K-drama soundtracks shot them to fame

Seoul pop duo Davichi, who provide the vocals for K-drama soundtracks, are surprised they have fans in Singapore

K-pop duo Davichi's Kang Min Kyung (left) and Lee Hae Ri (right) performing at a showcase at Shanghai Dolly.
K-pop duo Davichi's Kang Min Kyung (left) and Lee Hae Ri (right) performing at a showcase at Shanghai Dolly. PHOTO: MODE ENTERTAINMENT

South Korean pop duo Davichi have provided the soulful vocals for the heart-stirring soundtracks of hit K-dramas such as Descendants Of The Sun and Scarlet Heart.

But even they are not immune to the charms of K-drama's unreal romances.

Kang Min Kyung, 26, and Lee Hae Ri, 31, keep up to date with the latest popular K-dramas and enjoy binge-watching them in their free time.

Lee, who is hooked on the ongoing fantasy drama Goblin, says: "I'm so curious about how the story will unfold. I've decided to stop watching for now and accumulate episodes so that I can watch at one go. It is too stressful to not be able to immediately find out what happens next."

She and Kang were speaking to The Straits Times a day ahead of their Sunday showcase in Singapore, their first overseas gig in their nine-year career.

Surprised to have international fans in a K-pop scene dominated by behemoth dancing idol groups, Lee asked the 800-strong crowd at live music venue Shanghai Dolly: "Most people who like K-pop follow the idols. How did you come to love Davichi?"

In fact, they knew the answer to that. The TV series, whose soundtracks have shot them to fame, were featured prominently at their concert. At Shanghai Dolly, their show was filled with TV footage of riveting romances from various dramas scenes as they performed tunes such as the eponymous theme song of K-drama It's Okay, That's Love (2014) and the love ballad Forgetting You of Scarlet Heart (2016).

The crowd favourite was undoubtedly Descendants Of The Sun's melancholic This Love, which has garnered more than 30 million views on streaming site YouTube.

Lee and Kang's chemistry was palpable on stage - Kang says their vocals harmonise as well as bread goes with butter. Before Davichi became known for drama soundtracks, they had hits on the Korean music charts such as 8282, a unique combination of a breezy ballad and club banger, which they also performed at the show.

Kang says she had attended many auditions before finally meeting Lee at their previous agency. Since forming in 2008, their partnership has produced two studio albums and six EPs, and they both express their wish to continue working together for as long as possible.

Lee says: "I hope we can become the longest-running duo in Korea."

Kang chimes in: "Perhaps we will release an album to celebrate our 100th anniversary."

According to her, their excellent partnership is ruffled only in the area of food.

She says: "Most of our conflicts take place when we are looking at menus. We are good at finding a middle ground, but sometimes, we play the game Rock Paper Scissors."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 10, 2017, with the headline K-drama soundtracks shot them to fame. Subscribe