Alt title: Dash Towards the Future
No creation information. It is widely speculated that this song was written by Kim Jong-un himself and although I don’t have a source on that, it wouldn’t surprise me if it were true. The song was first performed by the Moranbong Band during their August 25th, 2012 concert. “Dash to the Future” is one of the most easy listening, pop style songs performed by the Moranbong Band. It seems to a popular one as well, based on the audience’s reactions when it is performed and how many DPRK music fans list it as one of their favorite songs. Another sign of its popularity is the large number of different performances of it available on YouTube.
Performances
10.10.2013. Probably the most popular performance of this song. The video I linked to has over 700k views as I’m writing this and over a thousand comments. All the original Moranbong Band singers are present and they even have a cute dance to go along with the song.
08.25.2012. This seems to be the first time this song was performed. The tempo sounds a bit off and the singers haven't perfected the pop style vocals present in later performances. The dance routine isn't present here and won't be until the October 2013 concert.
12.21.2012. This version is very similar to the October 2013 version, except there are four singers instead of six and the singers don’t dance in this one.
04.25.2014. The beginning instrumental part of this song is completely different from previous Moranbong Band performances but ends up being largely the same after the introduction. The dance moves are still there but very subdued compared to the October 2013 concert. There are four singers in this one as well.
05.11.16. Another version of this song by the Moranbong Band, performed in a song and dance medley during a joint concert with the State Merited Chorus and the Chongbong Band. The dance moves are similar to the ones used in the October 2013 concert, except here the singers are holding microphones, which limits them somewhat.
01.01.2019. A Moranbong Electronic Ensemble performance in Kim Il-sung square. The song was part of a medley including “Advance of Socialism” and “Please, Let the New Year’s Snow Fall.”
Pyeongchang Winter Olympics 2018. An upbeat version of “Dash to the Future” with some very energetic dancing. Although the Samjiyon Orchestra provides the instrumental portion of the song, I recognize several of the singers from the Chongbong Band.
DPRK Friendship Art Troupe in Beijing. January 2019. Very similar to the one above but some of the singers are different. I still spot at least a couple from the Chongbong Band. Unlike the performance in South Korea, this version actually aired on TV in the north.
2013 University student performance A 2013 performance with all male singers. While the Moranbong Band version has a brief violin solo, this version opts to use flutes instead.
2016 Kim Won Gyun University concert. An all female ensemble. The sound quality is just ok on this one, which is a shame because the girl that has the brief solo at 0:55 seems to have a really pretty voice.
Sovereignty Broadcast, September 2018. A South Korea group performed the same dance shown during the 2018 Winter Olympics. I don’t normally include dance numbers here but I found this one interesting.
English Lyrics
Lyrics by Moranbong Band HD
In this proud era of our youthKorean Lyrics
Lyrics by Moranbong Band HD
보람찬 시대에 청춘을 맞았네