Song Review:: Bang Yedam (Treasure): Study Group PT 2- Hollo {OST}

• Release date: 2025 January 30

• Album tracklist: Hollo, Hollo - Instrumental, Hollo - Drama Version, Hollo - (Drama Version) [Instrumental]

• Album runtime: 16 minutes

 Do I have other songs I should probably be reviewing because they're actual title tracks and not OSTs? Yes. Do I have this and another set up to review instead? Also, yes. But, in my defense, I love Bang Yedam's voice now that I've discovered it, and also this is an OST for my boy Minhyun's newest drama, which I'm obviously going to support because it's Minhyun. Also, I have some options about what to review because this comes with multiple versions, but I think I'm just going to go with the vanilla version. Even though part of me is arguing quite loudly for the drama version instead.

I would have been happy with just the piano, but the introduction of the other instruments takes what started off as an incredibly melancholic sound and turns it into something a lot more hopeful. Because the layers get stacked on each other the way that they do, the energy build is well done. Even the slowdown near the middle feels more like a gathering of energy because of the use of the dynamics than a slowdown toward cessation. Though the electric guitar acts like it's trying to bring the song toward rock, it's kept at such a soft dynamic level that what could have been overpowering instead just is so carefully restrained. And ending the song the way it begins, with the lone piano, is such a nice way to bookend the song.

That vibrato is on display and I couldn't be happier. He's got smaller belts littered through the song, as well as dipping his toe into his falsetto in places, which really helps to create a variety of textures to the song. His voice really is just too pretty, and I absolutely adore how the song is literally bookended, even with the lyrics. 

Oh, my heart breaks for that kid. Wow. And also, the balance of the recording scenes and the show scenes is really well done, because we don't just get the actively singing scenes. We also get the stressed recording scenes. My favorite is the twisting of the cord. It helps to give the same sense of anxiety and stress that the scenes from the show have.