The musical scoring by South Korean film composer-scorer Kim Tae-Song relied heavily—with effective results—on The One Track to rule them all: “We All Lie.”
It has hit the pop charts in its country of origin, becoming the latest K-drama anthem through TV shows that parody “SKY Castle,” Youtubers interpreting the song and with instruments like the Korean traditional fiddle called haegeum, and by lending the melody to content from other online platforms.
Even a plagiarism controversy has spiked interest for “Lie.” Mr. Kim has reportedly denied allegations of copying the work of American pop-rock and electro-pop artist Bea Miller, whose “To The Grave” vocals, melodic strains and beats were said to have been mimicked by the now-iconic South Korean track.
We couldn’t imagine Miller’s work becoming as anthemic, and to our ears there’s not enough similarities between the two to cry foul.
“We All Lie” reverberates even with just those three words: literally with former idol girl group member Hajin’s breathy, girlier Sarah McLachlan-style opening vocal that cues in the bass guitar; figuratively because the lyric captures the essence of the record-setting JTBC drama.
Depending on which of its three versions (there’s the original alt-pop-rock fusion, the “Slow Version” and the “Orchestra Version,” all in the OST album) was used for a scene, the song added gravitas, intensity and a haunting quality, or it also mellowed the mood, providing room to absorb the characters’ agony and their reflections.
So, yes, we all lie. But in the case of this powerful piece of pop, we’ve just spoken the truth. —FRAN KATIGBAK