Who's Back?
studio
ArtistBoA
CoverBoaWhos.jpg
ReleasedSeptember 3, 2014
Recorded2010–2014
Length53:07
Genre
LanguageJapanese
LabelAvex Trax
Prev year2012
Next year2015

Who's Back? is the eighth Japanese-language studio album (thirteenth overall) by South Korean singer BoA. It was released on September 3, 2014, by Avex Trax and compiles all of her singles released since her previous studio album Identity (2010).

Background and development

After her 2009 English language debut BoA (2009) and her seventh Japanese album Identity (2010), BoA focused on releasing music in South Korea. In 2010, BoA released Hurricane Venus, her first Korean studio album in five years, followed by Only One (2012). In 2011, to celebrate 10 years since her Japanese debut, she released a video single, "Milestone".

Three of the songs on the album were originally released in South Korea as singles: "Only One" and "The Shadow" from Only One (2012), and "Baby You..", a Japanese version of BoA's song "Disturbance" (2013). All three songs featured writing credits by BoA herself. The majority of the songs on the album were released as Japanese singles, with four of the remaining songs being B-sides for these singles ("The Shadow", "Baby You..", "Close to Me", "Fun"), and a single new song, "First Time".

Promotion and release

Many of the songs during their initial released had commercial tie-ups, such as "Woo Weekend" which was used as the 25th anniversary song for Disney on Ice Japan, and both "I See Mee" and "Milestone", which were used in commercials for Audio-Technica headphones.[1] Several songs were theme songs for television programs: the song "Tail of Hope" was used as the opening theme song for the drama Hakui no Namida, while "Message" was used for the online Bee TV drama Love Message!'s theme song.[1] "Masayume Chasing" was used as an opening theme song for the first thirteen episodes of the seventh season of the anime Fairy Tail.[2]

The song "First Time", the only new song found on the release, was used to promote Who's Back?, and received a music video, featuring footage of BoA recording the song. The song had minor success, charting at number 76 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart.[3]

Critical reception

CDJournal felt that the album, compiled of almost entirely previously released works, acted more like a greatest hits album than a studio album. The reviewers felt that the album was impressive in the wide range of genres and techniques used, going from "up-tempo dancable pop tunes" to "melancholic medium ballads".[1] For the individual songs, the reviewers felt that "Woo Weekend" had "relaxing light vocals" and a "comfortable, soft melody line", and praised her "poppy, colorful and innocent approach", and that "Only One" was a "perfectly expressed" ballad with a high level of skills.[4][5] They praised the "fresh" summer feeling of "Tail of Hope", and felt "Baby You.." (i.e. "Disturbance") was a high quality, adult song.[6]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2014)Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[7]7
South Korean Albums (Gaon)[8]19
South Korean Int'l Albums (Gaon)[9]3
Taiwanese Albums (G-Music)[10]13
Taiwanese J-pop Albums (G-Music)[11]1

Release history

RegionDateFormatDistributing LabelCatalogue codes
Japan[12][13]September 3, 2014CD, CD/DVD, digital downloadAvex TraxAVCK-79214B, AVCK-79215
South Koreadigital downloadS.M. Entertainment
Taiwan[14]September 26, 2014CD, CD/DVDAvex Taiwan
South Korea[15]October 1, 2014CDS.M. Entertainment2461970

References

  1. ^ "BoA / WHO'S BACK? [CD+DVD]" (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  2. ^ "New Fairy Tail TV Anime's Promo Video Previews BoA Song". Anime News Network. March 16, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  3. ^ "Japan Billboard Hot 100" (in Japanese). Billboard. September 10, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  4. ^ "BoA / WOO WEEKEND [CD+DVD]" (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  5. ^ "BoA / Only One [CD+DVD]" (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  6. ^ "BoA / Tail of Hope [紙ジャケット仕様] [CD+DVD]" (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  7. ^ "ja:ＷＨＯ’Ｓ ＢＡＣＫ？（ＤＶＤ付）" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  8. ^ "2014년 41주차 Album Chart 종합" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  9. ^ "2014년 41주차 Album Chart 국외" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  10. ^ "G-Music J-Pop Chart" (in Chinese). G-Music. 2014 week 40. Archived from the original on September 2, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  11. ^ "G-Music J-Pop Chart" (in Chinese). G-Music. 2014 week 40. Archived from the original on November 24, 2005. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  12. ^ "【CD】WHO'S BACK? ［CD+DVD］" (in Japanese). Tower Records. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  13. ^ "Who's Back?" (in Korean). Bugs. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  14. ^ "寶兒BoA / WHO'S BACK？ (CD+DVD)" (in Japanese). G-Music. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  15. ^ "BOA(보아) - WHO'S BACK? [통상반]" (in Korean). Hot Tracks. Retrieved November 3, 2014.