Kim Ha-neul's Song Picks

Soundtracks for her films and dramas

"I get scared when doing wire action but people around me said I will start enjoying it at one point. That I'll scream a couple of times but end up wanting to go again," actress Kim Ha-neul said of shooting the actions scenes for film "Secret Couple" while appearing on KBS' "Park Joong-hoon Show". Being scared in the beginning but ending up doing it someway or another. That's how this 31-year-old actress accumulated her filmography for the past 14 years. When everyone recognized her for her delicate and pure image in TV series "Happy Together" and "Piano", she took on comedy acting in films "My Tutor Friend" and "Too Beautiful to Lie". And when the audience regarded her as the queen of romantic comedy, she challenged herself playing the role of a woman in an extramarital love affair in "90 Days, Time to Love" and the direct and caustic character of Oh Seung-ah in "On Air". "I had a hard time crying while acting but I kept trying and improved bit by bit. [Succeeding] Six times out of ten, then nine times out of ten, and so on." As such, Kim has been expanding her realm of acting by challenging herself to take on roles that may seemingly not suit her in the beginning.

Kim is an actress who has a young-looking face which one would consider would never change but she increasingly continues to show us various looks. The star who said, "I want to take on various genres while managing to maintain my own style," integrates her unique star quality in the various characters she plays in her films and dramas. Kim's choice for her playlist theme was 'Songs I would use as soundtracks for my films and dramas' because many of the roles she took on were when she was in her 20s -- when she was in the process of expanding the scope of her acting. "It's my gift for my previous works. It would be even better if those fans of mine who have seen me for a long time, can imagine what the films or dramas would be like with the songs I pick."

1. Michita's "One"
"I like hip-hop jazz musicians like Michita or Nujabes. It's because I have the slightest interest in them personally but also because they mix up the two [genres] to produce a new feeling... sort of a dreamy feeling." Kim chose hip-hop artist Michita whose first album is also recently popular in Korea. Like Nujabes, they maintain the characteristics of hip-hop but expanded the genre by creating various hybrids within it, influencing many domestic artists. "I would want to use it as the soundtrack for my debut film 'Bye June'. The mood is a bit different since the film is rougher but I would want to give the wandering adolescents within the movie a warmer and more dreamy feeling."

2. Eva Cassidy's "Imagine"
Eva Cassidy is a female musician who died at the young age of 33 in 1996. She exuded her talent in various genres from folk to rock, enjoying worldwide fame only after her death as her music became re-evaluated. "Imagine" is the album containing the remake of her songs. Kim says she found out about Eva Cassidy through quite an unexpected channel. "My mother heard 'danny boy' on the album while watching short drama a while ago. That's when I found out about her and started buying her albums. I really like her creations but I think the remake songs such as "Imagine" seem more special to me because I really like the original songs too. Wouldn't Eva Cassidy's lonely voice suit the scene in TV series "On Air" where Oh Seung-ah sits all alone in her room?"

3. Tahiti 80's "Puzzle"
When told she seems to listen to a wide variety of music, Kim responded, "Nah, I just listen, that's all". She went on to explain her way of listening to music. "I listen to a lot of music during breaks on shoots. I can't help but become absorbed in the emotions of the character I play and music helps me to focus even more or oppositely, to fall out of it." Tahiti 80's "Puzzle" was also an album she discovered while in shooting for film "Ice Rain". The French group, whose music was praised as being almost like "eating irresistible candy with your ears" since their debut, are really that good at helping one's emotions become brighter and lighter. "I first found out about Tahiti80 while shooting "Rain". I still listen to their songs such as 'hertbeat' or '1,000 times' when I become depressed or want to challenge myself for something new. But I guess it would suit the lighter atmosphere of "My Tutor Friend" better than the darker mood of "Rain".

4. Jazzholic's "Be"
Kim's fourth choice was Korean jazz band Jazzholic's fourth album "Be". They're a group which added a touch of latin and lounge to jazz to give their music a more friendly and urban feeling. "I was talking to a friend at a cafe when I heard their music. So I asked who it was by and that's when I started listening to them." She added she wants to listen to their music even more when she wants to chat away in a good mood with her friends or loosen up a bit while drinking wine at a bar she likes to go to. "I would want to use their music for TV series "90 Days, Time to Love". Our producer shot the scenes so beautifully despite the story being about two destined lovers who end up breaking up. I think this album contains both the emotions of elegance and loneliness suitable for the drama. I personally like the overall mood of the album rather than the melodies for each song."

5. Sonny Rollin's "This Love of Mine"
"I don't know jazz well enough to use such expressions but I do think Sonny Rollin's performances are very special. I feel as if he himself is speaking rather than playing the saxaphone." Kim picked master jazz musician Rollin for her last choice, saying that she does not know jazz professionally but that he seems to be someone who plays absolute music which can move every listener. And she recommended his golden music be used for her film "Secret Couple". "'Couple' sort of seems to have a slightly twisted feeling to spy movie series '007'. I'd want to shoot an opening scene where the undercover agents appear to Rollin's music. Haha."

Senior Reporter : Kang Myoung-Seok two@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr