South Korea sits on a triangle of land surrounded by vast open waters that provide spectacular views and rich marine bounties. As a peninsula, it is inevitable for its artists to find inspiration from the sea and produce songs that represent various emotions that are as constantly changing as the waters. Navigate some of these K-pop releases with us and maybe share with us some of your own picks as well!
1. “Sea Of Love” – Fly To The Sky And Ailee
Fly To The Sky, the first-generation K-pop duo celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2019 and released their 10th album to commemorate the journey. To make the occasion more special, they teamed up with various artists to create a fresh spin on their old songs. Powerful vocalist Ailee shares her own interpretation of “Sea Of Love” which channels the deep despair of a person in love.
2. “Sand Castle” – UNVS
The sea borders countless beaches and the sand’s crumbly nature provides a striking contrast to the water’s constant strength. UNVS‘ second digital single called “Sand Castle” was released in 2020 and compares their love for someone to the ocean waves that wear down their defenses like a sand castle
3. “Hear The Sea” – Red Velvet
SM Entertainment‘s signature group Red Velvet introduced the ballad “Hear The Sea” as part of their fifth mini-album entitled The Red Summer. Smooth and calm as the rolling waves on a deserted beach, the song features a more laidback version of Red Velvet’s music which lets the listener enjoy the members’ sweet vocals.
4. “See Sea” – Hyolyn
Former SISTAR leader and main vocal Hyolyn goes for a bright and sultry move for her fifth digital single, “Sea See.” The retro-EDM hybrid track brings the joy of a day well spent on the beach with a music video that features fun rides with friends and playful performances on the sandy shores.
5. “Slower Than Ever” – Jeong Se Woon
“Slower Than Ever” by soloist Jeong Se Woon is an electronic pop ballad from his first mini-album. The singer compares his fascination with someone to a hypnotizing view of the sea which leaves him captivated and describes the sense of freedom he gets to a creature swimming out into the open waters.
6. “Wave” – Roy Kim
Roy Kim‘s song “Wave” was released with his third full-length album, The Great Dipper, in 2015. His voice and the sound of the acoustic guitar bring to mind an ocean without waves and a desert filled with solitude.
7. “Wave” – ATEEZ
ATEEZ shakes things up with their third mini-album, Treasure Ep.3: One To All, which includes the summery title track, “Wave.” Flipping their previous concepts with a tropical EDM-reggaeton sound, the group’s serene voices, along with Mingi‘s distinctive rapping, make for a fun background on a beach getaway!
8. “Forbidden Island” – Ha Sung Woon
Former HOTSHOT and X1 member Ha Sung Woon has released quite a collection of songs as a solo artist. His single “Forbidden Island,” which was promoted from his 2020 mini-album Mirage, features an upbeat R&B sound and sensual lyrics about spending some private time together on a bewitching island.
9. “Like A Wave” – Hellovenus
Those who know the second-generation groups of K-pop probably remember the six-member girl group HELLOVENUS. The team explored many different styles between 2012 and 2019. In particular, their first digitally repackaged single, “Like a wave,” gave fans an EDM-type song paired with dramatic vocals.
10. “Waves” – Kang Daniel feat. Simon Dominic & Jamie
If there is something especially interesting to see in K-pop, it is the continuous attempt at various music genres by many artists. Singer Kang Daniel understands the passion for constant experimentation. As such, in his mini-album Magenta, he tried his hand at reggaeton with “Waves,” a track featuring solo artists Simon Dominic and Jamie. It’s definitely hard to stay still while this song is playing!
11. “The Wave” – Stellar
The now-disbanded girl group Stellar combined EDM with melancholia to create “The Wave” from their third mini-album, Stellar Into The World! Its lyrics compare their love lost and tears to the crashing of the waves, scattering their painful emotions into nothingness.
12. “Ocean View” – Rothy feat. Chanyeol
In 2020, soloist Rothy released a noteworthy collaboration with EXO’s Chanyeol called “Ocean View.” Its electronic style mixed with the sound of acoustic guitar makes the song easy to listen to while enjoying the carefree beach-themed music video.
13. “Beach Again” – SSK3
Also in 2020, K-pop fans were treated to a collab between first-generation legends Lee Hyori and Rain, along with variety star Yoo Jae Suk, under the stage names “Linda G,” “B-Ryong,” and “U-Doragon.” The trio performed as the group SSAK3 and celebrated summertime with the release of their single, “Beach Again”!
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Brumoiselle is a Brazilian girl who watched the “Tonight” MV by BIGBANG in 2011 and that’s what made her become a K-pop fan. After that, she was introduced to the “Bonamana” MV by Super Junior and her passion for K-pop became bigger. Since then, many other artists have been transforming her passion into more important things, such as improving her skills in English, getting to know new artists, and learning about many types of music genres. She loves music, graphic design, and languages.
Media: As Credited