BoA

BoA | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 17, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: SM Entertainment USA
• ASIN: B001RTP3SW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,032 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2009 release, the U.S. debut album from the Korean superstar who has taken Asia by storm ever since she released her debut album in 2000 at the age of 13. Influenced by Janet Jackson, Nelly and other hot Hip Hop and R&B artists, Boa conquered her home country before heading off to Japan to become even more popular than ever. As she has matured musically, she has managed to make a successful transformation from young pop star to mature artist. In 2009, after nearly a decade in the business, she now releases her American debut album. 12 tracks including 'Girls On Top', 'Look Who's Talking' and 'I Did It For Love'.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great first album by BoA March 17, 2009

By M. Angeles

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I received BoA's album yesterday, and my first impression was that I thought she did a really great job on this album! The whole album consist of dance track songs and the lyrics are catchy and her English is very clear as well. What I love about this album is that she included a couple songs that she did in Korea... she just put English lyrics in them. My favorite out of these 2 is Girls on Top. She still maintained the main message from her Korean version. So at least the American people who has never listened to BoA before will get a taste of how her music is in Korea.

Anyways, this album is a lot better than what I expected. I was afraid she might have some songs that wont be all that great, but I found all 11 songs to be different in their own way, that has catchy lyrics and nothing annoying about them. Even the added features like adding that electric part to her voice isn't in all her songs, or in a lot of the song. So you can hear her powerful, real voice.

Well I hope others will feel the same way as me. Of course everyone has different taste. So let's all support BoA! And i hope people who has never heard of BoA will try to listen to her and buy her album. ^_^

42 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Pop at its best March 17, 2009

By Tae H. Kim

Format:Audio CD

Honestly... I was waiting for BoA's album for a quite a long time, and when I heard the 30 sec clips, I was kind of disappointed with how the album turned out to be. But after listening to the whole album, all I can say is WOW! Even though BoA's music is basically mainstream pop, if you're looking for an album that you can just listen to, have fun, and sing along to, you won't find another pop album that is as catchy, funky, groovy, and danceable as this.

Every song on this album deserves an airplay, and I'm not saying this just because they're by BoA. The songs are that catchy.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars BoA's English Album March 17, 2009

By B. Nickel

Format:Audio CD

This CD is pretty good, though in my opinion nothing beats the old Korean BoA. The Album is chock full of electronic dance beats and really makes you wanna move. The song Girls on Top is the English version of the title track for her 2005 Korean album. The English lyrics to Girls on Top are very inspirational and uplifting. Over all the album is good but I do wish they would of thrown in some ballads to show off BoA's amazing voice.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Well Deserved March 17, 2009

By J. Legault

Format:Audio CD

I have been a fan of Boa's for over 5 years now. When I first heard of her, I purchased all of her old albums...back to the very first release from her Korean debut in 2000. I fell in love with her sound, but couldn't understand a WORD of it because I am American and didn't know a lick of Korean or Japanese. I spent the past 4 years learning both Korean and Japanese and have since been able to enjoy ALL BoA has to offer. She's an amazing artist with a great dream and an even more amazing story.

After receiving my copy in the mail yesterday, I put the album in and COULD NOT turn it off! I was very afraid for her debut in America because I had seen so many others try and fail. But at the same time, BoA has made it clear what type of music she would be releasing, so I knew 'generally' what to expect. From that expectation, she has MORE than outdone herself! She blew my expectations out of the water and I don't even like the electronic voice overs on other artist's albums! She did this in moderation and let her true voice and style shine. I have a large family and many friends and I am going to MAKE SURE that they ALL here her songs AT LEAST once! Rule of odds says that 1 out of 10 will say yes!

If anyone is on the fence about purchasing this album, then just know that it is upbeat and fun. It is an album that will get you on your feet and moving. If you want good, fun, hot sounds to get you moving...then you NEED to buy this album!!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not Amazing March 18, 2009

By N. Speirs

Format:Audio CD

Here is my review taken from my blog (atunes dot wordpress dot com).

I Did It For Love ft Sean Garrett - A strong opener for the album. It's actually a good indicator of what to expect throughout the rest of the cd. Heavy processing and vocoder use on BoA's vocals, which I think works in this particular situation. I like this song much more than 'Eat You Up'. I think it's better balanced and polished plus it's got a great uptemp beat. Sean Garrett adds a nice touch to the song but he kind of comes off as a copycat Akon. Elements of the song remind me of Son Ho Young's 'I Know' if it were sped up a little.

Energetic - This song comes off as a more bland version of 'I Did It For Love'. The fact that it follows the song and also featuring Sean isn't helping it's case (although he interestingly doesn't get the feature credit). It's got a decent enough beat but it doesn't stand out overall. Plus it's sort of awkward to hear BoA say "The energy in here is FIYA and the speakers too!". It's just an OK track.

Did Ya - Let me start off and say I love the production on this one. It's got a great throwback, hyped up kind of feel. Plus BoA's vocals are a little less processed on this one, which is good since I like the tone of her natural voice. Plus the chorus is easy to sing along too. I think this song would have been incredible if they got a good rapper on here. But hey, its strong enough on it's own that I can't complain. Probably my favorite track.

Look Who's Talking - So as I was listening I was thinking this song is so Britney Spears' style. And of course I check the album book and she has writing credits. Figures. If you look Britney Spears, you'll like this song. I like the chorus more than the verses.... The lyrics are a little too narcissistic for my tastes but maybe that's just me.

Eat You Up - Ah yes. The title track which I'm sure we've all heard by now. If you don't pay attention to the lyrics this is a fine dance track. But once you start listening to what's saying it all falls apart. I'm still not really sure why they chose this to be the first single. I dont think it's the best sounding song on the album, and I definitely don't think it's the best written. The quasi-suggestive lyrics and weird phrasing ("So Yum Yum!") all kind of paint a strange picture. I like the bass heavy riffs and drums but overall I still can't say I'm a fan of this song.

Obsessed - This song starts well with a great bass line. Overall the song feels like it's borrowed from a bunch of different places. The vocoder effect makes a return but I'm not as into it here. Despite all this it has a certain charm though. I think they could have upped her vocals a little bit, the beat sort of swallows her up at some points. It's a fun song but not great.

Touched - There is definitely more of a hip-hop beat to this one. I think this song could inspire some great dance choreography. It has a very Pussycat Dolls/Danity Kane feel, especially they way they worked some of the harmonies. I like this one more with each listen, except with this weird screwed vocal effect they user in the middle for a few seconds. The production is great here.

Scream - Eh. It's all I can really say. Feels like a b-side to 'I Did It For Love' or something. The beat is OK but I'm not really digging some of the melody choices and the general stylistic direction of the rest of the song. Forgettable.

Girls On Top - This inferior to it's original, and I'm not even that into the original either. In the Korean version BoA sang much stronger but she's a little more subdued here. With that said, this song is probably the only song that really gives even a small chance for BoA to show off that she really can sing. It's another decent dance song but it comes off as an inferior translation. Not really digging the rapper either. I like it because BoA sings well though not as well as the original.

Dress Off - Another song that screams Britney. I think the chorus is mind numbingly repetitive and dumb. It's really similar to Hyori's 'Get Ya' (which is another Britney sound-a-like). And once again the mildly suggestive lyrics are kind of awkward. Probably my least favorite song.

Hypnotic Dancefloor - The song reminds me of Paula Abdul's 'Dance Like Theres No Tomorrow'. Which isnt really a bad thing as thats another decent pop dance record. But the theme and sound have a lot of similarities. Though I wonder what makes her feel "an erotic charge, almost like a pain". ... wtf? Haha weird phrase aside, it's an enjoyable closer.

Conclusion:
So what can be said about BoA's highly anticipated debut? Well, first of all, it doesn't suck. Let's be thankful for that much. Now with that said, is it any good? Yes, but it's not amazing. It's a real strong collection of dance songs. And by dance songs I mean dance songs. There is not one ballad or mid tempo track here. So if you're looking for 'Meri Kuri', look elsewhere. Also, this album is very, very current. Lot's of electronica elements and heavy synth/bass beats and heavy, heavy vocal production. In case you haven't picked up my drift its a fairly one-dimensional, currently relevant, poppy, but enjoyable album. The lyrics are pretty shallow but what do you expect? Her English is pretty decent and definitely comprehendable. A lot of the sounds feel lifted from various influences and there are definite Britney/PCD (and to a smaller extent Danity Kane)-esque moments scattered about. Also, similar to the Far East Movement's 'Animal', I wonder how well this album will hold up over time. My biggest complaint is the lack of variety in sound and themes but if you take it for what it is, a pop dance album, I think you'd find it enjoyable. A pretty decent introduction to the Western world. My favorite song of hers is still 'No. 1' though. That's right, I said it.

Must Listen: I Did It For Love, Did Ya, Touched

Score: 7.5/10 Read more ›