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| K-pop diva BoA performs during the "THE BoA : Musicality" concert at Olympic Hall in southern Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of SM Entertainment |
SM Entertainment star celebrates 20th anniversary of debut
By Dong Sun-hwa
Just like the title of her mega-hit, "No. 1" (2002), singer BoA proved that she is still one of the best players in the K-pop world during her concert at the Olympic Hall in southern Seoul, Sunday.
The SM Entertainment star was not in good shape due to a lingering cold. Her voice faltered and cracked during some of her performances, but this could not hinder the seasoned singer from boasting her vocal prowess. For BoA, taking the stage even though she was not in tip-top shape was a mission that she could handle with proficiency and composure.
BoA, who debuted at the age of 13, is known as a trailblazer in promoting K-pop overseas. She is the first Korean to reign atop Oricon ― Japan's biggest pop chart ― with her first full-length album in Japan, "Listen to My Heart" (2002). In 2009, she became the first K-pop artist to make it onto Billboard's main albums chart with her self-titled U.S. album.
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| K-pop diva BoA during the "THE BoA : Musicality" concert at Olympic Hall in southern Seoul, Sunday / Courtesy of SM Entertainment |
"As you can hear, I'm singing with a trembling nasal voice," BoA told her fans during "THE BoA : Musicality" concert, shortly before performing "Merry-Chri" (2005), "Only One" (2012) and "No. 1."
"But I will try my best to sing every single note with enthusiasm," she added. "So please support me even if my voice cracks."
The 36-year-old played two concerts in Seoul on March 11-12 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her debut. This year actually marks the 23rd anniversary of her debut, but she decided to commemorate it in 2023, as she could hardly meet her fans in person from 2020 to 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Coincidentally, BoA's concert took place on Sunday ― the day when the battle between K-pop powerhouse HYBE and IT giant Kakao over SM's management rights ended. HYBE decided to drop its bid.
BoA opened her show with seven powerful tunes: "Breathe" (2022), "CAMO" (2018), "Copy & Paste" (2010), "Hurricane Venus" (2010), "Forgive Me" (2022), "Eat You Up" (2009) and "My Name" (2004). Clad in dazzling black and silver outfits, the K-pop diva wowed people with her overflowing energy.
Her fans were just as passionate as the star herself. They stood up and sang along with her from the very beginning of the concert, reacting wildly to every performance with thunderous screams. It seemed the concert venue was mostly occupied by her long-time fans, who memorized every single line of her songs. They frequently had casual talks with BoA when she was not performing, showing off a family-like bond.
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| K-pop diva BoA during the "THE BoA : Musicality" concert at the Olympic Hall in southern Seoul, Sunday / Courtesy of SM Entertainment |
In a nutshell, Sunday's concert was a chronicle of BoA's 20-year career. She evoked a sense of nostalgia by performing her hits that ruled the 2000s ― such as "ATALANTIS PRINCESS" (2003), "Garden in the Air" (2005) to "Girls on Top" (2005) ― as well as entertaining her fans with her latest releases. The festive mood was particularly visible during her take on "Better" (2020), a track featured in Mnet's popular dance competition program, "Street Woman Fighter" (2021). BoA appeared as one of the judges on the show.
"It is so rewarding and grateful that I am part of someone else's youth," she said as she wrapped up her show. "Thank you for coming to my concert and supporting me."
BoA is poised to stage another concert in Busan, April 1.
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