An Outsiders' Inside Guide
Yonezu Kenshi’s “Moongazing” is the Japanese ED to the newest instalment in the Final Fantasy game franchise: FFXVI. Yonezu said he wrote the lyrics from Clive’s perspective as he gazes up at the moon at the game’s end.
Touzisya by EGOIST is one of the theme songs to the newly released Psycho-Pass: PROVIDENCE, which hit Japanese theatres 12 May 2023.
‘Suzume’ is the theme song to Makoto Shinkai’s newest production, ‘Suzume no Tojimari’ (roughly, ‘Susume’s Door-locking’ — official English title TBD). The song is by RADWIMPS, featuring Toaka.
The song, originally by Yoo Jae-ha but first released in 1985 by Jo Yong-pil, is another much-beloved classic. Like much of the music in Snowdrop, it has since been covered by countless other artists on a variety of popular music programs, including once by Jisoo’s fellow BLACKPINK member, Rosé.
The song ‘Bimok’ features throughout the drama Snowdrop (JTBC/Disney+ 2021) and speaks to characters on both sides of the North/South divide.
‘I, to You’ is the song that starts playing in Snowdrop EP01 as Young-ro finishes her dramatic recitation from The Outsider Team of Terror (공포의 외인구단), the manhwa Jeong-min has been using to conceal her banned reading materials. The series was adapted into a movie, Lee Jang Ho’s Baseball Team, in 1986 and this song by Jung Soo-ra is part of the soundtrack.
This song makes a brief but calculated appearance in EP01 of Snowdrop when Han-na enters An Gyeong-hui’s office at ANSP headquarters to find him checking the place for listening devices. Honestly, it’s more of a hidden easter egg than an insert song, but that’s what makes it fun.
This is the song Man-dong has playing on the radio in Snowdrop EP01 when Young-ro and Seol-hee sneak down to retrieve the ddeok parcel Young-ro left outside when she made her daring climb through the dorm window. The song is by Han Jeong-mu and was released in 1950.
‘After My Love Left’ is the song Young-ro sings and dances to with her roommates in Snowdrop EP01. The song is also playing in Roma Café as Young-ro sits and waits for Soo-ho at the end of the same episode, and appears again in EP02 during the sauna sequence.
‘At the Moonlit Window’ by the City Kids is the song playing over the speakers in Roma Café when the Room 207 girls arrive for the group blind date in Snowdrop EP01. Unlike some of the other music the show employs, I get the sense this one was chosen less for its lyrics and more for the fact that it’s a bona fide 80s anthem.