Listen to My Heart (BoA album)

Last updated

Listen To My Heart
Listen to My Heart low.jpg
Studio album by
BoA
ReleasedMarch 13, 2002
Recorded2001–2002
Genre
Length1:01:38
Label Avex Trax
Producer
BoA chronology
Jumping into the World
(2001)		Listen To My Heart
(2002)		 No. 1
(2002)
Singles from Listen to My Heart
  1. "ID; Peace B"
    Released: May 30, 2001
  2. "Amazing Kiss"
    Released: July 25, 2001
  3. "Kimochi wa Tsutawaru"
    Released: December 5, 2001
  4. "The Meaning of Peace"
    Released: December 19, 2001
  5. "Listen to My Heart"
    Released: January 17, 2002
  6. "Every Heart (Minna no Kimochi)"
    Released: March 13, 2002
  7. "Don't Start Now"
    Released: May 29, 2002

Listen to My Heart is the debut Japanese studio album (second overall) by South Korean recording artist BoA, released via Avex Trax on March 13, 2002. BoA worked with a team of songwriters and composers to produce the album, including Natsumi Watanabe, Kazuhiro Hara, Ken Harada and Akira; all of whom would collaborate with BoA again on her future albums. Musically, Listen to My Heart is primarily a pop record with influences from R&B.

Contents

Listen to My Heart saw breakthrough success for a South Korean artist in Japan, where it became the first record by a Korean artist to attain the number one position on the Oricon Albums Chart and to receive a million certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). [1] It remained on the Japanese album chart for 91 weeks and was the 12th best-selling album of the year, selling over 816,000 copies. BoA's successful debut in the country is considered by many to have opened the door for Korean artists in the Japanese music market. [1]

Seven singles were spawned and promoted from Listen to My Heart. The album's first single, the Japanese version of her 2000 debut single "ID; Peace B", was released in May 2001 and marked her first single in Japan. It was met with modest success upon its release, reaching number 20 on the Oricon Singles Chart. Six singles were released afterwards including the title track "Listen to My Heart", which peaked at number five on the Oricon Singles Chart. "Every Heart (Minna no Kimochi)" was released alongside the album on March 13, and peaked at number ten.

Background and release

After a joint investment of approximately $3.6 billion by SM Entertainment and Japanese record company Avex Trax, BoA debuted in the Japanese market under the Avex label. Her first single, "ID; Peace B", was released on May 30, 2001, and was originally released as her South Korean debut single in August 2000. She underwent Japanese language training to ensure a smooth transition into the Japanese music and entertainment industry. Consequently, BoA became the first South Korean singer to top the Oricon Album Chart in Japan, with the record receiving a million certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) in November 2002, for having shipped one million copies to Japanese retailers. [2]

Singles

Seven singles were spawned from Listen to My Heart. "ID; Peace B" was met with moderate success in Japan upon release, selling slightly over 40,000 copies and peaking at number 20 on the Oricon Singles Chart. [3] "Amazing Kiss" was released on July 25, 2001; it peaked at number 23 on the Oricon Singles Chart and sold over 59,000 copies. "Kimochi wa Tsutawaru" and "The Meaning of Peace" were subsequently made available in December of that year; the latter single was released as a collaboration with fellow Japanese singer Koda Kumi for the Song Nation project, which was created to help raise funds for the September 11 attacks. [4] [5] It peaked at number 12 and sold 67,000 units.

The titular single "Listen to My Heart" was released on January 17, 2002, which marked BoA's first top-five release on the Oricon Singles Chart. It became her first record to receive a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), selling 180,000 copies. [6] "Every Heart (Minna no Kimochi)" was released alongside the album [7] and saw modest levels of commercial success, peaking at number ten with sales of over 84,000 units.

"Don't Start Now" was re-recorded and released as the album's last single on May 29, 2002; the original song was written by Jeff Vincent and Peter Rafelson and was included on a 2001 eponymous album by American pop singer Brooke Allison, titled "Toodle-oo". The only difference between "Toodle-oo" and BoA's English version is the line, "Time for you to find a ho in hosiery," [8] is altered to BoA's more age-appropriate line, "Time for you to find another fantasy."

Accolades

Listen to My Heart won Rock & Pop Album of the Year at the 17th Japan Gold Disc Awards. The title track of the same name received the Gold Award at the 44th Japan Record Awards.

Legacy

BoA's successful debut in Japan is regarded by journalists for having helped improved the image of South Korea in the country. BoA's ascent to fame took place during a particularly challenging period in modern Japan-South Korea relations. Despite this, BoA continued to act as a cultural ambassador between Seoul and Tokyo, with The Diplomat noting how BoA's breakthrough in Japan in 2002 helped break down barriers that might have otherwise hindered the Japanese public from cultivating a significant interest in Korean pop culture and entertainment. In 2003, the Japanese Foreign Ministry formally invited BoA to a diplomatic dinner between prime minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun, signifying a mutual recognition of BoA as a cultural bridge between the Japanese and Korean music markets. [2]

Editors have credited BoA for laying the groundwork for future K-pop idols to debut in the Japanese market, including TVXQ, Girls’ Generation, Exo and BTS, despite the strained relations between South Korea and Japan. The practice of teaching foreign languages such as Japanese, Chinese, or English to K-pop trainees subsequently became a widespread trend among South Korean entertainment companies. [2]

Track listing

Listen to My Heart track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Listen to My Heart"Natsumi WatanabeKazuhiro HaraKazuhiro Hara3:57
2."Power"Maki MiharaKen HaradaKen Harada4:10
3."Every Heart (Minna no Kimochi)"Natsumi WatanabeBouncebackh•wonder4:33
4."Don't Start Now"
  • Yoo Young Jin
  • Yuko Ebine
  • Peter Rafeison
  • Jeff Vincent
  • Peter Rafeison
  • Jeff Vincent
3:55
5."Kimochi wa Tsutawaru"Shin Youn AhBouncebackAkira4:23
6."Share Your Heart (With Me)"Yuko EbineTetsuya MuramatsuAkira4:37
7."Dreams Come True"Maki MiharaKen HaradaKen Harada4:55
8."Amazing Kiss"BouncebackBounceback
  • Ken Harada
  • Bounceback
4:34
9."Happiness"Maho FukamiMaho FukamiKen Harada4:33
10."ID; Peace B"
  • Yoo Young Jin
  • Mai Matsumuro
Yoo Young JinYoo Young Jin3:34
11."Nobody But You"Natsumi WatanabeKosuke MorimotoAkira3:46
12."Nothing's Gonna Change"
  • BoA
  • Natsumi Watanabe
BoAKai5:23
13."Listen to My Heart" (Hex Hector Main Mix) (English Version)Natsumi WatanabeKazuhiro HaraKazuhiro Hara4:10
14."The Meaning of Peace"Tetsuya KomuroTetsuya Komuro
  • Tetsuya Komuro
  • Max Matsuura
5:01
Total length:62:31

Charts

Sales and certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ) [12] Million931,742 [13]
South Korea—13,189 [14]

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabel
Japan [15] March 13, 2002 CD
South Korea [16] March 3, 2004
  • CD
  • digital download

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References

  1. 1 2 Yim, Hyun-su (April 13, 2020). "Revisiting BoA's 'No.1' two decades on". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on April 28, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Bartlett, Jason (June 28, 2022). "Domestic and Global Political Impacts of K-Pop: BoA, BTS, and Beyond". The Diplomat. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  3. ↑ "10대 가수 보아, 일본 인기차트 상위권 진입" [Teenage singer BoA enters the top of Japan's popular charts]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Naver. June 14, 2001. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  4. ↑ "보아, 아무로 나미에 등 톱가수 듀엣 싱글 발매" [Top singers such as BoA and Namie Amuro release duet singles]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Naver. January 21, 2005. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  5. ↑ "보아 참여한 9.11테러 추모곡 국내 발매" [9.11 terrorist attack memorial song featuring BoA released in Korea]. Star News (in Korean). Naver. January 21, 2005. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Godl Album 他認定作品 2002年2月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. February 2002 Edition](PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan. 509: 13. April 10, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  7. ↑ "보아, 일본 음반판매 주간순위도 석권" [BoA dominates the weekly album sales charts in Japan]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Naver. March 20, 2002. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  8. ↑ Brooke Allison: Toodle - Oo Lyrics
  9. ↑ "BoAのリリース一覧" [List of BoA's Releases]. Oricon . Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  10. ↑ "2004년 – 상반기 가요 음반 판매량" [2004 First Half Domestic Album Sales]. Recording Industry Association of Korea. 2004. Archived from the original on July 18, 2007. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  11. ↑ "2004년총결산 POP음반 판매량집계" [2004 Year End International Music Sales]. Recording Industry Association of Korea. 2005. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – BoA – Listen to My Heart" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.Select 2002年11月 on the drop-down menu
  13. ↑ "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree']. Oricon . Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  14. ↑ "2004년총결산 POP음반 판매량집계" [2004 Year End International Music Sales]. Recording Industry Association of Korea. 2005. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Listen to My Heart | BoA". Oricon News (in Japanese). March 13, 2002. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  16. ↑ "2004년 – 상반기 가요 음반 판매량" [2004 First Half Domestic Album Sales]. Recording Industry Association of Korea. 2004. Archived from the original on July 18, 2007. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
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