BoA - 'Kiss My Lips'

Track List:

1. Kiss My Lips
2. Who Are You (feat. Gaeko)
3. Smash
4. Shattered
5. Fox
6. Double Jack (feat. Eddy Kim)
7. Home
8. Clockwork
9. Love and Hate
10. Green Light
11. Hello
12. Blah


The Queen of K-Pop is back after 3 years out of the Korean spotlight with her LP 'Kiss My Lips.'  In her 15 years in the industry, the diva has cranked out 8 albums and 3 EPs in Korea alone, not to mention her Japanese and English language discs. This is intended as a comeback anniversary, and she has 12 new tracks just waiting for your ears.   

The LP starts off with "Kiss My Lips," the title track. Despite the somewhat discordant synths in the beginning and the time changes in the pre-chorus and chorus, this is a very smooth track. There's a sensuality to it; at times, when her voice deepens to a sex-kitten growl, it is far more enticing than obvious refrains such as "Ring Ma Bell" and "Give It To Me."



"Who Are You," penned by BoA herself, starts with a sweetly tinkling piano and gives way to funk and disco-inspired beats. BoA's sweet voice soars all over the tune, showcasing her unique range. Rapper Gaeko amps up the funk with his raps, making this a killer jam.

"Smash" doesn't pull any punches, starting out immediately with a pulsing beat, and BoA's vocals stride in after 7 seconds. Her voice wraps itself around the beats and horns masterfully. The song itself is as bold as its message: "What a Smash / You got me / at this moment just let go / I just want some more of that."



Taking its inspiration from electronica as well as 80's pop, "Shattered" is a joy to listen to. I love the production here, washes of synths, her sweet voice soaring, ethereal with echo effects. It hews close to trance, particularly by outfits like Delerium. Fell in love with it as soon as I heard it -- it's probably one of my favorite tracks on this album. This is one tune I would love to see her perform live.

"Fox" reminds me a lot of a Girl's Day tune, as many tunes do, even EXO (just kidding). It's a more poppy song than we've heard so far on the album, a jangly guitar keeping time during the chorus. The production on here is pretty skillful, where hints of the chorus pop up here and there with short rests and breaks keeping the song from becoming too predictable.



"Double Jack," featuring singer-songwriter Eddy Kim, is a R&B style tune, with a guitar and horns keeping time as both of them croon. It's a decent enough tune, mid-tempo and butter-smooth, but even after listening several times, I still don't know what a "double jack" is.  

"Home" is stripped-down track, featuring just lone keyboards with sustains, a beat, and BoA's awesome voice. It's lonely and pensive, and she handles the mood well. It likens her lover to home, which is "Always so easy to come back to, warm and peaceful."



"Clockwork" has a sort of latin-tango-derived violin line going in the main verses that switches to a more generalized synth in the chorus. It's an interesting conceit, asking her ex to wind her up like a tin soldier and point her in the right direction. The diva's voice is powerful and soulful here.  

Sweetly sung to an acoustic guitar, "Love and Hate" is as spare of instrumentation as "Home." This is a good thing: I dislike the excesses that drown singer's voices. These are the true tests of a singer's range, when she (or her producers) are bold enough to put her voice out there, unencumbered by heavy synth. BoA rises to the task admirably.



"Green Light" amps up the tempo again with disco beats adding a danceable backdrop. It provides a welcome break from the ballads surrounding it. The song is sung joyfully with a smooth chorus. While there are no surprises here, it does fit will with the rest of the album.

"Hello" turns it down with piano, but unlike the other ballads, "Hello" is a grand production with crashing cymbals, piano, guitar, slammed synths and other production elements crammed into it near the end. It doesn't ruin it because of the build-up; her vocals are needy in the beginning, and then powerful as the song rides to its conclusion, her voice riding above the cacophony.  



"Blah" is a great closer to the album, not too frantic but certainly not too slow. BoA's vocals are confident here, and the overdubs in the chorus are an essential part of this song's success. It's also a Taylor-Swiftian declaration: "I'm in the center of a controversy / Who's talking about me? / I don't care."

If BoA wanted to remind her fans she was still relevant, this would be the album to do it with. From start to finish, the quality is top-notch. The songs are well-done, mostly adopting an R&B style, but BoA embraces other genres and makes them uniquely hers, so there aren't really any misfits on this disc. She infuses the tracks with generous doses of English, which also act as hooks. This album is delightful to listen to, and never boring. Welcome back, BoA. All hail the queen.

Recommended Tracks: Shattered, Kiss My Lips, Blah, Who Are You

MV REVIEW - "WHO ARE YOU"

Since the "Kiss My Lips" MV has zero plot (other than BoA dancing and looking hot), it might be prudent to review something that can actually be reviewed. The MV stars Sehun from EXO as the male lead, and Kim Hyunji, a former 'Superstar K' contestant in 2010 who was criticized for her tomboy image. 



She wakes up, texts her potential boyfriend, and walks to their meeting place while lipsyncing to "Who Are You," which she listens to through headphones (Samsung product placement). According to her agency, Kim Hyunji actually memorized the lyrics so she could lipsync accurately.



When she meets her date, she's immediately turned off. Apparently, he's not only a nerd but also socially awkward, so when she gets another text from her intended, she bolts, leaping over obstacles in a single bound (shades of Superman!). When she finally finds the one, her heart flutters again.


Prince Un-Charming

The MV ends with them in pleasant conversation as they leave the cafe.   

The special effects rock, and help turn this from an ordinary drama video into something more interesting and dynamic. We have flower petals and butterflies bursting from Ms. Kim when meeting this mysterious man. BoA herself appears in various frames like Ms Kim's cellphone and in a mirror. We have buildings pulsing like a heartbeat and amusing asides like seeing our heroine belted into a roller coaster briefly when she meets the nerd.

All in all, a humorous and pleasant video.

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