K-pop, the music genre that blends hip-hop, ballads, pop-rock, folk, jazz, and traditional Korean music, has captivated listeners globally. While idol culture has recently gained prominence, K-pop's energetic melodies and intricate dance routines have long been popular among music enthusiasts.
Fans, new and old, appreciate the talent and dedication exhibited in the vocals and choreography of K-pop songs. However, K-pop is not limited to upbeat dance beats and pop-rock. It has the potential to evoke intense emotions in listeners with its songs exploring themes of death and loss.
Navigating the pain of loss is an arduous journey, and music often serves as a temporary salve to alleviate the anguish. When faced with sadness over losing a loved one, your family, friends, or pets, this K-pop songs playlist offers a sanctuary to sit and unwind your emotions.
K-pop songs that help you heal through death and loss
1) Breathe — Lee Hi
Healing songs are important for humans to resonate with their feelings, and listening to such songs often helps them breathe back into rhythm. The way someone breathes can reveal a lot about their feelings, especially if they are close to you. That heavy breath can convey panic, peace, dread, comfort, and grief.
In the K-pop song Breathe, Lee Hi describes hearing someone's breath and then consoles them by encouraging them to breathe deeply till the agony subsides. It's a simple and wonderful song about a quiet moment shared by two individuals who care about each other and go through a loss together, all the while consoling each other.
2) Sailing (0805) — Girls’ Generation
We've all lost someone, and the K-pop song Sailing is about loss and grief. Sailing is all about realizing the connection with the person, rather than being sad about their demise.
The song highlights that separation could be of any kind. However, the memories matter, and the promise of waiting for each other, even if there’s uncertainty about a reunion.
3) Goodbye — 2NE1
This K-pop song, released at the beginning of 2017, was met with sadness and melancholy by all 2NE1 fans, as it was their final single.
The singers' vocals, mixed with the acoustic guitar, create a tornado of sad and melancholy emotions that completely engulf the listener. Saying farewell to someone you care about is one of life's most difficult events, as conveyed by Goodbye.
4) Wildflower — Park Hyoshin
The K-pop song Wildflower expresses the profound loneliness that people might experience after losing a loved one.
It's unclear if the connection ended as a result of a breakup or a death, and it might be construed either way. Ultimately, it doesn't matter. The song is still sympathetic regardless of how you have experienced loss. It describes all of the complicated feelings of mourning, including anger, sadness, happiness, and love.
5) House Of Cards — BTS
The K-pop song, House of Cards, launched in 2018, will tug at your heartstrings. A bad relationship is compared to a house of cards in this song. They keep attempting to erect it, but it crumbles every time.
Recognizing that your relationship is bound to fail is terrible. Hence, this song retells the agony of two people ending up with each other, as loneliness is a bigger curse than unhappiness.
6) Our Page — SHINee
Our Page is a lovely, suitable memorial to Jonghyun, that chronicles the story of the days since his death. SHINee performed an excellent job of revealing and releasing their pain through their music. Our Page is a sweet K-pop song for fans that reveals how SHINee's future path will not be without Jonghyun. This song is pure art and healing, and it's the track everyone needed to say goodbye and heal.
At the end of the video, we see a fifth microphone that glows pearl aqua, indicating that even if Jonghyun is no longer with the group, he is still a member, and SHINee will always be five. Goodbyes are bittersweet, hence music lives on to represent the spirit of a person.
7) Spring Day — BTS
BTS was one of the few groups who expressed their solidarity with the victims through a K-pop song after the horrible Sewol Ferry tragedy. Although BTS never explicitly stated the exact meaning of their song Spring Day, the group did acknowledge to Esquire magazine that the song was inspired by a tragic incident in South Korean history.
BTS used yellow ribbons as symbols of optimism and defiance throughout the song video, attaching them to a carousel, with the phrase You Never Walk Alone inscribed on it. Through their song, the group reminded the people of South Korea that despite the disaster's looming darkness, the spring day will arrive soon, as no darkness can stay forever.
8) 8:45 Heaven by Tiger JK
The lyrics of 8:45 Heaven depict the story of someone who is mourning for the loss of a loved one, longing for a method to turn back time and praying to God to bring the deceased loved one back.
Tiger JK is claimed to have written the K-pop song with his departed grandma in mind, and the title refers to the time of day she died.
K-pop songs in general can soothe someone back to their happy spirits, and sometimes these songs just help you heal on your timeline. When one is healing from losing someone, or even worse, losing oneself on the way, always remember to take a step back, breathe, and realize that it is humane to feel these emotions. Hopefully, our K-pop songs here will give you those feelings and help you let it all out and dance to the rest.