Apparently, this is happening. I had no idea!

On February 10, BoA will be releasing her seventh Japanese studio album Identity, a release made all the more impressive considering she’s already done eight in Korea and one in America. You can now preview the tracks right here.

Truth be told, I couldn’t be bothered by most of her Japanese work. While I may love me some BoA, I find her Japanese albums to be overly formulaic, often filled with safe, uber-pop filler.

Now don’t quote me on this (or rather, go ahead–I’m writing this after all), but Identity sounds as though it could be an album I actually enjoy.

There are some funkier, glittery grooves that remind me of her Korean work (“LAZER”), as well as a few mid-tempo duds (“まもりたい ～White Wishes～”). All in all, this may be the first Japanese album to interest me since Outgrow.

Here now is the completely unannounced, rather exciting video for “Possibility,” a duet with Daichi Miura.

Judging by the new style and sound, it’s almost as though she’s aiming to become the Japanese Keri Hilson. I like, I like.