Now that the semester is over you can probably have a regular sleeping pattern again. But if you still have some left-over anxiety or are just having trouble getting some shut-eye, these Kpop songs can gently rock you to sleep. For people who’ve listened to western music their entire lives, Korean music can be a little jarring. Most people are not used to the over-the-top fashion choices or the artistic but confusing visuals. But it would be unfair to judge everything from the lens of western pop music, or to stereotype the entirety of Kpop on the basis of “Gangnam Style”. While the Kpop industry does release one catchy party song after another, they also excel at making music that is slower, calmer and soothing to listen to. Here are just a few.
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“Only then” by Roy Kim.
Roy Kim is a singer and songwriter who won the South Korean version of “American Idol”, “Superstar K4” when he was only 19 years old. In 2018, he released “Only then”, an emotional song about experiencing hardships in love. About his writing process, Kim told “Billboard”, “It starts from my own life, and as I write it kind of gets twisted and molded into other people’s lives too”. With Kim’s vocals, with a guitar in the background, this ballad will take your breath away.
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“Serendipity” by BTS.
Seven-member Korean group BTS is known for being multi-talented—they’ve got rappers, singers, songwriters, music producers, all of them are dancers and they even boast a director in the mix. They’ve taken home two trophies at the Billboard Music Awards and wowed everyone at the American Music Awards. They’ve been scared by Ellen, danced with Jimmy Fallon and performed on “America’s Got Talent”. While their most popular songs can turn up the mood at any party, they’ve also got some sweet music to listen to on quiet days. “Serendipity” released in 2017 is a gentle song about a love that is predestined. With poetic lyrics written by rapper RM, along with the sultry voice of vocalist Jimin, this song is beautiful enough to put even cranky babies to sleep.
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“Palette” by IU.
At 25, IU has already been a well-known singer and songwriter in the Korean music industry for a decade. Her song “Palette” resembles a personal diary entry and maintains a soothing, intimate tone. With heartfelt confessions about how IU is feeling at 25 (she prefers a short hair-do and still listens to British singer Corinne Bailey Rae), listening to this song is like talking to a friend. IU whispering the song, along with rapping from celebrated artist G-Dragon make this the perfect song for a rainy night.