Light and Salt -- The Shampoo Fairy（샴푸의 요정）

I gotta say that it's not everyday that I go beyond the lines here but when I catch something that I really like...

My knowledge of K-Pop as opposed to J-Pop is minimal at best. I know of only the girl bands and boy bands that have gained popularity in Japan as well as in Toronto such as Girls' Generation and TVXQ (known more as Tohoshinki over there).

Some minutes ago, I encountered a City Pop compilation video on YouTube that had the usual Japanese acts such as Mariya Takeuchi（竹内まりや）and Junko Ohashi（大橋純子）but the last couple of numbers were Korean singers. I was pretty interested so I gave the last track a go and, lo and behold, I was darn impressed.

Through a bit of investigation, thanks to the explanation given by YouTuber My Dear Korea under the relevant video (that has since been taken down), I found out that the band behind this song is known as Light and Salt and the song itself is known as "The Shampoo Fairy" which originally was recorded as a theme song by the band Love and Peace for a 1988 South Korean drama with the same title, and then covered by Light and Salt in 1990 for their debut album. Jang Ki-ho, a member of the band, created the song.

In any case, "The Shampoo Fairy" is one smooth City Pop tune although I'm not sure how it was categorized in South Korea. There is so much about this song and the band's performance of it that reminds me of the early material recorded by City Pop/J-AOR band Sing Like Talking that it's eerie. Would love to know if there is more similar music from Light and Salt or other Korean bands in the urban contemporary vein.