Happy Pet Day to our fellow pet parents and animal lovers! 

Pets are a tricky thing — frustratingly temperamental and worryingly fragile, yet irresistibly lovable and strangely comforting at times, they bring tears and at times, frustrations, but also laughter and consolation in the times we need them most. 

Spotify launches playlists and podcasts for dogs and other pets

As all great things should be written and sung about, humans' greatest companions should have music dedicated to them on a day honouring their presence and impact in our lives. Here are 6 tracks by Asian artists to celebrate your unconditional love for your animal friends (wherever they may be) – featuring Colde, Subsonic Eye, Stray Kids' Hyunjin, December Avenue, BTS' Jin, and Cosmic Child. 

Colde - 'Your Dog Loves You'

A loving dialogue between pets and their owners, Colde's 'Your Dog Loves You' featuring Crush washes over like the calm sea, painting pictures of the simple, little, everyday experiences with your pet dog. Ambiguous on the perspective from which it is sung, the song highlights the unspoken connection pets and their owners have, and the sense of comfort yielded between two beings who deeply care for one another in different ways. 

Paired with a music video of different dogs at a pet photoshoot, the song and the video together encapsulate the variety and vivacity of pet-owner relationships, curating an appreciation for your (imagined or real) pet.

Subsonic Eye - 'Kafka the Cat'

Opening with "the song you're about to hear is about my cat, and what she went through in 2019", and ending with "The bills aren't even funny, You're making me go crazy, but baby I love you", the line summarizes the polarising experience of being a pet parent. As much as we whine about the costs of raising a furry friend, we can't deny the unexplainable affection that keeps us going back, and our wallets empty. 

A hilariously sad ode to the short life of pets, Subsonic Eye's 'Kafka the Cat' is simultaneously tear-jerking to pet owners who fully relate to the struggle of pets and vets, and laughter-inducing in its stark realism.

Stray Kids Hyunjin - '꼬마별' ('Little Star')

Stray Kids' Hyunjin surprised fans with 'Little Star', a track he wrote for his dog, Kkami, who passed away. The song was born from a sentimental trip he took while looking at past photos of Kkami, and in realising he didn't have many photos, he decided to write a love letter in hopes to reach his dog who he sees as one of the stars in the sky. 

The mellow tune captures his deep love and apologies to his dog all in one as he sings not only for his dog, but himself, finding closure and beauty in his passing. 

December Avenue - 'Bakas ng Talampakan'

'Bakas ng Talampakan' was written by Zel Bautista, guitarist of the Filipino alternative rock outift, December Avenue. Written for his dog, Ixora, who passed away, the tune is a change from their usual yearning hits, expressing finding hope in life through the loving memory of his pet.

"The song is a different take from the usual heart-breaking hits of Dec Ave; It talks about being hopeful and finding light in the bloom of a new day. The album art is an original painting I made using my own foot, in acrylic paint," Bautista writes in a message to Bandwagon.

The title of the song (bakas ng talampakan or footprint) is a symbol that represents the path we've taken, to remind us to keep moving forward despite the struggles along the way." He adds.

BTS Jin - 'Tonight'

For Jin's first self-composed song, he wrote about his beloved pets: Odeng, Eomuk, and Jjangu. In 2019, the BTS member released the track titled 'Tonight' as part of their annual FESTA celebrations. An emotional song reminiscent of his earlier solos 'Epiphany' and 'Awake,' Tonight' speaks of the feeling of longing to spend time with someone you love and miss dearly. While his dear animal friends have passed away, his love and care for them are immortalised in this poignant track. "If I close my eyes/ I think the time we spent together will come to mind/ If I close my eyes/ I think only the happy memories will be brought to mind again."

In a note on BTS' blog, the 'Abyss' singer shared: "I wrote this song thinking about my pets. It's my first self-composed song, so I hope you enjoy it. I'll work hard next time and let you hear good songs. Thank you, ARMY."

Cosmic Child - 'Cats, Cats and Cats Again'

Contrary to the title, Cosmic Child's 'Cats, Cats and Cats Again' has no mention of felines, but is instead a longing cry for a lover long gone. The sweet, nostalgic sound of shoegaze carries the bittersweet feelings towards a past relationship, summarized in the question, "realised that it's over, will I see you, in my dreams?". 

Perhaps the comfort to the yearning comes in the title — cats (or pets), cats and cats again. Basking in the unadulterated love of our pet cats, perhaps we can slowly heal from the punches life throws at us, comforted in the unexplainable way only pets bring.