Tribute: Hearkening the Beat of an Angel ~ BoA
The end of last week certainly brought news that seemed a little untimely, though the news itself wasn't much of a surprise. In essence, BoA decided to confess that she had gone through some love loss with her line of work and there are plans in the pipeline that will allow her to put her music career on hold as she goes to the US to further her studies.
I say the news is untimely only because it looked as though she was beginning to connect with her music again. In her most recent singles, Sweet Impact, LOVE LETTER and LOSE YOUR MIND, there seemed to be a heartening return-to-form when compared to the relatively lacklustre songs she's been performing of late.
That being said, however, the revelation did less to shock me than it did to confirm my suspicions that she had gotten lost along the way. Above the colourless songs were the live appearances where her fatigue was clear but - for a singer who is known for so much energy - somehow unthinkable.
Nonetheless, she did continue to reveal in the news conference that this very personal struggle had been going on for quite some time. The conflict was reflected in her work as it was evident that she had lost some of her soul for music. But it seemed that that was not all she lost as she moved on to confess that she was afflicted with doubts about her own personal identity.
In that sense, the struggle was not about what she stood for, as she was always clear on that, but rather it was on trying to understand who she was as a person. Knowing her story however, it's hard to fault her for losing herself in her dizzying rise to fame.
At the time she was "discovered", she was only 11 and had not actually planned to audition for a position - instead, it was her brother who took her along as he tried to become South Korea's next top superstar. In a stroke of luck, the panel of judges caught sight of her after her brother's audition and requested that she try her hand as well. That was the moment that she impressed the judges of that nationwide auditions programme ad lib.
Once on board, the South Korean media giant, SM Entertainment, put her through an evidently brutal training regime to master the arts of dance, song, and... well... Japanese, LOL. It was through these series of gruelling tests that Boa Kwon became BoA and it was in this same way that many accused her of being a manufactured idol - everything about her was so purposely fine tuned for the consumption of the South Korean and Japanese populaces that it seemed almost too perfect.
But she did the Koreans proud as she embodied the paragon of their pedigree and captured the imagination of the Japanese public. Beyond Korea and Japan, her fame spread across Asia and slowly trickled into other parts of the world. In short, BoA was a triumph in idol engineering... she was everything to everyone.
Indeed, the formula for raising young idols would have worked, if not for one oversight in the consideration; like much social thought, they forgot to factor human agency into their equation. As BoA continued to mature, it was inevitable that she would realise that being everything to everyone meant she had to be nothing to herself. Her love for music then, like her very image, was sculpted by the dictates of people in suits - not something that she had grown to love on her own.
It is in this way then that, as I read the news, I breathed a sigh of relief. Not because I wanted for an end (or a pause) to her very successful career, but because I wanted her to have the courage to be honest to herself. Through the years, BoA has invested almost all her strength and spirit into dazzling her fans as well as living up to the expectations of two populations. In Korea, she was persistently berated for not knowing her own roots as she appeared bias towards the Japanese market; while in Japan, she was constantly reminded that she didn't really belong - not that she ever expressed wanting to belong.
Weathering these tests of character and still smiling at every event despite how obviously tired she is, I now honestly hope that she could go on a hiatus and disappear from the public sphere for a while. This will give her time to reflect on where she wants to take her life to and reclaim the adolescence that was unwittingly robbed from her. In this time of self-reflection, she may connect with her music at a more personal level or she may find her vision in yet another discipline... Regardless, I can ask for nothing more than for her to find an identity which she could confidently declare to be truly her own.
To date, she still has at least another Japanese single in 2008 to release before she moves away from the limelight, so we can expect to hear from her for the time being. Beyond that, I can only wish her the very best for the journeys that lie ahead and I pray that somewhere down the road, she will find that magic spark that will finally allow her to comfortably say, "I am BoA."
Know that wherever you go, BoA, you will always be missed and thank you for all the inspiration you have given us.
お誕生日おめでとう！
On a completely unrelated side note, I meant to publish this post yesterday but was unable to do so due to other responsibilities... LOL (^___^")
Anyhow, yesterday was December 18th which was, in fact, ayaka's birthday. So, to that end, I just wanted to say: HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY, ayaka! (^___^)
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Comments
That's really sad about Boa's lost of identity for her music - or the industry. I never really listened to her work but I've known about her. She didn't say how long she would be going for? It's sad that she isn't really accepted into the Japanese culture because she is Korean (regardless of whether or not she wanted to be accepted). But it's cool, I guess, if she is going to go study in the US. I mean, isn't that what they do in the dramas? (-_-) I wonder what she is going to do during her time off.
I wonder how much of the industry is as much as people dream it is about. As in, people always think about the great things that come along with being a famous entertainer but how much of it is actually true? Who knows.
I hope you have a successful break, BoA!
And happy birthday Ayaka. Dang, she's only a year older than me. -_-.
Her more recent works (except her most recent ones as listed above) aren't very representative of her music - if you want to delve a little into BoA, you are probably better off with her earlier work like Jewel Song, Milky Way, Every Heart, Shine We Are! and QUINCY... her Korean stuff is not bad too, but I have no idea what she is saying in any of it... nonetheless, there are some really good Korean songs in her albums.
As for how long it will take... She is planning to pursue normal tertiary education, I'm going to venture a guess that she will be gone for four years unless she chooses to continue on in something else after that, we should see her fully back on stage again then.
In the point about acceptance into Japanese culture, the problem was not so much acceptance - the Japanese were extremely receptive of her and treated her almost as their own. It was the sense of belonging that was the problem but that was reinforced in very subtle ways, such as asking her about Korean culture specifically, or ask for clarification because they were unsure what she was talking about... Overall, BoA actually enjoyed a lot more success in Japan than she did in Korea and is usually treated as a J-pop artist (as opposed to a K-pop artist).
If anything, the Korean public were a lot more harsh and unforgiving towards her. She found herself on the defensive against a barrage of accusations and outright slander. As well, she had to keep saying that she not forgotten her Korean identity because they saw her as a Japanese sell-out in the later years of her career.
The things they said were, in short, outrageous... and yet, the Korean public is known for their viciousness. Korean singer, U;nee, was a victim of such defamation attacks... she took her own life earlier this year as a result. It is in this landscape that Korea's government has set up a task force that deals with this very issue and has passed laws to ensure that those who post malicious comments can be identified.
Anyhow... enough of that, that's very sombre... I would love to be able to go to school with BoA!!! Just as I would have loved to have gone to classes with Hikki while she was in Columbia! LOL! I don't even have to know they but just to have them sit in my class... (O___o)
But you are right about the entertainment industry - it's not all it seems and as much as I do know about the Japanese industry, it's a very different beast from it's American counterpart and things can get really dark in there, if people don't know what they are doing. Just like every other industry, huh? LOL (^___^")
Pretty bleak comment, huh? umm... hooray for ayaka turning 20!! Bring the sunshine back into this comment segment! LOL (^___^")
But it's inevitable since she started out so young, barely out of her childhood, much less able to think for herself.
That's the thing about young artistes, they don't know what they want yet and the management just push them into the society with only plans of making big money.
It's actually quite disgusting the way they work.
Just look at Hey! Say! Jump...
OMG, what are they thinking.
They are not prepared really... Neither was she when she first debuted.
But in any ways, I'm glad she's taking a break for a while, to have time for herself.
Woot~ US, she might find a nice catch there. +)
All this talk about BoA lead me to this "All Korean Pop" website that talks about well...all Korean pop. To tell you the truth, I really didn't know that much about it and when I found the website, I feel like I know more. But it wasn't the type of knowledge that I wanted to embrace Korean music with, if you know what I mean. While I was looking at the website, I found out how 'mass produced' these singers/bands/talents are and it was to the point that I was sick of it and I hadn't even started listening to it yet.
Look at this article on 'How to build a K-pop star'. It's pretty ridiculous. Sigh, I am sadden by it. I don't know, maybe it is the same everywhere to a lesser degree - or more.
I guess, like paintedbutterflies said, that when someone enters the industry at such a young age, it can be damaging to their emotional stability - like Britney. It would be extremely interesting to see what it's like in the industry - the side that no one sees. Oh, I don't know if these videos even come close it but my friend uploaded some documentaries of Japanese stars and the camera follows them around. It's called "Jonetsu Tairiku". I can't understand anything because it's not subbed, but check it out anyway. I was watching the Oguri Shun one and it was interesting to see how dead he looked and how many make-up chairs he was sitting in and how much he smoked! Lol! here is the Link. There are more stars apparently but I haven't checked them out yet: http://www.veoh.com/videos/v14673294wE6JTgR
I dont know if you will be able to understand it - actually, you probably can. Hahah lol!
As for BoA and her struggle, I guess it's something that a lot of people - not just young stars - go through. Only difference is that we have the privacy of our 'normal' lives and they don't. I mean, not many people are born with enough understanding of themselves to fully know what it is that they stand for and what they want to achieve in life. I guess that's what growing up is - or should be about.
As always, thanks for your input!!! :D
Nonetheless, I'm also glad that she will be able to move on and well... as you say... maybe she may be able to pick up a good catch while she's there... hmm... Maybe I should find out which university she is going to and, you know, try to help her out in her studies... muhahaha... so wrong... (^___^")
I know the Japanese industry is filled with tons of people who worked hard for where they are now and some had the right connections while others really made a name through hardwork and strife.
Ai-chin, YUI, and ayaka, for example, didn't have any connections when they started out (props to YUI especially for running around performing on streets and in the middle of farms... LOL). I'm sure you know Hikki's story - she had the connections, but also the talent. That's just a small sample - but I'm sure the Korean music scene is quite diverse too... I hope.
Of course, though I agree with paintedbutterflies' comment, not everyone who enters at a young age necessarily ends up emotionally destabilised, LOL. If you look at the amount of idols that are still functioning despite starting off in their early ages and continue to exhibit their enthusiasm as well as sense of purpose - it's quite reassuring... LOL.
I have a collection of Jounetsu Tairiku episodes of my favourite stars but I haven't had time to watch any of it yet... (-___-") Need to get round to that... I didn't even know what the show is about but I grab anything with the right idol names on them... LOL
Hmm... I have to admit, sometimes not understanding ourselves can be a good thing because it means that we can be more open to alternative thoughts. Being suggestible is not necessarily a bad thing, though we should be on guard not to be conned into anything... hahaha (^___^")
If you want to be blown away with stars living like normal people... take a look at the nutty Japanese Scholar Idol Ranking 2007. These are idols that go to normal high schools and universities like everyone else, LOL. Want something else to blow your mind away about the Japanese entertainment industry? Well, consider this - almost every idol is paid at minimum wage (they make their money from endorsement deals and their management agency pays for their publicity though... so it's not to say they are in poverty or anything...) (^___^")
Finally, thanks! I'm glad you like the new theme for winter 2008! She looks quite warm, so I thought it was appropriate, LOL! I also have to say, I do like your new banner - very nice! (^___^)v
Yeah I've always wondered how Utada would have been famous if she didn't have the connections that she had. She is one lucky woman though, to be blessed with parents that were already in the industry. But everytime I read her biography, it seems like she just came across this and it wasn't something that she really strived for, like the other stars you mentioned.
Every entertainment industry has a lot of people that work hard to get to where they were. As for the Korean 'mass produced' industry, I don't know how to true that is. I saw Se7en's biography and he too went through four year training before he released a single. Granted these people want what they want and are probably willing to work extremely hard to achieve their goal. I really admire those kinds of people but the more I think about it, the more I get tired for them! Lol!
Lol, I guess I only hear about those stars that go crazy in one way or another. I was watching a clip of this documentary made by a kid who grew up being a part of the Johnson and Johnson multi-billion dollar family. He was going to inherit something along the lines of a quarter of a BILLION dollars and a lot of his friends were in the same position. It's interesting to see how these kids grow up - having EVERYTHING that they need. The documentary is called Born Rich and it aired on HBO. The amazing thing was how 'normal' these kids looked. As in, how you wouldn't be able to pick them out from a crowd.
Argh, how different their lives must be. ^__^!
Thanks for the information about stars being paid minimum wage! HAhahah, that in itself is interesting to know!
Looking at Se7en's biography is actually much like BoA's - she went through two years of training under SM before her debut, though they still fit under the mould of "manufactured" because their training came after they were signed on to a record label.
This does not mean that they don't work hard though but it's different because there are many reasons why people could have signed you on - for example, it could be because of good looks, a good role model history, etc. That's very much like the Hello!Project model - "manufactured" in the sense that they had to be trained to get them to that level.
"Unmanufactured" is usually not really used at all since this is considered the "normal" way that singers should go. Here, they basically wowed the audition panel with their obvious ability and are signed on because of their actual ability instead of "potential ability". ayaka and YUI, for example, don't necessarily have those "idol" looks - but they are undeniably good as thus achieved their positions that way.
Hahaha... I'll keep a look out for that HBO documentary - sounds like something that would be really interesting.
Ah, the minimum wage thing is especially important for Japanese musicians - because that is what drives them to have more control over their own music and to keep creating music. Every role in the making of a song is paid a cut for the amount of units that are sold - so the more roles you take up, the bigger the percentage you get from the sale of each disc.
That's why if you look, Hikki and Ai-chin get a nice chunk of pay for their success because they take larger cuts since they write their own lyrics and music on top of producing their CDs. ayaka won't get as large a cut because although she writes her lyrics, she co-writes her music. BoA only gets the cut as a performer - because she rarely writes.
Dang! I was wondering why there were to many artists in the Jpop industry that had a lot to do with their work. Oh, I can't believe that ayaka doesn't write all her music! I thought she did. That would make sense though. Here, artists get paid a lot if they can sell a lot - regardless of their contribution to their music. Granted, I think there is a lot more self respect if you can say that that's truly was your music and not something someone handed to you.
I've never listened to that Utada before being Utada lol. I've heard some of her songs but I think I rather enjoyed the Japanese stuff. I was just so surprised about the 'manufacturing' because I rarely hear about that here. Granted, I think I've stopped listening to western artists altogether.
The 'manufactured' artists are a little worrisome though because all I can think sometimes is "which part of their entertainment is actually apart of them and which part was engrained into them,"? Maybe I shouldn't think like that because every artist, whether they were trained or not, whether they had connections or not, has worked hard to get to where they were and probably deserves to have equal footing when it comes to fans.
-_-. I wonder if Se7en actually has good music. Going to find out now!
She is actually very heavily involved in the song-writing process although it only shows as a co-written credit. Yoshihiko Nishio is actually her mentor, so it makes sense that the songs are so often co-written with him. It's funny though because you can actually hear the difference between which songs she wrote and which ones she didn't - so you could see how much influence she actually has on the song-writing process.
Although "manufacturing" is worrying, I'm glad that at least for the Japanese music industry, it's not that big a deal, LOL. There are some really nice Western music out there though, but I don't cover them because they are already well covered by other English speakers, no? (^___^")
Anyhow, do tell me if Se7en is any good... I heard much about him but never really heard any of him.... so yea... (^___^)
Anyhow, I do try to be as informed as I could about what I am talking about - but information is usually secondary since I don't know any of the artists personally... obviously... LOL (^___^")