15 Korean Songs That Are Magical On Rainy Days

As the rain taps against your window, you feel sentimental, overwhelmed, or sad that another year has ended. Whether you’re lonely or happy, these mellow songs are magical on rainy days.

Epik High – “Umbrella” (featuring Younha)

It wouldn’t be a rainy day playlist without “Umbrella.” We love every version of “Umbrella,” and because of it, we can’t look at an umbrella the same way ever again. It’s a bit dramatic, but when Epik High and Younha compare their lover — the umbrella — to an island in the ocean, their shelter, their everything, we fall hard.

Soyou & Mad Clown – “When It Rains”

Soyou and Mad Clown’s collaborations are always magical, and “When It Rains” is no exception. Her sweet, lilting voice is an interesting contrast to her lyrics and Mad Clown’s rap: they weave a story about their regret over messing up a relationship and wanting an ex back on rainy days.

Agust D (BTS Suga) – “So Far Away” (featuring Suran)

Every rainy December, we can’t help but feel that the year passed by too quickly and we haven’t gotten much done. It’s impossible not to compare yourself to others and hate how you’re seemingly stuck at the same place no matter what you do.

It’s okay to not have a dream. “So Far Away” is rightfully angry, disappointed, and hopeful: just like Agust D raps about falling and feeling anxious as time passes, we feel empowered by how Suran sings about the distance between our dream and us. No dream blooms overnight, but we will eventually have one.

“Dream, you will fully bloom / After all the hardships / Dream, your beginnings will seem humble / So prosperous will the future be / So far away, if I had a dream / If I had a dream, a dream of flying away.”

Epik High – “It’s Cold” (featuring Lee Hi)

“I’m the only cold one. / Even when I wrap my body in blankets / It’s so cold. Even when I’m in someone’s embrace / I try to block the hole in my heart / but the wind keeps coming in.”

In “It’s Cold,” Epik High use metaphors and imagery of an eternal winter to describe the permanent coldness and loneliness they feel with loved ones. Their fear of trusting and loving others has imprisoned them in winter with nothing but old memories and pain. The poetic, relatable lyrics and mellow melody make this a rainy day anthem for the lonely and broken-hearted.

Highlight – “On Rainy Days”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z80j0kbWPU

“On the rainy days you come and find me / Torturing me through the night / When the rain starts to stop, you follow / Slowly, little by little, you will stop as well.”

Filled with regret and bitter acceptance that a relationship is over, “On Rainy Days” is a sentimental song and a rhythmic, gentle reminder that the past will always haunt us on rainy days and we need to let go once it stops raining.

4Minute – “Cold Rain”

A departure from their usual empowering anthems and electro-pop hits, 4MINUTE sings about a messy relationship, yet ends “Cold Rain” with the belief that they won’t be able to love anyone again. This duality is mesmerizing and relatable.

KARD – “Trust Me”

Ever want someone to hug you at the end of a long day? KARD tackles that beautifully, reassuring us that we did well and convincing us to trust them. We all need a friend like KARD on days when everything falls apart.

Suran – “Wine” (featuring Changmo)

“Wine” is perfect for those slow, moody days when your mind just wanders off. Suran sings about being drunk with love and overcome with memories of a careless lover while Changmo explains how he was young and immature.

Nell – “The Day Before”

“What use is it to hold onto something that is scattering? / Only the heart will hurt more / But again I wonder, what is / The purpose of living like this? / I wonder if we’re sometimes standing in the same memory / I wonder if sometimes, time has stopped for you too.”

The melody is soft and lifting, yet the lyrics reveal a bittersweet message to an ex-lover and the heartbreaking realization that staying in the same place isn’t living. It’s long past time to let go of the past, and Nell understands how it’s easier said than done.

Girls’ Generation Taeyeon – “11:11”

“Like a strange flower that blooms between seasons / Like the morning star that hangs between days / All of this, someday, will pass.”

The catchy guitar strumming and Taeyeon’s relaxing na na na’s feel like a warm hug, soothing away our problems at the end of the day. On rainy days, “11:11” becomes a reminder that everything will get better with time.

Epik High – “Lost One” (featuring Kim Jong Wan of Nell)

“I’m a lost one. I’m a lost one. Everything I love makes me cry. Cuz I’m a lost one. Yeah I’m a lost one.”

Tablo raps about his hardships and how fame and success didn’t mean a thing in the end. Although “Lost One” was also meant to be advice for trainees and up-and-coming artists, its profound message is universal. Cherish your loved ones and be careful of your dreams and people who feel threatened by your success. “I pray that your dream is a reachable one. I pray that your dream only shows you things you can touch. Because success takes as much as it gives.”

Heize – “You, Clouds, Rain” (featuring Shin Yong Jae)

“I’d rather have this rain never stop so that I could live every day in my memories.”

Heize’s honesty is very refreshing. Overcome with memories of her ex on rainy days, she takes detours to relive those old emotions again. She plays it down by insisting that “it didn’t mean anything,” and we get it. Everyone makes mistakes and we’re reminded of all the what-ifs whenever we feel vulnerable or sentimental.

BTS R&V – “4 o’clock”

“When the dawn passes and that moon falls asleep, the blue light that was with me disappears.”

Inspired by BTS member V’s experience of waiting for a friend at the break of dawn, RM and V composed this ballad to bring that blue-ish, otherworldly feeling to life. V’s breathy low tones are heavenly with RM’s memorable rap about finding himself under the moonlight. “The sun suffocates me, and the world strips me naked. With no other alternative, I have no choice but to collect myself scattered under the moonlight.”

IU – “Through the Night”

IU’s sweet love song is light, relaxing, and full of longing. Since her voice has the most calming effect, it’s no surprise that we have it on repeat late at night and during light showers.

BTS RM – “forever rain”

“I wish it rains all day / because I wish someone to cry for me Yeah / I wish it rains all day / because then people would not stare at me Yeah / because the umbrella would cover the sad face / because, in the rain, everyone is busy on their own.”

Although “forever rain” and all the other songs on “mono.” are very different from RM’s first solo mixtape, they relate to “4 o’clock” and “always” thematically and stylistically. RM’s introspective lyrics in “forever rain,” “uhgood,” “everythingoes” and “moonchild” reveal his struggles with being himself in the rain and under the moonlight despite having high expectations of who he wants to be and falling short.

We all know how it feels to be disappointed in ourselves and have nowhere to hide or even take a breath and step back from the situation. Not only does “forever rain” capture that feeling perfectly, it is the answer: take a walk in the rain and let your mind wander.

Credits to Color Coded Lyrics and doolsetbangtan for translated lyrics.

What are your favorite songs to listen to on rainy days? Let us know in the comments below! 

EvaCh10 loves rainy days and has been streaming “mono.” nonstop. She is always on the lookout for BTS fan art, K-dramas with complex plots or mysteries, and videos and gifs of Lee Kwang Soo on “Running Man.” Say hi to Eva on Instagram or Twitter.