Angela's Favorite K-Drama OSTs of 2017

Original soundtracks are one of my favorite genres of music, and they stick with me for some time after I finish watching a drama. A drama’s OST makes up a large part of the story, as it adds more feeling to the scenes and may even have the power to affect your mood as you are watching. Even after you have finished the drama and just listen to the OST by itself, you may be reminded of the feelings you had encountered while watching the emotional scenes unfold in the drama. 

Since so many great OST tracks were produced this year, I thought I should share my favorites with you all :) There are very minor spoilers up ahead.

I suggest listening to the song as you read my thoughts on it! Enjoy!

Note: I do not consider dramas such as “Goblin” and “Legend of the Blue Sea” to be '2017 K-Dramas' because they began airing in 2016.

7. “Going Home”

"My scattered dreams
And this day that was hard to get through

It’ll pass like those hard times before
Even the white winter, made with sadness
Will pass when spring comes and flowers bloom

With the scent of you, who has left
I shed tears again today"

Full lyrics here or click "cc" on the video for English subs!

Artist: Tarin

K-Drama: School 2017

School 2017 didn't really click with me. I liked the plot in the beginning, but I found it repetitive as it progressed. However, this drama's OST tracks still stick with me. At first glance, it would seem that "Going Home" is a simple song with nothing special about it. With no fancy instrumentals or a catchy melody, I didn't really have a connection with this song right away either, but after I came upon the lyrics to this song, my view of this song changed completely. I took some time understanding this song's lyrics and found them really relatable. "Going Home" conveys the feelings of needing rest and forgetting difficult days, which are some reminders I need when going through hard times.

6. “Hallucination”

"As if you’ll run out of breath
With a bewildered face
You shout out loud
But the more you reveal the truth
The more it becomes a sin"

Full lyrics here and the video below has english subs too!

Artist: The Vane

K-Drama: Save Me

The K-Drama Save Me is a masterpiece, in my opinion, and is made even better with its remarkable OST tracks that really help bring out this drama’s dark feeling and shadowy atmosphere. “Hallucination,” sung by The Vane, is my favorite track. Each verse starts off softly, then builds up in a suspenseful way, ending in chains of cascading notes. The artist has a way of making his voice suited to the soft beginning, then transitioning to a completely different tone full of energy to match the exciting sections. From the drums incorporated into this song’s instrumentals, to the message delivered from its lyrics, this song truly has a powerful feel to it. 

5. “What I Want”

"I’m ready
No need to hesitate
Risking my future in danger
Cause I’m ready right now"

Full lyrics here

Artist: NiiHWA

K-Drama: Mad Dog

When I first heard Mad Dog’s OST, I knew that its tracks would go into my list of favorites! Though this drama only has a total of two tracks in its OST, I will never forget either of them. Choosing between the two tracks was a very hard choice for me, but I ended up choosing NiiHWA’s “What I Want” because I liked its K-Pop Style. With its upbeat rhythm and popping instrumental, this song could have a dance made for it and get passed off as a song produced by a boy group! “What I Want” tells the story of taking a risk, making this song pertain well to the drama. 

4. “The Memory Of That Day”

"Tears fall again
Memories of you fall again, I miss it all
If only I could go back to those days"

Full lyrics here

Artist: Kim Jong Wan (NELL)

K-Drama: Suspicious Partner

Suspicious Partner’s OST tracks cover a large range of styles and genres. Some songs are quirky and upbeat, while others are calm and relaxing. “The Memory Of That Day,” an acoustic song, has a nice dreamlike feel to it, especially since it was sung with Kim Jong Wan’s gentle voice. This song starts off in a relaxed tone, then heightens to a spirited display of emotion. What makes me love this song so much comes from its ability to make me feel what the characters felt in this story. This song’s lyrics reminisces about the past memories spent with someone whom you really cared about, and it has also made me think of the people I can’t see anymore.

3. “Dream”

"It felt like I could reach if I held out my hand
But why does it feel like I’m running in place?
It’s not enough yet, right?

If I wanna run again, I need to hold it in and get up
But there are so many things that make it hard to handle my reality"

Full lyrics here

Artist: Kim Min Jae, Younha

K-Drama: Hit the Top

My favorite character from Hit the Top is Lee Ji Hoon’s (played by Kim Min Jae). Even though Ji Hoon got turned down again and again despite his hard work, he fought until he achieved his dream. “Dream” illustrates this story really well through its deep lyrics, and listening to this song really inspires me to work towards my own dreams. In the beginning of this song, a feeling of hopefulness is expressed through Kim Min Jae's rapping. The song then transitions to a smooth flow of a melody sung by Younha, and the rest of the song alternates between the rapping and the singing, ending with a melodious overlap of both. Also, Kim Min Jae’s voice is really deep, making his rapping pleasant to listen to (he also wrote the lyrics himself).

2. “It’s You”

"Cause you’re the right time at the right moment
You’re the sunlight keeps my heart going
Know when I'm with you; Can’t keep myself from falling
Right time at the right moment
It's you"

Full lyrics here

Artist: Henry

K-Drama: While You Were Sleeping

I am pretty sure that While You Were Sleeping is the drama with best OST tracks of 2017. Though I didn’t like this drama's characters and plot that much, its OSTs will probably be sticking to me for a long time. Most of the songs have serene instrumentals and feel ethereal to suit this drama’s tone and theme. “It’s You” is my pick. Henry’s dreamy voice, along with the piano instrumental, make this song such a pleasure to listen to. In addition to that, “It’s You” is sung in english! I usually like english OSTs more than Korean ones, because I understand the song and can connect with the emotions in the scene right away. When I first heard this song playing as the episode was coming to an end, I knew it would be one of my favorites!

1. “AMEN”

"Pay close attention and go on your way
It’s best if you go on your own
I know, working hard doesn’t solve everything
But nothing will change if you just cry"

Full lyrics here 

Artist: Damiano (ft. Jenyer)

K-Drama: Lookout

Nearly all the songs in Lookout have a hip hop style and contain lit rapping. I am pretty sure that I am not alone when I say that “AMEN” is the best OST track of 2017. Not only does this song sound have a super catchy tune and sounds super badass and edgy, but the lyrics also have a deep meaning that relate to the drama. “AMEN” is a song that encourages independence and tells you to fight for yourself. "AMEN" plays in the very first scene of Lookout, and adds a great deal of fire to the events taking place in it.

Well that's my list of top 7 favorite OST tracks from 2017's K-dramas! If you would like more suggestions on great OST tracks to listen to, you can find a long list that I've compiled here.

What are your favorites from this year's share of OSTs?