I thought Ha Ji Won was headed straight to Hollywood after ruling the domestic television network ratings for half a year as the titular Empress Ki. Turns out she’s taking a quick detour to drop a digital single first, making it seem as easy and effortless as stopping for a coffee. Ha Ji Won’s new original single is called “Now In This Place” and features lyrics written by the screenwriter of Empress Ki. It actually fits as a song Seung Nyang could sing for the man she loves, except of course there remains unending questions about which of her two leading men in Wang Yoo and Ta Hwan she actually loved. I can argue that she loved both, and can also argue that she loved neither as much as she loved her own sense of justice, revenge, and determination. EK’s love triangle was so unsatisfying I wish the drama would have dispensed with the fictional character of Wang Yoo to begin with and just write Ta Hwan better since in history she was going to marry the Yuan Emperor anyway.
So go right ahead imagining Ha Ji Won is singing “Now In This Place” for the guy you shipped her character with in EK, it works with either dude though the feels are probably less now that the drama ended over a month ago. The folks in Taiwan can enjoy it right along with the premiere of EK on network television there. Ha Ji Won made quite a splash on the island when she visited last week to participate in drama promotions and hold a fan meeting. The media slurped her up and she was charming every step of the way. Below are brand spanking gorgeous pictures of Ha Ji Won gracing the cover and pages of a few Taiwanese entertainment magazines in photo shoots she managed to squeeze in during her short stay. I swear she’s a robot who doesn’t age or appear to need sleep. You can also have a listen at the new single and decide whether Ha Ji Won has a future in the music industry after she’s conquered television and film in South Korea. I like the song but her singing reminds me of so many actresses attempting to sing, passable voice but no vocal training to bring the song fully to life.
Ha Ji Won “Now in This Place”:
How is she always able to look so perfect? I always respected her for not singing like the other actresses have attempted to do so but I suppose you do what helps your career along. It’s a pretty song and she sings it well but it really does lack something.
Looking back on Empress Ki I’m not really sure who I ship anymore. I find myself missing Jin Yi Han as Taltal rather than the actual drama. How strange.
Not strange at all!
I miss TalTal, too!!!
😉
Yup, she sings it good but lacking of emotion. It’s okay. As far as her leading man in EK, for some reason everytime she’s with TalTal, there’s this strange chemistry between them that even if they’re not having any dialouge it just simply shows. Just the way TalTal look at her, it’s like “you’re mine.” Do I make sense? 😉
oh yes, you definitely make sense. xD I love & miss Tal Tal too… I’m watching A New Leaf now b/c I miss seeing him onscreen so much but even that isn’t enough especially b/c he has only a few scenes in the drama itself. Hopefully, towards the end of it, we’ll c more and more of him. Let’s keep our fingers crossed ^_~!
Me too, sometimes ??
It’s a pretty song but it’s lacking in emotion. I don’t think she should come to Hollywood at all. She’s so big in Asia, why go to a place that is not really open to Asian actors? I only see a handful of Asian actors on TV. But I see her wanting to try something different.
She’s simply gorgeous ♡
Does she have to sing, too? I don’t know… but I won’t criticize her decision.
She should try as many different things as she can (while she can!) to increase her market value and her “brand”. Entertainment industry isn’t as kind to aging women as to aging men. It’s really unfair! I want her to be one of the rare exceptions.
Looking gorgeous as always. I love this woman but the singing – no, my queen. NO. (I feel the same way re: Lee Min Ho moonlighting as a singer.)
The number of episodes for Empress Ki really intimidates me so I could never get past the first episode but I’m rewatching TK2H this week. Hang Ah and Jae Ha remains my all-time OTP. And I am adding Jo Jung Suk and Lee Yoon Ji to my reunion wishlist for the year ^^
Honestly I think that she has more potential than Lee Min Ho. But I gotta give it to LMH’s production team for managing to gather 6 songs that he actually songs decent in. Nothing fantastic but nothing that makes me wanna sob at the injustice of a perfectly good sob being destroyed by a horrible voice.
It’s a little to late. It would be better if the song released before EK ends. That drama is bipolar and I love the drama as much as I hate it.
Anyway HJW actually said that this song is for her fans. And the lyrics actually can go to both men (Wang Yoo and Ta Hwan).
She is classy. That is one word best to describe her. I hope one day she will do a drama with Kang Ji Hwan.
HJW is one of the bankable KOREAN ACTRESS, She is multi-talented, can portray from ACTION to MELODRAMA role. She got a beautiful face and a great body. We truly love & adore her. Keep it up HJW!
its not like shes intending to become a professional singer. This song is released for the fans, to thank them for supporting her. She has made it very clear that she is not a singer, but an actress.
If you check out her biography, actually she has launched an album in 2003 with title “home run”. So she actually can sing…
Why can JCW and HJW make duet together for Empress Ki OST…sigh..
LOL. I love HJW, she can do whatever the hell she wants. But releasing an album (or 10 albums) in the past is NOT indicative of whether or not she CAN sing. It just means someone financed an album for her to release. The best qualitative marker of whether HJW has a singing future ahead of her or not is just by listening to her sing. And judging by this song, she needs to keep her day job. It’s easy to listen to because I love her but as a standalone song it’s the type to hit delete and move on.
Well, at least she can sing her own song in the fans meeting..lol…hehehe
This song is really intended for her fans and she knows that she’ s not a singer.I believe she felt embarassed when someone mention about her previous songs.She does have a sweet voice.
I love Ha Ji Won. She’s beautiful, she can act, and she seems like a pretty down to earth person.
While this was better than Park Shin Hye’s song and singing, it wasn’t very good.
It sounds like she’s more trying to make sure she stays on pitch rather than putting any emotion into the lyrics.
I feel nothing really even when she sings “sarangheyyo.”
Singing is kind of like acting in that you’re trying to connect to the audience and have them feel some connection or emotion. The only difference is that in singing, you mainly have the voice where as acting uses multiple different ways to induce the emotions.
Unfortunately, the song fails to elicit any sort of emotion whatsoever. It’s just kind of there….
She had actually clarified at one of her interviews that this single is meant to thank her fans for their support. She first sang it at a recent glamcamping with them. Im sure she knows where she stands with regards to her singing skills. its unlikely she has any intention of turning herself into prof singer.
Shes the only actress i love sooo much! She can portray every role she has. Im really moved by Empress Ki and how strong her character is but to be honest i hate the ending.. 🙁 i really hoped that atleast the emperor lives and together bring peace to the two nation. I feel so sad imagining that empress ki have to be alone for the rest of her life.. *sigh* 🙁
… Oh in addition to that, though her song lacks something, i really really love it because i can still imagine Empress Ki singing that song to wang yu or to the emperor. But everytime i listen to it i cant help but miss “Empress Ki series”… T-T it feels like the song is the goodbye song of this drama. 🙁
Ha ji won, pls make another drama like empress ki.. 😀
i love and looking forward for more drama or movie about HA I WON and ji chang wook ,,they are really cute ,nice and lovely.
Anyone know about any news relate to Ha Ji Won next project or tv drama?
She’s currently filming a movie named “Chronicles of a blood merchant” along with Ha Jung Woo. It’s the adaptation of a Chinese best-seller. The movie will be premiered in December 2014 or so I heard and will be presented at Cannes next year! She’ll then go to Hollywood and film a movie there during the autumn!
Is there any online site that HJW digital single can be purchased from?
ehh! stop those rude comments.. ! that was so bad! i love the song! if you dont, so what?? just stop talking bad things about her!! Go go TaNyang! Ughh, i dont know why i hate Wang Yoo so much!! but no offense to wangnyang shippers.. love tanyang 4ever