Pretty pretty princess...
Written: Nov 03 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Atlantis Princess, Milky Way. Fun, repetitive songs.
Cons: It sounds like everything she's done before. Bland ballads.
The Bottom Line: It's good, and probably her best Korean effort so far, but it's just not got that "something" that makes me want to scream, "BUY IT NOW!"
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| shimatani87's Full Review: Atlantis Princess - BoA Movies |
Between the release of her second and third Japanese albums, BoA took a break and went back to Korea, where this, her third Korean album, was recorded. This is, perhaps, her best Korean effort to date - it's got a few bumps here and there, but it's better than just about all the rest.
Time To Begin starts the album off with orchestral-pop with an R&B touch. That's pretty much it as far as the instrumentation goes ... oh, there's a hint of electric guitar near the end of the song, but that's about it. BoA's singing is laid back and straighforward as she breezes her way through the track. A good, solid opening to the album.
Picking up the tempo a bit is Make A Move, which finds BoA almost rap-singing her way through the choruses. It's a good song, fueled by the same R&B/pop beat most of the album uses as its foundation, but it's so short it's almost non-enjoyable. In fact, it's the shortest track on the album (clocking in at barely over three minutes); a shame considering it's one of the better uptempo pieces.
Borrowing a title from Japanese labelmate Ayumi Hamasaki, Endless Sorrow slows the pace down for one of BoA's lackluster attempts at a ballad. Her vocal's not the greatest (she sings it like every other ballad she's done), the instrumentation is bland (it sounds like every other ballad she's done), and while it's a scant 4:10, it drags so much it seems like a lot longer. This isn't a good one, and is probably the weakest track on the album.
Reviving a tradition from long ago, two versions of The Lights of Seoul appear on this album - one in English, and one in Korean. Other than the difference in language, these are the exact same song - an uptempo, breezy piece that sounds like a majority of the uptempo, breezy pieces BoA's done before. It's not a bad song, and her English has improved a lot (although it's still not perfect), but it's just...lackluster. Easy on the ears, but not memorable.
Beat Of Angel, while again sounding like most of BoA's uptempo works, differentiates itself from the previous song by actually being interesting. Drums and some form of keyboard back BoA up through the verses, while her "airy-sounding" (to borrow the words of another reviewer) backup singers know when to chime in and when to keep quiet. It's a decent cut, but once again, leaves something to be desired.
The orchestral/R&B-influence makes itself known again with The Show Must Go On. This is another track that's just there - it's good, but nothing special. Backed by the beat, some plucked-instrument-thing, and her backup singers, BoA's singing sounds somewhat apathetic, as if she's getting tired of recording the same thing over and over. Overall, a bland track that's quite easily forgotten.
Tied for the best track on the album is the title track, whose use of a clock to keep time counts as one of the highlights of the album. The instrumentation, while again being the typical BoA R&B/pop with backup singers, manages to take a backseat to BoA's performance, which is lively and upbeat and strong. The girl's got a voice, and it's a shame she doesn't use it to its full potential more often. (Check out that held note at the end of the bridge!)
Milky Way is not an homage to candy, but rather an extremely catchy, breezy, uptempo ditty that earns the title of "Best Track". BoA's happy performance only adds to the goodness that is this song - it's strong, refined, and easy on the ears. Quite the good track, this one.
In summary, BoA's best Korean album is...good. It's better than the rest, and it's got the catchy songs and required ballads, but it's missing that spark of life that makes it something really special.
Other Tracks: Tree, Gift, Where Are You?, So Much In Love
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
shimatani87
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Member: Zach Jones
Location: Urbana, IL
Reviews written: 117
Trusted by: 17 members
About Me:
St. Louis-bound graduate student with a passion for pop.
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