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

clowezra

clowezra

he/him
The last couple of songs have been…the correct ones to go, oop. Delighted to see that it seems my faves will be making it to the top!
 
Crisp X

Crisp X

she/her
Ana Raquel said:
No it hasn't
Click to expand...
That made me do a double check because I suddenly wasn't sure fff. "Before you said goodbye to me" was the latest one, leaving at #54, but it felt like it happened earlier as I've had little breaks in between eliminations since.



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Acchi mo kocchi mo DOTCH mo
Honto no watashi
Hanasa nai de Want you
Love ai no iro wa hitotsu ja nai

DOTCH.png


7.705

Jumping BoAs: (10) @RUNAWAY, @Slice of Life ; (9) @evilsin
Still BoAs: (6) @nanapop99 ; (6.25) @M24
Crispy's Score: 7

5 voters: #37 (average: 7.65)
10 voters: #38 (average: 7.75)
15 voters: #38 (average: 7.8)
17 voters: #37 (average: 7.705)

"DOTCH" is the B-side to KEY OF HEART, BoA's 21st Japanese single, released on August 9, 2006. A Korean version was latter included on 06 Winter SMTOWN, a compilation album featuring SM Entertainment artists, released on December 12, 2006. It was written by Natsumi Watanabe, composed and arranged by Kenzie.

This is a solid 80s influenced b-side that, for some reason, seems to feature a slightly different mix for the Korean version. I prefer the original Japanese one, which seems beefed up to me. I get reminded of a lot of old-school J-Pop, or even more specifically Citypop when I hear this, which must be thanks to the funky and live band feeling given by the instrumentation. The whole thing just sounds vibrant, which makes me regret not giving it a higher score because this has ended up getting stuck in my head more and more over the course of the rate. BoA shines with the chorus hook and the croons in the post-chorus and the key change from the verse to the chorus is flawlessly executed. It even contains an instrumental break that lets some slapping basswork, accompanied by an atmospheric guitar lead, take all the spotlight, something that would translate perfectly live. It's a shame it remains a deep cut, having not gotten a performance as of now, from what I could gather. We need her own Kylie Anti Tour!

—

@nanapop99 (6) — "There's something about this song that reminds me of Madonna's True Blue era. I really saw myself enjoying this track the more I listen to it and I can already tell that the chorus is going to be stuck in my head for a while." I can hear that, it has a specific vibe and production that recalls a lot of 80s pop.

@Kaz D'Oerba (7.75) — "BoA keeping the tradition of having B-sides be better than the album tracks alive"

@evilsin (9) — "Such a nice atmospehere with this one"

@RUNAWAY (10) — "the fact this song was omitted from the album still irks me to this day. It’s such a lovely piece of summery J-pop, and was A SINGLE with KEY OF HEART. I’m officially championing this song to do well in the rate PLEEK!!" Are you happy with its placement now? The little B-side that could!

—





Going back to THE FACE for the next one...​
 
Crisp X

Crisp X

she/her
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Koishi te shinji te kanji te iki runo
Donnani hato ga nai temo my style babe
Honki de honne de mae mite oh my life
Yuuki mo ashita mo oh baby i believe my style

Style.png


7.75

Jumping BoAs: (10) @RUNAWAY ; (9) @lalaclairi_, @Monado
Still BoAs: (6.25) @askew ; (6.5) @Kaz D'Oerba, @clowezra
Crispy's Score: 7.5

5 voters: #22 (average: 8.4)
10 voters: #28 (average: 7.95)
15 voters: #34 (average: 7.866)
17 voters: #36 (average: 7.75)

"Style" is the 12th track from THE FACE, BoA's sixth Japanese album, released on February 27, 2008. It was written by H.U.B., composed and arranged by Nao Tanaka.

We say goodbye to a bop that's quintessential early 00s pop, despite being released in 2008. I mean, unnies... tell me I'm not the only one who can 100% hear Stacie Orrico over this! The chorus in particular has that feel with the cadence in the hook. My only complaint is that the live rendition is so much superior that it makes the tinier sounding studio version feel like a demo in comparison.

—

@Attis (7) — "The beat is great, but I don't like the melody"

@nanapop99 (7.25) — "I've previously mentioned The Face Live Tour and this track is another highlight on the DVD. The song is cool but I'm basically giving such a high score mainly for that performance."

@M24 (8.5) — "Among the top half bsides of the album! The chorus is a little weird, but overall it's a bop!"

@RUNAWAY (10) — "Taylor who!!"

—


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Crisp X

Crisp X

she/her
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Say Oh-Oh Make it Hot
Agatte yuku kodou
Feelin' so good We got no limit
Girl in the mirror

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7.764

Jumping BoAs: (10) @lalaclairi_ ; (9.5) @M24
Still BoAs: (4.5) @Kaz D'Oerba ; (6) @odyism, @Crisp X
Crispy's Score: 6

5 voters: #16 (average: 8.75)
10 voters: #35 (average: 7.775)
15 voters: #37 (average: 7.816)
17 voters: #35 (average: 7.764)

"Girl In The Mirror" is the 6th track from THE FACE, BoA's sixth Japanese album, released on February 27, 2008. It was written by Shoko Fujibayashi, co-composed by BoA and AKIRA and arranged by AKIRA.

So it makes me sad to say considering the production credits but I've never been a fan of this album track and consider it a missed opportunity instead. Something about it just sounds undercooked or overcooked? I can't really make up my mind about that. On its own, this album track is a straightforward funky electropop banger that features recurring loud, in your face synths, but the mix throws me off by giving me "listening to a 96 kbps mp3 downloaded from shady sources" vibes nn. It just sounds off to me and I can't pinpoint exactly why. It's like all the elements are there but they don't mesh well together. I could simply quote @Kaz D'Oerba's comment below.

Nitpicking aside, I like her performance here, which helps the song maintain the edge needed to go with the bouncy, fighting sequence feel that the beat provides. The bridge is really lovely and easily my favorite moment too. I do wish the song featured more of the lowkey arrangements that pop up during that part, at least to break the monotony for more than a short sequence. For once, the live version didn't change my mind about it in any way.

—

@Kaz D'Oerba (4.5) — "a bit messy sis"

@nanapop99 (7) — "The beginning is promising and it hypes you up for another potential banger but unfortunately the song kinda goes nowhere as it progresses."

@clowezra (8.5) — "This has really hit me whilst rating, what a banger!"

@M24 (9.5) — "I expected a Britney-like ballad from the title and so I was pleasantly surprised by this bop! That "let me blow" line… I hope she didn't know english very well back then dddd." Utada's This Is The One vibes dd!

—





Speaking about English, let's switch to the self-titled album for one elimination or two...​
 
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evilsin

evilsin

"Say oh-oh, let me blow"... Okay, BoA, you do you. I guess I can see the critisism for this one, but I do find the synthwork to be exceptional here. I also think it was the first song I knew was produced by BoA, so it was a bit of a moment.
 
Crisp X

Crisp X

she/her
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You scream
But there's nobody to hear
It doesn't matter
It's only you and me and all of your fears

Scream.png


7.823

Jumping BoAs: (10) @Slice of Life ; (9.75) @askew
Still BoAs: (5) @Monado ; (6) @odyism
Crispy's Score: 7

5 voters: #34 (average: 7.75)
10 voters: #42 (average: 7.625)
15 voters: #40 (average: 7.75)
17 voters: #34 (average: 7.823)

"Scream" is the 8th track from BoA, BoA's first English album, released on March 17, 2009 and the 10th track from the deluxe edition, released on August 31, 2009. It is a cover of the B-side by German girl group Monrose, initially released in 2007. It was written by Charlie Mason, Kay J, Apollo Andel and The Provider, composed and arranged by Adrian Newman.

Today, I'm mourning another song that I underrated a bit in retrospect, there's a pattern with these eliminations nn. BoA is deep in electropop waters here, and the overly dark and ominous feel suits her tone quite well. I think I settled on that score because it's a throwback to a particular sound that, in my experience, may have been overplayed at the time. Well, here I am having fond memories of all the late 00s stuff (Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Little Boots and many more) it reminds me of... nostalgia is one hell of a drug after all!

It also has an interesting history with the alternate versions mentioned above and by some of you as well. Depending on my mood, my preference changes. Monrose and BoA's versions don't differ that much so I can't say which one I lean towards most, but I do appreciate Anyband's more subtle take on it. Putting an emphasis on the spooky string section by removing all the synths is a clever choice as it makes it sound even more haunting and cinematic! That's a testament to the versatility of the beat as I was also imagining an alternate disco take on it at some point.

—

@M24 (6.75) — "Halloween bop! I don't think she's ever sounded that spookily seductive!"

@Kaz D'Oerba (7.5) — "I don’t actively seek this one out, but it goes AWF when I do hear it!"

@nanapop99 (8) — "This is actually the second time that BoA covered this song. There's a korean version titled Daydream which was part of the AnyBand project. I love the spooky vibes of this song. And It's definitely one of the rare moments where BoA doesn't sound like a robot on this album. A haunting halloween bop!"

@evilsin (8.5) — "That chorus is kinda chill-inducing in the best way possible, which is appropriate considering the message of the song, hah. And taking a song from Monrose is always good in my book. I also google and somehow only now discovered that BoA covered this as part of the whole ANYBAND thing? Wild."

—



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Crisp X

Crisp X

she/her
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Burn it up, B-B-B-Burn it up on this hypnotic dance floor
I feel like an atomic bomb about to detonate
When I hear the beating drum, I just wanna taste

Hypnotic-Dancefloor.png


7.838

Jumping BoAs: (10) @Attis, @soratami ; (9) @Kaz D'Oerba, @Slice of Life
Still BoAs: (5) @lalaclairi_ ; (6) @nanapop99
Crispy's Score: 7.5

5 voters: #59 (average: 6.8)
10 voters: #47 (average: 7.45)
15 voters: #31 (average: 7.93)
17 voters: #33 (average: 7.838)

"Hypnotic Dancefloor" is the 11th track from BoA, BoA's first English album, released on March 17, 2009 and the 13th track from the deluxe edition, released on August 31, 2009. It was written by Paolo Galgani and Lisa Rachelle Greene, composed and arranged by Henrik Jonback.

And just like that, the self-titled album loses its closer. I appreciate that, even though it stays in that icy electropop territory that the parent album mostly contains, it bookends the whole thing on a more lowkey note, for the lack of a better word. Don't get me wrong, it remains upbeat and has all of the elements that make up the classic formula used during that era (Blackout-like beats with claps and snaps used as snares, those specific buzzy synths I've mentioned so much in previous write-ups, vocoder vocals doubled with male ones), but it has spacey undertones to it and the hook, while being one of my favorites in the album, may not be as singalongy or direct as the more single ready material that was previously heard in the tracklist.

Odd comparison perhaps, but it slightly reminds me of the place "It's Magic" from Girls Aloud serves as an album closer in that sense. It's akin to that part of the night where you can tell the end is near, or it may have just ended but you still have some energy left for a last dance... it gives me that vibe.

—

@nanapop99 (6) — "What I gather from this album is that she loves to dance and she basically says that she will keep on dancing till the world ends. With that title, I was expecting an epic album closer but this feels too subdued. Lowkey disappointing. BoA can do so much better than this." I get that and I can envision a more ambitious closer like yours in my head. This one plays it safe in that regard.

@M24 (6.25) — "The hook is not that catchy, but the first part of the chorus is amazing!"

@evilsin (8) — "The production sounds so clear and crisp, it's electrifying." Yep and that's another reason it's one of my favorite album tracks in the album!

@RUNAWAY (8.75) — "not the atomic bomb lyric…..ffffff I forgot about that but aside from that….BOP!" I knew I had to highlight those particular lyrics while making this write-up... you're welcome!

@Kaz D'Oerba (9) — "Perfect closer for an album that’s absolutely wall to wall bangers! Sums the whole thing up well—we gonna dance for our lives on this hypnotic dance floor whilst listening to this banger fest of an album!"

@Attis (10) — "Aah the memories, I remember this one is recommended as the best song from her English album and it still is ! It felt more professional and fresher, compared to other outdated tracks." It's interesting because it's not like it's different from the rest of the album, but it doesn't feel as "of its time" to my ears. It's all about the execution I guess, or may not contain all the late 00s electropop tropes. Or maybe, as hinted by @evilsin, the production just makes it work.

—




The next cut is the remaining album track from one of the other albums...​
 
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Crisp X

Crisp X

she/her
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Keep Lucky Life
Ten ni nage kiss
Subete wo itooshimu beyond the words
Aozora no rainy pain mo sou ame no sunny smile mo
Wakeaou

cosmic-eyes.png


7.867

Jumping BoAs: (10) @Slice of Life, @Attis ; (9) @Ana Raquel, @clowezra
Still BoAs: (3.25) @nanapop99 ; (7) @lalaclairi_, @mi|kshake
Crispy's Score: 7.5

5 voters: #60 (average: 6.75)
10 voters: #53 (average: 7.225)
15 voters: #35 (average: 7.85)
17 voters: #32 (average: 7.867)

"cosmic eyes" is the 8th track from OUTGROW, BoA's fourth Japanese album, released on February 15, 2006. It was written by MIZUE, composed and arranged by AKIRA.

Welp I jumped the gun in my last hint because OUTGROW actually has one more album track left after this! This is one I was happy to see go this far because it stands out stylistically, with its Y2K J-Pop meets shibuya-kei feel. It's very quirky, which couldn't be obvious with those upbeat drums bouncing over bright acoustic guitars right away. It has an almost childlike innocence to it in the melody and arrangements, the latter of which I'd compare to some of Pizzicato Five's material. I can hear how its sweetness can be a bit off-putting for some... but for me listening to it is like a breath of fresh air. I do think BoA gets a bit drowned by the instrumental at times, with the chorus containing the only vocal part that I tend to memorize while my mind gets distracted by the backing instruments otherwise.

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@nanapop99 (3.25) — "I enjoy some aspects of its unique production but that's about it. This song definitely falls into the annoying tracks category. The melody is also way too childish & saccharine."

@M24 (7.5) — "It's got a simple but quite effective chorus. Hope it makes the top 40 at least!"

@evilsin (8.5) — "Such a bubbly number."

@Slice of Life (10) — "invented PC music"

@Attis (10) — "Aww I love this. The hybrid of accoustic guitar, busy drum n bass lite percussion and banging chorus !"

—


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