Ready to Tango? Let Kim Dongryul’s Powerful Voice Sweep You off Your Feet With His New Live Version of “Oblivion”

Kim Dongryul’s voice literally exploded from the speakers during a dull afternoon, when his latest release, “Oblivion (2023 Live Ver.)” started playing in the office. 

The song was released on February 27, but it’s not new: it’s a recording from his Melody live concert that took place in October 2023 at the KSPO Dome in Seoul. Per the reviews (we’d have loved to attend the concert!),it was a memorable show during which the solo singer delighted his fans with all the most famous tunes of a career spanning almost three decades. 

Kim Dongryul debuted in 1993, imposing himself on the scene as one of the most powerful vocalists in the Korean songbook. K-Drama fans might also be acquainted with his music since many of his official videos feature the most prominent actors of the K-Universe: we’re talking about the likes of Gong Yoo, Hyun Bin, Lee Dongwook, and such!

The hit song “Oblivion” could hardly be missing from the setlist performed last October, but the version he proposed was quite unexpected: it’s a passionate tango that ideally suits the earnest tone of the lyrics and the orotund voice of the singer, and we’d say it’s a very welcome spin on the original song.

The arrangement is rich, with strings making it as sensual as a tango should be. Kim Dongryul’s music is often a sumptuous banquet: his resonant and warm voice, heartfelt lyrics, and full orchestra are the main ingredients of his most famous, at times monumental ballads. Did you know that, for example, for his 2018 EP Reply, or the “Fairy Tale” duet featuring IU from the same year, was recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra?

But let’s go back to the matter at hand: we mentioned how this recent release is a novel reinterpretation of his own previous work. Kim Dongryul released the first - and so far, only other - version of “Oblivion” (“망각”) in 2001, as part of the album Homecoming (귀향 - 歸鄕).

As you can hear, the song was already very emotional, with an earnest tone matching that of the lyrics: the man reflects on life after a breakup, reminiscing about past days, and wondering about his partner’s thoughts. Yet, by turning the song into a tango Kim Dongryul put a spin on the original, more delicate version: the 2023 live recording feels rather impetuous and tinged with a fierceness that could not be appreciated before. The artist himself worked on this track along with Koh Sangji and Lee Jiwon.

Cover of the single “Oblivion  (2023 Live Ver.)”

Just before the release of “Oblivion (2023 Live Ver.),” Kim Dongryul took to his Instagram page to tell more about this work: “We're releasing new music next week. It's not new music, but it's live music that sounds like new music.”

He went on to explain: “At every show, I like to showcase one or two songs that we've never played before, so I know a lot of people are looking forward to seeing what new songs we're going to play this time around. At last year's Melody show, "Oblivion" was one of those songs. It's a song from our 2001 album Homecoming, and it was the first time we played it in concert, but we completely rearranged it, so I think it was probably the freshest song on the setlist. I'm only releasing this one song because I think there are a lot of people who are curious about it and want to hear it again. (Actually, I want to hear it...).”

So why a tango? In the same Instagram post, the artist told his fans it was a sudden thought he had during a walk: “ 'Oblivion' was my personal favorite song on the Homecoming album. It's one of my favorite songs because I don't have many minor keys, but I think my physical condition and musical abilities at the time were just not up to the task of producing something I was completely satisfied with. One day while out for a walk, I had the idea to turn it into a tango, and it all went from there. Listening to it now, I feel like maybe it should have been a tango all along.”*

We agree with Kim Dongryul: the tango version is even better than the original!

*Note: English translation of Instagram post taken via Instagram