[Music in drama] Legendary ballads fan alien romance

“My Love from the Star” was one of the most successful drama series 2013 -- as was its soundtrack.

The series features a magical romance between Do Min-joon (Kim Soo-hyun), an alien pretending to be a human for hundreds of years after accidentally falling on Earth, and Chun Song-yi (Jun Ji-hyun, also known as Gianna Jun), a top actress who is spirited yet lonely.

With its touching romance and well-timed comic scenes, the series garnered die-hard fans beyond Korea, reaching China, Japan, and many other countries. The drama, after its conclusion, was broadcast on the Japanese pay channel DATV, while in China, the Korean foods featured in the show gained huge popularity.

Beside the storyline and the acting, the soundtrack was a key part of the series' charm. Every episode featured songs performed by cherished singers across generations, including tracks sung by the male lead, Kim Soo-hyun, himself.

Sung Si-kyung, whose unforgettable timbre has made him one of Korea's most beloved ballad singers, composed and sang “Every Moment of You” for the soundtrack. With Sung’s soothing voice and heartwarming melody, the song remains popular even to this day.

The lyrics, written by hitmaker Shim Hyun-bo, depict how Do Min-joon fell in love with Chun Song-yi: “And then, the moment I recognized you at a glance / Everything was clearly changing / My world divides into before and after knowing you”

The song continues: “I hope I was present in every moment of yours / Just thinking about it makes my heart swell, I'm filled with you”

Former Sistar member Hyolyn took part in the soundtrack as well. Although she is known for her powerful voice, she showcased a more tender and tearful voice in "Good Bye."

The song begins gently, whistling the melody, gradually building up to a climax. The simple, repetitive melody captures the protagonists' fear of an impending separation against their will: “Love has come, but you say you're leaving, I've been waiting, but now I can't see you anymore.”

"My Love from the Star" features the iconic track "My Destiny" by singer Lyn. Even after the drama ended, the song continued to be performed at award ceremonies and at special year-end stages. Lyn won the best soundtrack award for this song at the 50th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2014, a category that was newly established that year.

Heartfelt declaration of love, delivered with Lyn’s deep voice, portrays the unbreakable bond between the two main characters despite ongoing trials – even transcending species: “You're the one my love, You are / You're my delight of all / You’re my everlasting love.”

The lead actor Kim Soo-hyun sang two songs for the series, "Promise" and "In Front of Your House." Both songs are arranged to focus on Kim's voice.

Especially notable is "Promise," a remake of Lim Byeong-soo's 1984 song. Reinterpreted with acoustic guitar and Kim's gentle voice, the song reflects the situation of the two characters facing separation in episode 19: “On this night when the stars shine unusually bright / It makes me sad that you’re saying you’ll leave after this moment.”