The We Are All Trying Here OST is not background music. It is the emotional spine of JTBC’s most talked-about drama of 2026. Written by Park Hae-young, the same writer behind My Mister and My Liberation Notes, this drama follows a group of friends in the film industry who are quietly drowning in jealousy, self-doubt, and the feeling that everyone else is doing better. Music director Gaemi assembled a lineup that matches the weight of that premise: Melomance’s Kim Min-seok, Taeyeon, LUCY, Nerd Connection, Choi Yuri, Paul Kim, and Daymons Ear. In this We Are All Trying Here OST guide, we break down every track released so far, explain the scenes they score, and connect each song to the character arc it serves.
The drama airs every Saturday and Sunday at 10:40 PM KST on JTBC and streams globally on Netflix. As of episode 4, five OST tracks have dropped, with at least two more confirmed. The soundtrack is already charting, and Taeyeon’s “Pieces” alone has been trending across multiple platforms since its release.
The We Are All Trying Here OST Lineup
Before diving into individual tracks, here is the full confirmed lineup. Music director Gaemi, known for crafting emotionally precise soundscapes, personally produced or co-wrote several of the songs. The OST is produced through SLL by Seo Dong-wook and Kim Chae-eun.
The confirmed artists include Kim Min-seok of Melomance, Choi Sang-yeop of LUCY, Taeyeon, Seo Young-ju of Nerd Connection, Choi Yuri, Paul Kim, and Daymons Ear. Each artist brings a distinct vocal color, and Gaemi appears to have matched them deliberately to specific emotional beats in the story. The balance between folk, rock, and orchestral ballad tracks gives the We Are All Trying Here OST a rare range that most drama soundtracks lack.
Part 1: Kim Min-seok (Melomance) — “I’ll Be There” (내가 있을게)
Released: April 19, 2026
Kim Min-seok opens the We Are All Trying Here OST with a quiet promise. “I’ll Be There” is built on acoustic guitar and piano, and it carries one central message: I am not here to save you, but I will walk beside you at your pace.
The lyrics describe two people who cannot easily get close to each other. Cold nights, anxious hearts, and lost laughter fill the opening lines. However, the chorus shifts from loneliness to gentle choice. “I want to call your name even when tomorrow comes. The road was lonely when I walked it alone. I want to walk it side by side with you.” This is not a dramatic confession. It is a decision to stay.
In the drama, this song first appears during the early scenes between Hwang Dong-man and Byeon Eun-a. Their relationship is defined by proximity without honesty. They work in the same industry, share the same friend group, and carry the same insecurities, yet neither can admit vulnerability. Kim Min-seok’s warm, restrained vocal matches that tension perfectly. He sings like someone whispering a promise he is not sure the other person can hear yet.
Part 2: LUCY (Choi Sang-yeop) — “Starlight”
Released: April 25, 2026
The tone shifts completely with LUCY’s “Starlight.” Where Part 1 was a gentle hand extended in the dark, Part 2 is a fist raised against the world. This is a rock track with a defiant message: the people laughing at you do not get to define your worth.
Choi Sang-yeop’s vocal delivery is dynamic and explosive. The verses are controlled, almost conversational. “Someone says, are you laughing again? I smile through the daggers.” Then the chorus erupts. “Let’s see who remains at the end. The light still lives tonight. Come on, look — fly higher. Let them see me fly.”
The lyrics directly reflect the drama’s core theme of worthlessness. Every character in the story is measured against someone else. Dong-man has spent twenty years preparing to debut as a film director while watching his friends succeed. Park Gyeong-se runs the friend group’s gatherings but hides his own financial collapse. “Starlight” is the anthem for the moment when comparison stops and survival begins.
LUCY’s band sound gives this track a physical energy that the other ballads do not attempt. It works because the drama needs both: the quiet ache and the loud refusal to quit.
Part 3: Taeyeon — “Pieces” (조각)
Released: April 26, 2026
Taeyeon’s “Pieces” arrived just one day after “Starlight,” and the contrast is intentional. If LUCY screams about fighting back, Taeyeon sings about what happens when you have already shattered and someone helps you pick up the fragments.
The song opens with faded dreams and time that has already passed. “How long will I hold on, staring with cold eyes at what is already gone?” The arrangement is piano and strings, produced by Gaemi with Klozer and Sondia. There are no drums in the first half. The emptiness is the point.
Then the other person arrives. “You shone a light on me, pieces scattered and shapeless. I take one step forward.” The chorus builds gently. Taeyeon does not belt. She lets the melody breathe, and her signature restraint turns every line into something that feels personal rather than performed.
Why Taeyeon’s Voice Hits Different Here
Taeyeon has sung dozens of drama OSTs across her career. What makes “Pieces” stand out is the match between her vocal character and the drama’s emotional language. Park Hae-young writes characters who do not cry loudly. They break down in kitchens, on bus rides, in moments no one else sees. Taeyeon’s ability to sound devastated without raising her volume is exactly what those scenes need. The string arrangement by Klozer swells only in the final chorus, and even then, it feels like an exhale rather than an explosion.
Part 4: Seo Young-ju (Nerd Connection) — “Parallel Night” (나란한 밤)
Released: May 2, 2026
“Parallel Night” is the quietest track on the We Are All Trying Here OST so far. Seo Young-ju of Nerd Connection delivers a song about doing nothing, and that is exactly the point.
The lyrics describe a night where the weight of silence presses down, where hands reach for something they cannot grasp. Instead of fighting or fixing, the narrator simply sits beside someone. “In this deepening night without words, in this sinking moment, I am here. In this room that leans with familiarity, I sit parallel to a heart that has let go.”
Composed by Im Ha-eun with lyrics co-written by Gaemi, the arrangement features electric guitar, bass, drums, and piano, but everything stays muted. Nothing competes with the vocal. Seo Young-ju’s voice is calm and unhurried, perfectly suited for a song about the courage it takes to stop trying to solve everything and simply be present.
In the drama, this song scores the moments between action. The late-night scenes where characters sit in cars, stare at ceilings, or eat alone. These are the scenes Park Hae-young is famous for. She trusts silence, and “Parallel Night” is the musical equivalent of that trust.
Part 5: Choi Yuri — “On a Day the Wind Feels Nice” (바람이 참 좋은 날에)
Released: May 3, 2026
The most recent addition to the We Are All Trying Here OST is Choi Yuri’s folk ballad, and it carries the simplest promise of all five tracks: “I will become your night. I will hold you through the long, long darkness.”
Built on acoustic guitar, piano, steel guitar, and strings, the production is warm without being sentimental. Choi Yuri’s vocal approach is understated. She does not chase emotional peaks. Instead, she lets the melody do the work, and the result feels like a conversation rather than a performance.
The bridge introduces a rare moment of vulnerability from the narrator’s side. “When the long night passes and the painful memories melt away, will you hold me then?” It is a small reversal. The person offering comfort admits they need it too. In a drama about people who hide their struggles behind competence and humor, this kind of mutual fragility is the emotional breakthrough.
Gaemi co-wrote the lyrics with Han Bam, and the arrangement features live strings conducted by Kwon Ji-su. The organic instrumentation gives the track a timeless quality that should age well beyond the drama’s run.
What’s Coming Next: Parts 6 and 7
The full OST lineup confirms at least two more tracks. Part 6 is titled “It’ll Be Okay” (괜찮을거예요) and Part 7 is listed as “Untitled_08.” The artists for these tracks have not been officially announced, but the confirmed lineup still includes Paul Kim and Daymons Ear, making them the most likely candidates.
Paul Kim’s warm, conversational vocal style would fit naturally into the drama’s tone. If the pattern holds, his track will likely score a mid-series turning point. Daymons Ear, known for atmospheric indie soundscapes, could deliver something more experimental for the final stretch.
As new tracks drop, this guide will be updated with full breakdowns.
Final Thoughts on the We Are All Trying Here OST
Five tracks in, and the We Are All Trying Here OST has already established itself as one of the strongest Korean drama soundtracks of 2026. Music director Gaemi understood the assignment. Every song matches a specific emotional frequency in the story, from Kim Min-seok’s gentle companionship to LUCY’s defiant fire to Taeyeon’s shattered grace.
What makes this soundtrack work is restraint. None of these artists oversing. None of the arrangements overpower the scenes they accompany. In a drama about people who are quietly falling apart, the music knows when to whisper.
The drama airs every Saturday and Sunday on JTBC and streams on Netflix. For a complete breakdown of the cast, plot, and streaming details, check out our We Are All Trying Here complete guide. If you enjoyed this OST analysis, you might also like our Perfect Crown OST Guide, which covers another standout soundtrack from this season. Listen to the full We Are All Trying Here OST playlist on Spotify.