BoA (whose real name is Kwon Bo Ah) is truly one of a kind in the k-pop industry. I’m not the first, or even the 100th, to call her the Queen Of Kpop; since her debut in 2000 at the age of thirteen, she’s never really left the hearts and minds of the Korean and Japanese public. Now in her late 30s, she’s a producer and writer herself, but she still makes comebacks every so often.

Here are my credentials: Somewhat shockingly for someone who’s been a k-pop fan for going on six years now, I’ve never sat down and listened to BoA’s discography. So, I figured that, now, on the 25th anniversary of her debut, was as good a time as any. Let’s get into it!

(Also, important to note: I could not—and would not—cover all of BoA’s work, because, as mentioned, she’s been doing this for a quarter century, and I am a college student with a limited amount of time. So, I’m doing all of her major Korean albums and EPs, which is about 10 hours’ worth, rather than the 30-odd hours all of her music would be. If there’s any die-hard BoA fans out there, I’m sorry. Please recommend me your favorite songs I didn’t cover in the comments. :) )

Album #1: ID; Peace B

Never has a more 2000’s song existed than ID; Peace B. It’s got that hip-hop bounce, the mix of electric guitar riffs and random bursts of strings, like a female version of SHINHWA’s Perfect Man. And not only that, but it keeps elevating itself; there’s the gospel choir, her belting during the third and final chorus, and of course, those excellent harmonies (my one true love). Something that struck me immediately is how strong her voice sounds; let me tell you, as a singer myself, no way in hell was mine this well-developed at the age of 13. I sounded like a teenage boy with the amount of voice cracks, it was not good).

I looked it up out of curiosity and found that the song was composed by the one and only Yoo Youngjin, who’s written for every famous SM group, from H.O.T. in the 90’s to Super Junior in the 2000’s to EXO in the 10’s. In terms of the MV, I had some gripes, like the terrible CGI or the clearly exorbitant budget for wind machines that would rival The Untamed, but something that I really appreciated is that it doesn’t feel overly sexualized and she’s very covered up. It should go without saying considering her age, but unfortunately, as groups like IVE or BABYMONSTER (who had a 14 and 13 year old at debut respectively) show, that’s not always the case.

From the album, also called ID; Peace B, I enjoyed the clear emotions of I’m Sorry, the different layers of vocals in No Way, and the bouncy instrumental of Whatever. I also wanted to mention Sara, written about BoA’s fluffy white cat who was a beloved childhood pet; I wasn’t a big fan of the song itself, but I’ve always been a big fan of cats.

In the opposite vein, the fact that two songs are titled “I’m Your Lady Tonight” and “Young Lovers” respectively, which….considering that she was so young when this was made, makes me a bit uncomfortable. I understand that they’re just songs, but in an industry that has such an unhealthy and (at times) fetishistic relationship with youth, I worry that it lays the groundwork for future exploitation. Honestly, I think the single was my favorite song from the album, which could be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it.

EP #1: Jumping Into The World

Don’t Start Now is similar to ID; Peace B in its bones—the strings and the beat especially—-but it distinguishes itself with its chorus, a quicker, catchier hook that will get stuck in your head; it’s not an option. Alongside these upbeat piano trills, it also has this very unique background instrumental that sounds almost like cartoon bubbles popping? I don’t know how else to describe it, really. I liked it; it’s just not that different from other songs of its era, and I don’t know what to say about it that I didn’t say about ID; Peace B. The MV is mostly unremarkable as well, besides some nice but mostly unnecessary wide shots of (I think) NYC.

From the EP, I enjoyed the smooth vocals of Love Letter and the incredibly emotive Love Hurts, but my hidden gem was the forceful, rock-tinged Power. Besides that though, this was a release that didn’t capture me.

Album #2: No. 1

No.1 is a classic for a reason; it combines the things that have worked about BoA’s music in the past—-the mix of hip hop and smoother instrumentation, the great vocals, etc—and pairs them with a straightforward but catchy hook. This type of laid back R & B is normally not for me, but even I can admit being a fan of this song. As much as I praised her voice in the first album, there’s no denying that it’s more developed here, and infinitely more captivating. It’s not the kind of thing I’ll go out of my way to listen to, but I’m not going to skip it if it comes up on shuffle, or anything. It’s definitely my favorite single so far.

From the album, I enjoyed the hints of jazz and almost Christmas Carol esque sound of My Sweetie, the emotional hip-hop sound of Realize, and the interesting distortion of Listen To My Heart. My hidden gem was easily Tragic, because I’ve always been partial to a sweeping, string-led, crying-on-the-dancefloor sound. I hope she uses it for a single!

Album #3: Atlantis Princess

Atlantis Princess, as befits the name, has a twinge of magic to it, in a very good way. Swirls of instrumentation and strong percussion abound, with a solid beat underneath. I was pleasantly surprised to see kids of all different races in the MV—despite the somewhat cringy slow-mo and the running in the fields, it was a sweet message. But none of this derails its bounce, or the way it marries R & B with solid 2000s pop. For some songs, you can just tell from the first listen why they endured through the ages, and this is one of them. I’m sure it’ll be making an appearance on one of my playlists soon.

From the album, I enjoyed the incredible vocals in Milky Way, the easygoing beat of Beat Of Angel, and the hopeful, jazzy sound of The Lights Of Seoul. For the first time, I really couldn’t choose a hidden gem, between the rock-tinged, yet still smooth Time To Begin and the fast-paced, flamenco influenced Make A Move. So far I’m leaning towards the latter, but I can easily see it changing. This is a great album, but more than that, it’s the sound of an artist really finding her voice.

Album #4: Shine We Are

Shine We Are goes in a somewhat different direction than BoA’s past hits, not only with the slightly more “mature styling” (low cut jeans and tank tops, oh my god!), but with a brighter, funkier sound too. In fact, it’s a pretty bright MV in general, between the clear over-saturation of every possible color and the Partridge Family esque 70s squares behind her, but I digress. I wasn’t expecting to like the song as much as I did, but it’s hard not to be won over by its cheeriness and energy. Rest assured, it’s a 2003 time capsule, but it’s damn charming.

From the album, I enjoyed the forceful opener B.I.O, the off-kilter sound effects in One Way, and the surprisingly catchy hook of Discovery. I also liked the Milky Way Club Remix. My biggest issue with the album—which I did overall like, just to be clear—is that it felt like all of the songs went on too long, to the point where I was checking “is it over yet?” I’d put it in the middle of her work so far.

Next time, we’re onto Part 2. Tschüss!