What Is The Mingle Song In Squid Game Season 2?
Brutal demises, organ harvesting, and financial ruin may be at the crux of Netflix's "Squid Game," but boy does that show have some catchy tunes. From Joseph Hayden's cheery Trumpet Concerto waking the players from their slumber to Johann Strauss II's soothing The Blue Danube, which plays as they ascend the colorful stairs toward whatever deadly game awaits, much of the "Squid Game" soundtrack is a happy-go-lucky contrast to what's taking place on screen.
This is especially true during Mingle, the best new game of "Squid Game" Season 2. As the contestants stand on a massive, turning carousel, bracing themselves for the panic that will ensue when they're forced to break into groups of a designated number, the earworm-inducing "Round and Round" is heard. Despite the upbeat melody and children's voices singing, "Dunggeulge, dunggeulge," the players are terrified ... except, of course, Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun), whose dark story mirrors that of the actor who plays him.
"Round and Round" is by no means an original piece created for "Squid Game." Rather, it's a popular Korean kids' song penned by composers Jeon Jeong-geun and Dr. Lee Soo-in that dates back decades. Little did Jeon and Lee know at the time, their innocent tune would someday go viral on social media and be associated with hundreds of fictional deaths, like Young-mi (Kim Si-eun), a moment that made "Squid Game" fans beyond angry.
Round and Round is beloved by the masses
The exact release date of "Round and Round" is unknown. However, it dates at least to the '80s, when both Jeon Jeong-geun and Dr. Lee Soo-in were in their prime. Lee, in particular, was passionate about children's music (he wrote over 500 songs!) and worked to introduce Korean youth to more classical sounds. Songs like "Round and Round" certainly made an impact on the kids of that era and beyond. On TikTok, @blackbeltmom67 shared a video of her singing every lyric with the caption, "I left my country 40 years ago but I still remember this song from my childhood." The post has amassed 40 million views.
Still, this is far from the only viral video on social media featuring "Round and Round." Another one comes from @dimitribeauchamp, who choreographed his own dance routine to the song. After the original garnered 6.8 million views, he created subsequent posts sporting the pink guard uniform and the black ensemble of The Frontman (Lee Byung-hun). Social media users across TikTok and other platforms continue to post "Round and Round" content weeks after the "Squid Game" Season 2 premiere.
The season's music director, Jung Jae II, never anticipated such a strong, positive reaction to "Round and Round." He said in an interview with The Chosun Ilbo (via The Independent), "It's truly amazing and humbling."