Critic’s Corner: BoA – BoA

BoA’s come a long way from ID Peace B hasn’t she? Or singing about that cat Sara. She’s gone from a child pop prodigy that was more of a gimmick to a full fledged Asian tour de force. She almost single handedly kept SM Entertainment relevant in Korea after many of their top acts left the label. So how does all that talent and success translate to the Western market? I guess only time will tell but let’s take a look at her debut US album.

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 features 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 like 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 the 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 is 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

aTunes Score: 7.5/10