By Angelica Villanueva
I went to the Korean OST Concert (KOSTCON) last Wednesday, Aug. 6, hoping to finally hear “Can You See My Heart” performed live, a track from one of my favorite Korean dramas, Hotel del Luna. What I didn’t expect was that the night would turn into a trip down memory lane, revisiting K-dramas that had become such a big part of my pandemic life.
Presented by Random Minds Inc., Hi5 Entertainment, and Kelebrity, the concert gathered seven Korean artists—Lee Mujin, Heize, Soyou, Chen of EXO, K.Will, Kim Bum Soo, and Lyn—whose songs have scored some of the most iconic scenes in Korean drama history. Manila was the second stop of the tour after Jakarta, with upcoming shows in Dubai, Bangkok, and Malaysia.
Singer-songwriter Lee Mujin opened the night with his feel-good tracks “Ordinary Confession” and “Rest” before performing “Rain and You” from the series Hospital Playlist 2 and “Sweet” from Business Proposal.
“Normally, I don’t really sing ballad songs, but I carefully chose OST songs that I know you’ll enjoy,” he told the audience, closing his set with the song “Episode.”
‘Can You See My Heart’ and ‘Hold Me Back’
Then came the moment I had been waiting for. Heize, known for her emotional vocals, opened her set with “The Last” from Our Blues before singing “Can You See My Heart.” The song’s first notes instantly brought me back to some of the iconic scenes from Hotel del Luna between Jang Man-wol, played by IU, and Goo Chan-sung, portrayed by Yeo Jin-goo. She also performed “Hold Me Back” from Queen of Tears and gifted a lucky fan a sunflower and signed album, even taking a selfie on the fan’s phone.
SISTAR’s Soyou followed, bringing the arena to a hush with “I Miss You” from Goblin. She also performed “No Sleep” from Love in the Moonlight, “Once More” from Empress Ki, and “Good to Be with You” from When the Camellia Blooms. Responding to fan requests, she sang an a cappella of “Touch My Body” before ending with the crowd favorite “Some.”
Among the highlights was EXO’s Chen, also a KOSTCON favorite. He drew loud cheers with “Fall in Love Again” and “Best Luck” from It’s Okay, That’s Love. He also sang “Make It Count” from Touch Your Heart and “Everytime” from Descendants of the Sun.
“It’s very precious to be able to be onstage to perform for all of you. I hope we can have more time singing together,” he said.
Making his Philippine debut, K.Will performed “Love Blossom,” “All I Have Is My Heart” from Ghost Doctor, “Beautiful Moment” from The Beauty Inside, and “Talk Love” from Descendants of the Sun. He wrapped up his set with “Please Don’t.”
Kim Bum Soo, marking 25 years in music, admitted he initially worried if the audience would know his songs. Those doubts faded as fans sang along to “A Love Begins with a Confession” from The Producers, “Journey” from his latest album, “Appear” from Secret Garden, and “I Miss You” from Stairway to Heaven. He ended with “Last Love.”
Closing the night, Lyn performed “With You” from Descendants of the Sun, “Love Story” from Legend of the Blue Sea, “My Destiny” from My Love from the Star, and “Back in Time” from Moon Embracing the Sun.
By the end of the night, KOSTCON had become more than a chance to hear one favorite song live. It was a three-hour journey through the soundtracks that had once kept me company during quiet nights at home. Images by Josiah Antonio
