section_path: Production/Music
section_name: Music
paragraph_text: Music
  
  Jung Jae-il, who previously composed the soundtrack for Parasite, composed and directed Squid Game ' s score. To prevent it from becoming boring, he asked the help of composers Park Min-ju, and Kim Sung-soo, a music director for musicals who uses the stage name "23" as a composer.
  
  Two classical music pieces are also used throughout the show as part of the players' routine: the third movement of Joseph Haydn 's " Trumpet Concerto " is used to wake the players, and Johann Strauss II 's " The Blue Danube " is used to indicate the start of a new game. Ludwig van Beethoven 's " Fifth Symphony " is also heard in the VIP lounge. A cover of " Fly Me to the Moon ", arranged by Jung and sung by South Korean artist Joo Won Shin, was used over the "Red Light, Green Light" game of the first episode; according to Joo, Hwang wanted a contrast between the brutal killing of the players and the "romantic and beautiful lyrics and melody" of the song, such that the scene "embodies the increasingly polarized capitalist society that we live in today in a very compressed and cynical way".
  
  For the song "Way Back Then" that accompanies children playing Squid Game, Jung wanted to use instruments that he practiced in elementary school, such as recorders and castanets. The rhythm of the song is based on a 3-3-7 clapping rhythm that is commonly used in South Korea to cheer someone on. The recorder, played by Jung himself, had a slight "beep", which was unintentional. The song "Round VI" was played by the Budapest Scoring Orchestra. The soundtrack was released on September 17, 2021.
  
  Jung returned to score the second season, with the soundtrack album being released on December 27, 2024, through Netflix Music. Jung confirmed his involvement in 2023, telling the BBC the second season would retain some elements from the score to the first season but have a "more bizarre and unique sound". The second season also features the aria " Nessun dorma " from Giacomo Puccini 's Turandot and " Time to Say Goodbye " by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.
  
  Jung Jae-il, who previously composed the soundtrack for Parasite, composed and directed Squid Game ' s score. To prevent it from becoming boring, he asked the help of composers Park Min-ju, and Kim Sung-soo, a music director for musicals who uses the stage name "23" as a composer.
  
  Two classical music pieces are also used throughout the show as part of the players' routine: the third movement of Joseph Haydn 's " Trumpet Concerto " is used to wake the players, and Johann Strauss II 's " The Blue Danube " is used to indicate the start of a new game. Ludwig van Beethoven 's " Fifth Symphony " is also heard in the VIP lounge. A cover of " Fly Me to the Moon ", arranged by Jung and sung by South Korean artist Joo Won Shin, was used over the "Red Light, Green Light" game of the first episode; according to Joo, Hwang wanted a contrast between the brutal killing of the players and the "romantic and beautiful lyrics and melody" of the song, such that the scene "embodies the increasingly polarized capitalist society that we live in today in a very compressed and cynical way".
  
  For the song "Way Back Then" that accompanies children playing Squid Game, Jung wanted to use instruments that he practiced in elementary school, such as recorders and castanets. The rhythm of the song is based on a 3-3-7 clapping rhythm that is commonly used in South Korea to cheer someone on. The recorder, played by Jung himself, had a slight "beep", which was unintentional. The song "Round VI" was played by the Budapest Scoring Orchestra. The soundtrack was released on September 17, 2021.
  
  Jung returned to score the second season, with the soundtrack album being released on December 27, 2024, through Netflix Music. Jung confirmed his involvement in 2023, telling the BBC the second season would retain some elements from the score to the first season but have a "more bizarre and unique sound". The second season also features the aria " Nessun dorma " from Giacomo Puccini 's Turandot and " Time to Say Goodbye " by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.