BoA prepares to release her 'The live 2018 X'Mas' gig to reaffirm that she's still that bitch in Japan

BoA's Japanese music releases have been trash for years.

And don't say that they haven't. Because even your stan ass knows this to be true.

The last decent Japanese album BoA put out was Identity. Since then, it's all been a mess with a success rate of 1 really good song per album...if we're lucky. But her popularity in Japan doesn't seem to have waned despite the lacklustre music she's given her fans for the past decade, which speaks to just how strong an impression she left early on in her career from Listen to my heart through to The face.

BoA held a Christmas special show in December of 2018, which was pretty in support of her latest album at the time Watashi kono mama de ii no kana, but she also snuck in songs which hadn't been released in Japan such as "One shot, two shot" and debuted the song "Amor" 2 months before it released as her 40th Japanese single.

BoA doesn't go as full out with her routines as she used to and seems far more restrained, but she still owns the stage. It's a similar approach that she takes much of her music now; far less of these really big, overblown, overproduced pop records and more sultry grooves. It really suits her.

As somebody who saw that BoA was always that bitch with the dancing and the hustle from day one, but was releasing a fair amount of garbage and had NO sense of self, artistry or ownership of anything that she did; it's been genuinely nice to see BoA grow into herself. Even if it took far longer than it should have. It's a reminder that you're never too old, or in the game too long to grow and evolve as a person and an artist. And to be able to be in the game as long as she has and still maintain success both in Japan and South Korea!? Very few can compare.

If only BoA put that same energy into her Japanese releases as she does her South Korean ones. BoA's last 3 South Korean releases Woman, One shot, two shot and Kiss my lips were all such solid albums. By comparison Who's back? and Watashi kono mama de ii no kana were absolute garbage.

📝 Random J Pop BoA album reviews: The face | BoA (English debut album) | Identity | Hurricane Venus | One shot, two shot | Woman
🎧 Random J Pop Spotify playlist: BoA