Top 10 K-Drama OSTs Of 2021

Welcome to Kpopmap's 2021 K-Pop and K-Drama Highlights where we look back at the year in review and bring you the best of 2021, in one place. 2021 has been an incredible year for K-Dramas with the overwhelming global success of shows like "Squid Game", "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha", "The King's Affection", "Hellbound" and more. Part of what makes the experience of K-Dramas so special is a grand OST. 

Here are the top 10 K-Drama OSTs of 2021!

 

1. 'I'm In The Mood For Dancing' by YuJu from "True Beauty"

The OST that had us dancing around our own rooms, imagining a romance as perfect as Moon GaYoung and ASTRO Cha EunWoo's, "I'm In The Mood For Dancing" by YuJu is a true delight. The song is beaming with the energy of love and pure unadulterated joy and we can't get enough of it. 

 

2. 'Like A Star' by NCT's DoYoung from "Yumi's Cells"

The first bloom of the flower called love feels like catching a falling star and with DoYoung's magical voice, this feeling finds form. It perfectly describes the warm and palpable feeling of newborn affection that the actors portray in "Yumi's Cells" and DoYoung's dreamy vocals are extraordinary, to say the least.

 

3. 'Adrenaline' by MAMAMOO's Solar from "Vincenzo" and 'Romantic Sunday' by Car, the garden from "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" (Tied)

Every time Solar's OST 'Adrenaline' played in the background of "Vincenzo", framing its stunning visuals and hair-raising sequences, we got goosebumps. Solar's booming voice was the perfect choice for this titular OST and added a huge dimension to the effect of the song.

An OST that has undoubtedly attained iconic status in K-Drama history, 'Romantic Sunday' by Car, the garden is everyone's go-to pick-me-up song. It is immediately associated with a beautiful sunny day by the beach and is an indication that happiness is on the horizon, which is why it is so beloved.

 

4. 'Rain And You' by Mido and Falasol from "Hospital Playlist" Season 2 and 'Here I Am' by Jo HyunAh from "Mr. Queen" (Tied)

Mido And Falasol's return was a comeback we waited for more eagerly than any K-Pop group's and they brought us tears of joy and all the feels with "Rain And You". While the entire season had some incredible OSTs, this performance by our in-house band definitely has a significant sentimental value.

It was hard not to choose 'Bong Hwan A' by Norazo but for the same reason that we chose 'Rain And You', 'Here I Am' also seems to be the perfect pick. It evokes a range of poignant emotions that allow you to recollect the exact scenes behind which this song played and that is undeniably the mark of a good OST.

 

5. 'Will Be' by THE BOYZ from "Racket Boys" and the Original Soundtrack from "One Ordinary Day"

The perfect OST to work out to or train with, 'Will Be' is like a shot of adrenaline and motivation all in one. "Racket Boys" was one of the best K-Dramas of 2021 regardless of genre and the pure joy of working hard and emerging victorious could not have been expressed better than with this song. 

The iconic background/ending score of "One Ordinary Day" is supremely impactful and has the potential to be a cult classic. There is an eerie drawl to the tune that immediately pulls one's attention and allows the viewer to get immersed in a dark, suspenseful world. It gets stuck in your head but you wouldn't want it to leave either. 

 

6. 'Love Me Like That' by Sam Kim from "Nevertheless,"

A song that holds the very essence of the drama, 'Love Me Like That' by Sam Kim is an anthem for the broken-hearted. Naturally, therefore, it has inadvertently become the song to listen to when you're in love, out of love, or somewhere in between - something that is the very theme of the drama. As such, it would be fair to say that this OST has done its job and brilliantly at that too.

 

7. 'Silence' by YB from "Taxi Driver" and 'What You Gonna Do' by Zeenan from "The Devil Judge" (Tied)

Whenever 'Silence' by YB plays, you cannot help but get sucked into the vengeful and action-packed world of "Taxi Driver" where Lee JeHoon walks in from the distance looking as charming as ever but with fire in his eyes. This OST truly amplified the experience of watching "Taxi Driver" because it was also a stand-in for implying that justice was going to be served soon. 

"The Devil Judge" had one of the most engaging and intense OSTs of the year and 'What You Gonna Do' by Zeenan perfectly embodies the spirit of heroism brimming in the narrative. Rock is the perfect genre for this drama and you'll find yourself headbanging to this song before you even know it.

 

8. 'Breaking Down' by Ailee from "Doom At Your Service"

The complexity and depth of emotions that "Doom At Your Service" deals with needed an OST that would deliver a similar weight of sentiments. Ailee came through like the Queen she is with 'Breaking Down', a song that can bring anyone to their knees. It quickly became a signature of the drama and as such, inseparable from the same. 

 

9. 'No Goodbye In Love' by SF9's RoWoon from "The King's Affection"

How RoWoon can act so wonderfully and sing even more magically might be beyond our comprehension but what we do know is that he imbued his OST for his own drama with the purest of emotions, thereby making it incomparable. 'No Goodbye In Love' is most definitely one of the best OSTs of 2021. 

 

10. 'Yours' by BTS' Jin from "Jirisan" and 'Forevermore' by NU'EST's BaekHo from "Now, We Are Breaking Up"

"Jirisan" has to be one of the most complicated yet interesting dramas of 2021. Expressing the significance of this drama through an OST must have been a mountain of a task but Jin rose to the occasion with one of the most moving songs of the year, 'Yours'. The song brings a delicate sweetness to the atmosphere of the drama and makes it even more touching, which is truly a great feat. 

BaekHo's mellifluous voice as he sings 'Forevermore' is like honey to the ears. It is unbelievably soothing, especially since you can feel every single emotion that he sings of and more importantly, can relate it to both the characters of the drama as well as your own life. An OST that is just as effective within the drama as it is without is definitely one that deserves high praise.