In an unfortunate turn of events, K-pop singer Park Bo Ram passed away on April 11. While the cause of her death is being investigated, the 30-year-old’s untimely demise has left the K-pop industry in shock.
Park Bo Ram rose to fame after captivating audiences on Mnet's Superstar K2 in 2010, where her vocal talent caught the industry's eye. In 2014, she made her solo debut with the album CELEPRETTY, featuring the popular track Beautiful, a collaboration with rapper Zico. The song soared to the top of the music charts, catapulting her to stardom. Park Bo Ram received numerous accolades throughout her 10-year career, including Artist of the Year at the Gaon Charts K-pop Awards in 2014 and nominations at prestigious events like the Mnet Asian Music Awards and the Golden Disc Awards.
Known for her soulful voice and gentle music style, Park Bo Ram released several memorable tracks, including Pretty Bae, Sorry and Dynamic Love. Her contribution to the world of K-drama was significant, as she lent her voice to many iconic OSTs, such as Hyehwadong from Reply 1988 (2015) and Please Say Something, even though it is a lie from W: Two Worlds (2016).
Park Bo Ram's legacy lives on through her timeless music, which continues to resonate with fans around the world. My Kolkata spoke to some local fans about what the singer meant to them. And this is what they had to say…
I’ve only heard ‘Beautiful’ by Park Bo Ram from a playlist recommendation and it was a song from quite a while back. I was introduced to the song when I was just getting into K-pop. Looking back, it accurately encapsulates the era’s zeitgeist with its bubbly music, colour-popping video and hiccupping hooks that stay stuck in your head. It’s a shock to hear about Park Bo Ram’s passing and I hope she has found her peace.
— Swarup Das, software engineer
I first heard Park Bo Ram singing the song Hyehwadong (or Ssangmundong) while watching Reply1988. This song can soothe any soul. This song was used in the drama set in the 1980s, where it showed three families growing up, the childhood of the kids and their youth. After that, the families started moving out. Ironically, it represents the impermanence of things and how the people faded. Only the memories remained in Ssangmundong. Sadly Park Bo Ram has left this world, leaving us only memories to cherish.
— Arpita Murmu, student