Why She Carries a Camera

“It was hard to believe [I won]. I was always dissatisfied with unprofessional acts on TV.”

A new face in pop world, 23-year-old Ha Eun, was selected as Newcomer of the Month by MBC’s Music Camp. The Newcomer of the Month is a new method of selecting new faces and stars. A professor from Ewha Women’s University, Ju Chul-whan, and five other pop analysts chose three newcomers. The newcomers are then are put to the test on TV. Afterwards, the contestants are voted on by 500 viewers via the internet. Ha Eun finished in third place in the eyes of the professional judges. She finished first among internet voters, however.

“I achieved a lot just by learning the fact that my songs are not good enough from a professional standpoint,” said Ha Eun, who made her debut early last month.

Her debut single, which was released early last December, was a ballad named “I Feel Hurt, Angry and Sorry,” written by Shim hyun-bo and Ha Eun, and composed by Shim Hyun-bo. In this soft rock song, she sings the ballad like a small bird.

Ha’s singing is relaxing because it is clear and has no extraneous techniques added to it. Her singing lacks any outstanding characteristics typical to a newcomer, however

“I want to get closer to my fans with a friendly comfortable voice instead of a charismatic, forceful one, ” Ha said. She showed her direct character by being completely honest about her weak points.

In her debut album “The Last Leaf,” which is characterized by moderate vocals and flowing piano harmonies and a ballad, “I’ll love you more,” which has plenty of pauses between notes, clearly illustrates Ha’s singing philosophy. The same philosophies are present in the simple, modern folk-style songs on the album: “A good day to love” and the guitar melody “Love-blind.”

Ha Eun released her album after three years of preparation. She honed her ability through making appearances as a guest in Glassbox, Cherry Filter and Wax’s concerts.

During photo shoots or promotional shoots for her album, Ha always carries a camera. “I want my singing to become like a camera. Cameras have their own views and express those views in their own, unique ways,” says Ha.

Yub Huh heo@donga.com