[K-POP] Korean 'yami' songs that fit a blue mood
K-pop captivates us with its powerful dance and outstanding vocal prowess.
At the same time, I feel that K-pop uniquely shines through songs with dark concepts or a melancholic atmosphere.
There’s also a subtle elegance that invites multiple, indirect interpretations.
So I’ve decided to spotlight some Korean “yami” songs—tracks that dwell in darker emotions.
When you’re going through sadness, hardship, or a streak of bad days, it’s natural to feel low.
There’s something called the “matching effect,” which suggests that listening to music with a similar mood can cleanse the heart.
Sometimes, it might be nice to relax and spend time with masterpieces that fit your blue feelings.
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[K-POP] Korean “yami” songs that fit a blue mood (21–30)
니가 하면GOT7
Niga Haemyeon, overflowing with cool GOT7.
It’s the title track of their 2015 mini album MAD.
There are times when, placed in different circumstances, you can’t be honest about your feelings to the person you like, right? I think it matches that wavering state of mind, caught between wanting to go back and wanting to vent feelings that have nowhere to go.
The music video is like, “What the hell! Damn it!”—brimming with intense anger—but I feel the hard-hitting rap and the catchy, singable melody balance it out.
You might sense a bit of a dark, sick-at-heart vibe in how the lament really hits you.
HeroineSUNMI
Lyrics set to a slightly retro, bittersweet-toned melody.
I’m sure it will especially resonate with people who’ve had similar experiences.
This is a song released in 2018 by Sunmi, a singer formerly of Wonder Girls.
Loving someone so much that you accept everything they say, only to end up getting hurt—its worldbuilding captures that emotion so vividly you can’t help but relate.
You might sense a touch of darkness where Sunmi’s beautiful vocals, the intoxicating, almost maddening musicality, and the feelings toward her lover all intertwine.
Still, when you listen all the way through, there’s also a somewhat uplifting impression, as if it gives you the strength to break free from the spell.
우울시계 (feat.종현 of SHINee)IU
It’s a stylish song sung over bossa nova–style guitar, but the title “A Gloomy Clock” is intriguingly suggestive, isn’t it? Included on singer IU’s 2013 album Modern Times—she’s known in Korea as the “Nation’s Little Sister”—the track 우울시계, also known in Japanese as “憂鬱時計” (Gloomy Clock), was composed by SHINee’s Jonghyun, who sadly passed away in 2017.
With IU’s languid, ennui-tinged vocals, it’s the kind of song you’d want to play on a relaxed afternoon, yet the lyrics are anything but bright—that contrast is part of its appeal.
It’s a masterpiece to listen to when everything feels frustratingly bleak and melancholy.
GoodbyeTAEMIN
This song was released in 2016.
It is a Korean remake of his own song “Sayonara Hitori,” which was originally released in Japan.
Within SHINee, Taemin held the position of “maknae,” meaning the youngest member, and had an image of being doted on.
However, through his activities as a solo artist, he established his own place.
It’s a wonderful song, quintessentially Taemin, with an androgynous, translucent quality.
jellyfishHUH YUNJIN
Yunjin is currently active as the main vocalist of LE SSERAFIM.
Her fifth self-composed song was inspired by jellyfish swimming in the deep sea.
Featuring a dreamlike sound that fuses R&B with acoustic guitar, it portrays the courage to keep moving forward in the face of difficulties.
Set for release on January 10, 2025, it’s generating high expectations from fans.
The ethereal music video has also drawn attention, showcasing the breadth of Yunjin’s musicality.
It’s a track I’d highly recommend to anyone seeking healing in a voice that gently embraces the heart.
Peek-A-BooRed Velvet
A hit number from their 2017 second album Perfect Velvet.
It’s got that addictive quality that’s so Red Velvet.
A light, relentlessly rhythmic track, yet with a slightly psycho vibe that makes it a bit scary.
The mysterious feeling of “trying out love just to stave off boredom” seems somehow compatible with a melancholic mood.
It’s odd to call it a pop “yami” (dark) song, but perhaps that’s exactly where Red Velvet’s indescribable charm lies.
HAPPEN ENDINGEpik High
At a glance, the song title looks like “Happy Ending,” but it isn’t (lol).
It’s “Heppun Ending,” which would translate as “Light Ending.” Whenever I start dating someone, I never wish for or even think about the end—that’s when I’m happy.
But after failing in love over and over, I end up thinking negative thoughts like, “Am I dating just to break up?” This song captures those painful, heartrending feelings, yet I can’t help but be drawn in by the strangely comforting vocals.