Woman is the ninth Korean-language studio album (nineteenth overall) by South Korean singer-songwriter BoA. It was released on October 24, 2018, by SM Entertainment, with distribution by iRiver. The album features ten tracks in total, including the lead single, which shares the same name as the title of the album. The album is BoA's first Korean full-length release since Kiss My Lips (2015).
| Woman | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Digital cover | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 24, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | 2018 | |||
| Genre | K-pop | |||
| Length | 33:57 | |||
| Label | SM | |||
| BoA chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Woman | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Woman" on YouTube | ||||
Background and release
editOn October 16, 2018, it was reported that BoA would be making a comeback on October 24.[1] On the same day, SM Entertainment started post a series of teasers for the album on their official SNS accounts.[2]
On October 23, the album's track list was revealed through a "highlight medley", with 6 out of 10 songs written by BoA.[3] The album was released on October 24, 2018, through several music portals, including Melon and iTunes.[4][5] Analyzing the title track's thematic concept, an editor from Rolling Stone India wrote:
"The record ideates Boa’s perception of a 'real woman' and condemns the practice of making women compete against each other. The singer out-and-out embraces her womanhood and inspires other women to do so as well by urging them to be comfortable in their own skin and set their own standards for themselves. The music video further emphasises this point, exhibiting a diverse group of women from different ages, sizes and racial groups."[6]
Reception
edit
The accompanying choreography for the title track went viral following the record's release for the "upside-down walk" that was utilized in the introduction.[6] Woman additionally received a nomination for Best Pop Album at the 16th Korean Music Awards in 2019.[7] Refinery29 ranked it the 5th best K-pop album of 2018[8] and Rolling Stone India included the title track in their list of the 10 greatest feminist songs in K-pop.[6]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Woman" | BoA |
| Jon Hume | 2:50 |
| 2. | "Like It!" | Seo Ji-eum |
| Caesar & Loui | 3:26 |
| 3. | "Irreversible" | BoA | BoA |
| 3:39 |
| 4. | "Encounter" | BoA |
| Corry Nitta | 3:30 |
| 5. | "Little More" | BoA |
|
| 3:57 |
| 6. | "U&I" |
|
|
| 3:02 |
| 7. | "If" | BoA |
|
| 3:16 |
| 8. | "No Limit" | BoA |
|
| 3:27 |
| 9. | "Good Love" | Kenzie |
| Jamil "Digi" Chammas | 3:12 |
| 10. | "I Want You Back" |
|
| Sonny J Mason Osuji | 3:38 |
| Total length: | 33:57 | ||||
Charts
edit| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Korean Albums (Gaon)[9] | 6 |
References
edit- ^ "'Asian Star' BoA announces 9th Album WOMAN for October 24th". 민중의소리 (in Korean). October 16, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
- ^ "Update: BoA Shares Exciting Highlight Medley For "Woman"". soompi. October 16, 2018.
- ^ "BoA's 'Comeback D-1', Today (October 23) the Highlight Medley was released, 'Expectations go ↑'". sports.chosun.com. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
- ^ "WOMAN - The 9th Album". www.melon.com (in Korean). Retrieved October 24, 2018.
- ^ "WOMAN - The 9th Album by BoA". iTunes. October 24, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
- ^ a b c Majumder, Oysmita (March 8, 2022). "10 K-pop Feminist Anthems Perfect for Women's Day -". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ Acevedo, Angelica (January 19, 2019). "BTS, Red Velvet, XXX and More Land 2019 Korean Music Awards Nominations". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ Morin, Natalie (December 19, 2018). "The Best K-Pop Albums of 2018". Refinery29. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ "Gaon Album Chart – Week 43, 2018". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved November 1, 2018.