from MUSIC ROOM:
BoA
No doubt everyone has heard of the newest singing sensation, the 13-year-old BoA. She's already sold 60,000 copies of her debut album, ID; Peace B, a feat which is surely making executives at SM Entertainment dance on their desks. SM leader, Lee So Man, has made no secret of his plans to dominate the pop market with the making of this star. For a year now, he has been talking of his plans to take over first the Japanese market, then rest of the Asian markets, and then--the world1x It seems like a lot to ask of a 13-year-old, but time will tell whether his plans will come to fruition.
My general impression of this album is that BoA would only do well for herself if she went with a different production company, and a different choice of music. She has a pretty good set of pipes, and there's nothing really wrong with the songs on the album, but musically, I think BoA's probably capable of a lot more than she'll ever get to do with SM Entertainment.
For example, take the title song, ID; Peace B [MP3]. First, I'd like to know who thought ID; Peace B [RealAudio] was a good name for a song. Silly names aside, there are a few good moments in this song, and it should do nicely on the charts. This is a true debut for BoA; she hasn't toiled away in the trenches for years like some "overnight" sensations; therefore, we shouldn't expect her first song to be absolutely tight.
The title song really sets the tone for the entire album with its light pop tones and synthesized background music. The second track on the CD, Come to Me [MP3], follows much in the same vein, giving a nod also to R&B influences. But who says "Yahoo1x" anymore, aside from the dot-com?
Cheh Nyung (Heart-Off) [MP3] is a nice little ditty. The synthesized beat reminds me of the strange rhythms I used to create on my dad's Lowry organ when I was a kid. It appears that BoA is going for a bit of a funk sound with this one.
The best opening measures on the CD are in track four, SARA [MP3]. The rest of the song isn't anything too special, but the "Sara, Sara" refrain is nice. I'm not sure who her back-rapper is, but he has a mellow voice.
I expected Chah Mah (Every Breath You Take) [MP3] to be a remake of the 1980s pop song, given all the emphasis on BoA's international education and English "skillz," but this is actually a ballad. It's a sweet song, and the technical parts are all there, but it didn't move me to tears.
One might think that I'm Your Lady Tonight [MP3] would be a sexy, sultry R&B love song, but it's really a light-hearted pop tune. That's probably a good thing, since people are already wondering if it's healthy to manufacture a singing career for a thirteen-year-old girl. If you added hot music to the mix, BoA's nascent career might never grow to maturity.
All of these songs represent the basic tone and quality of BoA's debut album. Although I'm suspicious of SM Entertainment, and feel that BoA's "stardom" has been more than a little contrived, I do think she has a mature voice for such a young girl. Statistics show that pop fans are buying this album like mad, and I hope that will give BoA a future with better quality songs, if that's what she really wants.
By Denise Ahn
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