The Most Anticipated Korean-Turned-American Debut Of 2009

by Bradley Stern

Filed in: Bloodshy And Avant, BoA, Brian Kennedy, Britney Spears, Daily B, Eri Nobuchika, Fergie, Rihanna, Sean Garrett


BoA is living up to her single’s name and eating the world up. No literally, she’s certainly doing enough to merit a Daily B in her own right!


First of all, BoA is releasing her second Greatest Hits compilation in Japan, featuring every single since “DO THE MOTION” and re-recorded versions of fan favorites, “VALENTI” and “Meri Kuri” (my favorite!) The release will be called BEST&USA and is set to be tied together in a 2-CD set with her English album on March 18. A marketer’s dream!


Then, BoA has found time to record her 27th Japanese single “Eien/Universe/Believe in LOVE,” a TRIPLE A-side due for release on February 18 in roughly thirty five thousand different formats (as is slowly becoming the trend in the J-Pop market). There’s a CD version, the CD+DVD, and then limited versions of each one featuring special bonus tracks and clips. Simply speaking, it’s impossible to keep track.

As for the lead single “Eien,” I remain unimpressed. It’s a pretty sub-standard R&B offering with some nice, melodious electro undercurrents going on, but the song is simply forgettable after the first play. In other words…A standard Japanese release from BoA.

Far more interesting to me are the A-sides from the single. The second will be a Bloodshy & Avant produced track with Crystal Kay and Verbal from M-Flo called “Universe.” Though it hasn’t leaked yet, there are far too many factors suggesting the track’s potential epic-nessity.

And then there’s the third, an acoustic version of a song recently recorded with Ravex called “Believe In LOVE.”

Let’s shift gears to the original version of the track. Essentially, “Believe In LOVE” is a dream come true for fans wishing that our superstar would branch out into newer, experimental genres. The song marries the ceaseless, rich ambient nature of an Eri Nobuchika track with BoA’s rich vocal abilities. I’ll admit that I’d like to hear Eri’s take on the track (where is she, lately?!), but I am nonetheless thoroughly impressed by this elegant arrangement. It’s certainly the most interesting thing she’s done in Japan for years!

Also, according to news reports, BoA has been recording with Sean Garrett and Brian Kennedy, two massive pop producers responsible for some of the hottest Fergie, Britney, and Rihanna tracks. Check out the final tracklisting for the English album:

01 I Did It For Love (featuring Sean Garrett)
02 Energetic
03 Did Ya
04 Look Who’s Talking
05 Eat You Up
06 Obsessed
07 Touched
08 Scream
09 Girls On Top
10 Dress Off
11 Hypnotic Dancefloor

Finally, slight fandom freak-out: “Hypnotic Dancefloor”? Cool! Is “Girls On Top” an English version of the very same hit song from 2005?! OMG! Watch out, America. Err, not that the general public would embrace the track, but still…Step it back now.

SOMEBODY STOP HER.

DL: Ravex – Believe In LOVE (Featuring BoA) (Sharebee)

BoA’s self-titled debut English album will debut worldwide on March 17.

Click here to purchase BoA’s English single, “Eat You Up.”

Click here to pre-order BoA’s upcoming Japanese single “Eien,” featuring the ballad version of “Believe In LOVE” and here to pre-order BEST&USA.

5 comments

1 Jeff { 01.29.09 at 1:55 am }

I’ve been listening to “Eat You Up” on repeat for several months now. It just doesn’t seem to get old. But I’ve never checked out anything else by her, you’ve sparked my interest. Thank you.

2 Anonymous { 01.31.09 at 10:05 am }

Hello , I really enjoy reading your blog, thanks so much for providing us readers with news.

About “believe in love”:
Do u know if it’s produced by Bloodshy and avant, cause it does sound like it to me. Check out “Shy Boy” by Jordin Sparks, the intrumental is basically the same, and what’s more, in the same key.
I strongly believe Ravex were only there during the recording penning process, but in no way, produced the track. Of course the melody must be theirs and only theirs.

I genuinely support Boa with this USA project, but there’s something that’s missing. Lee so man has planned the whole promo campaign.
He hired the best PR team in the american music industry, the hippest producers out there, but is it gonna cut it?
I mean tell me what Boa actually brings to the table, originality wise? she’s an extremely talented dancer, singer, etc…but the USA are full of them. Except she’s asian. Asian American singers/actors/entertainers are already struggling to get into the industry, why on earth would a Korean girl achieve what the latters haven’t managed to?

This is not about Boa not being able to pull it off, this is a problem of society. is America ready for an asian superstar? I don’t know. all I know is I am.

We have beyonce, Britney, J.lo , why not an adian popstar?

Vic

3 Brad { 01.31.09 at 12:09 pm }

I’ll look into the “Believe in LOVE” production.

And as for the latter,

If we can have a Black president, we can have ourselves an Asian superstar.

Long overdue!

4 Anonymous { 02.12.09 at 5:33 am }

America accepts manufactured popstars, but rarely foreign ones. Spice Girls and Kylie Monigue are among the exceptions. Most of the Brit or Aussie crossovers have some to a whole lot of songwriting brain capacity. BoA has none of that, she’s manufactured, foreign, and asian. She has ZERO chance in America.
Utada’s latest single is pure Mariah Carey, no surprise since she did this with Mariah’s people,
but claims sole songwriting credit.
Right. The originality is not there, and she’ll flop as well, again.

Barack Obama is a self-made American.

5 Chuck Dawnson { 02.17.09 at 4:49 pm }

“Eat You Up” is a amazing, and so is BoA! Her dance skills, vocals…she’s the complete package and I think she will thrive in the US!

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