Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Even if Park Jimin never gets the type of mainstream recognition that seemed possible coming off her ‘K-Pop Star‘ win (and 15&), at the very least her vocal ability should lead to her being utilized for soundtrack work, and that fit was realized on ‘Low Voice” from ‘The Last Empress‘ OST.
The atmosphere of “Low Voice” was different from what I expected, immediately establishing a serious and foreboding sound. Synths do most of the work, with an uncomplicated underlying beat keeping pace. The instrumental definitely helps separate the song from generic ballad territory, however it’s also primarily supplemental to the star of Park Jimin’s vocals, which appropriately range from pensive to explosive.
To get the obvious out of the way, the rhythm of “I can’t get you out of my head” from the chorus does indeed resemble “I knew you were trouble when you walked in” from Taylor Swift‘s “I Knew You Were Trouble“, but that’s about the extent of the similarity. Most importantly, it’s effective, as it’s a refrain that sticks in your head and only embed further on multiple listens.
“Low Voice” is the type of vocal-centric OST song that draws my interest, because not only does it feature a standout performance, but it supplements that with an interesting sound as well. While Park Jimin remains underutilized, this does at least seem like a step in the right direction.
