Our Ballad Season 2 - Episode 2
Sung by Han Ye-seul for the OST of the 2004 MBC sitcom 〈Nonstop 4〉, with words and music by Yoon Jong Shin. It won wide popularity for the unadorned voice of an actor rather than a professional singer, and was later remade by JeA, Kwon Jin-ah, Minseo (the June 2022 issue of 'Monthly Yoon Jong Shin') and others.
- A plain vocal tone, stripped of technique, that delivers the lyrics as they are
- Lightly bouncing rhythms and a bright acoustic arrangement befitting a sitcom theme
- A melody that builds its flutter little by little, then bursts open in the chorus
A track from Lee Sang-eun's fifth album, 《LEE SANG EUN》, released in January 1993. Lee Sang-eun wrote the words and music, with Ahn Jin-woo as co-composer; Ahn Jin-woo also arranged the album. It was her first song in a long while to be widely loved by the public, and its mood of looking back on bygone youth made it her signature song, later remade and covered by many younger singers.
- A verse that begins low, as if in reminiscence, and slowly swells
- Lee Sang-eun's distinctive phrasing, moving between murmur and song
- Over a modest accompaniment, an afterglow that grows with each return of the chorus
Released by Yudabin Band as a single on September 1, 2021, and included again on their first full-length album, 《Yudabin Band 1》, which came out on October 29 the same year. Yudabin wrote the words and music, and the arrangement was by Kang Shin-woong · Yudabin Band · Heo Eun-ji. The song drives an emotion that spreads like a fever through a full band sound, and an acoustic live version became well known alongside it.
- A dynamic structure that starts small and erupts with the whole band at once
- A refreshing, racing drive from the guitar riffs and drums
- The release of a vocal melody soaring high in the chorus
The title track of Tim's fourth full-length album, 《Love Is...》, released on October 24, 2007. It is counted as a hidden gem overshadowed by his signature song 「I Love You...」. After Parc Jae-jung's performance on 〈Superstar K5〉 brought it fresh attention, he remade it for his 2019 mini-album 《Lyrics》, and Muzie also released an official recording after performing it on 〈Yu Hee-yeol's Sketchbook〉.
- A restrained, piano-centered opening
- Soft vocal bends and breathing with a touch of R&B
- A climax that lifts the emotion to its very peak in the final chorus
Released by Patti Kim in April 2008, marking the 50th anniversary of her debut, and included on the 50th-anniversary album 《Journey of Dreams: 50 Years Cantabile》. Ha Kwang-hoon wrote the words and music. A song of gratitude and friendship offered to an old friend, it held an important place on her 2012 retirement album as well, and later became widely known again through a final-round stage on 〈Mister Trot 2〉.
- A grand scale built by a large orchestral arrangement
- Long-breathed melodic lines and the weight of precise diction
- A high-register passage that rushes to its peak with the late key change
The ninth track on Jaurim's tenth album, 《Jaurim》, released on June 22, 2018. It was their first full-length album in about five years since the ninth, and the band's first self-titled album. Guitarist Lee Sun-kyu wrote the words and music; it is an original Jaurim song, distinct from the standard of the same title in the 1939 film 〈The Wizard of Oz〉.
- A warm, guitar-centered sound, just what you'd expect from a Lee Sun-kyu song
- A lyrical, mid-tempo melody that flows gently
- A song that builds feelings of hope and comfort step by step
The title track of 《Sound Renovates A Structure》, the first and only studio album by Asoto Union, released in November 2003. The lyrics were written by Kim Banjang. The only band within the hip-hop crew Movement, the group won wide popularity with its funk·soul sound, and the song has since been remade many times.
- Bass and drums that lead a sticky, slow-burning groove
- Keyboard and guitar tones that call vintage soul to mind
- Relaxed vocal phrasing that eases off and leans into the rhythm
The title track of Maya's third album, 《Road To Myself》, released in 2006. It was written and composed by Lee Won-seok, vocalist of Daybreak. A rock number about the will to lift oneself back up, it is Maya's signature song and has long been sung as an anthem of encouragement.
- A build from a quiet opening that erupts into full rock-band sound
- Soaring high notes and powerful vocals belted out in the chorus
- Drum-driven momentum and an exhilaration that lasts to the very end