A long interview with BoA celebrating her 20th anniversary Japan debut

(* ........) are my own comments

 ——May 30, 2001, you made your debut in Japan at the young age of 14. Do you remember when you decided to make your debut in Japan?
BoA: It was a casual feeling, "Oh, I'm going now?"
Because I was young, I didn't feel that japan debut or going abroad was such a serious thing.
Now, for example, if I was told "You're going to America", I would feel pressured and start worrying.
At that time, my thought was simple.

——Did you feel happy like “wow I did it!”?
BoA: Rather than being happy, I couldn't speak Japanese like I do now, so I worried about the language.
I had been studying Japanese up until then, but after that I urgently increased the class time.

——What was your impression of Japan at that time?
BoA: I thought Japan was a flashy place. There're places that you can't often see overseas, such as the scrambled intersection in Shibuya. Also, the appearance of the youngsters back then, everybody had black skin and blonde hair like Yamanba Gal and Ganguro.
I thought, "I might be too white ..." (laughs).

——What was the hardest part of your activities when you started working in both Japan and South Korea?
BoA: It's the airplane trips. I'm grateful that there was no time difference, but I had to fly out on the first flight in the morning and fly back on the last flight. It was tiring because even though the distance was short but the number of flights I took was a lot.

——When did you feel the difference in culture between Japan and South Korea?
BoA: What surprised me most was touring the CD shops (* for promotion). I did it for the first time in Japan.
At that time, I went to Tower Records, HMV, TSUTAYA, etc. and thought the places were so big.
Also, the rental shop was new experience for me. There was no such store in Korea.

——How was song recording in Japanese when you first made your debut?
BoA: At first, it was difficult to pronounce Japanese Ta and Za lines. (* namely the ta, chi, tsu, te, to, za, zu, ze, zo sounds)

——How did you remember the Japanese lyrics?
BoA: First, I write in Hangul and remember the contents. I've been able to read hiragana and katakana since that time, so I only asked them to add furigana (* small characters added to guide pronunciation) ​​to the kanji (* chinese characters in jpn language).
I would sing while reading it. Also, the small Japanese "tsu" may or may not be stretched depending on the song, so it was difficult at first.

——Now you can read kanji. It's easier to understand the meaning if it's written in kanji, isn't it? (* as opposed to writing in only hiragana/katakana)
BoA: That's right. In some cases, Kanji's are easier to read.
If only written in hiragana, it may be difficult to understand where to cut the sentence.
However, even now, I still have my staff add furigana ​​for me (laughs).

——By the way, what was the first Japanese you learned when you made your debut?
BoA: "Mr. Tanaka, where is your business trip destination?" (Laughs).
The names that appear most in the text are Mr. Tanaka for Japanese, and Mr. Kim for Korean. It's also the name of my staff. I learned Business Japanese first. Words like "Business trip", "Meeting", "Please take the call".

—— “otsukaresamadesu (Thank you for your hard work)”?
BoA: That's right. "Thank you for your hard work. Today's meeting was wonderful" (laughs).

——What a sentence for a 14-year old (laughs)!
BoA: But that was good. All the people I'd meet in Japan at work would be older, so they taught me formal Japanese, not casual Japanese. Even during interviews, people would praise me that my Japanese is proper.

——In 2003, you held the first tour “BoA FIRST LIVE TOUR 2003 ～ VALENTI ～”. The final performance was at a large venue called Yoyogi National Stadium Daiichi Gymnasium. Do you remember that time?
BoA: Actually, I don't remember much. It was my first tour, all in Japanese, and I was doing my best to perform, so I couldn't remember the sight in front of me. Which is sad. Whenever I see the video footage, I'd regret "Wow, it's amazing. Why don't you remember this?"

——Are there any songs that left an impression on you in your music activities in Japan?
BoA: "LISTEN TO MY HEART". It was the first song to be ranked in the top of the Oricon chart (5th), so I was surprised and very happy. Also, what I really think about these days is "Meri Kuri". It's been over 15 years ago, but I'm grateful to hear that it still plays in the city in winter.

——What kind of song is “Meri Kuri” to you?
BoA: It's a song that I like from the start, a beautiful song with nice lyrics. I'm very happy that everyone loved it and listened to it for such a long time. It's a Japanese song sung by a foreign singer that became a classic winter song in Japan. As a singer, I'm proud that my song is played in the streets during the season in a country where I wasn't even born in.

——Looking back, you often cry at live performances of “Meri Kuri”.
BoA: The melody is bright but painful. Especially because of its positivity, there is a sadness that touches our hearts. Rather than sad tears, it's more like happy agony, so I'm moved to the point of tears when I sing it.

——You cried during “Meri Kuri” at the encore of the 10th anniversary live “BoA THE LIVE 2011“ X'mas ”~ The 10th Anniversary Edition”. After that, when you re-sung for the DVD, you were also crying.
BoA: The first time I cried, thinking "I'm so happy. I'm never gonna be this happy again." and in the end I couldn't sing.
Then the staff told me to sing again for DVD footage. The second time I cried was tears of frustration (laughs).

——Are there any JP music videos that left a strong impression on you?
BoA: It's "Meri Kuri". People see the snow that falls in the MV and they'd ask "It's CG, right?", but actually it's real snow.
It was the first snow of Tomamu (* MV location) that year, and it suddenly started to fall like a miracle. The MV itself is beautiful and memorable.
The morning after the shooting, the scenery seen from my room's window was really beautiful.
White snow with no footprints that no one has stepped on yet. I still remember that landscape to this day.

——There are many music videos shot overseas, but do you have any particular location you remember?
BoA: I remember "KEY OF HEART" in the sense that I had a hard time.
We shot it in Los Angeles, but it's really hard to dance in those heel boots in the desert. My knees hurt so bad (laughs).
I remember how hard it was to film whenever I see the MV (laughs).

——So, are there any albums that left a special impression on you?
BoA: Each album has its own memories, from the first album "LISTEN TO MY HEART" to the latest "Watashi konomamade iinokana".

——The 7th album “IDENTITY” released in 2010 in which you wrote 6 songs / composed 4 songs, seems like it became a foothold for your self-produced career after that.
BoA: I remember that "IDENTITY" was the most difficult to produce due to various challenges.
I myself wasn't used to creating songs yet at the time, so I felt like I was learning how to write and compose songs while working on it.

——After the 10th anniversary, you have more opportunities to write and compose your own songs, including “Only One”. Please tell us what you are conscious of when writing songs.
BoA: I think the staff can create both the tune and lyrics in the style that people want BoA to sing.
That's why, when it comes to the songs I write, I try to write the tune and messages that I want to do and convey.
There is a gap between the two, but I put the highest priority on it. (* I think she meant she tried to balance both styles)

——What do you pay most attention to when writing lyrics?
BoA: It's a story flow. I want everyone to listen to the song and can relate to his/her own experiences.

——BoA has sung many songs with Korean and Japanese versions, including “Only One”. What is the difference between Korean lyrics and Japanese lyrics?
BoA: I think there is a difference in expression. Sometimes I think it's a cultural difference. Korean lyrics are more straightforward. Japanese lyrics tend to convey in a roundabout way using metaphors.

——When do you usually get the words and melody when you work on a song?
BoA: I'm not the type that have ideas all the times. I'm the type that turns to desk and work only when it comes to "Deadline! No way! I can't make it in time!"  (laughs).

——What time do you write songs?
BoA: Basically, I don't do it at night. If I decide that today is the day to work, I'd start in the morning and work until 9 or 10 pm. For the latest Korean album "BETTER" released last year, I wrote 4 songs / composed 3 songs. I worked on it from around noon to evening. I work when everyone works and play when everyone plays. That's how I concentrate on work.
 
——The live series “BoA THE LIVE” that started in 2006 has been branded and has become synonymous with BoA. What does live mean to BoA?
BoA: Recently, my passion for live performances has become very strong. Especially in the last two years, I haven't been able to perform live at all due to the corona, so I've come to realize how important live concerts are. It's the only place where fans and I can spend the same time in the same place. I used to think that live performances were part of my work, so it was common to hold concerts.
But now things are no longer the norm. I thought that I should cherish live concerts more and more from now on.

——What do you take great care of when you do concerts?
BoA: The quality of the set list. I think that will lead to the quality of the concert itself.
If I look at the setlist and find it boring, honestly, I think the fans will find it boring as well.

——Has the way you create setlists changed?
BoA: Before, I didn't really like singing old songs. However, when I go to concerts by other artists, I sometimes wonder "Why!?" if they don't sing the hit songs I wanted to hear (laughs).
I'm sure that all the fans who come to my concert feel the same way too, so I try to put old songs that I didn't sing much in the set list.

——What do you want to express and challenge for BoA, who is celebrating 20th anniversary?
BoA: Recently, I'm a judge for a program called "STREET WOMAN FIGHTER" in Korea. It's a program in which female dancers compete by dancing, and it has had a very positive influence on me regarding dance. So I want to put out a dance song. I would like to try a dance-focused song with a heavy beat to go with a cool dance.
 
——How did you spend your time during your stay at home due to Corona?
BoA: I cooked and ate at home. I couldn't go to Japan, so I cooked and ate Japanese food.
I like soba, so I boiled soba, bought soup, wasabi, grated radish and ate it. Also, last year I did more running outside. There are parks on both sides of the Han River in South Korea, and I ran nearly 10 kilometers every day. But I ran too much and lost a lot of weight last year. It's not good to be too thin, so I'm trying to gain weight this year.

——Are there any music-related changes?
BoA: I naturally have untact (* it's a made-up word in Korea. un+contact) lifestyle, so I don't have a hard time not being able to meet people.
I've always worn masks to care for my throat, so I don't feel inconvenienced, but the stress of not being able to go abroad or meeting my fans has made many of my songs quite dark. Naturally, that kind of influence is reflected in the songwriting, and the lyrics are getting darker.

——What kind of changes do you feel in music production and recording?
BoA: When I recorded remotely, it felt strange as if I became an avatar. However, I think that we will get used to working this way from now on, or should I say that eventually, the era where remote recording will be the norm is coming.

——It is becoming common to make music by sending data back and forth.
BoA: Online recording has a strange feeling different from just sending data.
When I think that someone in Japan is watching and listening to the song I'm singing right now, it feels like I'm being peeped. (* she meant mondo grosso? LOL)
Like now we're conducting interview remotely and people can see it from any country.(* You're wrong BoA. We don't see anything but text and a couple of photos.) It's a little scary and feel a little odd. I think I have to get used to it, but if possible I would like to go to Japan and record directly in the studio.

——How has your attitude toward music changed over the last 20 years?
BoA: In the past, I used to get songs from lyricists and composers and sing songs that the staff would choose, but now even though I'm not at the level of producer, but it's an environment where I can express my own opinions. I feel like we're making it together from scratch.

——The environment surrounding music has changed significantly in the last 20 years, with the means of listening to music changing from CDs to streaming/digital distribution. What are your thoughts on that point?
BoA: I feel a little lonely or sad after changing from CD to digital distribution.
I have experience with both analog and digital, and CD albums were precious in the past. It was meaningful to buy an album and listen to it while reading the lyrics card. Instead, with the increase in digital music, music has become instant, and I feel that each song is getting more casual.
On the other hand, the good thing about digital is that you can challenge various kind of songs and release them immediately, so you have more opportunities to try new things and have an adventure. Another advantage is that you can easily listen to songs released in any country.

——You have been unable to come to Japan for a long time. What do you want to do when you come to Japan?
BoA: I want to go eat abura soba! That is the highest priority (laughs). Of course, I also want to do live concert in front of the fans!

——The new song “My Dear” to be released on November 5th is the first release in about a year. How did you feel when you listened to the song?
BoA: I thought it was a simple and easy-to-listen sound. But since the main synth has unique characteristic, I think it's a song that will remain in your ears.

——What does “My Dear” in the lyrics mean?
BoA: All the fans who have supported me so far.
This song is my message song to all the fans. If I could hold a live concert, I would have released a performance-centric song because it was the 20th anniversary. But as things are, I think we still spend a lot of time at home, so I released a song that everyone can listen to comfortably at home. I thought that everyone could be healed listening to it, so I decided to release this song.

——The lyrics include words that are reminiscent of BoA's past songs.
BoA: "Denim", "Only One", "dakishimete", and so on, I think fans will notice. Also, I think that my personality, which only fans know, is expressed in the lyrics. I think they would laugh while listen. (* wrong! we cried!)

——What is your favorite phrase in the lyrics of “My Dear”?
BoA: The chorus. 'I look strong, but I'm not, but even so, pls stay by my side.'
It's a fairly straightforward phrase, and I really think it's so me. When you hear "BoA", many people may think of a strong person who dance powerfully but actually she is not so strong, just a woman who tried hard to live (laughs).
I was happy that I was properly expressed in the lyrics.

—— “My Dear” was the first birthday release in a 20-year career.
BoA: I'm happy and I think it was a meaningful release. But I don't really care about that kind of thing... I'm sorry I couldn't make a nice comment. I'm not such a romantic person (laughs).

——Finally, do you have a message for Japanese fans?
BoA: Thank you for supporting me on the 20th anniversary. I don't really feel like an anniversary year because I can't do much because of the corona, but this is not the end of my activities. This is just a passing point and I will continue to do my best in the future, so please support me! 
Let's overcome the corona wreck and meet again in Japan in good spirits! I want to go to Japan soon!

translated from: https://avex.jp/boa/news/detail.php?id=1095403 with Google's help