After revamping her career with “Negal Dola” and “One Shot, Two Shot” earlier this year, K-pop diva BoA mustered up more strength to return as charismatic and independent in “Woman.”

Marking her ninth full-length album, the new record’s title track blends upbeat synths and diverse beats that lead into the soloist’s explosive chorus where she belts out, “Feels good to be a woman.”

Crafted by BoA herself, the song kicks off with the clicking sounds of high heels and embodies the image of a charismatic and powerful woman, which the artist hopes to be herself in real life.

“Many relate the song with my previous hit ‘Girls on Top,’ which was about independent, powerful ‘girls,’ and the subject shifts in ‘Woman’ as it talks about strong ‘women,’” explained BoA during a showcase for her new album in Seoul on Wednesday. 

Its lyrics tell people that they look most beautiful when they’re just being themselves, encouraging them to find their own advantage rather than comparing to others. And taking note the similarity, “Woman,” pays tribute to “Girls on Top” by borrowing one of the lines in the song.

BoA acknowledged the album’s “woman” topic could be deemed sensitive to some in this time, but said she had planned such a themed album long ago. 

“As a woman myself, I wanted to write a song with which I could hypnotize myself and build up my self-esteem. As people get older, they tend to have lower self-esteem, and I wanted to send a message that it is important to find one’s inner beauty to become more powerful,” she explained.

The album features 10 tracks. Included are the title track and “Like It!” “U&I,” “Good Love,” “I Want You Back,” “Irreversible,” “Encounter,” “Little More,” “If” and “No Limit,” which features BoA as lyricist. 

Continuing with the rebellious attitude shown in previous hits “Nega Dola” and “One Shot, Two Shot,” BoA flaunts her skill as a veteran dancer in the song’s accompanying music video while alternating between various bold outfits ranging from a leopard jacket to a blazing red suit.

The choreography for “Woman” highlights BoA’s fierce energy, but the movements are sleeker, and perhaps more feminine, than her previous works.

“When I was in my teens, my dance movements were powerful yet restrained, and when I was in my 20s they got more skillful, and as I’ve entered my 30s, the lines got prettier and more feminine,” she said. 

Coming 19 years since the release of her first album “ID; Peace B,” BoA is poised to keep going for many more years. In an effort to push herself to new boundaries, the 31-year-old K-pop powerhouse has recently taken on various challenges, including Wednesday’s event as it marked her first time performing new songs during a showcase since her debut in Japan. Just a few days ago, she also performed at Grand Mint Festival, her first outdoor festival performance in Korea.

“About the festival, I was worried at first, but it turned out to be a really happy moment as an artist,” she said.

“Recently I’ve been thinking, ‘I am really gifted to be a singer.’ It’s my true happiness that I still enjoy doing the music I pursue.” 


By Hong Dam-young
(lotus@heraldcorp.com)