The highly
awaited 10th anniversary single is complete!
Excite:
Your 10th 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 10th
debut anniversary in Korea, and I released a long-awaited 5th 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 10th 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 10th 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
Please take out with FULL and PROPER credit!!
