Chen Boasts Vocals in “Heaven For You”
Crowned by fans as the โOST King,โ Chen of EXO has continued his reign with the release of the original soundtrack โHeaven For Youโ for SBSโ drama The First Responders (2022). The track was released on November 25, 11 days after his latest solo album Last Scene.
The First Responders
The First Responders first aired on November 12 and is available to watch on SBS in Korea or on Disney+ globally. The thriller follows the lives of detective Hogae (Kim Raewon), firefighter Dojin (Son Hojun), and paramedic Seol (Gong Seungyeon). The trio teams up to respond to emergencies and solve crimes although they have conflicting personalities and work styles. The showโs intriguing plots are a credit to Min Jeunโs (the writer of the show) research of real-life events for 13 years.
โHeaven For Youโ
Despite being officially released on November 25, โHeaven For Youโ was unveiled in the first episode of the drama, and viewers immediately recognized Chenโs voice. Following the premiere, โFirst Responders OSTโ was the number one Melon Search, highlighting Chenโs vocal prowess and raising anticipation for the full track.
Accompanied by a mellow piano melody in the first verse, Chen portrays a story with his bright vocal color. He sings with such emotion that it feels as if he is an actor in the drama itself. A bass drum kicks in during the chorus to perfectly capture the intense nature of the show. The songโs lyrics are equally captivating and portray the uplifting message that even in the darkest of times, we can find light. โLike a ray of light in the dark gray sky, itโs fine/ Like a flower that will bloom even in the dark,โ he sings.
Chenโs fansโ known as Soondingies and EXO-L โ in particular were impressed with his latest OST and expressed their love for the song on social media.
OST King
Chen is regarded as one of the best vocal talents in the K-pop industry. His boastful vocal range in EXO songs has him in high demand for various original soundtracks. Chen utilizes his lower register in the OST โRainfallโ whereas his first OST โBest Luck,โwhich was released in 2014, showcases his powerful high notes. In an interview with Dive Studios, Chen revealed that he believes โBest Luckโ is his best OST to date. He also shared that it was particularly meaningful that the track was for Itโs Okay, Thatโs Love (2014) as bandmate D.O. starred in the drama. Since 2014, Chen has lent his vocals to 15 original soundtracks, staying true to the title that he was gifted by fans: โThe OST King.โ
Following his return from the military in April 2022, Chen has continued to demonstrate his passion for music with the release of OST โAn Unfamiliar Dayโ in June and his third mini-album Last Scene in November. As the year nears its end, fans are anticipating what 2023 holds for Chen musically, both as a solo artist, and with EXO.
You can listen to โHeaven For Youโ on Spotify and Apple Music.
Want to read more about Chenโs music? Check out our review of his latest solo album Last Scene here!
