus, “Love” for Are you Human?.
Breaking Down is the original soundtrack of the K-drama “Doom At Your Service” It was sung by Ailee. It is one of the popular K-drama OSTs of 2021.
Synopsis of the K-drama
This K-drama revolves around a girl who lost her parents at an early age and suffers from brain tumour. A guy enters her life who is a middle manager between God and humans and makes a 100 days contract with her.
Amy Lee who is known by her stage name ‘Ailee’ is a Korean-American singer and songwriter. She sang OSTs for dramas like- “Tears Stole The Heart” for drama Secret Love, “Goodbye My Love” for drama You Are My Destiny, “The Poem of Destiny” for drama Arthdal Chronicles and “When Your Tears Wet My Eyes” for drama Lovers of the Red Sky.
Like a Star is the original soundtrack of the K-drama “Yumi’s Cells”. It was sung by DoYoung.
Synopsis of the K-drama
The drama revolves around an ordinary working woman who has cells in her brain that represents emotions like violence, love, good, bad and rationality. These cells works actively for her and deal with her troubles and emotions.
Kim Dong-Young who is professionally known as DoYoung is a South Korean singer and actor. He is also a member of the boy group NCT. He also starred in the television drama Midnight Café Season 3-The Curious Stalker. He sang OSTs for K-dramas like- “Hard For Me” for drama Rich Man, “Night Air” for drama Café Midnightand “Like A Star” for drama Yumi’s Cells.
8. Romantic Sunday- Car, the Garden (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha)
Romantic Sunday is the original soundtrack of the K-drama “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” and one of the popular K-drama OSTs of 2021. It was sung by Car, the Garden.
Synopsis of the K-drama
This romantic drama revolves around a dentist who moves to a seaside village where she meets jack-of-all-trades who is totally opposite of her and slowly they start liking each other.
Cha Jung-won who is known by his stage name ‘Car, the Garden’ is a South Korean singer. He sang many OSTs for K-dramas like- “Lie” for drama Two Cops, “Nothing” for drama Secret Mother, “Happy Ending” for drama True Beauty and “Empty” for drama Beyond Evil.
Starlight is the OST which belongs to True Beauty K-drama. It was sung by Kang Chan-hee. It is one of the popular K-drama OSTs of 2021.
Synopsis of the K-drama
True Beauty K-drama is based on the webtoon of the same name. It revolves around an 18 year old high school student who has an inferiority complex as she has been discriminated by her peers and even by her family regarding her appearance. But she starts learning make up techniques and stay hidden behind it.
Kang Chan-hee is also known by his stage name ‘Chani’ is a South Korean singer and actor. He has also worked as a child actor in many K-dramas. He also sang “How Do You Do” for this same K-drama True Beauty.
To My One and Only You is the original soundtrack of the historical K-drama “Mr. Queen”. It was sung by Xiumin. It is one of the popular K-drama OSTs of 2021.
Synopsis of the K-drama
This funny historical drama revolves around a modern chef who after an accident travels in the past and gets trapped in the body of a Queen from Joseon era and has to deal with the events of the historical time.
Kim Min-Seok is a South Korean singer and actor who is professionally known by his stage name ‘Xiumin’. He is also a member of the South Korea-Chinese boy group “EXO”. He sang “You Are The One” for drama Falling for Challenge, “For You” for drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, “. He has also done minor roles in web dramas EXO Next Door and Falling For Challenge.
Why should these K-drama OSTs be on your playlists?
These are the Best K-drama OSTs of 2021. As I said earlier OSTs are one of the important parts of K-dramas. They represent emotions in the dramas, whether its happiness, sadness, romance, thrilling and action moments in the drama. Without OSTs dramas become boring as you need some songs that compliments the emotions and sequence of the drama.
Which one of these is your favorite OST? Let us know your favorite OST singer.
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