IU just released ‘Love wins all’, featuring BTS’s V, aka Kim Taehyung (Photo: Instagram / @dlwlrma)
Cover IU just released ‘Love Wins All’, featuring BTS’s V aka Kim Taehyung (Photo: Instagram / @dlwlrma)

Valentine’s Day might be around the corner, but these love songs are timeless. Why not celebrate romance in all its forms with these five K-pop love songs that have left a mark on our hearts?

From literature to cinema, love is probably the one emotion that artists have perhaps explored and depicted the most—and K-pop is far from being an exception to this trope. Whether it is playful, dramatic, nostalgic or flirtatious, Korean artists and bands have extensively reflected on the different facets of romantic feelings over the years. As a matter of fact, the song which for many signals the birth of modern K-pop, I Know (1992) by Seo Taiji and Boys, was a love song. 

As love should be celebrated in all its forms all year long, we selected five K-pop love songs that stood out in the past decade and to which you can dance, cry or sing your heart out. 

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1. ‘Seven’ by Jungkook

Seven, which marked Jungkook’s first solo album, is a playful love song where the singer sings about wanting to be with the person he loves all the time—from Monday to Sunday, seven days a week. It is accompanied by an equally lighthearted music video, where the singer chases after his love interest, played by Han So-hee, through storm, flood and challenges. Paced by a catchy melody and an entertaining storytelling, the music video portrays an unconventional love story that is both flirty and charming. 

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2. ‘What is Love’ by Twice

What is Love by Twice has reached a cult status since it released in 2018. The song explores the curious nature of love through an infectiously pop melody. In the music video, the members of Twice portray characters from famous films, from Pulp Fiction (1994) to La La Land (2016). By exploring different representations of love in pop culture, Twice shows us that romantic feelings can take many different forms, and navigating them can be their own unique adventure. 

3. ‘Love Scenario’ by iKon

Probably one of the most popular songs from K-pop band iKon, Love Scenario is full of contrast, due to its mellow lyrics and upbeat tempo. The music video shows the band’s six members singing and dancing in honour of a relationship that has ended, remembering the good and bad times, and ultimately expressing the desire to move on. Love Scenario is a great reminder to celebrate love, even after it is over. 

4. ‘Wedding Dress’ by Taeyang

Some classics never gets old, and Wedding Dress is one of them. Released 13 years ago, this romantic anthem touched an entire generation—despite its bitter ending. In this slow R’n’B song, Big Bang’s Taeyang sings about a woman who is going to marry another man. In the music video, he plays a heartbroken pianist at the wedding. The storytelling is interrupted by dance breaks, which were a signature style in 2010s’ K-pop. If you are feeling romantic and nostalgic, this is the song to listen to. 

5. ‘Love Wins All’ by IU

IU’s Love Wins All, which was released less than a month ago, has already won the hearts of fans, as proved by its 41 million views. The romantic ballad narrates the poignant love story of a couple trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. IU’s angelic voice and sci-fi elements fuse together harmoniously thanks to the perfect synergy she shares with her co-star, BTS’s V. The result is, without a doubt, captivating.

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