[8 Dec 2011] EXCITE Music interview

The highly awaited 10^th anniversary single is complete!

Excite: Your 10^th anniversary single “Milestone” will be released soon.

BoA: “Milestone” is a road post, a marking of how far one has come. The lyrics roughly depicts: “the world is moving especially fast, it feels like one will occasionally feel a sense of failure right? But now, be no longer afraid of this feeling. In terms of the past and future, step forward bravely and with hard work, although you must hold on to your current self, never forget your past self, and work even harder.”

Excite: With regards to the lyrics of “Milestone”, don’t you feel that it is very similar to your current situation?

BoA: Japanese ballads, in majority are gentle and plain. The lyrics for this song are not plain, but it also isn’t straightforward, it kind of portrays reality. And so that’s why, the lyrics feel especially touching – there is a optimistic side, and there is also a sad side. My journey up till today, I’m sure there are people who wonder what will happen after today, I hope they can listen to this song.

Excite: The tune is also simple, and so it will have the feeling of creeping into hearts.

BoA: It’s like a talking song. Maybe a little brighter. I kept feeling that maybe because there are less modulations, as compared to holding the notes longer, I think it would be easier to express the singer’s emotions by singing it lightly, like talking.

Excite: The music video is composed of BoA’s multiple expressions

BoA: “Listening to song” Although it is only one scene, it was also the product of compiling many videos taken in different places. After shooting the cover of the new single in Japan, because I had to go for SMTown NYC, I then went to the market in NY, and after that, I specially filmed the taxi scene in Japan.

Excite: The expression in the taxi scene also left a deep impression.

BoA: Really!? Actually I even ran on that street before, it was unexpectedly short (laugh).

Excite: From the conversation with your hairstylists and beauticians, I saw BoA without makeup from within a gap.

BoA: Isn’t that something you can see normally?

Excite: I don’t mean that (laugh). That sentence can also be seen as “you’re maintaining good rhythm now”.

BoA: To have this kind of feeling is something recent. Last year was my 10^th debut anniversary in Korea, and I released a long-awaited 5^th album, also because I debuted in America before that, I have been traveling to and fro between Korea, Japan, and America. Last year I even went to Toronto in Canada to film a movie, and so my Korean and Japanese schedules are practically empty, I heard even the staff were idle (laugh). It was to ensure that I could concentrate on filming the movie. After that ended, I then spoke to the staff about the single, and our ideas were the same: “To concentrate and create a high quality product”. We were to start production after arranging our schedules properly. Because there were a lot of sample songs to choose from, and so we carefully picked this song from all those.

Excite: From your very long black hair and delicate expressions showed in the MV this time, it seems like you have matured a lot. We first met when you were 15 years old right.

BoA: (laughs shyly) last year, I dyed my hair gold in Korea, then, I got tired of dying my hair. To dye it black is also a requirement for my character in the movie, and also because I liked it a lot, so I just kept growing out my hair in black (laugh).

Excite: Are you both happy and satisfied?

BoA: More than the proportion of being satisfied, I think I’m slightly happier (laugh).

Excite: You celebrated your birthday in November, so you are already 25 years old. Do you have any expectations for the second half of your 20s?

BoA: hmm…I want to spend my late twenties comfortably. I have always been busy up till today, I feel that I didn’t have time to think what I want to do, I just kept focusing on the things that I had to complete.

It’s like that…how do people want to spend their late twenties?

Excite: I guess…, it begins from thinking about your lifestyle or goals something like that.

BoA: Well then. But the priority in my plan can only be work. The world is changing so fast I can hardly catch up. As the internet becomes more prevalent, it feels that the people whom you see on TV gradually become different, in order to cater to this generation I have to work even harder. Because of this, I end up doing what I need to madly, and like this, one year seems to pass really fast.

Excite: This are your true feelings?

BoA: Yes. I keep feeling a sense of responsibility towards the artist named BoA, and so I begin to work hard. After today I will continue to work hard, while I enjoy at the same time, I’ll work happily. Up till today I have accumulated different experiences in each country, so regardless what I do I enjoy it very much. Regardless who it is, they will feel stressed at work, the only difference is whether your attitude is positive or negative.

Excite: I would also like to ask since this year is almost ending. What is the special impression that this year’s activities left on you?

BoA: First time acting in a movie. When I’m active as a singer there are different staffs helping out, but eventually the person who completes the product is only you, one person. In the movie there are many different actors and staffs working together to finish a production, and because all have the same goal, it feels both fresh and interesting.

Excite: At the same time as BoA was active in America, your juniors became extremely popular KPOP artists in Japan.

BoA: Everyone also works hard. When I first debut, because nobody had the same standing as me, and thus people will be left with the impression that I was “from Korea”. But now the situation is different, just based on this point, therefore we have different kinds of pains and difficulties.

Excite: So it is like that. The live that you hold without fail every year end, is also a special anniversary for your 10^th anniversary right?

BoA: Yes it is. It is slightly different from “previous” x’mas lives, but it also has a similar feeling to “previous” live?  I guess (laugh). Of course, once there is Christmas atmosphere, people will think of “Meri Kuri” (laugh). To say it like that, maybe it is an appropriate time to hear it! At that time the conditions were not right, I really wanted to have a nationwide tour concert. And so I continued with X’mas live, this time with an added element of my 10^th anniversary. I believe it will be an extremely happy live. In addition to “Milestone”, I have already released 31 singles. So, to sing so many songs require a considerable amount of time, I’m currently considering which songs to pick, and how to arrange their sequence.

Excite: Then lastly, talk about your wishes for and things you would like to challenge in 2012.

BoA: I keep getting asked this question recently…, what is there. Singing, dancing, writing lyrics, writing songs, I even became a producer in my previous work. This year I also challenged acting, now I also took on a job as a judge. After completing all these, what will happen next?

Excite: Exactly! How about enriching your personal life?

BoA: ahahaha… …well actually I really hope to enrich my personal life. But where will a casual encounter occur? I really want to know. I guess these are those are all degrading… right (bitter laugh). Of course I still have hope. But the gap with reality is just too wide. I hope to slowly fill these bits of gap (laugh).

translation cr therlynn

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