K-OST Review: ‘Aloha’ by Jo Jung-suk

Riya Choudhary, Delhi

‘Aloha‘, sung by Jo Jung-suk for his recently completed drama Hospital Playlist, is written by Kim Tae-hoon and composed by Wi Jong-soo. The soulful composition was released on March 27, 2020, as a part of the OSTs of the drama, in which the actor stars as one of the protagonists.

A remake of the song of the same name, sung by the well-known K-pop group Cool, ‘Aloha’ was a part of the group’s winter album First Whisper that released in 2001. It is not only a much-loved song by Koreans but was also one of the most popular songs of the group. Cool is considered to be one of the longest on-going mixed K-pop dance groups, debuting in 1994, with members Kim Sung-soo, Lee Jae-hoon, Yoo Chae-yeong, and Choi Jun-myeong. Later, Chae-yeong and Jun-myeong left the group, while Cha Hyun-ok, better known as Yuri, joined in.

The song is extremely romantic and exuberates warmth and comfort. It portrays a person’s feelings towards his lover and the lyrics are beautifully penned in this song. ‘Aloha’ portrays the beauty of love, and its heart-soothing melody is nothing short of a lullaby. It shows the lover’s desire to protect his loved one at all costs, and his determination to not leave his beloved’s side even during tough times. One of the most beautiful lines in this song is ‘You’re light of my life, you are the one in my life. Even if I lose my everything, I won’t regret it. This love is only for you, it won’t ever change‘. It beautifully expresses the lover’s emotions for his loved one! The words that one rarely finds to express his feelings are penned in this song. In all, ‘Aloha’ is a soft song with heart-warming lyrics.

Jo Jung-suk’s smooth and sweet voice fits the song perfectly as well. The actor, who is also known for his melodic vocals, does justice to it as one can feel his emotions. It is also suitable for the drama that depicts the friendship between five friends working in the medical field. When they sing ‘Aloha’, the viewers can picturise their friendship and strong bond.

This song caught the attention of the audience upon its release, who showered it with love to an extent that it quickly took the No.1 spot on music charts and stayed there for days. 20 days after its release, the song also grabbed the No.1 spot on Korea’s largest music platform, Melon. It also has an instrumental version that is equally captivating. You can listen to the original track here:

What do you think of ‘Aloha’? Share your thoughts with us.