BoA- BoA (Deluxe Album)

BoA Deluxe Album

Track List:

01 Energetic (Radio Edit) *

02. Control

03. Crazy About

 

BoA’s Nylon Interview

In the September issue of Nylon, which which features G-Dragon on its cover, Asian sensation BoA was featured in a short but sweet interview, wherein she discloses her attachment to her cellphone, some of her favorite restaurants in L.A and more.

What song is the most played on your iPod lately?
‘N Sync’s “Selfish”. For some reason, I’ve been enjoying quiet ballads nowadays. Perhaps it’s because I listen to solely dance music during practice.

What did you do yesterday?
Attend a recording meeting for my new upcoming Japanese single.

What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
Drink water.

When you brush your teeth, is there any tune that you hum to?
I’m concentrated on brushing my teeth so I don’t hum.

What book are you reading these days?
To be honest, I haven’t been able to read many books lately. The most recent thing I read was the souvenir pamphlet on the plane?

How do you usually answer to friends who ask, ‘How are you doing?’
“Yes. My life is not any different from others.”

What kind of news do you like best?
Any news regarding the currency. I suppose it’s because I’m living overseas now. Haha.

Who is your favorite movie character?
Joker from The Dark Knight!

Are there any items you must absolutely keep in your room?
My cellphone charger and the side table next to my bed. The reason for the latter being so I can place my cellphone on top of it.

If a friend comes to visit you in L.A., where is the first place you would take him/her?
Melrose Avenue. There are many, beautiful multi-shops there.

Which restaurants do you like to dine at in L.A.?
Japanese restaurants ‘Gonpachi’ in Cienega Boulevard and ‘Sushi Roku’ in 3rd Street, Kings Road Cafe in Beverly Boulevard, and the Korean diners at Koreatown. I also frequently visit game restaurant ‘Dave and Busters’ and ‘Lucky Strike’, where I can drink beer and go bowling.

If you could appear on TV, what role of which program would you like to do?
Go Eun Chan from the drama . For some reason, I think I would cross-dress well.

What is the best memory you have of this week?
When it rained. After seeing sunshine everyday, the rain was refreshing.

What is an advantageous benefit of living in the 21st century?
The production of hybrid cars. They’re quiet and fuel-efficient.

What is something you would feel sad leaving without?
My cellphone.

What is something you are anticipating right now?
I wish winter would come soon. I bought a new leather jacket that I want to wear.

For now, BoA is preparing to release her repacked self-titled album ‘BoA DELUXE’ on September 22nd and a new Japanese single called ‘BUMP BUMP’ on October 21.

credits: allkpop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaHJxLRbT00&feature=player_embedded

 

BoA Releases Deluxe

Singer BoA, 23, will release the repackaged version of her U.S. debut album “Deluxe” on September 22 (local time) in the U.S. and on September 23 in Korea.

BoA has already disclosed the songs from her new album on Internet music sites. The album contains 15 songs, including the songs from her first U.S. album that was released in March, as well as the new songs “Crazy About” and “Control” and the radio version of “Energetic.”

“Crazy About” is a pop dance song that was produced by Sean Garrett and that is about the feelings of love of a young girl. The dynamic “Control” was written and produced by Brian Kennedy, who is highly recognized in the pop music market.

BoA’s new album will be released online in Japan, Thailand, China, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Australia.

KBS Global

 

BoA’s an Aunt

They share the same v-line and sharp features. What is the relationship between singer BoA and this new born boy?

He’s BoA’s new nephew! Or in another way, BoA’s an auntie now!

BoA’s brother Kwon Soon Hwon’s first son Kwon Sung Woo was born on 1st September.

And here are the photos of baby SungWoo uploaded by Kwon Soon Hwon on his Cyworld minihompy.

Netizens’ responses to this:

* “What kinda baby is he? He has a v-line! Aren’t babies supposed to be fat?”
* “He has some killer nose”
* “He has such high nosebridge and sharp chin line”
* “His first birthday will be a big hit – all the seonbae singers and actors from SM will be there”
* “BoA is an aunt now!!!”

Meanwhile, BoA will be release a repackage album ‘Deluxe’ for her 1st official American album.
And on 1st September, previews to the songs from the album were revealed. The previews to songs ‘Crazy About’, ‘Control’ and ‘Energetic Radio Edit’ were revealed, there will be 15 songs in all for her repackage album.

And ‘Crazy About’ is said to be composed by Sean Garette. Meanwhile, the album ‘Deluxe’ will be released on 22nd September in America and on 23rd in Korea.

source: kbites

 

The Real DBSK was in Japan

TVXQ sings “I got you~ooo, Under my skin,” and dances. When the buttons on the shirts that cling onto their bodies cannot handle their powerful moves and burst, U-Know Yunho’s well-developed and chiseled pectoral muscles are shown. Fans from all over Korea, who may have had ill feelings towards the long stretch of Japanese activities, act as though the group had never left and stare at their TV and even go up to the TV screen and stroke it. I’m talking about the comeback stage of that happened after the album’s release last December. Fans found something a little odd about TVXQ during this stage. Although the five members’ faces were the same, it was as though their faces had been stuck on someone else’s body. This was because of their ‘muscles’.

TVXQ’s thin and muscular bodies are completely different from SM Entertainment’s preceding idol groups. The direction that the members of TVXQ are headed is being influenced by the Japanese activities they have been carefully and diligently doing. In Japan these days, their is a ‘Hosomacho’ or ‘thin muscle’ trend blazing through the nation. The biggest reason for this trend is because the majority of young Japanese women prefers the thin muscled hosomacho look over the heavily muscled gorimacho (gorilla macho) look.

What am I talking about? There are probably going to be some people who tell me that this trend has been around for a while with the majority of singers in Johnny’s Entertainment and with the majority of males in Tokyo having a thin muscle body structure. But what they are talking more about skinny guys who look as though they have muscles because they are skinny, not the ‘thin muscle’ look. But to think that TVXQ is just one of the many hosomacho groups is a big mistake. This is because the popularity of Tohoshinki, as they call themselves in Japan, is so great and out of this world that it cannot be fully comprehended or understood in Korea.

If we divide the dominating Japanese male idol groups into three categories, the first would be ‘role Lolita’, groups comprised of pretty boys, the second would be ‘Yankees’, groups comprised of members who have a bad boy vibe to them, and the third would be the TVXQ style. The TVXQ style’s popularity can be properly felt in Japan’s host clubs. Koreans may connect the words host or hostess with adult clubs and see these words with a negative outlook, but to many young, handsome and popular college students in Japan, it is the most preferred part-time job.

Different from Korea’s hosts, Japan’s hosts serve only alcohol and there is a different term for those who provide sexual intercourse and they are called ‘Urisen’. In these host clubs that can easily be found in Shinjuku’s Gabukicho area, the pictures of the hosts in the clubs tell women what kind of style each host is. Before, most of the people in the pictures copied the style of Johnny’s Entertainment’s idol groups. But now, at least one or two hosts in every club very conspicuously copies the style of one of the members of TVXQ.

In this area, there was once a time where the most manly people were nabe (a girl dressed up as a guy or a trans gender female). with their thin, pretty bodies. But now many Japanese women are asking for the hosomacho style, men who are not only pretty, but are also manly, and who are not only skinny, but has muscles. The TVXQ wind is blowing through the clubs of Gabukicho.

Since many Korean idol groups are popular not only in Korea but all of Asia, many Koreans may think that TVXQ’s popularity is similar to that of other celebrities. Shall we delve deeper to see just how popular TVXQ is in Japan? TVXQ’s most recent Japanese single sold almost 200K copies in one week. This sets TVXQ with the second highest first week sales in their agency, Japan’s biggest company Avex.

The only group above TVXQ is the 14-member group Exile, the group that received the highest award from the Japanese Record Association and the group that even creates big changes in society with their raging popularity. This means that TVXQ’s first album sales beats that of the female leaders of Japanese pop, ‘Amuro Namie’. ‘Hamasaki Ayumi’ and ‘Koda Kumi’. This is a feat that not even popular star ‘BoA’ has achieved. These are the kind of top singers we can compare TVXQ to now.

But I am not basing their popularity on album sales only. TVXQ has set a huge record of being on Japan’s representative music chart ‘Oricon Chart’ as 1st on weekly single sales six times already. Since the year 2000, the number of stars who have attempted to enter the Japanese market is enormous, with stars such as S.E.S, Sugar, Park Junghyun, Rain, Lee Soo Young, Se7en, SS501, Ryu Siwon, Park Yongha, Lee Byunghun, Yoonha, K, Sunmin, Big Bang and Super Junior.

But the only singers who have reached first on Oricon’s weekly single charts are BoA (once) and TVXQ (six times). TVXQ also succeeded in being invited to hold two concerts in July at the Tokyo Dome which is considered the Dream Stage, even to Japanese singers. This has never been completed by any other Korean singer before.

But the Bible sends a message, “Prophets do not get respect from their homelands.” For some odd reason, TVXQ’s outstanding achievements do not seem to be reported or praised in Korea. Also, it is sad to see that TVXQ’s success of almost selling 200K copies of their single was buried under the dispute between SM Entertainment and three members of TVXQ (Micky Yoochun, Xiah Junsu, YoungWoong Jaejoong) and the disbandment rumors that followed it.

They are not something something ’sama’ (like Yonsama) who were washed ashore by the Hallyu Wave. No, they even asked all Japanese media agencies not to associate the word ‘Hallyu’ with them (even asking for news articles to be pulled down if the word was used in relation to them), to show that they wished to succeed with their own powers and were able to become widely known in Japan. TVXQ had to erase their nationality in order to gain the acceptance from the Japanese population.

The rumors of disbandment at the height of their popularity has become a hot topic of conversation in the Japanese music industry. Japanese media has been created a daily special to update everyone about what’s happening in Korea with regards to TVXQ, and this has caused Avex’s CEO to come forward and give an explanatory statement to clam the Japanese fans. He announced that TVXQ’s Japanese activitees would continue regardless of what was happening in Korea and he decided to announce this himself. This has never happened before.

It seems as though the way Korean agencies set the income division when writing up the contract has surprised the people of Japan who are used to the Japanese agencies’ way of working that gives monthly salaries that may change. Since the first official event TVXQ held after the disbandment rumors came out was in Japan and not Korea, the source of such rumors, with the Fireworks Festival Concert, the Japanese media was more vigilant when it came to reporting the issue than the Korean media.

Therefore, whether they wanted this or not, this case has opened TVXQ up to a wider fan base including the younger generation. YoungWoong Jaejoong, who is the most popular amongst the members in Japan, was even seen in a paparazzi scandal magazine that only extremely famous Japanese celebrities appear in.

Although the situation in Korea is a complete mess, TVXQ might be able to take one step further in their Japanese activities through this happening. But they must once more grab hold of their Korean fans. There are already rumors that the ‘light fanbase’(a term often used in Korea to mean fans who support a group but constantly move between fandoms) is ready to embrace the new 6 member male idol group SM Entertainment is preparing.

As faithful as Korean fans are, they are also able to turn their backs on a singer very quickly. If even the fans who used to embrace them turn their backs on TVXQ, the group will become the prophets who are not respected in their homelands.

Source: [GQ Magazine+DNBN]
Translation credits: jeeelim5@tohosomnia.net
Shared by: tohosomnia.net
Do not remove/add on any credits

 

BoA Having X’Mas Concerts in Japan

South Korea’s top pop star BoA will have her first Christmas live concerts in Tokyo in two years.

BoA announced on her Japan Web site earlier this week that she will hold the live concerts under the title of “BoA The LIVE X’mas.” More recently, she has been active with “Girlfriend,” her new collaboration song with Crystal Gay, Japan’s top singer.

BoA’s Christmas live concerts will take place in Tokyo on Dec. 4-5 and in Osaka on Dec. 8.

BoA, 22, who had been performing in Japan, released her U.S. album on March 17 amid high expectations and has since been stepping up her American activities.

She is struggling to repeat her success in Japan in the United States. Specifically, she has signed a contract with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the No. 1 Hollywood entertainment agency.

Under the agreement, within North America CAA is representing BoA in all areas, including music, film and merchandising. The agency is mulling a U.S. tour in the second half of the year.

source: koreantimes

 

Star Names are Worth…

Agency SM Entertainment who has been having legal disputes with 3 members of TVXQ, on July 4th submitted trademark application of names of some of its singers including TVXQ, Girls’ Generation, and Super Junior. SM is currently waiting for the result.

In 2004 SM already tried to enter the same application but was rejected since “There’s no agreement from TVXQ members,”. To consider the current situation where there’s disputes between the two sides, the members are most likely not consent yet, again.

Meanwhile, quoting the statement from patent attorney Hwang Sung-pil which was aired on MBC “Happy Day” on August 17th, “The cycle of legislation from trademark rights to trademark, is to legitimate the brand of artists name when deciding margin products, as well as to identify the source of right to display certain brand so that customers are ensure of one’s brand reliability.”

Estimation of the value of star name.

The star name whose value is worth for 180 billion won, is gained by Seo Tai-ji on 1st rank. The Korean wave star Bae Yong Joon name is worth for 100 billion won, and rose the 2nd.

Active in three countries including Korea, Japan, and U.S, singer BoA is ranked 3rd for 100 billion won while on 4th with estimation value of 50 billion won is name of group Shinhwa.

TVXQ group name is estimated to be worth 40 – 50 billion won thus made 5th. Meanwhile Korean wave star Won Bin and Choi Ji-woo names both are worth 30 billion, thus are placed together on 6th.

source: Newsen
trans: sharingyoochun@wordpress

 

Sori Praised By BoA’s Brother

Top singer BoA’s brother Kwon SooWook has praised singer Sori on her acting.

Sori, who is the female lead to musical ‘Ballerino who loves the B.Boy’ has recently appeared as the female lead to Astro’s debut song MV ‘We will go’.

In the MV, Sori acts as a woman dumped by her man who went for another woman, she also had crying scenes in the MV. This was a different image to her sexy and hot image on stage performing.

Kwon SoonWook who was the director to the MV said, “I discovered the acting capabilities in Sori. It was so good I didn’t believe she only started acting a while ago. Her acting in the MV was above satisfactory.”

“Sori is good at expressing emotions, good singer after all. For other singers, when they act there is a certain pattern to the feelings they show, but for Sori she displayed her emotions in acting very naturally. I could feel much energy from her acting.”

Sori also said, “The MV and the musical are of different genres but that’s the beauty of it. I have put another acting of a different image this time, but there are still many things to learn. I wish to do more acting in the future.”

Meanwhile, the MV is also very well received by netizens, with many praises of Sori’s acting.

source: kbites

 

Can KPop Make It in America?

Over the years, as the Korean wave has touched the shores of Asian countries, several popular singers have tried to make it in the Asian market. Rain, Se7en and Yangpa have been among the notable flops, and BoA is currently releasing singles and videos in the United States. Now the group Wonder Girls is trying, with much fanfare, to make an impact. The group made its television debut on “The Wendy Williams Show” in July and is currently an opening act for the insanely popular Jonas Brothers.

The Korean media is, of course, uniformly excited, but the online community is more ambivalent. Regarding the performance on The Wendy Williams Show, 3gyupsal writes: “Three girls sang, and they lip-synched the chorus. One girl was obviously digitally assisted”.

ROK Hound adds, “That was about as clear as I’ve ever heard them sing the English version of the song, and I still don’t know what the hell they’re saying for most of the song”.

Reports in the local papers were bolstered by glowing reviews by Koreans and Korean-Americans, although others were less enthusiastic about the performance. Commenter 3gyupsal continues: “What the hell is JYP [Entertainment director Park Jin-young] thinking? The guy produced a song for OutKast, he has an office in New York, you would think that someone like him would know that you can’t perform live and lip-sync. He is sabotaging their chances in America before they can get an honest shot at releasing a record. Nobody, nobody, but K-pop fans would buy their stuff”.

Shortly after the television performance the Wonder Girls opened three Jonas Brothers shows in my home state, and one in my hometown, Pittsburgh. The few brief mentions of them in Pennsylvania said they performed one song, their first U.S. single “Nobody”. The singers were also giving dance lessons to the song outside the stadiums before the shows.

Sonagi questions who the target audience of the group is. “Up to now, I’d only read Korean media reports on the Wonder Girls as an opening act and had no idea they were singing only one song. That explains why every video of them in the U.S. shows them singing only ‘Nobody’. Literally one-hit Wonder Girls in America. Rather than establishing a fan base in the U.S., their participation in the tour seems to be raising their status at home in Korea”.

John B appreciated the video of the band doing a dance lesson outside their bus in Philadelphia. “Actually, I have a new respect for the group after seeing this video. They’re starting out by paying their dues the way all other musicians do – by playing crappy gigs and taking whatever they can get”.

Fairy219 adds: “Hitting them with just one and only one catchy song helps make people remember them and the song. With this, hopefully next time, when they release something else, people will get curious [and say,] ‘Hey, that’s the girls who sing that Nobody song’.”

People have speculated what it would take for a Korean singer to make it in the U.S. Writes 3gyupsal: “If JYP spends enough money and gets them enough exposure I think they can definitely become a one-hit wonder if they release a song with a catchy and stupid enough hook”.

Samedi adds, “While there are a lot of people who will buy an album if the hook from the single is catchy enough, there are also quite a few who want something different from what gets put on repeat at the Top 40 stations”.

King Baeksu says, “What do Wonder Girls offer that is unique and different for U.S. music fans?”

These stars have adapted their styles to suit what they believe is the American audience, but it’s worth wondering whether young Americans – not just Korean-Americans – would appreciate more authentic Korean pop music, rather than knock-offs or English translations.

source: hancinema

 

Screen Magazine’s SHINee Interview

1. What do you think it means to be an idol during this generation?

Onew: There are many new things to learn and experience continuously.
Taemin: To be an idol in this generation, to be able to receive so much attention, I’m really thankful to everyone. I believe I should let everyone see the even more hard-working side of me.
Jonghyun: We received a lot of love and that we should continue to *idk*
Key: As we are able to show everyone our own personalities and unique SHINee, I am thankful to everyone.
Minho: Full of happiness. As an artist, I am able to learn a lot of new things.

2. Who is your own idol?
Onew: BoA-sunbae. Sunbae’s voice and performance are the best. Everytime I see her strong stage prescence, it makes me want to practice even more.
Taemin: Right now I don’t have any model (role-model?), I just want to become a skilled and strong performer in the eyes of everyone.
Jonghyun: HOT-sunbaes! I know a lot about and really like all of their songs and albums.
Key: I have a lot, and was influenced by many. I was especially influenced by HOT, SES, BoA, and DBSK-sunbaenims.
Minho: DBSK, Super Junior-sunbaenims. I want to become a performer as strong as my sunbaes. If i could give perfect performances and work together with my sunbaes, then it would be complete happiness.

3. Of the members, what qualities of their’s/your’s makes you feel proud/better?
Onew: I am older than Taemin!
Taemin: My age.
Jonghyun: Onew, because I am younger than him.
Key: I’m honest/straightforward.
Minho: Key is our group’s parent.

4. If you come to here, then I would be happy; where is that place?
Onew: SHINee’s stages. Will you come with us?
Taemin: On TV ^^
Jonghyun: Come to the movie theater.
Key: SHINee’s world. Welcome to Key’s world.
Minho: Welcome to the front of SHINee’s stages.

5. Which movie character do you want to become?
Onew: August from August Rush
Taemin: Harry Potter! That way I can use magic ^^
Jonghyun: Gyun-woo from My Sassy Girl
Key: The Joker from The Dark Knight
Minho: Lee Byung Hun-sunbae’s character in My Bittersweet Life

6. What do you want to say to those that want to become a star?
Onew: Cheers! Their dream is really big
Taemin: If you work hard, then everything will be fine. Fighting!
Jonghyun: Don’t give up.
Key: My answer is the same as Jonghyun-hyung’s, don’t give up!
Minho: Mine would be, “If you don’t give up your hopes and dreams, then there would always be a good result/ending.”

7. During your trainee days, what words made you cry, and what words made you laugh?
Onew:I remember clearly the words that made me laugh: “Your voice is really good”, “When you practice, it’s really good to see you working so hard” and “When you greet people with a bow, you look really pretty/nice”.
Taemin: I laughed because of this sentence: “You will fulfill your dream”.
Jonghyun: In order to become an entertainer, I would quietly give myself confidence. I cried a lot, and laughed a lot.
Key: I laughed when my friends said, “You look more and more like an entertainer/artist now”.
Minho: Nothing really; I would compliment/praise myself regularly, but also criticize myself regularly too.

8. When do you feel an adrenaline rush?
Onew: When I’m on stage after a good performance and I hear the audience’s cheers and applause.
Taemin: When I watch horror movies?
Jonghyun: When I’m on stage and I hear the music start. When I hear the beginning of “Noona, You’re So Pretty”, I cannot use words to explain what I feel during that time.
Key: When I stand on stage as a part of SHINee.
Minho: When I give a really good performance on stage.

9. The day when you’re no longer on stage, what is your other dream?
Onew: I want to show everyone a never-before-seen side of me. I would like SHINee to become even more well-loved and to show everyone an even harder working side of us. Thank you.
Taemin: To travel around the world. To see and experience different cultures, and to do many things in order to gain more experience.
Jonghyun: I want to become a great lyricist/writer.
Key: To be able to stand on a huge stage and perform. Before reaching that level, it is just a dream. If I have a chance, I would like to try MCing, DJing, acting, and other kinds of entertainment.
Minho: When I was younger, I always wanted to become a soccer player. But now I want to show everyone an even better SHINee. But soccer players don’t know about/watch Minho’s performance…

Sources: interview (translated by amourette @ soompi)