BTS‘s J-Hope appeared on Melon‘s BIGHIT MUSIC RECORD to share some of his favorite songs by Korean artists. Now, you can add them to your own playlist—here are all 10 tracks he mentioned.
1. “Stay” – BLACKPINK
Amidst many of the hard-hitting songs in BLACKPINK’s discography, “Stay” is a soothing folk-pop song for easy listening.
2. “Closer” – OH MY GIRL
OH MY GIRL’s “Closer” was originally written as a contemporary Christian praise song, but the members transformed it into a beautiful track about a sad love story.
3. “Love You To Death” – Taeyang
Well-known critics like Jeff Benjamin highlighted “Love You to Death” as one of the standouts from Taeyang’s Rise album, with Fuse‘s Tina Xu calling the song “stunning.”
4. “After You Fall Asleep” – Taeyang, Swings
With a similar vibe to the popular “Only Look at Me,” “After You Fall Asleep” featuring Swings was released as part of Taeyang’s first solo studio album, Solar.
5. “Lay Your Head On Me” – Crush
In the warm pop track “Lay Your Head On Me,” Crush relays comforting lyrics against a sweet guitar melody.
6. “Thank You For Breathing” – Tablo, Bong Tae Gyu, Yankie
Released in 2011, “Thank You For Breathing” brings together two epic artists — Tablo and Yankie — alongside actor Bong Tae Gyu for a song full of gratitude.
7. “And We Go” – Sung Si Kyung
“And We Go” is the first English song from soloist and television host Sung Si Kyung, who sings in Korea and Japanese too.
8. “Slander” – Lee Hyun
“Slander” is one of the earliest songs released by J-Hope Big Hit Music labelmate Lee Hyun, but it still endures the test of time today.
9. “You in the Memory” – Lee Seung Gi
“You in the Memory” was originally sung by Hwang Chi Hoon, but Lee Seung Gi made it his own in this 2008 cover.
10. “Permission to Dance” – BTS
And, of course, J-Hope and the members are thoroughly enjoying their own release, “Permission to Dance!”
