The Best Korean Drama OST Albums of 2016

Every winter, I turn to the warmth and comfort that Korean dramas and OSTs radiate. I decided to look back and put the spotlight on some of the releases that caught my eye. Nothing quite captures the cozy aura of winter better than emotional Korean drama ballads. Also, the fact that I'm writing this as a new year begins is mostly because of Age of Youth, the beautifully written drama, that captured my attention and became one of favorite dramas of all time. Thus began my deep dive yet again into the world of Korean dramas (Signal, Misaeng, My Lawyer, Mr. Jo, Angry Mom, etc) and its soundtracks. 

There was a span of about a year where I hardly watched any dramas because of a lack of interest and disenchantment. Because of that, I missed last year's OST scene. It was unfortunate because dramas and OSTs introduced me to world of South Korean cinema and since then, I have even become a dedicated OST listener more than a drama viewer.

To put forth the most comprehensive and objective list humanely possible, I first went through the list of dramas on AsianWiki for this year and then searched for their OSTs on MelOn and subsequently on Spotify. In an effort to make this list inclusive, I went through and listened to about 75+ different OSTs albums, mini albums and single albums. In the last month, I listened to 500+ songs before deciding on the best ones and the chose to highlight the highest-rated albums here. The process gave me a more realized perspective on the prolificacy of the Korean drama scene and almost overwhelmed me. 

Before I begin, I want to reiterate the fact that this list is subjective and reflects my taste in music, which might be different from yours. Without further ado, I present to you some of my favorite Korean drama OST albums of 2016, beginning with 10 that were strong contenders and definitely worth checking out.

20. Come Back Mister

Favorites: Once Again, Because It is Love, When I Close My Eyes
Listen to the album here.

19. Sweet Stranger and Me

Favorites: You and I
Listen to the album here. 

18. Jealousy Incarnate

Favorites: Step Step, Far Away
Listen to the album here.

17. Entourage

Favorites: 2night
Listen to the album here.

16. Our Gab-soon

Favorites: Don't Come to Me
Listen to the album here.

15. Lucky Romance

Favorites: Tell Me, Lean on Me
Listen to the album here.

14. Cheese in The Trap

Favorites: Such, Silent Sorrow
Listen to the album here.

13. Rude Miss Young-Ae: Season 15

Favorites: Good Night Have a Nice Dream
Listen to the album here.

12. Oh My Geum-bi

Favorites: Good Day, You, I'm Fine
Listen to the album here.

11. Uncontrollably Fond

Favorites: Say Goodbye, Shower
Listen to the album here.

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BEST KOREAN DRAMA OST ALBUMS OF 2016 
(only those with 7+ songs considered)
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10. ENTERTAINER OST

Favorites: Lost Child, To Your Dream, Send Me Your Pictures
Listen to the album here.

There's enough standout tracks in the album to garner it a spot here. Han Seo Yoon sings the touching lyrics beautifully in Lost Child with a wonderful mix of instruments from piano to drums backing her. The album works mostly because the producers don't try to do too much. The songs borrow from a wide variety of genres (indie rock, hip-hop, etc.) but the tracks retain and don't stray too far from their pop foundation. Suran's To Your Dream is really easy on the ears with her smooth vocals. Gaeko with his sharp but smooth rap verses dazzles in Send Me Your Pictures and Eunji puts in an emotional performance in A Love Before.

9. THE LEGEND OF THE BLUE SEA OST

Favorites: Love Story, You Are My World, Lean on Me
Listen to the album here.

I expected the soundtrack to blow me out of the water so it was a little disappointing seeing that the producers had taken zero risks. It was made even more apparent because of the fierce competition from Goblin and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo. Don't get me wrong, the tracks are solid enough to land a spot on the list but they're a bit on the monotonous side so don't manage to stay memorable. The album starts off strong with LYn though the misplaced and unnecessary english lyrics bring down the quality of the track. Yoon Mirae and Jung Yup also make the most of what they're given. I know I'm being a little harsh here but disappointment can be powerful.

8. WEIGHTLIFTING FAIRY KIM BOK-JOO OST

Favorites: You and I, Dream, Is It Love
Listen to the album here.

The sweet and bubbly feelings of joy just radiate from the soundtrack, which creates a very uplifting atmosphere. The arrangement stays grounded to its indie pop base while featuring notable indie artists like Han Hee Jung and Standing Egg. In You and I, Kim Jong Wan breezes through a lighter but still Nell-esque sound. Dream is one of the mellower tracks along with Is It Love but they don't stand out like a sore thumb. The album is very lighthearted and certainly something that would be good to listen to on a sunny day. 

7. SIGNAL OST

Favorites: Reminiscence, The Road, A Happy Person, As Flower Blooms
Listen to the album here.

Signal was for me, without a doubt, the best drama of the year and one of my favorites along with Age of Youth and My Lawyer, Mr. Jo. The soundtrack similarly excels in evoking feelings of admiration and nostalgia with its blend of classic and modern tunes. The producers accomplish that mostly by pursuing an indie/folk rock sound with traditional arrangements while bringing together vocalists with deep and rich voices. I'm reminded of the drama's brilliance every time I listen to the soundtrack. I can't remember the number of times I listened to the contrasting A Happy Person that stands out with its mellow tunes. However, the highlight of the soundtrack stands to be Jaurim's Kim Yuna and Lee Seung Yul's performances.

6. W OST

Favorites: Please Say Something Though It's A Lie, Where Are You, Falling, In the Illusion
Listen to the album here.

The soundtrack of W perfectly complements its unique plot. The tension in the vocal, lyrical and instrumental arrangement is palpable and so is a sense of urgency that no doubt relates to the drama. All the vocalists with Inkii, Jung Joon Young and Park Boram in particular bring to life the drama's deep duality about existence. I felt that the songs were perfectly curated right after my initial listen even though I haven't seen more than four episodes of the drama. Inkii emerges as a star with a breathtaking performance in In The Illusion. I liked that the lyrics for Where Are You? directly related to the story of the drama. It doesn't get any more obvious than "Whether I go to you or you come to me. Let's be under the same sky. (1)"

5. GOBLIN OST

Favorites: Beautiful, I Miss You

Listen to the album here.

Though I took a break from the drama to complete this post, I have been listening intently to the soundtrack. The overall sound is R&B heavy and therefore, very subdued and sweet. Even though the restrained arrangement is refreshing, some of tracks suffer drawbacks because of it. Nevertheless, it pays off in Beautiful and I Miss You because of Crush and Soyou's distinct and smooth vocals. Punch also shines in Stay With Me and cements herself as an emerging vocalist and one to keep an eye on along with Inkii. The drama has also impressed me with the way they've used their songs. The synergy between what we're hearing and seeing is so incredible that it's no surprise Goblin is has taken Korea by storm. 

4. ANOTHER MISS OH OST

Favorites: Like A Dream, Maybe I, If It Is You, I'll Be There, Till The End of Time, Scattered

Listen to the album here.

I read music reviews of my favorite albums from time to time and sometimes scroll through on Pitchfork to learn how to write about music. Many music reviewers adhere to the repeatability factor (how albums fare under multiple plays) as the benchmark in critiquing music. The soundtrack to Another Miss Oh passes that high bar and for me, also fares exceptionally well in the download-and-keep factor. The most impressive thing about the album is the fact that the songs flow remarkably well together. The arrangements don't go over the top and the album benefits from that simplicity. I wonder if having seen 3/4 of the drama made the soundtrack more memorable or diminished its effectiveness for me but nothing I can do about it now. I'm just grateful I get to enjoy good music.

3. MOON LOVERS: SCARLET HEART RYEO OST

Favorites: Say Yes, All With You, Can You Hear My Heart, My Love
Listen to the album here.

The album's strength is in its variety. There really is something for everyone here in a musical sense. It does have its fillers but succeeds with contributions from Epik High, Lee Hi, Taeyeon and Punch. In Say Yes and Can You Hear My Heart, the calming and infectious choruses sprinkled beside the rap verses work to full effect. Can You Hear My Heart is particularly moving because of its haunting tunes that highlight the powerful combination of Epik High and Lee Hi. Taeyeon singing formally in All With You in the same fashion as the way characters talk in sageuks adds additional color to an already breathtaking song. The soundtrack isn't far behind in terms of quality compared to the two above.

2. MOONLIGHT DRAWN BY CLOUDS OST

Favorites: Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, Fondly Goodbye, Love is Over
Listen to the album here.

Making music for a popular drama with a high budget certainly does come with a lot of benefits. You can have Gummy, Sung Si Kyung, and Baek Ji Young all in one album, who along with LYn have sung countless OST hits. The soundtrack infuses the orchestral sound that sageuks (historical dramas) usually go for with simple piano tunes and it works because of the emotional performances and captivating melodies. It's even got a pop ballad by K.Will in the same fashion as Descendants of the Sun though it creatively doesn't come up to par. Overall, the album is filled with good songs but suffers a bit because of its monotonous execution. The repeatability factor for most of the songs is not quite as high as I thought it'd be. But that's alright, because the soundtrack is in the top .5% in terms of quality.

1. DESCENDANTS OF THE SUN OST

Favorites: You Are My Everything, This Love, With You, Talk Love, How Can I Love You
Listen to the album here.

The soundtrack is packed with powerhouse vocalists and that is what ultimately puts it over the top. Gummy puts forth her annual signature OST song and shines in the emotional You Are My Everything while K.Will's Talk Love might be the best pop offering from a soundtrack. Even though the arrangement of the tracks in the album stay within the traditional routes, they are nonetheless intricately layered. That is perfectly exemplified by SG Wannabe's By My Side and Davichi's This Love. Both begin unceremoniously but develop into formidable ballads. I really like the mellow jazz tunes of Xia's How Can I Love You. It's understated elegance just shines through the verses and its chorus. Though I haven't seen the drama, the tracks are undeniably impressive.

It didn't seem fair comparing soundtracks with uneven number of tracks so I decided to make a separate list for the albums that only had between 4-6 songs. I present them below.

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THE 10 BEST KOREAN DRAMA OST MINI ALBUMS OF 2016 

(only those with 4-6 songs considered)

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10. THE SOUND OF YOUR HEART OST

Favorites: It's Good, Flutters

Listen to the album here.

9. DRINKING SOLO OST

Favorites: Could I Leave, With Me

Listen to the album here.

8. WANTED OST

Favorites: Broken, To You

Listen to the album here.

7. MY WIFE'S HAVING AN AFFAIR OST

Favorites: If We Listen to Love, That Kind of Night, I Love You

Listen to the album here.

6. ROMANTIC DOCTOR, TEACHER KIM OST

Favorites: Because It's You

Listen to the album here.

5. DOCTORS OST

Favorites: It's Love

Listen to the album here.

4. PIED PIPER OST

Favorites: Our Story

Listen to the album here.

3. MY LAWYER, MR. JO OST

Favorites: Walk to The Sky, Hope

Listen to the album here.

2. MEMORY OST

Favorites: If You Live Again, Gift, Spring Memory

Listen to the album here.

1. ON THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT OST

Favorites: Only You, City Sunset

Listen to the album here.

[Info source: AsianWiki, DramaWiki]
[Photo source: MelOn]