The power the soundtracks hold to attract the attention of the audience emotionally is undeniable. Any kind of drama is incomplete without its music and Kdramas are no exceptions. We can always connect with music, no matter what you do or what you feel. K-dramas are so dear to us just because we can emotionally connect with the stories and with the characters, and the melodies are the direct getaway of that connection. In 2024 with some amazing blockbuster dramas, we got some superb OSTs too that made us like those dramas even more. What are the most iconic OSTs of 2024? Let’s have a quick watch.
What Makes an OST Iconic?
There are some important things that make simple music iconic. Such as
- Emotional Resonance
- Powerful Lyrics
- Memorable Melodies
- Perfect Scene Pairing
- Artist Impact
- Chart and Streaming Success
- Cultural and Global Impact
Emotional Resonance: When music conveys the emotion of the scene or the story perfectly it surely becomes an iconic one among the fans. We often hear a saying that melodies can change one’s mood. If a character is crying and in the background a mood changing musing is being played one can never cry with that character. But when the music resonates with the emotion of a certain character, then not only the melody but also the characters become memorable.
Powerful Lyrics: A good OST has the ability to mirror the emotions of the characters. They speak to us and let us know what is going on in the mind and the heart of a character. And it becomes the messenger.
Artist Impact: In Korea, there is a thing called a loyal fanbase, if your favorite artist is singing an OST then it’s obvious that you will stream it no matter what. Again when a talented artist takes a project they make it a superhit.
That’s how some of the OSTs of 2024 became the most iconic OSTs of 2024.
Top 2024 OSTs: The Ones We Can’t Stop Listening To
Here I am going to give you a list of top listed OSTs this year that you are going to listen to again and again, and you can trust me with it. In short the Most iconic OSTs of 2024 are:
A Shortlist:
- Sonaki by Byeon Woo Seok
- The Journey by Kelley McRae
- Higher by Ava Grace
- Spring Snow by 10cm
- Like a Dream by Minnie (G-Idle)
- Love U With All My Heart by Crush
- Pain of Time by Kim So Yeon
- Boyfriend by Yeonjun (TXT)
- Leave It All Behind by Wonstein
- Crossroad by Sunmi
- Don’t Forget About Me by Restless Age
- Boomerang by Jessi
- Love Love by Secret Number
- In My Memory by Seulgi (Red Velvet)
- Stars by Heon Seo
- Destiny by Yungyu (8TURN)
- Dare or Mate by MEENOI
- Let’s Burn Down by Yoari
- Love You More Gradually by Suho
- Always Falling Down by Woody
Sonaki – Byeon Woo Seok (Lovely Runner):
The superhit song of the superhit drama Lovely Runner reigned the hearts of every single audience. This ballad is sung by Byeon Woo Seok, who also played the lead role of Ryu Sun Jae in the drama. The slow tempo makes our hearts compelled to feel the emotions of the leads. We could understand what they were trying to say, and the storm that was going on in Sun Jae’s hearts and this song has its own fanbase.
The Journey – Kelley McRae (Marry My Husband):
The Journey is an English Ballad Sung by Kelley McRae. Her soulful and powerful voice holds the ability to express the theme of the song effortlessly. The leads, who traveled back to the past and started a new journey of love. The emotion of the main leads was portrayed by this song skillfully.
Higher – Ava Grace (Pyramid Game):
Let me tell you a short story first. A schoolgirl transfers into a prestigious school and surprisingly faces bullying on her first day. When she was targeted by those bullies she didn’t just silently suffer but she held her head strong and raised her voice against those bullies. The empowerment of that girl was portrayed by the song Higher and the voice of Ava Grace gave it a push.
Spring Snow – 10cm (Lovely Runner):
This poetic song of Lovely Runner is sung by 10cm. This line “ Cause I’m falling Slowly in love with you” will actually make you fall in love with this song, this drama and also with Sun Jae and Im Sol. The moment when they fall in love is picturized with the lyrics of the song. The calm yet powerful vocals of 10cm make the song reach to the depth of the emotions and love of Sun Jae and Im Sol.
Like A Dream – Minnie(G-Idle) ( Lovely Runner):
Like A Dream is a ballad sung by one of the members of the girl group G-Idle, Minnie. Her sweet voice gave the song an atmosphere like a dreamland. When you fall in love and spend a precious time with your partner, that moment is no less than a dream. The lyrics of the ballad beautifully portray the sweet romance and again the longing of the couple neatly.
Love U With All My Heart – Crush (Queen of Tears):
Love You with All My Heart sung by Crush is an emotional ballad. It will make you feel the unspoken emotions of Hyoon Woo and Hong Hae In. The regret they have and even the longing they have for being reunited again are conveyed by this ballad.
Pain of Time – Kim So Yeon (Marry My Husband):
This song is surely a healer. The heartfelt lyrics will make you think about the pains you experienced in the past and will work like an ointment to your hidden scars. Pain of Time was sung by the veteran singer Ki So Yeon, whose voice gave it a soul to relate with.
Boyfriend – Choi Yeonjun (Cinderella at 2 am):
Choi Yeonjun himself is boyfriend material and his singing boyfriend OST makes it even more charming. Why are you looking at me like I’m your boyfriend, boyfriend in Yeonjun’s voice will make you blush and give you butterflies in your stomach, mark my words. The playful yet romantic voice makes the playful lead character more loveable.
Leave It All Behind – Wonstein (Love Next Door):
Leave It All Behind also known as My Night is a soulful track sung by Wonstein. The soft melody will urge you to forget all emotional boundaries and just focus on your love and the person you love. Again this melody suited the storyline of the drama so smoothly. Bae Seok Rye and Choi Seung Hyo love each other from the very beginning but can never say even if they want to. But lastly, they accept their purest feeling for each other and this song is the most perfect thing that conveys their inner love and dilemma to the audience.
Crossroads – Sunmi (Judge from Hell):
Have you ever heard the word “Terrifying Beauty” of course you did, and this music will give you that chili feeling. A judge who came from hell, her mission is to eradicate the bad people from the world who deserve to go to hell. The song Crossroads sung by Sunmi makes the visual more powerful when the judge meets the sinners.
Don’t Forget About Me – Restless Age (Midnight Romance in Hagwon):
This OST Don’t Forget About Me is sung by the Restless Age and shows a bittersweet love of the leads. A love can never be as perfect as a picture, even if it is not always accepted perfectly by the people around it. The love between Seo Hye Jin and Lee Jun Ho is perfect and they love each other dearly. But the people around them can not accept their love easily. Then the fear of parting haunts them, if you were in this situation what would you say to your partner? Of course, you would say not to forget you to your partner, the same happened here.
Boomerang – Jessi (The Judge From Hell):
The lyrics of the song, the music of the song and the voice of Jessi together came out as one of the most powerful OSTs ever in Korean Drama History. And this song is so powerful that it will for sure give you goosebumps, trust me. Along with the powerful song, the performance of Park Shin Hye as a devil judge makes the whole drama a power crossover. The presence of Justitia itself is a Boomerang. And you need to give it a listen and proudly can call it one of the most iconic OSTs of 2024.
Love Love – Secret Number (Serendipity’s Embrace):
The sweet love song by Secret Number reflects the sweet and pure love story of Lee Hong Joo and Kang Hoo Young. The lovers who met at a young age and fell in love in their adulthood make them more real and pure than ever.
In My Memory – Seulgi (Doctor Slump):
The sweet voice of Seulgi will make you remember the sweetest dessert you ate last time. When two broken souls meet each other and start healing the souls and the hidden wounds of each other, this song portrays that healer effectively.
Stars – Heon Seo (Serendipity’s Embrace):
When you fall in love for real and the person you love does silly things around you, how’s that feeling? You will want to give your everything to that person right? The same thing cooks here with the sweetness of Heon Seo’s voice.
And this sweet song became one of the most iconic OSTs of 2024.
Now I will end here, but if you love these soundtracks that I briefly talk about then please make sure to listen to the other OSts of the list given above.
I am going to say this again, that music has the power to change the atmosphere and works like a mood lifter. They always become the spokesperson of a particular character of a particular drama. So if you love watching dramas please show the same love to its music too. Listen to the listed OSTs and give them a place on your favorite list.