❃ BoA - The Discography Rate (Part 2) ❃ - Final Stats

Crisp X

Crisp X

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Hare no hi tsuduite yuku dake ja nai
Norikoete ikou donna kabe attemo
There is no one kotoba ja tari nai kedo
Futari de no tabi wa Paradise

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7.25

Jumping BoAs: (8.75) @RUNAWAY, @odyism, @askew ; (8.5) @Crisp X
Still BoAs: (3) @nanapop99 ; (4.5) @M24
Crispy's Score: 8.5

5 voters: #73 (average: 6.25)
10 voters: #64 (average: 6.9)
15 voters: #58 (average: 7.066)
17 voters: #53 (average: 7.25)

"With U" is the 13th track from OUTGROW, BoA's fourth Japanese album, released on February 15, 2006. It was initially released as a b-side to the album's first single DO THE MOTION on March 30, 2005. It was written by BoA, composed by Minoru Komorita and arranged by Nao Tanaka.

After being mentioned in the previous elimination, it's not a good day for BoA's less conventional songs! Following "DO THE MOTION"'s footsteps, this is another curveball that seems to be in line with that bossa nova soundscape. I'm getting spacey disco vibes from it, like something that wouldn't sound out of place on an old Diana Ross album. It's more unique when you take the other material into consideration, so it automatically stands out for me. It also works well as a closer!

—

@nanapop99 (3) — "Don't really have much to say about this one. It's a pretty forgettable been there, done that situation for me. And that's how we're ending the album... With yet another skip... Or do we count First Snow as the album closer?"

@Kaz D'Oerba (7) — "how very Disney of our queen"

@Attis (7) — "Sweet little bossa-nova moment, though the production is a bit cheap"

—


​
 
odyism

odyism

Love Is Just What You Can't See is one of my standout favorites on Outgrow. I feel like despite the obvious Rich Harrison-Gogo-Beyonce influence it does a good job at not being too derivative. For example I love Koda Kumi's Without Your Love but that's an example when the song is too close to a Crazy In Love.

Whereas this song has so many peculiarities that could only exist in a 2005 J-pop release and is really crafted to BoA's voice. I love that there is a dark undercurrent to the song, and it gets dramatic, and almost pleading in the vocal delivery. I do think it would be interesting to hear what this song would sound like with 2022 BoA singing and some refinements to the production.
I think Outgrow showed BoA trying out new sounds, and sometimes they were a miss and sometimes it felt like a perfect progression from her debut to Best of Soul foundation.


Before You Said Goodbye to Me, I played a few times at the time of release. I think at that point I just wanted bops at the same rate that she was releasing from debut to My Name. With that said BYSGTM has aged like fine wine and is a favorite from the Outgrow era. I think it does the upbeat cheery sound well while still staying true to BoA's creative sensibilities. The live instrumentation, background vocals, and the bass does a good job at rounding out the song. It reminds me of the live jazzy arrangements that BoA is fond of for certain Japanese tours/concerts, but it works so much better on an original song than a pre-existing pop/r&b song. Also shoutout to what I think is her highest recorded note in studio at 2:50


With U is another song that I think does what these other two songs do well. A new direction and genre for BoA from the Outgrow era, and I think she does a great job at it. It's a refreshing summery bossa nova number that rounds out the Do the Motion single and the Outgrow album.
Just like the other two songs, I do think that this is one of those songs that 2022 BoA would absolutely eat up and make a 10. But instead it's just a summery midtempo that was good in the context of BoA growing up, but certainly not a top favorite of mine.
 
Crisp X

Crisp X

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Gyappu ni yarareta !
Kaminari mitai ni
Pikatto hikari subete kawatta
Hiraki hajimeta Heart

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7.264

Jumping BoAs: (9) @lalaclairi_ ; (8.75) @RUNAWAY
Still BoAs: (6) @nanapop99, @odyism, @Monado ; (6.5) @ohdenny, @clowezra
Crispy's Score: 8

5 voters: #37 (average: 7.65)
10 voters: #51 (average: 7.3)
15 voters: #55 (average: 7.166)
17 voters: #52 (average: 7.264)

"ギャップにやられた!" is the 11th track from THE FACE, BoA's sixth Japanese album, released on February 27, 2008. It was written by BoA, composed and arranged by AKIRA.

Anytime I put the parent album on... whew going from "BRAVE" to the intro of this song is quite jarring! It can feel Christmassy at first, but it also lives in that specific bubblegum soundscape I hear in certain videogames. Animal Crossing immediately comes to mind, but I'm thinking of a couple titles from the Mario franchise as well. It just has that whimsical, childlike, otherwordly vibe about it.

In usual contexts, I would have a harder time with this because this is slightly out of my comfort zone but, personnally speaking, she made the right move not going for a more sugary and over the top performance. There's already a lot going on instrumentally, so that might have been overkill, so her relatively understated performance here makes the song click for me. Even though it does have some classic J-Pop quirks to it, I can't help but think it sounds really unique in the context of her discography. A nice rediscovery that bows out at the right time here.

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@nanapop99 (6) — "A strange yet cute bop. I shouldn't be enjoying it after all the slandering I've done to similar tracks sonically but I don't mind this one."

@evilsin (7) — "What a weird ass song. It sounds both like it winds down and winds up at the same time. The instrumental is definitely fucking with my brain. Some cute melodeis and moment here despite that, hah." Exactly, the instrumental has to be one of the striking ones she ever laid vocals on. Considering she has a writing credit, she must have a particular connection to it and I wish I could find her thoughts about its recording process.

@M24 (8) — "Lovely album track, not a standout but it's enjoyable enough."

—





We're back to ousting something from OUTGROW before unveiling the Top 50...​
 
odyism

odyism

It's a cute song! At best it would get a 7.5 but I think a 6 feels about right.
It's not a standout, but it certainly isn't bad. I think alot of the tracks on Made In Twenty and The Face suffer from the album feeling more like a bloated playlist, rather than a body of work with considered sequencing.
 
Crisp X

Crisp X

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Kumo no kirema ni chotto kao wo dashita taiyou
Toki wo wasureta P.M.
Watashi dake no soundscape
Tulutututu...

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7.279

Jumping BoAs: (10) @odyism ; (9.5) @RUNAWAY
Still BoAs: (5.5) @M24, @Monado, @Attis ; (6) @Kaz D'Oerba, @Crisp X
Crispy's Score: 6

5 voters: #41 (average: 7.55)
10 voters: #35 (average: 7.775)
15 voters: #46 (average: 7.416)
17 voters: #51 (average: 7.279)

"soundscape" is the 12th track from OUTGROW, BoA's fourth Japanese album, released on February 15, 2006. It was written by Narumi Yamamoto, composed by Dieter Bohlen and Colin Campsie and arranged by K-MUTO.

This album track is the last song to not make it to the Top 50 and... this is going to be an apology post more than an elimination, my bad fff. I may have been in a bad mood when I rated this because this is actually very up my alley. The production flourishes, with the classic acoustic guitar, the crystal plink plonk sounds and the lush wavey synths complement BoA's performance perfectly. Additional props to the backing vocalists for making their parts singalongy as well and for adding to the 90s vibes of it all. After rewatching the performance below, I now might even think this is one of the best mid-tempo R&B tunes she's given us in that 2005 - 2009 timeframe so yeah... I don't know what I was thinking with that score.

—

@M24 (5.5) — "Lite chill bop!"

@Kaz D'Oerba (6) — "another okay mid tempo."

@nanapop99 (8) — "I'm always here for some 90's R&B inspired tracks and this one is so good! Love the melody on the chorus. Sonically, I love how warm and seductive it sounds. Here for this sultry bop."

—


​
 
Crisp X

Crisp X

she/her
Top 50


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(6/13)

MOTO
둘이 함께 (Do You Love Me?)
Girls On Top
Freak In Me
공중정원 (Garden In The Air)
시선 (Heroine)


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(7/13)

Silent Screamerz
DO THE MOTION
OUTGROW ~Ready butterfly~
make a secret
Everlasting
cosmic eyes
抱きしめる


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(9/14)

Lady Galaxy
七色の明日 ~brand new beat~
Winter Love
SO REAL
KEY OF HEART
no more make me sick
Your Color
Prayer
Candle Lights


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(10/15)

AGGRESSIVE
Sweet Impact
My Way, Your Way feat. WISE
LOSE YOUR MIND feat. Yutaka Furukawa from DOPING PANDA
Girl In The Mirror
Diamond Heart
LOVE LETTER
BRAVE
Style
Beautiful Flowers


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(10/13)

I Did It For Love feat. Sean Garrett
Energetic
Did Ya
Look Who's Talking
Eat You Up
Touched
Scream
Girls On Top
Hypnotic Dancefloor
Crazy About


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(8/22)

DOTCH
Bad Drive
안개
Sparkling
Believe in LOVE feat. BoA
永遠
UNIVERSE feat. Crystal Kay & VERBAL (m-flo)
Girlfriend feat. BoA


We've now almost reached the halfway point of the rate. Are any of you pleased, surprised, or shocked at the results so far? Now that I've been able to pick up the pace, is the current one okay for you too? And lastly, what songs do you see going next out of the remaining ones? I'm not going to give hints about the very next cut but I can tell you we're starting the Top 50 with a tie... ​
 
nanapop99

nanapop99

After disappearing for 84 years, I see that one of my personal favorites from the Outgrow album has been eliminated?!?! I really thought Soundscape was going to end up at least in the top 20. The live rendition where she sings it in a lower key is also really great!!! (I am going to try to be more active but for now all I'll say is that some of y'all have questionable taste...)
 
Crisp X

Crisp X

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49.png

1/2

Nohchil su eopseo ijji moshaneun han sarameul ttaraseo ga
Neomaneul wihan geoya in ONE WAY... In ONE WAY...

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7.294

Jumping BoAs: (8.5) @Slice of Life ; (8.25) @ohdenny
Still BoAs: (6) @askew ; (6.25) @nanapop99
Crispy's Score: 7

5 voters: #49 (average: 7.3)
10 voters: #54 (average: 7.2)
15 voters: #47 (average: 7.4)
17 voters: #49 (average: 7.294)

"시선 (Heroine)" is the 11th track from Girls On Top, BoA's fifth Korean album, released on June 24, 2005. It was written by Shin Ji-won, composed by Vincent Degiorgio, Quint Starkie, and Micke Lundh and arranged by Ahn Ik-soo.

To start off with the Top 50, here we have a Latin influenced R&B banger. I feel like it toes the line between that genre and teen pop, in the sense it sounds like it could belong in BoA's earlier albums, while still showcasing more maturity, at least vocally. The blink and miss it appearance of the legendary Für Elise motif makes me scream. The way it comes out of nowhere and is only used once, yet it fits perfectly... that's what I call a seamless sample. Beethoven sunbaenim really did pave the way!

—

@nanapop99 (6,25) — "BoA has so many Britney-lite bops! The bridge reminds me of something that could have been on the Oops!... album. It also has a similar vibe to track #6 Addiction but this one definitely does a better job than the prior." I do get the Britney comparison as it loosely reminds me of many early 00s teen pop bops.

@M24 (8) — "Girls on Top 2.0! Patriarchy was smashed, the Ryan Jhuns of the world were defeated, etc etc." Oof

@evilsin (8) — "Sounds like it could've found a place on Namie's STYLE. It even reminds me of "shine more"." That reminds me to revisit Namie's discography then!

@clowezra (8) — "The backing track is low key giving Namie Amuro’s shine more, a gag!" As that particular song got summoned twice, I'm going to link it below.



—




Let's go back to OUTGROW one more time before a certain album cull...​
 
evilsin

evilsin

Crisp X said:
composed by Dieter Bohlen
Click to expand...
EXCUSE ME!? As in the Dieter Bohlen from Modern Talking? This is wild. Also wild is the fact that y'all can't appreciate its genius and ousted it before Top40.

"Heroine" is very cute and the Namie comparison is only to its benefit. That middle 8 is hot.

Loving the pace @Crisp X, you're doing amazing, sweetie.
soratami said:
The English album being tied for the most songs left feels correct.
Click to expand...
Well, this is certainly a take I've not expected to see and I do like the English album.
 
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