Let’s Go Back in Time with Lee Mujin and SOLE’s Spin on the Iconic K-drama OST “She Is”
Adorable covers of oldies have a charm of their own, and Lee Mujin (이무진) and SOLE (쏠)’s rendition of the iconic K-drama OST “She Is” from the cult classic My Lovely Samsoon is proof of that.
The artist who became famous with “Traffic Light” and the “Slow” singer teamed up for a fresh rendition of the track, which was first featured in the 2005 MBC drama, which made Hyun Bin a household name in Korea. That drama, also known as My Name is Kim Samsoon (내 이름은 김삼순), is still considered one of the most famous TV productions ever, enjoying immense popularity back in the day. Then how comes that a song from an old TV show is being covered by contemporary artists?
It’s thanks to a Korean OTT platform, WAVVE, that included it in its “New Classic Project,” aimed at introducing timeless classics to new generations who may already be familiar with short clips, quotes, and memes of older dramas but are still unaware of their full stories or enduring values. Nowadays, younger audiences in South Korea are, in fact, driving a strong retro trend, and the new airing of this drama is amassing huge success once more.
Released on September 4, Lee Mujin and SOLE’s version of “She Is” is a modern spin on the original by Clazziquai, yet it perfectly suits the relatable storytelling of the TV show. Turning the song into a duet allows to combine the flavors of each artist: the distinctive voice of Lee Mujin and his raw emotions, and the dreamy, soulful tone of SOLE soar on a stronger bassline, spiced with a city pop sound. The result is a fresh, modern version that keeps the familiar feeling of Clazziquai’s song intact.
My Lovely Kim Samsoon was first released in 2005 on MBC and was the most successful drama of the year, reaching a peak viewership of 50.2%. It is a lighthearted story about the life of Kim Samsoon (Kim Suna), a 30-year-old pastry chef who feels very unsure about her curvy figure and dislikes her old-fashioned name. As the romantic canon imposes, everything is turned upside down when she meets the charismatic and slightly younger owner of a high-end French restaurant, Hyun Jinheon, played by Hyun Bin.
At the time of its airing, the popularity of the characters was huge and people talked about the “Kim Samsoon Syndrome” or the “Jinheon Fever”, and the songs of the soundtrack became cult tunes. “She Is” was particularly loved, and later featured also in countless advertisements and TV programs, making it a true milestone of pop culture.
Just like the song, the K-drama too has been updated: the version that WAVVE is streaming, in fact, is a director’s cut that condensed the original 16 episodes into 8. It’s been modernized to suit contemporary taste without compromising the absolute charm of the original. And people are loving it to bits: it has quickly become one of the top-streamed shows on the platform, even outperforming some newly released dramas. And maybe that has to do with the curiosity to find out more about the source of some extra famous lines and images that are now part of Korean pop culture, or maybe people are drawn by the cast, since almost everyone became super famous. Other than the two mentioned leads, we also find Jung Ryeowon, who starred in Wok of Love and recently in The Midnight Romance in Hagwon along Wi Hajoon, and Daniel Henney, who starred in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and was later reunited with Hyun Bin on the set of Confidential Assignment 2: International.
If you haven’t already, are you planning to check out the drama, and the OST?
Edited by Rachael Lovette