Unicorn Jukebox

Hey!

I know last week was kind of spotty with blog posts. It was my birthday week and I decided I wanted to take a week off of listening to new music and just listen to what I had already put into playlists. But, I am back and really missed listening to new music, so we’re back in full swing this week 🙂

This album is the first mini album by South Korean artist, BoA. But, don’t let the fact that this is her first mini album confuse you because she is a veteran-ed performer in the kpop world. In fact she is often referred to as the Queen of Kpop and has been a staple in the kpop industry since 2000.

As far as my experience with BoA before listening to this album, I hadn’t listened to any of her albums in full before this one. I did see her performance at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMAs) and did watch both of the music videos (One Shot, Two Shot & Nega Dola) before listening to the album.

Now for the track by track breakdown:

One Shot Two Shot: It has a very funny and catchy vibe to it that definitely makes you want to dance, which it makes a lot of sense that this is the lead single off of the album. It did feel a bit generic to me, it didn’t really possess any flair to it that was interesting or different than anything on the kpop market currently. It also felt like it went on just a hair too long and I found myself become bored with the track by the end of it.

Everybody Knows: I liked this track a lot better than the first one. I felt that this one was more in BoA’s wheelhouse. It was a little softer and had a more chill feel versus the first track, but it still retained all the presence that BoA has.

Nega Dola: I think the music video really adds to this song. It’s really cool to see a female idol dance in a style that reminds me a lot of Jay Park. This track has a tropical feel to it and is still really catchy and fun. But, overall a better style than the first track.

Your Song: This song features Junoflo, who I had never heard of before, but will have to check out because he has a very good voice and flow. It was a very smooth and sexy track, and I think this is the concept that fits BoA the best currently. I think this might be my favorite song on the album because it does a good job of showing off her voice.

Recollection: This was an interesting track because it had a very 80s feel to it. I like when artists aren’t afraid to through it back to a different era to show off their talents. I think this was stylistically the most interesting track on the album.

Always, All Ways: First of all the title is really cute, and I appreciate a cute title. This was another smooth and sexy track that is definitely more her style, and I’m glad. This one verged more on the 90s R&B side which I think is an even better fit for her.

Camo: I’m glad she ended the album on a fun upbeat song that had a really interesting chorus. This was probably my favorite “single” off of the album. It was definitely the classic pop/dance feel to it, but there was enough variation that it was interesting to listen to and didn’t feel generic

Overall I thought it was a pretty decent album. There weren’t any tracks that I didn’t like on it, but there also weren’t any tracks that I loved. One thing that I think would have elevated the album to me would have been the inclusion of a ballad. You can tell by these songs that she has an incredible voice, but she doesn’t get a moment to truly show it off.

Rating: B

Link to album: