▲ A poster of tvN's romantic series "Lovely Runner," starring actors Kim Hye-yoon (R) and Byeon Woo-seok, is provided by the broadcaster. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- Original Soundtracks (OST) of dramas are climbing music charts even after the series have concluded, and are making their way onto global Billboard charts. Such phenomenon is driven by the fandom of dramas like "Lovely Runner," whose fans, known as 'Sunchinja' (those obsessed with Sunjae), are showcasing dedication comparable to that of idol fandoms.

 

As of the 24th, the music industry reports that dramas such as "Lovely Runner" and "Queen of Tears" have their actors sing the OSTs, consolidating the fandom and driving the songs' success on music charts.

 

"Lovely Runner" has maintained popularity a month after its finale, with five OST tracks entering Melon's 'Top 100' chart. As of the 20th, the highest-ranking song is "Sonagi" by Byun Woo-seok at 4th place, followed by Yoo Hwi-seung's "Geuraenna bwa" at 55th, 10cm's "Bomnun" at 63rd, and Minnie’s "Kkumgyeolgataseo." Notably, "Sonagi" first entered the chart in early May, reaching 7th place during the drama's airing, and rose again post-finale.

 

Additionally, "Mianhae Miwohae Saranghae" by Crush from "Queen of Tears" is ranked 13th, while Lee Chang-sub's "Cheonsangyeon" from the webtoon "Seonnyeo Yijeon" is at 14th. This is the first time multiple OSTs have charted simultaneously since "Hospital Playlist" in 2021, which featured popular remakes like "Aloha" and "I Knew I Love."

 

▲ Posters for "Queen of Tears" are shown in this combined image provided by tvN. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

The resurgence of catchy theme songs is revitalizing the OST market, especially significant as the drama market has shifted towards OTT platforms with an increase in genre and series content, reducing the number of hit OSTs in recent years. According to Kim Jin-woo, a senior researcher at Circle Chart, OSTs held a 14.5% share among the top 400 songs on Circle Chart in May. This marks a recovery since their decline from mid-2022, with shares often below 10% for half of the past three years, and not exceeding 10% last year.

 

Kim explained that OSTs thrive when they are used as the protagonist’s theme song, resonating deeply with audiences. For instance, "Lovely Runner" combines non-melancholic music with effective synergy from the show, while "Queen of Tears" pairs its OST with poignant scenes.

 

Experts attribute the success of OSTs to actors releasing songs in character, which significantly rallies the fandom. Byun Woo-seok, for example, released "Sonagi" under his character Ryu Sun-jae's band name, Eclipse. The song entered the Billboard Global 200 at 199th place and climbed to 167th the following week, remaining on the chart for three consecutive weeks.

 

Cultural critic Jeong Deok-hyun noted the uniqueness of "Lovely Runner," where the drama's OST continued to thrive post-finale, driven by an active fanbase akin to that of an idol group. Increasingly, actors are leveraging this synergy by releasing OSTs in character. Kim Soo-hyun released "Cheonghon" from "Queen of Tears," while Park Eun-bin released nearly 10 OSTs for her role in "Diva of the Deserted Island." Kim Se-jeong from "The Uncanny Counter" series has also released OSTs for each season, serving as her character's theme songs.

 

Jeong concluded that broadcasting companies recognize the potent synergy of actors singing OSTs in character, predicting this trend will continue to rise.

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