Maps of Music

My Name (2004)

Where the lyrics of My Name take you, and where it was really made.

The title track is a dance song, but the closing track 'We' is a ballad that uses Korean traditional instruments.

Key places

Seoul recording studios (2004)

Recording site Big Hit Studios, Seoul — The album credits list several SM studios in Seoul as recording sites. The point is placed at the city centre, not at a specific studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: Private company studio, not open to visitors.

Album story

Overview

• My Name: fourth Korean-language studio album by BoA, seventh overall
• Released 11 June 2004 through SM Entertainment
• Title track 'My Name': a dance song with urban influences
• Second single 'Spark': Korean-language cover of Luis Fonsi's 'Keep My Cool' (2002)
• Marks BoA's transition to a more mature image compared with her earlier records
• Korean edition has 14 tracks
• Overseas version released 12 August 2004, her first entry into the Chinese market
• Overseas version adds Chinese remakes of two of her songs and an alternative cover

Background

• Preceded by the third album Atlantis Princess, where she showed a young, girlish image
• BoA was 17 at the time of the album
• Ballad 'My Prayer' received a music video in September 2004, built from snippets of her trainee life and behind-the-scenes footage
• Singles were promoted in sequence: 'My Name', then 'Spark', then the ballad 'My Prayer'

Recording

• Credits list several studios: SM Yellow Tail Studio, Non Stop Media, T-Studio, SM Booming System, Dream Factory, Vibe Studio, SM Blue Cup Studio, SM Digital Recording Studio
• Mixing was split among several SM studios and Dream Factory and Vibe Studio
• Mastering was done at Sonic Korea for all tracks
• The closing ballad 'We' uses daegeum, sogeum and haegeum, as well as a Korean traditional music sound

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Kwon Bo-ah, born November 5, 1986 in Gyeonggi Province, was discovered by SM Entertainment talent scouts at a 1998 talent search while accompanying her older brother.
• After two years of training in vocals, dance, English, and Japanese, she debuted in South Korea in 2000 with the album ID; Peace B.
• Her Korean label arranged with Avex Trax to launch her career in Japan, and she quit school to prepare.

Career

• Her debut Japanese album Listen to My Heart (2002) became the first album by a Korean artist to debut at number one on the Oricon chart.
• Valenti (2003) sold over 1,249,000 copies, and Best of Soul (2005) sold over a million copies in Japan.
• Her self-titled English album (2009) was the first record by a K-pop artist to appear on the Billboard 200.
• She has sold over ten million albums and has been called the "Queen of K-pop" for helping open the Japanese market to Korean pop.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Commercially, My Name achieved success in South Korea, with the album sold over 201,000 copies by mid-2005
• IZM critic Lee Min-hee praised the record for showing BoA growing into a more sensual and sophisticated woman
• Lee wrote that BoA kept her originality while exploring new sounds and musical styles
• Lee noted that BoA was only 17 at the time but had the maturity and energy of an adult artist

Records

• Debuted at number one on the MIAK monthly albums chart for June 2004
• Ranked 11th best-selling album of 2004 in South Korea, with 192,000 copies sold
• Placed number seven for highest sales of the year
• Released in Japan on 26 March 2008 as a special edition with DVD
• Japanese release did not chart on the Oricon Top 100
• 'My Name' won the Music Video of the Year award at the 2004 Mnet KM Music Video Festival

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ja.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The title track 'My Name' was choreographed with a hip-shaking move that many entertainers imitated on television.
• 'Spark' was performed in a black suit and fedora, a boyish look, and the song was remixed with a powerful dance at the intro.
• The music video for 'My Name' was directed by Masashi Muto of Japan and was shot in a large chandelier club with mirrors and a black-and-white tunnel.
• Only three songs on the album received music videos.
• 'Spark' was released as the follow-up single but did not receive a music video.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org

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