Lee Min-ho's Song Picks

Lee Min-ho [Starhaus Entertainment]

Actor Lee Min-ho has been a 'perfect guy' from the moment the public started to recognize his name and face. He was the perfect guy at a top private high school in "Boys Over Flowers" (KBS, 2009), a cold-hearted guy of the city who is a 'real man' and a well-reputed planner in "Personal Taste" (MBC, 2010) and an employee of the national communications network control team at the presidential Blue House who drives an imported car and easily spends several millions of wons a day in "City Hunter" (SBS, 2011). In other words, an actor who has played men who have everything and shot to stardom through "Boys Over Flowers." And this glamorous and distinguished aspect to this star celebrity made it so easy to describe this actor.

Yet the moments he truly shined was when his perfectness, achieving the golden ratio, ruptured. The reason that Goo Joon-pyo in "Boys Over Flowers" instantly seized women's hearts was because of his arrogant gestures which did not suit his proud physical appearance and perfect background, then Jun Jin-ho in "Personal Taste" was indecisive over his greediness to dig into the secret of Korean-style houses versus his pure love toward Gae-in (Son Ye-jin) and Lee Yoon-sung of "City Hunter," with financial power and fighting capability, went to great pains to think there must be a better solution even at the moment he punishes a villain.

Of course, such are the types of characters he may have been asked to play. But it is hard to deny that it is not by stroke of luck but the ability to portray all those moments of hesitance that he became who he is today. That is why one needs to carefully look back on his past where he appeared in a number of projects that helped solidify his acting skills. If you are interested by Lee's choice of songs that he says he listened to at memorable moments of his life, it is because they reveal a bit of the concerns and depth he has as a human being, not as the bright and shining star.

1. Kim Yeon-woo "If You Are Like Me"
The first song that Lee recommended, saying it is the song he listens to most often these days, is Kim Yeon-woo's remake of Kim Jang-hoon's "If You Are Like Me" on broadcaster MBC's singing competition "I'm a Singer." "I tend to listen to a song over and over again, until I get sick of it and that's the case with this song right now. I actually didn't get to see Kim Yeon-woo sing the song on the show because I was filming 'City Hunter' then. But I was in the car to go somewhere when it started playing on the radio. And I think I was moved by how his voice was so clear and relaxed, as if I was listening to someone's story being told on the radio. Also, the song may be easy on the ears but if you try singing it yourself, you'll realize that it's actually nowhere close to easy to sing. It's a very high-pitched song." "If You Are Like Me" that Kim Yeon-woo sang on "I'm a Singer" is probably the song that has strayed furthest from the usual style of music that he does. Yet it was also the first time the audience got to see him sing with his veins bulging out.

2. Insooni "Goose's Dream"
Cable music channel Mnet's "Yoon Do-hyun's MUST" program recently carried out a survey on 'The song that cheers you up the most when you are down' and Insooni's "Goose's Dream" took first place. The song probably does the same for Lee Min-ho. "I started taking acting classes while preparing for college. And it may be fun readying yourself for something new but I think that at the time, there were some untangible forms of stress that I had such as whether I wasn't too late or was preparing myself for my career properly. I also asked myself why I couldn't enjoy my school days the way everyone else does when people would regretfully tell me 'If I were you, I think I'd be able to do well at my studies if I got to go to school again.' Nonetheless, I vaguely remember being encouraged and moved a lot by this song. It's a song I'd like to listen to with those of you who are building on your dreams and are getting ready to take your college entrance exams."

3. 2NE1 "2NE1 1st Mini Album"
2NE1's "I Don't Care" is the song he chose for when he wants to take off somewhere with no worries. "Whenever I thought that I want to go on a trip during the hot summer, I always listened to this song. Whether I was on my way to a shoot or stuck on a congested road, I'd feel like I was going on a trip whenever I listen to this song." The original image the public had of 2NE1 was 'toughness,' closer to their image from "Fire," but "I Don't Care" is the song that placed them onto stardom. A number which goes better with one's happy humming and the bobbing of shoulders than intense and acrobatics-like choreography. A reggae mix version of the song was released later on as well but like it shows, the song is more about one enjoying themselves than singing it well, the attitude unique of reggae tunes.

4. Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova "Once OST"
"This beautiful movie and its music moved me in a natural and subtle way instead of forcing the emotions. Just like there's a feeling that I get from it, I think everybody must feel differently to different movies and music." The fourth movie he recommended was "Falling Slowly" from the movie "Once." For a while, most people who know how to or want to learn to play an acoustic guitar, played or practiced this song. You could say that the song became so popular because of the movie's success but the acoustic introduction to "Falling Slowly" has become a familiar tune even to those who have not seen the movie. Thanks to that, the movie's main characters Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova's folk duo Swell Season gained worldwide recognition as well.

5. Lee Min-ho "My Everything"
The last song is "My Everything" that Lee Min-ho himself sang. "'My Everything' is in the special edition soundtrack for series 'Boys Over Flowers.' I'm nowhere close to singing as well as actual singers but I sang it to express my gratitude over the huge love that the drama received. I'd never imagined that the singer to a song could be me so I practiced and prepared really hard with the thought that I'd be singing for someone for the first time. I also remember being touched by an audience singing along to the song when I sang it for them. I guess it's actually not a song I listen to often but it's always in my playlist." Lee Min-ho's low yet soft lower register stood out in the song but the music video, containing five years after the story in 'Boys Over Flowers' was popular as well.

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10 아시아 Reporter : Wee Geun-woo eight@
10 아시아 Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@