A few months ago I read an essay by Ryu Murakami that resonated with me and my particular view of the world. It was called The Withering of Desire (there does not seem to be a digital version available but the edition of The Passenger dedicated to Japan) and talks about how, as a society, we don’t get as excited about things as we used to and that we have even developed “an inability to be moved” by anything.
This got me thinking about what really moves me. Around the time I read the essay, Sung Jin and I received a request from our publisher to do an interview about the writing and publishing processes of our book. One of the questions was, “If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?”. Immediately, I could think of nothing else because, like so many Gen Xers, music is one of the things that really moves me. I listen to music when I cook and when I walk around the city and it is such a source of inspiration to everything that I do.
So I’ve decided to create a Seoul: Tale of a Smart City Playlist on Youtube (because that is where you can find the really good stuff). These are, of course, song selections that are colored by my experiences and I would love to hear suggestions from others on what they would include on a “soundtrack from Seoul”.
General:
1. Petula Clark’s Downtown – The second verse almost sounds like she is signing “Just listen to the music of the gentle bus and uber“.
2. Jungkook’s Dreamers – This one is significant for Sung Jin so I’m including it on my list too.
3. Gangnam Style by Psy – Kind of obligatory but I don’t know if I would actually recommend it for walking around Seoul (as it is not very mellow :)).
On Public Transport:
1. Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D-Major by Bach – I believe this music is the perfect companion for a bus ride in Seoul
2. Sarabande from French Suite No. 5 by Bach (performed by Cho Seong-Jin) – Switching modes of transport is so efficient, you don’t have to break up the piece
3. Siciliano BWV 1031 by Bach (performed by Lim Yunchan) – magical for the moment when the 3 train rises to cross the Han River and all of the sudden you have expansive views of the city.
For a walk near Cheonggye Stream:
1. Dias de Verano by Amaral – for a sunny day
2. Ain’t Even Done with the Night by John Cougar Mellencamp – for an evening stroll
3. Dancing in the Moonlight by Toploader – for those late night walks like you see in Korean Dramas
For a stroll near DDP:
1. Woman in the Rain by Shin Joong Hyun – a Korean retro classic perfect for the most fashionable area of the city
2. As the Tree Leaves Fall by Kim Chu-ja – another retro classic perfect for admiring Zaha Hadid’s architectural masterpiece
3. All About Soul by Billy Joel – because it’s all about Seoul
When near the Han River area:
1. Hype Boy by NewJeans – Reminds me a of concert (from someone covering the song) that we happened upon on a perfect late summer evening last year
2. Boy With Luv by BTS – Oh, my, my, my…no Seoul playlist in 2024 would be complete without a little BTS
3. Moon River – We’re after the same rainbow’s end…safer and more sustainable cities
smartcityperspectives.com 