Here are my credentials (once again): 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. :) )

(Part One) (Part Two)

EP #2: One Shot, Two Shot

One Shot, Two Shot builds on the minimalist confidence sound BoA’s been creating, though it’s higher-pitched than I was expecting her to go. Quick-paced but not too fast, it has a catchy, percussive beat courtesy of handclaps that segways nicely into the chorus, which takes off in a way I wasn’t expecting from past singles. Proving she hasn’t lost her touch, it’s dancy and refined, all carried off with an enviable amount of confidence. I liked the scenes shot in the train station the most, since they felt unique, while the shots of her dancing in a leotard felt a bit more tired. “Pleasantly surprised” is the phrase I’d use to describe it in general.

Though I know BoA’s more known for the 16-track albums of her earlier work, I think 1 Shot 2 Shot is less than half that length and more than twice as good. (Look at my Best 1st Gen Albums post for more). There’s the minimalistic electro sound of Everybody Knows, the funky edge and bits of rap in Nega Dola, the synths of Recollection, and, my personal favorite, the runway-ready disco sound of Camo.

Album #10: Woman

I knew I’d like Woman from the moment those heels clicks sounded (they’re impeccable, let me say), and BoA strutted into frame walking upside down. I really liked this song; it’s elegant and timeless, confident but not in an in-your-face way that could come across as over-the-top. I also liked the way it continues to build, with the third chorus feeling much more full than the first did.

So often in kpop, we have idols barely twenty (barely women, really) doing songs like this while really they’re so much more suited to veteran ones in their 30s or 40s, which companies would recognize if they weren’t so determined to push them out in pursuit of youth. But I digress; as with a lot of BoA’s songs, it’s a song I’d have to be in the right mood for, but there’s no better done version of it than this. Except one thing: we’re still doing the culturally appropriative hairstyles? Come on, girl. You’re better than this.

From the album, I enjoyed the tropical, instrumental-heavy chorus of Encounter, the zingy synths of U & I, and the relaxed beat of I Want You Back. My hidden gem was Little More, which goes for a soft-rock band sound that I wasn’t expecting.

EP #3: Starry Night

Starry Night’s a return to BoA’s R & B sound, albeit definitely updated for a modern audience, and not only because noted rapper Crush is featured in it. As befits the name, it feels perfectly tailored for a relaxing, quiet night in watching the sky with a loved one. Crush and BoA sound really good together, breaking the curse of random rappers making appearances in otherwise calm songs and throwing them for a loop. I also enjoyed the music video, which is cozy and lived-in in a way that’s unusual for such a fast-paced genre. It’s not a song for me, but I can admire its vision.

From the EP, I enjoyed the moody, synthy Butterfly and the jazzy brass interpolations in I Don’t Mind (my hidden gem).

Album #11: Better

Better starts similarly to Woman (and One Shot Two Shot), with a minimalist synth sound that soon becomes something more expansive, and, in this case, more expansive than either of those earlier tracks. Better is “better” in a lot of ways: it’s sleeker, has a stronger, more distinguishable hook, and most importantly, melds the two defining sounds of her career together in a way that does justice to both. Of course if I had my way I’d take a lot of it further, but as things stand, I’m very happy with it. The MV, by the way, wasn’t at all what I was expecting from such a bright and warm album cover, instead being much more boiler-plate, but it was alright.

From the album, I enjoyed the dance floor hit-in-waiting that is L.O.V.E., the light vocals but devastating lyrics of Cut Me Off, the acoustic guitar led Start Over, and the hopeful Little Bird. My hidden gem was easily the pitch-perfect, brassy All That Jazz, which would be such a good fit for a show with a live band. She even indulges in some scatting before the fadeout at the end! Overall, it’s quite a strong album, and I wish it got as much attention as her early work.

EP #4: Forgive Me

Forgive Me’s quite a name for a song, and I was cautiously optimistic from the photos that we’d be going for a full on rock sound. And I wasn’t disappointed. The intro kicks things off straight out the gate, while the choruses blend hip-hop and rock in a way I wouldn’t have expected of BoA but that works pretty well. I wish it was a bit smoother in places, to be honest; sometimes it veers a bit too close to a noise music anti-drop for me. But I admire the want to try something different.

I’m less forgiving with the cultural appropriation, both with this being the (I think) fourth time and with this being recorded only two years ago at time of writing. There’s no excuse for this, and this time I am going to lay the blame with BoA, because I know from interviews that she now has the creative control to veto an idea like this, and certainly should know better at this point, nearing 40 with access to the internet. Right. Moving on.

From the EP, I enjoyed the bassy, percussive Zip and the great vocals of After Midnight.

Single #1: Emptiness

Emptiness is (as far as I can tell) BoA’s first standalone single, and to be honest, I wasn’t holding out much hope for liking it, expecting your average ballad. And unfortunately I think I was right; it’s very much “okay”, but there’s nothing else I can say about it. I like the little tropical influences, which add a bit of interest, but it’s not really enough, ending up a bit like a watered down, more melancholy version of Woman or Better. It’s an engaging listen / watch because it’s BoA, not because the material is unique. I wish it wasn’t the note I’m ending on.

Verdict: TL;DR

Pic above: BoA (upper left) with Hwasa, Uhm Junghwa, Kim Wan Sun, and Lee Hyori!

I’m glad I did this. I really knew almost nothing about BoA before this review and I’m very glad to have changed that. Even though I didn’t like her work as much as I was expecting, I gained a new appreciation for her talents. I couldn’t find many interviews of her, so instead I watched some B-T-S from her times as a producer with Lee Sooman, which gave me some interesting insight into her creative process.

My Top 5 songs are The Lights Of Seoul, Don’t Give A Damn, Woman, One Shot Two Shot, and Atlantis Princess, with All That Jazz and Camo as honorable mentions. BoA gets an 8 out of 10 from me, which may be a bit surprising, but let me explain. I recognize the fact that all of her albums are *good*. But to be honest, I was bored with a lot of them, especially in the beginning; while they’re very consistent in tone and quality and likely enjoyable on their own, listening to almost a day’s worth of her music left me unable to distinguish between songs, really pick out the ones I liked, or enjoy most of them, unfortunately. I want to make it clear that all of my critiques have nothing to do with BoA, who is rightly considered one of the greatest idols not only of the first generation, but of all time.

Something that BoA’s discography—pretty universally praised—has underscored for me is that I’m really not a fan of 1st gen kpop artists’ early careers. Obviously I can only go off of the ones I’ve heard, but in my opinion, SHINHWA, Lee Hyori, Seo Taiji, and BoA have all had much stronger albums after their “peaks” were over: Venus, Black, Quiet Night, and Better are just a few examples. Part of this is that I’m not really an R & B person in general, but I think that part of it is also that there’s so much more personality in those later works. I’m unsure if it’s creative control, better standards of production, or just my own bias, but I have to be honest: a lot of BoA’s work is a “meh” from me.

(Part One) (Part Two)

Next time, we’re onto a girl group that should be a lot shorter of a review. Tschüss!