BoA

Kwon Bo-ah (Template:Korean; born November 5, 1986), known professionally as BoA, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and actress often called the "Queen of K-pop".

Born and raised in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, BoA was discovered by SM Entertainment talent agents when she accompanied her older brother, a music video director, to a talent search in 1998. She was trained for two years and made her debut with ID; Peace B (2000). BoA has since released twenty studio albums, including ten in Korean, nine in Japanese, and one in English. On television, she appeared as a judge on the reality competition show K-pop Star (2011–2013), as an actress on the television drama Listen to Love (2016), as a host for the second season of Produce 101 (2017), and as a coach for the third season of The Voice of Korea (2020).

With the release of her debut Japanese studio album, Listen to My Heart (2002), BoA became the first South Korean pop star to break through in Japan following the fall of barriers that had restricted the import and export of entertainment between the countries since the end of World War II. Her Japanese albums Valenti (2003) and Best of Soul (2005) went on to sell over one million copies each according to Oricon; the latter of which remained the last album to do so by a non-Japanese artist for 16 years. Her self-titled English album (2009) became the first record by a K-pop artist to appear on the Billboard 200, debuting at number 127.

BoA has sold over ten million albums throughout her career and is one of only three female artists with six consecutive number-one studio albums on the Oricon Albums Chart since her debut, alongside Japanese singers Ayumi Hamasaki and Hikaru Utada. She is the recipient of numerous awards in South Korea and Japan, including eight MAMA Awards, six SBS Music Awards, five Japan Record Awards, and five Japan Gold Disc Awards. In 2013, Mnet included her in their Legend 100 Artists list of the most influential artists in South Korea.

Life and career

2000–2003: Debut and commercial success in South Korea and Japan

Kwon Bo-ah was born on November 5, 1986.<ref name="Russell2014">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="JPTIMES">Template:Cite news</ref> At the age of eleven, BoA accompanied her older brother to an SM Entertainment talent search.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Though her brother was the one who auditioned as a break-dancer,<ref name="JPTIMES" /> SM talent scouts instead took notice of BoA and offered her a contract on the same night as the auditions.<ref name="JPTIMES" /> Her parents initially opposed the notion of BoA leaving school to enter the entertainment business but eventually consented at her older brothers' persuasion.<ref name="CNNinterview">Template:Cite web</ref> She has said that her early influence as a singer was Seo Taiji.<ref name="JPTIMES" />

BoA underwent two years of training (involving vocal, dance, English, and Japanese lessons), and at the age of thirteen she released her debut album ID; Peace B in South Korea on August 25, 2000.<ref name="JPTIMES" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The album was moderately successful; it entered the Top 10 of the South Korean charts and sold around 156,000 units.<ref name="MTVK">Template:Cite web</ref> Meanwhile, her Korean record label, SM Entertainment, made arrangements with Japanese label Avex Trax to launch her music career in Japan. She was forced to quit school to prepare<ref name="JPTIMES" /> and in early 2001, BoA released her first mini-album, Don't Start Now; it sold around 90,000 units. After its release, she took a hiatus from the Korean music industry to focus on the Japanese market at which time she worked to solidify her skills in Japanese.<ref name="CNNinterview" />

BoA began her Japanese music career singing at the Avex-owned club Velfarre.<ref name="boaprofile">Template:Cite web</ref> Her debut Japanese album, Listen to My Heart, was released on March 13, 2002. The album was a breakthrough in BoA's career, becoming an RIAJ-certified million-seller and debuted atop the Oricon, the first album by a Korean artist to do so.<ref name="MTVK" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was promoted with several singles: the Top 20 hit "ID; Peace B" (originally from the eponymous album), "Amazing Kiss", "Kimochi wa Tsutawaru", the Top 5 hit "Listen to My Heart", and the Top 10 "Every Heart: Minna no Kimochi". After the September 11, 2001 attacks, BoA recorded the charity single "The Meaning of Peace" with Kumi Koda as part of Avex's Song Nation project to raise funds for charity.<ref>Template:Cite web (Paid access required to view article)</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 2001 to 2007, BoA hosted Beat it BoA's World, a radio program on the Japan FM Network.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

After the release of Listen to My Heart, BoA released her second Korean studio album, No. 1, a month later on April 12, 2002.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The album sold around 544,853 units and became the fourth-best-selling record of the year in South Korea. Jumping into the World (a Japanese re-release of the mini-album Don't Start Now) and the Japanese single "Don't Start Now" were released a month later on the same day.Template:Citation needed At the end of the year, BoA released her second Korean mini-album Miracle.Template:Citation needed

BoA's second Japanese studio album, Valenti (January 2003), became her best-selling album, with over 1,249,000 copies sold.<ref name="BoAmillion">Template:Cite web</ref> Three singles preceded its release: "Valenti", which peaked at the number-two position on the Oricon chart,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Kiseki / No.1" and "Jewel Song / Beside You: Boku o Yobu Koe", both which also peaked at the number-three position. In support of the album, BoA launched BoA 1st Live Tour Valenti, her first Japanese concert tour.Template:Citation needed Later in the same year, BoA released her third Korean-language studio album, Atlantis Princess on May 30, 2003,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and then released a mini-album Shine We Are! on December 4, 2003. The former was the fifth-best-selling South Korean record of the year with around 345,000 units sold; the latter sold around 58,000 units.

2004–2008: New image, foray into China, and creative control

Her third Japanese studio album, Love & Honesty (January 2004) was a musical "change in direction": it contained a rock-dance song ("Rock with You") and "harder" R&B.<ref name="MTVBio">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="peoplesdaily">Template:Cite web</ref> Though the album failed to match Valenti in sales, it topped the Oricon chart for two weeks and became RIAJ-certified triple-platinum.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In support of the album, BoA held a tour, Live Concert Tour 2004: Love & Honesty, spanning nine performances and attracted approximately 105,000 attendants.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="boaprofile" /> In contrast with 1st Live Tour, which "emphasized exotic Asian design", the Love & Honesty tour had an "outer-space, sci-fi" theme; among the props were a three-storey-high space ship and the robot Asimo. Her first compilation album, Best of Soul (February 2005), however, sold over a million copies, making BoA the first non-Japanese Asian singer to have two million-selling albums in Japan.<ref name="BoAmillion" /> It remained the last album by a foreign artist to have sold over a million copies in Japan for 16 years, until BTS in 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

BoA reinvented her image for her fourth and fifth Korean albums, My Name (June 2004) and Girls on Top (June 2005), shedding the "cute" and "youthful" style that had characterized previous years and adopted a more "sexy" and "sultry" look.<ref name="MTVK" /> The sales of BoA's Korean albums began to decline: My Name sold 191,000 units and became the eleventh-best-selling South Korean album in 2004<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while Girls on Top ranked fourteenth in 2005 with 113,000 units sold.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In September 2004, BoA instigated controversy in Japan when she donated ₩50 million to a memorial project for Korean independence activist and nationalist An Jung-geun.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Her fourth Japanese studio album, Outgrow, (February 2006) reached the number-one spot on the Oricon chart for its first week of release, making it her fourth consecutive original Japanese album to do so. With 220,000 copies sold, it became her lowest-selling first-week debut for a studio album at that point.Template:Refn "Do the Motion", the first single from the album, reached the top spot, making her the fourth non-Japanese Asian to have a number-one single on the Oricon charts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Merry Christmas from BoA" (2005), the album's last single, was the singer's first digital single. That May, BoA renewed her contract with SM Entertainment until 2012. At the time it was noted that she had a shareholding in the company of 100,000 (Approximately worth $1m USD).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She performed "Everlasting", the image song for Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist (2005 film).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She also voiced Heather the possum in the Korean and Japanese version of the animated film Over the Hedge.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On September 21, 2006, she released her first digital single in Korea, a Korean version of "Key of Heart". In support of Outgrow, BoA launched a special Zepp tour, B0A The Live, on September 29, 2006, which lasted until October 29.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She staged her first Christmas concert on December 7, 2006.

Three singles preceded BoA's fifth Japanese studio album, Made in Twenty (January 2007): the Top 3 "Nanairo no Ashita (Brand New Beat)/Your Color," the Top 10 "Key of Heart", and the No. 2 hit "Winter Love". The album, which contained R&B and dance songs as well as ballads, debuted at the top of the weekly Oricon charts, making the album her sixth in a row to do so (including one compilation).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Having previously compose the song "No More Make Me Sick" for Made in Twenty,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> BoA assumed creative control over her sixth Japanese album, The Face (February 2008).<ref name="faceinterview">Template:Cite web</ref> The album debuted at the top of the weekly Oricon charts, making BoA one of only two artists in Japan to have six consecutive studio albums top the Oricon weekly charts (the other is Ayumi Hamasaki, who has eight consecutive number-one albums).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On June 9, 2008, BoA and nine other artists from around the world recorded an English cover of Wei Wei's "Dedication of Love". Produced by Roald Hoffmann and Brian Alan, the single was used to raise funds for victims of the Sichuan earthquake.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> But due to a tight schedule, BoA was pulled back from this project. Korean jewelry brand Ramee also released, "Ramee by BoA", a line of jewelry designed by the singer herself.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2008–2012: American expansion and return to Asia

BoA performing in San Francisco in 2009

On September 2, 2008, it was announced that BoA would make her American debut under a new subsidiary label, SM Entertainment USA.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hoping to become a "world-renowned entertainer" in the vein of Janet Jackson,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> BoA's debut American single "Eat You Up", was produced by Thomas Troelsen, and released on October 21, 2008. It charted at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.<ref name="JPTIMES" /> To promote the single, BoA performed "Eat You Up" as well as other songs at YouTube's Tokyo Live concert, and performed in New York City on December 3, 2008, as well as the Jingle Ball at the Anaheim Honda Center on December 6, 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following year, she released "Eien/Universe/Believe in Love" and was also featured in Ravex's single "Believe in Love".

BoA's self-titled English album was released in the U.S. on March 17 and featured tracks by producers Bloodshy and Avant as well as a duet with Sean Garrett.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Her second Japanese compilation album, Best & USA was released on March 18 tying together a compilation of recent hits in Japan with her English-language debut. Though she stated that "[i]t has always been my dream to debut in America," she found English tougher to learn than Japanese and despite living in West Beverly Hills, found it difficult to make friends.<ref name="JPTIMES" /> BoA later headlined the San Francisco Pride Festival on June 28, 2009, alongside Solange Knowles and The Cliks,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> where she also performed the song "Energetic" for the first time in public, in addition to "Eat You Up" and "I Did It for Love".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On August 31, SM USA released BoA Deluxe, a repackaged version of her debut English album. The album contained two new tracks and the radio edit version of "Energetic".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

BoA at the 25th Golden Disc Awards in December 2010

With her U.S. career struggling to gain traction, BoA returned to East Asia to release her seventh Japanese album, Identity (February 2010). Promoted by the singles "Bump Bump!" featuring Verbal from M-Flo<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and "Mamoritai: White Wishes" (December 2009), the album only charted at No. 4, selling 37,606 copies in its first week. With little promotion from her label, it ended her run of six consecutive No. 1 albums, suggesting that it would be impossible for her to sustain her career in three territories simultaneously.<ref name="weekly">Template:Cite web</ref> Her first Korean album in five years, Hurricane Venus, was released on August 5, 2010,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and sold 55,776 units making it the 22nd best selling album in South Korea for 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She also represented South Korea and performed at the 7th Asia Song Festival, organized by Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange, at the Seoul Olympic Stadium.<ref>KOFICE 7th Asia Song Festival Template:Webarchive October 23, 2010. Retrieved October 12, 2011</ref>

BoA made her Hollywood movie debut in the dance film Make Your Move 3D, playing the character Aya opposite Derek Hough. Although production ended in 2011, the film was released in 2013. The movie received mixed reviews, with Inkoo Kang of the Los Angeles Times praising the choreography but stating that "[w]henever actor Derek Hough and BoA stop leaping and twirling, [it] is an underwritten mess."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> To celebrate the 10th anniversary of her Japanese debut, BoA released "Milestone", which ranked at No. 4 on the Oricon Weekly Music-DVD charts.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> She also held her 10th anniversary concert from December 10 to 11 at Tokyo International Forum.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Following the concert, BoA shifted her activities to her native county, joining the judging panel on SBS's audition program K-pop Star as a representative of S.M. Entertainment, alongside Yang Hyun-suk from YG Entertainment and Park Jin-young from JYP Entertainment. BoA received praise for her ability as a judge with her insightful comments and discerning eyes,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and also sang the theme song "One Dream".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For her seventh Korean album, Only One (July 2012), BoA wrote and composed its title track,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while its dance steps choreographed by NappyTabs, who has previously worked with BoA in Cobu.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Upon its release, "Only One" achieved an all-kill on several music charts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She followed this up with the second "The Shadow", was released August 18, 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, she recorded the song "Lookin'" featuring The Quiett for Hyundai's 'Premium Younique Lifestyle' campaign.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Unreliable source?

2013–2015: Music production, television role, and 15th anniversary

BoA at a fansign event on May 24, 2015

BoA launched her first Korean tour with BoA Special Live 2013: Here I Am tour at the Olympic Hall,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and released the song "Disturbance", which she wrote and composed, to commemorate her first concert tour in South Korea.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In September 2013, BoA starred in KBS' two-episode drama special Expect to Date alongside Choi Daniel and Im Si-wan, her full first role in a drama, following a string of cameo appearances.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She received praise for her acting performance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She also participated in Infinity Challenge's bi-annual song festival and was paired with Leessang's Gil, with the two co-produced the song "G.A.B".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March 2014, BoA was appointed as a de facto creative director in S.M. Entertainment, alongside labelmate Kangta; she was placed in charge of mental care of artists who debut at a young age.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The singles for BoA's eighth Japanese album, Who's Back? (September 2014),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> were released over a span of four years prior to the album's release:"Woo Weekend" and "I See Me" in 2010, "Milestone" in 2011, Only One", "Tail of Hope" and "Message / Call My Name" in 2013,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and "Shout It Out"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and "Masayume Chasing" in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> To promote the album, she embarked on her BoA Live Tour 2014 Who's Back? tour in September, her first Japanese tour in four years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After the tour concluded, BoA starred in her first Korean film, Big Match alongside Lee Jung-jae and Shin Ha-kyun<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> though a Japanese single "Fly" was released on December 3, 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Her eighth Korean album Kiss My Lips (May 2015)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> became her first entirely self-written, self-produced album, working alongside American producers The Underdogs and Stereotypes.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> The single "Who Are You" (feat. Gaeko) was released prior to the album's unveiling, along with its accompanying music video, which starred EXO's Sehun as the male lead.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The rest of the album was unveiled on May 12 along with an official music video of the eponymous title track. Billboard called the singer a promising songwriter despite moments of musical blandness.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In July, she performed at the BoA Special Live 2015: Nowness to commemorate her 15th anniversary. The concert took place on August 22 and 23 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in South Korea, making BoA the first female idol to hold a solo concert at the venue.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This was followed by BoA Special Live 2015: Nowness in Japan which took place on December 11, 2015, at Tokyo International Forum Hall-A.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Her 15th anniversary in Japan the following year was celebrated in a similar fashion,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> including the release of the song "Lookbook", and a 15th anniversary edition of BoA's Japanese Winter hit, "Meri Kuri". As part of S.M. Entertainment's special winter project, Winter Garden, BoA released a digital single entitled "Christmas Paradise".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2016–present: Musical projects, television production, and acting debut

On January 12, 2016, BoA released an English-language single "Make Me Complete", which serves as the theme song for the Fuji TV special drama Ooku, starring Sawajiri Erika and Watanabe Mayu.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In June, she collaborated with Korean rapper Beenzino for S.M. Entertainment's SM Station project. The duo released the single "No Matter What", which ranked atop five domestic charts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> BoA worked with BeatBurger for another SM Station single titled "Music Is Wonderful", where she participated in the composing and writing of the track.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From October to November 2016, BoA starred in JTBC's romance melodrama Listen to Love, returning to the small screen after three years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The following year, BoA became one of the producers for Mnet's boy group survival reality show, Produce 101 Season 2, which aired from April 7 to June 16.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> BoA later released another song for SM Station, "Spring Rain", an R&B number produced by Kenzie.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May, BoA embarked on her BoA The live in Billboard Live Tour, held in Tokyo and Osaka.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She also released the single "Camo," a dance song with a heavy emphasis on bass and synthesizer sounds, which was a change in sound from her previous materials and produced by The Underdogs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July, she released the Japanese single "Right Here, Right Everywhere" for the soundtrack of drama Yaneura no Koibito.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She later starred in the film Autumn Sonata alongside Lee Hak-joo, playing a terminally ill patient.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:BoA at Incheon Airport on May 15, 2019 (2).png

BoA at Incheon Airport on May 15, 2019.

In 2018, BoA returned to Japan and released her ninth Japanese album Watashi Konomama de Iinokana on February 14, 2018, followed by EP Unchained in March. To accompany the release of the EP, she embarked on the BoA The Live 2018: Unchained Tour from March 15 to April 4. People who attend the concerts received a copy of Unchained.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On January 31, she released "Nega Dola", which served as a single for BoA's then-upcoming first extended play.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The EP, One Shot, Two Shot, was released on February 20, alongside its titular lead single and the song's music video.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The EP peaked at number six at the South Korean Gaon Album Chart and number seven at the Billboard World Albums Chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Woman" /> On October 24, she released her ninth Korean album Woman alongside a lead single of the same name.<ref name="Woman">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The album peaked at number six at the Gaon Album Chart, number eleven at the Billboard World Albums Chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

On June 4, 2019, she released the single "Feedback", which features rapper Nucksal, alongside the song's music video.<ref name=":2" /> BoA embarked on her #Mood Tour, which had six dates in Japan and two dates in Seoul, from September to October 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On October 23, she released a new Japanese single, "Wishing Well", which she earlier debuted on the tour.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On December 11, 2019, she released her second extended play Starry Night.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In May 2020, BoA was featured as one of the coaches for the third season of The Voice of Korea, alongside Dynamic Duo, Sung Si-kyung, and Kim Jong-kook.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On December 1, 2020, she released her tenth Korean album Better.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> SpoTV News shared BoA to join as a judge for Mnet Dance program "Street Woman Fighter". It is a female dance crew competition premiering in August 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On November 5, 2021, BoA released the Japanese single, "My Dear", to commemorate her 20th anniversary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

BoA was revealed as a member of the supergroup Got the Beat on December 27, 2021. The group debuted on January 3, 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> To celebrate her 20th anniversary, BoA released the Japanese compilation album The Greatest on May 30, 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On November 8, 2022, BoA announced her third EP Forgive Me along with the title track on the same name on November 22, 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, BoA appeared in the drama Marry My Husband, where she played Oh Yu-ra. Her performance in the drama was met with negative reviews.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In August 4, 2025, BoA released their eleventh studio album Crazier with the lead single on the same name.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Artistry

Influences

BoA lists hip hop as her main musical influence, though she also enjoys R&B. Her favorite musicians are Whitney Houston,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, and Ne-Yo;<ref name="AvexProfile">Template:Cite web</ref> as a result, much of BoA's music is either dance-pop or R&B. Because she also sings ballads, she is often compared to Japanese singers Namie Amuro and Ayumi Hamasaki.

Musical style

On the cover of KoreAm, May 2009

BoA's debut album, ID; Peace B, contained urban pop, "slickly produced" ballads, and "upbeat dance tunes". As her career went on, she began experimenting with different styles: Valenti contained mostly ballads; Love and Honesty was an experiment with "harder" R&B and rock music.<ref name="MTVBio" /> Though her earlier releases were marked by a "cute" and "youthful" style, BoA began to present a more "mature" image starting from the album My Name. In a Talk Asia interview, Anjali Rao noted that some felt that My Name marked the beginning of BoA's decline in popularity and asked if the public would always see the singer as "Little Baby BoA"; BoA replied, "So while I apologize to those people who still want the baby BoA, in fact, what can I do? I just keep growing up! I can't stop that from happening."<ref name="CNNinterview" />

The Face was influenced by electropop<ref name="faceinterview" /> and included "happy spring" songs ("Sweet Impact" and "Bad Drive"), a guitar-driven "groovy dance" song ("Lose Your Mind"), and ballads.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Because the composition and writing of BoA's songs is handled mostly by her staff, BoA has been criticized as being a "manufactured pop star". In response to such criticism, BoA said that "if one person were to force their own will on something, then things that should have gone right could easily go wrong" and that she is "not all that unhappy with the expression that [she is] a manufactured star. In a way, that is true. Because SM Entertainment created the environment and all the surrounding conditions, [she is] able to be successful in the way [she is] now."<ref name="CNNinterview" /> She later assumed creative control with The Face,<ref name="faceinterview" /> while Kiss My Lips became her first entirely self-written, self-produced album.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />Template:ListenBoA has collaborated with high-profile artists. Among the Japanese artists she has performed with are the hip hop group M-Flo (for the single "The Love Bug"), pop singer Kumi Koda, and house DJ Mondo Grosso. She has performed with Western artists: the song "Flying Without Wings" from her album Next World was a collaboration with Irish band Westlife covering the original song; the Bratz single "Show Me What You Got" was performed with Howie D of the American band Backstreet Boys.<ref name="MTVBio" /> She also worked with Akon, singing the song "Beautiful", which was featured on the Japanese release of his third album, Freedom.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other artists she has collaborated with are Soul'd Out, Dabo, Verbal (of M-Flo), Rah-D, Seamo, TVXQ, Yutaka Furakawa (of the band Doping Panda), and Crystal Kay (for her single "After Love: First Boyfriend/Girlfriend").<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> American rock band Weezer covered "Meri Kuri" on the Japanese version of their album Weezer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Cultural impact and legacy

BoA is regarded as one of South Korea's most influential singers and is widely referred to as the "Queen of K-pop",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":4">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> in recognition of her contributions in spearheading the Korean wave into Japan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> BoA's success in the Japanese market has been deemed a catalyst in the Japanese interest in Korean pop music beginning in the early 2000s, when the two countries began promoting cultural exchanges since the end of World War II.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="JPTIMES" /> Music critics have recognized BoA for improving "civil relations between the Korean and Japanese public through her music and appearances in Japanese radio and television",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with Oxford Political Review noting "BoA's role in strengthening Japan-South Korea ties as a cultural envoy".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Alisa Freedman's Introducing Japanese Pop Culture, BoA was noted for "herald[ing] a new phase of Japanese engagement with Korean singers", registering "remarkable success during the first half of the 2000s in Japan". She highlighted that the timing of her success coincided with several political and cultural developments; these of which include the implementation of Korea's Open-Door Policy, the Korea Japan 2002 FIFA World Cup, and the popularity of the drama series Winter Sonata. Freedman evaluated BoA's career path and localization strategies in Japan for having set "the first trend" of the Korean wave into the country.<ref name=":3" />

Vox hailed BoA as "one of South Korea's best-known exports" in the years after her debut, while The Korea Times called BoA "the forerunner of the new generation of idols who popularized K-pop in Japan and elsewhere."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2004, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism honored BoA with the Asian Cultural Exchange Merit Award for her contributions in raising the status of K-pop throughout Asia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Music critic Lim Jin-mo wrote that BoA "opened many doors for pop acts from her country in the second largest music market in the world", acting "as a figurehead for breakthroughs in Japan for South Korean acts" and became "a pivotal figure in K-pop's history". The Diplomat remarked that BoA "paved the way" for future K-pop artists "to later captivate Japanese fans despite souring relations between Seoul and Tokyo." Yim Hyun-su from The Korea Herald viewed her for "forever changing the landscape of South Korea's music industry".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2016, she was honored with the Presidential Commendation at the Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards for her contributions to the spread of the Korean wave, and for laying "the foundation for the revival of K-pop".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2013, 50 music experts, professors and critics organized by Mnet named BoA one of the 100 most influential artists in South Korean music.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "No. 1" was ranked number 27 in a 2006 Gallup Korea survey of 100 all-time favorite Korean songs<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was included in Mnet's Legend 100 list of popular Korean songs since the 1960s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2021, a panel of 35 music experts organized by Melon and Seoul Shinmun ranked "No. 1" and "Atlantis Princess" number 1 and number 93 in their list of the greatest K-pop songs of all time.<ref name=":4" /> Critic Rhian Daly for The Forty-Five ranked "Atlantis Princess" number 1 in her list of the best K-pop songs of all-time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rolling Stone ranked "No. 1" at number 18 in their list of the greatest songs in the history of K-pop, writing it represents "her most emblematic crossover hit".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In December 2023, it was included alongside "Gangnam Style" as part of the second induction into the Korea World Music Culture Hall of Fame.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

BoA has been cited by many artists in the South Korean music industry as an influence and role model,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> including Aespa,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Girls' Generation's Taeyeon,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Sunny,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Tiffany,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Hyoyeon,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Seohyun,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Shinee's Key,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Exo's Sehun,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Red Velvet's Irene,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ailee,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Chungha,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Yukika Teramoto,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kwon Eun-bi,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Baek A-yeon,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mamamoo's Solar,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> f(x)'s Luna,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kiss of Life's Natty,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lovelyz's Kei,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Billlie's Tsuki.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Aespa's Giselle said in a Rolling Stone interview that "Everyone knows her. She's not just famous — she's a legend".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other ventures

Endorsements

Because of her wide appeal, BoA has appeared in advertisements for many brands.<ref name="CNNinterview" /> Among the brands she has promoted are Olympus, Lotte, Nike,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> L'Oréal, Japanese cosmetic company Kosé, Skechers, Audio-Technica,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> GM Daewoo and L'Occitane.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Several of her songs have been used in affiliation with television shows. "Every Heart: Minna no Kimochi" was used as the ending theme for the anime InuYasha;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Beside You: Boku o Yobu Koe" was used as the opening theme for the anime Monkey Typhoon;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Key of Heart" is the theme song for the Japanese release of Over the Hedge;<ref name="keyofheart">Template:Cite web</ref> "Your Color" is the theme song of the video game Ninety-Nine Nights;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Mamoritai: White Wishes" is the theme song of the video game Tales of Graces.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Tail of Hope" was used as the theme for the Japanese drama Hakui no Namida, and "Masayume Chasing" was used as the 15th opening theme song for the anime Fairy Tail.

In 2007, Anycall (a Samsung brand) signed BoA, Xiah (of TVXQ), Tablo (of Epik High), and jazz pianist Jin Bora onto "Anyband", a band created specifically to promote Anycall. The band released only one single, "AnyBand".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In December 2010, she recorded "I See Me" for to promote Audio Technica headphones in Japan.<ref>[1] Template:Webarchive</ref> The song "Woo Weekend" was used to promote Disney on Ice's 25th Anniversary in Japan<ref>Avexnet Japan BOA Discography Template:Webarchive</ref> while "Lookbook" served as the ending theme for the NTV Kei program Tokui to Goto to Uruwashi no Shelley ga Konya Kurabete Mimashita.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> BoA served as ambassador for Asia Youth Day in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In August 2017, it was announced that BoA was chosen as promotional ambassador for Jeju Biennale, an inaugural international art event on the resort island of Jeju.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Her widespread popularity has also made her a "cultural ambassador"; she has represented South Korea in inter-Asian musical events and has appeared in an Oxford University Press-published English-language textbook.<ref>Template:Cite web (Registration needed to view article)</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Discography

Korean albums

• ID; Peace B (2000)
• No. 1 (2002)
• Atlantis Princess (2003)
• My Name (2004)
• Girls on Top (2005)
• Hurricane Venus (2010)
• Only One (2012)
• Kiss My Lips (2015)
• Woman (2018)
• Better (2020)
• Crazier (2025)

Japanese albums

• Listen to My Heart (2002)
• Valenti (2003)
• Love & Honesty (2004)
• Outgrow (2006)
• Made in Twenty (2007)
• The Face (2008)
• Identity (2010)
• Who's Back? (2014)
• Watashi Kono Mama de Ii no Kana (2018)

English albums

• BoA (2009)

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Template:Abbr
2006	Over the Hedge	Heather the Possum (voice)	Korean and Japanese-dubbed versions	Template:Citation needed
2012	I AM.	Herself	Biographical film of SM Town	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2014	Make Your Move 3D	Aya	Hollywood film	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Venus Talk	Song Beom-sik	Cameo	Template:Citation needed
	Big Match	Soo-kyung		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2015	SM Town the Stage	Herself	Documentary film of SM Town	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2017	Autumn Sonata	Soo-ryun		Template:Citation needed
2020	202020 BoA	Herself	Documentary film of BoA 20th Anniversary debut	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Television series

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Template:Abbr
2010	Athena: Goddess of War	Herself	Cameo (ep. 7–8)	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2013	Waiting For Love	Joo Yoo-ae	Special drama	Template:Citation needed
2016	Listen to Love	Kwon Bo-young		Template:Citation needed
2024	Marry My Husband	Oh Yura		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Television shows

Year	Title	Role	Template:Abbr
2011–2012	K-pop Star season 1	Judge for SM Entertainment	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2012–2013	K-pop Star Season 2		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2017	Produce 101 Season 2	MC (National Producer Representative)	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2018	Keyword #BoA	Herself	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Food Diary	Cast Member	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Master in the House	Herself	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020	The Voice of Korea 2020	Coach	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020–2021	Nobody Talks to BoA	Main Host	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2021	Street Woman Fighter	Judge	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2022	Street Man Fighter		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Music Universe K-909	Host	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2023	Dance Singer's Wandering Troupe	Cast Member	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Concerts and tours

Japan tours

• 2003: First Live Tour 2003 – Valenti
• 2004: Live Tour 2004 – Love & Honesty
• 2005: Arena Tour 2005 – Best of Soul
• 2006: The Live "Ura BoA... Kikase Kei (The Other Side of BoA... Listen)"
• 2007: Arena Tour 2007 – Made in Twenty (20)
• 2007: The Live 2007 "X'mas"
• 2008: Live Tour 2008 – The Face
• 2009: The Live 2009 "X'mas"
• 2010: Live Tour 2010 – Identity
• 2010: The Live 2010 "X'mas"
• 2011: The Live 2011 "X'mas" – The 10th Anniversary Edition
• 2014: Live Tour 2014 "Who's back?"
• 2018: The Live 2018 〜Unchained〜

Asia tours

• 2013: Special Live 2013 – Here I am
• 2015: Special Live 2015 – Nowness
• 2022: BoA 20th Anniversary: The Greatest Live
• 2022: The BoA: Musicality
• 2024: BoA: One's Own Live Tour

Concert participation

• 2002: SM China
• 2003: SMTOWN Smile Concert 2003
• 2007: 2007 SMTOWN Summer Concert
• 2008: SMTown Live '08
• 2009: BEST & USA Release Party: Thank Your For Your Support!
• 2010–11: SMTown Live '10 World Tour
• 2012–13: SMTown Live World Tour III
• 2014–2015: SM Town Live World Tour IV
• 2016: SM Town Live World Tour V
• 2017: SM Town Live World Tour VI
• 2022: SM Town Live 2022: SMCU Express at Kwangya
• 2022: SM Town Live 2022: SMCU Express
• 2023: SM Town Live 2023: SMCU Palace at Kwangya
• 2025: SM Town Live 2025: The Culture, the Future

See also

• Contemporary culture of South Korea
• Korean Wave
• J-pop

External links

• Template:IMDb name