BoA is a force to be reckoned with, in case you didn't already know this. Despite the fact that Utada Hikaru and Ayumi Hamasaki have been called the Britney Spears of Asia, I have to say that I entirely disagree. In terms of musical merit, BoA fits that role a little bit better (she doesn't write her own songs). But this is something I can overlook on a few different levels. First off, the girl is fluent in Japanese, English, and her native Korean-- not only thus, but she's already recording songs in Mandarin Chinese. Also, BoA can actually sing. If Britney Spears had any talent, I'm fairly sure that she'd sound a lot like BoA; at least, on this record. 2009's self-titled BoA was released back in March and went largely over-looked outside the tight-knit dance market. Unfortunately, Asia and America are entirely different markets, and crossing over from one to another can be easier said and done, mainly if you're trying to break the American market, which is already locked-down tight. And this is a shame. BoA represents that cheezy dance music that comes out of Lady GaGa and Britney Spears, but we'll never give her the chance.
In Asia, however, this girl is one of the most recognizable performers. And I'd like to let the readers in on some information. As a whole, performers release albums in Asia a lot more rapidly than they do over here. BoA has only been active as a professional singer for about a decade, but she's still released FIFTEEN studio albums. Fifteen. If it's been a few months since her last Korean release, then her Japanese album is right on its tails. Unfortunately, this equates a death sentence in the United States, where touring promotion is a huge part of album sales and fanbase growth. Unless she launches on a tour in the US, her American audience will remain anime purists who only like her because she's "OMFG ASAIN DESU." 2009's BoA peaked my interest back in 2008 when the lead-single leaked online. The beat was infectious and BoA's vocals were cutesy and bubbly. I was hooked immediately.
THE GOOD
This album is filled to the brim with sharp and slick pop songs in the same vein as Britney Spears. In fact, this album sounds a lot like Blackout in terms of production. Now, that may sound weird considering how badly I ripped that record to shreads. What makes this good is that BoA's presence has a strong attitude that bites on the bulk of these songs. Though her accent can take away from the overall genuineness of these songs, there's a fire on this album that isn't alive on anything Spears has ever recorded. This type of production has been popularized mainly by Ms. Janet Jackson-- listen to Discipline or 20 Y.O. if you don't believe me. The tricky part is that you have to be very talented to outshine it. BoA achieves this most of the time, though it's easy for the listen to lose her. In fact, actually, maybe her quirky pronunciation of English helps us get back to reality.
Eat You Up is the song that started my interest in this multi-lingual artist. I remember how fun she sounded, even if her sound was a little...er..."I'm a foreign exchange student trying to fit in." As funny as it sounded, my foot kept taping. Then my body started convulsing to the funky beats and sound effects that layered multiple times in the background. The lyrics are typical pop song, but it's BoA's cute and sexy deliver that makes them pop in the same vein as Namie Amuro's Play LP: "Boy you have got to be the finest thing in history [...] I'll eat you up! I'll eat you up..." What really impressed me, though, is that this party didn't begin or end with this song. It's easy for me to be fooled by a great first single (case in point, Mariah Scarey or Michelle Williams); but BoA kept delivery smooth dance tracks that serve as a musical firecracker.
The sound on BoA's debut record is warped and messy, drawing inspiration from the latter 2000s dance sound mixed with 80s samples and weird audio bytes. Songs like Energetic and Scream are more hypnotic than anything the singer had ever done. The former certified my decision that this album was worth multiple spins for the funky beat and crazy-catchy melody, signified the second she spits out the line "Report to the dance floor."
Hypnotic Dancefloor defines the entire album, with its speedy handclaps and fun lyrics: "Tonight I'm gonna dance for my life. I'm gonna use my body like it's the last time." It may be an absolute camp-fest, but it makes me want to be right next to her as she "burns it up on this hypnotic dancefloor, left to the right to the back to the front." I'm also very proud of Ms. BoA for not taking the gay-house route. It's very easy to slip into the sound of Richard Morel, whose sound never outgrew the 1990s. That generic house sound is one of the worst sounds to have to suffer through, so when this album dropped, I was very glad it was an experiment more in high-production and different flavors of electro. Long-time fans of BoA will find that the ninth track stands as Girls on Top, which is a sassy song that is just about everything that encompasses Asian pop music; this was originally released in Korea back in 2005 in her native tongue. I've never heard that version, but I can tell you that the English counterpart is fun.
THE BAD
There's something really off about the album in total. There's a definite feeling of "really? Does she know what she's saying?" BoA may be fluent in English, but she sounds a little lost or clueless at times, especially on the hipster-soaked Dress Off, which makes an annoying use of the vocoder and high-speed samples that remind me of Britney's Womanizer. I can barely understand a word that she says, and it's basically a headache packed into a four-minute pop song. In addition to this, the atmosphere sounds a bit desperate. BoA is definitely trying too hard to be a hodge podge of Britney, Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Rihanna. Her vocals draw strong inspiration from Ms. Spears in particular, while the sexuality comes from Janet and Madonna. And guess who provides the cuteness?
JUDGING I am thoroughly pleased with BoA's English debut. Though I wouldn't call it anything even close to art (like Utada's debut Exodus from 2004), it's gave me the answer to Britney's Blackout that I so desperately wanted to like. BoA represents everything that I want in a pop star: catchy lyrics, great hooks, and amazing beats. High, over-stylized production makes the world go around, especially when coming in a 11-track album by Asian pop princesses. This was a very nice vacation from reviewing the sludge of Mariah Scarey. Also, what the hell is up with the cover? Doesn't match the sexy disco beats on this album at all. Better than the lackluster cover might portray.
I Did It For Love (3.5 Stars) Energetic (5 Stars) Did Ya (3.5 Stars) Look Who's Talking (4 Stars) Eat You Up (5 Stars) Obsessed (4 Stars) Touched (4 Stars) Scream (5 Stars) Girls on Top (5 Stars) Dress Off (2 Stars) Hypnotic Dancefloor (5 Stars)
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