simplified Chinese: 原声带; pinyin: Yuánshēngdài

Original Soundtrack (OST)

原声带 (Yuánshēngdài), also known as OST, has a special place in many fans’ hearts. OST is an original soundtrack composed of many drama elements, including instrumental, singing, background music, and many more. Although OST is a soundtrack, only a glimpse of it is played in a drama; specific OSTs are played in different situations that match the theme of the song the most. In one article, it expresses how “a good soundtrack is crucial for a TV show, as it signals the tone of the scene and creates the right atmosphere […] whilst soundtrack can improve a moment, it can also ruin it when the music is inappropriate, too loud, or unnecessary” (Hayley Vo). When an OST matches the scene’s theme, it creates strong emotions in the audience; therefore, they will enjoy the scene more and the music. As a result, many fans would search for the full OST and listen to it just like any other song. In addition, many shows bring on famous singers to be featured on their OST; thus, this is a good marketing strategy to bring in more audience for their show.

One of the most popular OST soundtracks that are listened to by many fans is based on the drama “Ashes of Love.” I provided an image below that shows all the songs on that track. In addition, you can see there are many songs that Mao Buyi sings. As we learn in class, he is a very famous Chinese singer; his collaboration in the songs plays an important role in helping the drama grow in popularity. Many fans might not have heard of the drama but learned about it through listening to one of Mao Buyi’s OST songs. Another image below displays how various options that come with OST. Not only are there countless songs, but fans can also listen to instrumental versions as well. Each of these OSTs has a specific role in the drama, which helps strengthens the scene and draw in many emotions from the audience. Overall, OST plays a significant role in a drama through its ability to convey all kinds of emotions to the audience. Additionally, many celebrities collaborate on a variety of OSTs in order to help spread the drama’s popularity and also their exposure to more fans.

One of the most popular OST soundtracks that are listened to by many fans is based on the drama “Ashes of Love.” I provided an image below that shows all the songs on that track. In addition, you can see there are many songs that Mao Buyi sings. As we learn in class, he is a very popular Chinese singer; his collaboration in the songs plays a crucial role in helping the drama grow in popularity. Many fans might not have heard of the drama but learned about it through listening to one of Mao Buyi’s OST songs. Another image below displays how various options that come with OST. There are songs, and fans can listen to instrumental versions. Each of these OSTs has a specific role in the drama, which helps strengthens the scene and draw in many emotions from the audience. Overall, OST plays a significant role in a drama through its ability to convey all kinds of emotions to the audience. Not only that, many famous celebrities collaborate on a variety of OSTs in order to help spread the drama’s popularity and also their exposure to more fans.

• Ashes of Love © Spotify

• The Untamed © Spotify

• The Untamed © Spotify

Work Cited:

Ho, Hayley, and Name *. The Boar, https://theboar.org/2020/05/significance-tv-show-soundtracks/.