Jang Keun-suk’s Song Picks

There are not that many things ordinary people can achieve in their early twenties as you think. But at 23, the age when many people are worrying about their career paths, Jang Keun-suk is already passing the “protege” stage and growing into a true actor. Jang, who appeared in three movies and two dramas during the past year, has now become a certified star who holds fan meetings in Japan. To add on, he has successfully revealed to viewers two very different sides of himself: a prince drifting through the real world with a revengeful heart and clouded expression in KBS’s “Hong Gil Dong” and a genius musician who can play extremely difficult tunes on the trumpet in MBC’s “Beethoven Virus”.

The appeal of Jang Keun-suk is that two different images co-exist within him; the first as a young man living an ordinary life in “Beethoven Virus” and the second as a glamorous star in television commercials. His appeal is also revealed in the type of music he likes. Jang is a huge music lover who collects albums from all genres -- ranging from electronic to Korean pop -- and even buys his own deejaying equipment. The equipment which appears in his Etude commercial is his own. “I go to sites like www.beatport.com and listen to music for spinning. But I have no plans to be a deejay in front of people. I just enjoy doing it when I’m with my friends.” For Jang, the joy of music lies in listening to it rather than making it into work. Here, he recommends the albums which have remained on his MP3 player for the longest time.

1. "My Name Is Ra.D" by Ra. D
“I was really shocked when I first heard it. It felt like it was ahead of time.” The first musician Jang recommended was Korean R&B Soul musician and producer Ra.D. Even people who are not familiar with the name will have probably heard his voice at least once in many of the featurings he did for hip-hop musicians, such as in Cho PD’s “My style” or Dynamic Duo’s “Mother’s Bean Paste Soup”. Jang said he cannot forget how shocked he was upon hearing Ra.D’s first album "My name is Ra.D". “I was so hooked onto the album that I bought 20 CDs to give them to my friends. I was disappointed that it didn't become a commercial success, but I know that a lot of fans still love that album. Maybe that’s why the copy of the album has even more value now.” Like Jang, while many fans remembered the artist for his first album, Ra.D returned from the army and released his second album "Real Collabo" late last year. Jang, who is more than delighted about this album, recommends the track ‘SP Collabo’.

2. "Whistle In A Maze" by Harim
Jang, who does not favor a particular genre over another, says he sees many facets to music. So he sometimes falls in love with the lyrics first. He said that the honest lyrics to "Love Is Forgotten By Another Love”, in Harim’s second album “Whistle In A Maze”, captivated his heart. “I like sophisticated melodies but many times, I will also like songs if the lyrics really hit me. This song in particular was incredibly appealing -- listening to Harim’s unique and indifferent voice singing about a sad break-up. It seems like its easy listening at first, but you start thinking about love the more you hear it. Of course, the music itself is also great. I once appeared on a radio show with Harim and he told me that when he made this album, he travelled to a lot of countries in Europe and learned to play many different instruments. And he took out what he needed to take out and added what he needed to add in to his music. It sounds even greater listening to the album knowing that it contains all the thoughts and feelings from his travels.”

3. "High times :Singles 1992-2006" by Jamiroquai
As a fan of Japanese Shibuya musicians since he was in middle school, Jang has been listening to an extensive range of artists from Fantastic Plastic Machine to Monkey Magic. So it is no surprise to hear that he is a fan of Jamiroquai. It is a different genre, but the common thread of Jang’s taste in music is that he enjoys listening to songs with upbeat style and groove. As an avid Jamiroquai fan, he has collected all the albums and DVDs by the band. Finding it particularly hard to pick just one album, he chose their best album "High times :Singles 1992-2006". It is a treasure of an album, which contains most of their hit songs including Jang’s personal favorites “Canded Heat” and “Virtual Insanity”. “It may be because of my major but even when I am shooting commercials, I tend to look at the entire process in detail -- from the storyboards to post-production. I even put forth my own ideas. In that sense, I envy the sensibility in Jamiroquai’s music videos. The idea behind the music video for “Virtual Insanity” is just awesome.”

4. "Behind The Smile" by Yoon Jong-shin
Jang, who started his career early in the entertainment business and is told by other people that he is a deep thinker, often listens to music that his older generations listen to. Hence he is a fan of Yoon Jong-shin, his co-star from sit-com "Nonstop 4". He says he loves Yoon’s 10th album "Behind The Smile", which contains tracks like “I Come to You” and “You are so beautiful”, which gives off a new feeling every time. “I was in high school when that album was released. I later heard that it was a song that producers and writers at broadcasting stations around the age 30 really liked. But I feel different emotions regarding the song year by year, as I get older. There is no limit to range of emotion within the song and makes people think different thoughts whenever they hear it. When I reach my 30s, I think I will like the album another different meaning.”

5. "Born to do it" by Craig David
“I bought this album when I was in 8th grade,” said Jang who remembered exactly when he bought Craig David’s first regular album "Born to do it". “I was doing a sitcom with Rain at the time when I had gone out and bought the CD during a break. Rain jokingly said, "So you know a little something about music.” Craig David, considered a trendsetter in music by many fans, including Rain and Jang, is a world-famous English R&B singer with exceptional vocals and sophisticated sound. Jang’s favorite song is “Time to Party”, which features the impressive voice of a young Craig David who had just debuted. “I really cherish moments when I having a small party with friends while listening to music I like. It’s a comfortable, enjoyable time. But I was so busy last year that I didn’t have much time for that.”

When asked about his plans for the year, Jang cautiously start off by saying it "might sound ridiculous” but that he wanted to find his identity. He, who seemed to have a clearer vision than anyone, may have actually been wandering in secret, trying to find what his heart wants. “I didn’t major in music. But people think I know a lot more about music than others just because of my taste. And truthfully I’m not really into clothes. But some people suddenly started calling me a fashionista. That made me reflect upon my image that it may perhaps be a bit too trendy.” The ultimate self-image this young man has of himself, he who knows how to listen to other people, is being an actor which is what he has been doing since the very beginning. “Up until now, there was nothing that I didn’t enjoy doing. But from now on, I want to play the roles that only I can do. My goal is to be an actor who you can't sense is an actor. I also want to be ambitious, but not hurry, and develop an eye for picking good roles.” There is none more admirable than Jang who wants to pay back fans and also convince them with his acting. Seems all we need to do is 'expect' this self-fulfilling actor to shine in his role.

Reporter : Yoon Hee-Seong nine@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr