Since the inception of the Boys’ Love genre in 2014 — with the premiere of Love Sick: The Series — original music has been a much enjoyed component of BL series and movies. A great music score or theme song not only sets a mood for the story, it creates an emotional hook to draw the viewer in. Long after watching a series or movie, you might hear one of its tracks and instantly be drawn back to remember the story and the emotions that go with the song.
Although BL remains a largely ignored niche in the United States, in Asia it has become a huge industry. Artists as well as their management companies have taken notice of BL’s popularity; after 2gether: The Series (2020) surpassed a billion views, more and more famous musicians have wanted to join the BL original soundtrack (OST) party.
Let’s listen to a dozen of the best original songs that debuted in BL productions over the past eleven years.
This regime wants to erase LGBQT people from public life and eliminate access to information, resources, and cultural heritage for our youth. Most LGBQT adolescents never see stories about people like themselves enjoying love and romance. In our current reality, watching a BL might be the only means for young people to see models of how their own relationships could start, develop, and successfully grow.
It’s also an act of subversion … so watch an episode, share it with others, and resist!
We have included links to view for free most of the series or movies of these songs. The link is in the title of the series or movie, if we could find one. Availability of free viewing changes regularly so check every month to see if a site or streaming service is currently offering “watch for free” on a BL that interests you.
Shake
Performed by Boy Sompob and Dew Arrunpong / Series: Love Sick 2024
First up is the granddaddy of them all: the theme song from Love Sick, the very first BL series. It was composed by Thai musician Boy Sompob, who has become a legend in BL music due to his prolific output of memorable OST tracks over the years. This version of the song was updated for the 2024 remake of the series about the chaotic lives of those guys in blue shorts.
Confident Status
Performed by BUS / Series: Gelboys
Set in Bangkok’s vibrant Siam Square, Gelboys plunges us into the midst of Thai pop culture. This quirky video has energetic music by the T-pop group BUS, who are joined in edgy tutting choreography by the four co-stars of the series.
Slow Motion
Performed by 77Ke Keqi / Series: About Youth
This sentimental ballad from Taiwan reminds us that love can grow from a simple act of kindness. Qi Zhang sings to his beloved who, anonymously in the past, restored his faith in others during his darkest moment.
This ship sailed [in BL jargon, that means a hoped-for relationship that came to fruition]. One of the actors had never been kissed so he and his co-star slipped away to practice privately before filming their kissing scene. They must have liked it because the guys fell in love in real life and now live together as a couple, a true happy ending.
My Fault
Performed by Bain / Series: Sing My Crush
Moving up to South Korea, we find K-pop idols singing on BL soundtracks. Here we have Bain, an idol from the group Just B, delivering an emotional performance. The story has music as a key element in its plot so it’s no surprise that the team paid a lot of attention to the soundtrack, assembling a lineup of terrific songs and talented, top-tier performers.
I Feel Your Love
Written and performed by Amp Achariya / Series: Cutie Pie
Amp Achariya is Boy Sompob’s female counterpart. She is known as the “queen of T-pop” (Thai pop) with dozens of songs written for both BLs and T-pop groups. This one has an ethereal sound but is also very sensual. In fact, this song has so much sultry heat that you just might need a cold shower after listening.
Skyline
Performed by Billkin & PP Krit / Series: I Told Sunset About You
Like most pop music around the world, BL soundtracks are heavy on conventional Western-style music. This next song breaks that mold with its hauntingly beautiful Chinese-inspired melody. The music fits perfectly with the BL’s premise: two lads meet in a prep class for the Chinese language exam required to enter university.
It’s sung with both Chinese and Thai lyrics by the two main actors of the series. One of the singers, Billkin, starred last year in How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, which was shortlisted for best picture at the Oscars.
Free Fall
Written and performed by Slot Machine / Series: KinnPorsche
If your taste runs more to hard rock, BL has you covered! Here’s a song with a driving beat by a Thai band of classic rockers. KinnPorsche is a gritty drama so the hard edge to this song suits it well.
Unknown Love
Performed by Daou Pittaya & Offroad Kantapon / Series: Love in Translation
Next up is a cheery, fun theme song sung by the two actors who portray the main couple of the series. Daou and Offroad are one of the most popular professional pairings in BL-dom … and they are also a couple in real life (another sailed ship). Both started as T-pop idols and still continue their successful singing careers in addition to acting.
Finding You
Performed by Kwon Soon Il / Series: Color Rush
Kwon Soon Il, a famous singer in South Korea, contributed this song for an enigmatic BL sci-fi mystery. In a world where everyone has monochromatic (black-and-white) vision, there are a few individuals who are able to activate full color vision in certain people … thus causing the effect named in the title of the series, a “color rush” that overwhelms the senses of the recipient. Who are the “Probes” that can trigger this and why only in certain recipients?
From Now On
Written and performed by Tui Chayatorn / Series: Kidnap
Kidnap starts with a dark premise: a young man is ordered by a crime boss to kill another young man. Instead, he kidnaps him to hide him away in safety. The theme song, which won the best OST song at the 2024 HUB awards, was composed and sung by the talented lead singer of the T-pop group LYKN.
Fall and Fall in Love
Performed by Marckris / Series: Your Sky
This next song is a fun and sweet bop for a fluffy rom-com that has the same bright and sunny feel as its song. It’s sung by Marckris, one of Thailand’s hottest idols, from the T-pop group BUS. The music video features the stars of the series — Thomas and Kong — who are a very popular pairing in BLs.
Ulan
Performed by Bugoy Drilon / Movie: The Boy Foretold By the Stars
Bugoy Drilon burst onto the music scene in the Philippines years ago as a surprise. He was poor and had been working as a janitor when he entered a music contest and won second place. That launched a career that has seen him become a singer famous throughout Asia.
Filipino BLs generally use English primarily — or even exclusively. There may be some words or phrases from Tagalog, or another of the many languages in the islands, but it’s often so little that an English speaker can follow almost everything that is said without needing subtitles.
We hope you enjoyed these music videos and will want to watch the series or movie they belong to. Many BL fans place almost as much value on the OST as they do on the drama itself in deciding how to rate and review BLs.
We’ll do another roundup of some great BL music tracks in coming weeks. Until then, keep watching and keep sharing!
BoysLove group publishes stories every Tuesday at 1 pm Eastern / 10 am Pacific. We are looking for authors to join us. Please contact Krotor if you want to write stories for our group!
Watch these videos below before upcoming stories about them so you can avoid spoilers and participate in discussions in the comments section.
When possible, we include links where you can watch the videos for free (click here to read our story all about how and where to watch Boys’ Love content).
BL series and movies in upcoming stories
| Story date |
Series or Movie |
Episodes |
Where to watch |
| April 15 |
Promare |
|
Max (paid) |
| April 22 |
You Want Some? |
Originally 50 episodes of 2 minutes each, now compiled into a 112-minute movie |
Youtube |
