My review of BoA's 6th Korean album - HURRICANE VENUS

I posted this over at BoAjjang just now, and decided I might as well bring it over here. As you may or may not know, I am a pretty big BoA fan and have been for quite a long time now, over six or seven years or so. This album marks her return to the Kpop scene in five years and it is also her 10th anniversary since debuting, so the hype around this is a big deal.

Here's the teaser MV for "Game" which is not the title track, but throwing a bone for the fans to expect what's to come.






Now for the Album review:

Game - A good track, but lacks the stand out quality. it does its job introducing the rest of the album though. it took awhile for this song to grow on me, though, but the mv helped to just kinda lay the foundation of the concept and image for the whole thing. 8/10

Hurricane Venus - even though there was autotune, i dont' think it hindered the whole quality of the song at all. it's understandable that BoA kinda needed a song to fit in the current trend of mainstream kpop right now, but i think she still managed to make it uniquely hers with the lyrics and style (she did name it herself!) i love the lyrics a lot, i get so much imagery, and the beat is seriously catchy. 10/10

Dangerous - it's an alright song, honestly, nothing really jumps out at me. generic. 7/10

Stand By - the mood and melody is a little bland and too simple, and dar i say boring, but it let's BoA's voice shine through. 7/10

M.E.P. - Great song. a nice mid tempo pop song that doesn't use too much industrialized over synthesized beats and whatnot. it's mellow and it kinda reminds me of the old school pop days when everything wasn't about dance dance over dance tracks and sexiness. and she hits those high nights beautifully during the "i think you're still in LOVE with me." just sweet. 9/10

Let Me - super love this song, haha. it's a good example of a catchy dance track that isn't crashing bass and beats on our ears. i love how she wrote the lyrics that tributes to her love and talent for dancing in general. i also think this shows her english skills very well. not much ENGRISH aside from slight accent in pronunciation, but i am so pleased that the english phrases are in fact grammatically correct. *you can't copy my swagger* 10/10

Implode - OMG. just OMG. there's been a serious lack of quality ballads in the kpop scene nowadays but this song...i really REALLY want to hear her sing this live. the sweet simple soothing acoustic melodies and a clear voice full of emotion...it almost brought me to tears. and let me tell you, a song hasn't done that to me in a LOOOONG time. this is probably my most favorite BoA ballad ever. the guitar part of the climax that leads into to Kim Jong Hwan's part and then the latter part where they're both singing is epic and heartlifting without being overly dramatic. 10/10

Adrenaline - the weakest song of the album, i have to say. it's too much like something britney spears would sing. repetitive and nonsensical filler words puncture the lyrics. maybe it's an homage to britney spears' style, but it just didn't appeal to me at all. it was kinda disappointing to go from Let Me to Implode to this.... 5/10

Ordinary Day - another nice mellow song. again, it's nostalgic of the older soothing pop songs back in the day. for some reason i also get a jpop ish vibe from also back in the day like something from valenti or listen to my heart. 8/10

Don't Know What to Say - a great piano track to a unique voice. if i'm not mistaken, this is the song that her brother composed for her, right? i personally think these siblings should collaborate more xD. 8/10

Romance - i'm not an avid jazz fan, so maybe that's why i just wasn't feeling this track as some members. BoA's done jazzy songs before that i've liked, though. this song is pleasant on the ears, but as someone mentioned earlier, this probably wasn't the best song to end the album with. if there was just an additional track at the end that is more mid-tempo and "feel good," it probably would have been a better choice. kind of an anti-climactic end, in other words. 7/10


overall it's a B. i have to say this album really did live up to my expectations. it's at the level of Girls on Top at the least. i also think her voice has gotten less nasal, from the sounds of it. now i can't wait for the performances to come.