Maps of Music

No. 1 (2002)

Where the lyrics of No. 1 take you, and where it was really made.

BoA's Korean comeback album came a month after her Japanese debut had won wide recognition in Japan, and it went on to top South Korea's monthly album chart.

Key places

Recording link with SM Studios, Seoul (2002)

Recording site Big Hit Studios, Seoul — The album is linked to SM Studios in Seoul as its recording location. The point sits at the city centre, so the exact studio building is not pinned on the map. Google Maps · Apple Maps

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

Album story

Overview

• No. 1 is BoA's second Korean-language studio album and her third album overall
• Released 12 April 2002 through SM Entertainment
• Marked her return to South Korea after the Japanese debut album Listen to My Heart
• Listen to My Heart came out a month earlier and drew wide recognition in Japan
• Achieved greater success in South Korea than her debut album ID; Peace B (2000)

Background

• Composition and arrangement handled by several music collaborators, including Yoo Young-jin, Kangta, Ahn Ik-soo and Sigurd Heimdal Rosnes
• Title track No. 1 released together with the album
• Title track received promotions on domestic music programs
• Kangta, a senior artist from the same agency, contributed two songs to the album

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

Tracklist

Disc 1

Disc 2

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

• No. 1 was a commercial success in South Korea, topping the monthly charts compiled by the Recording Industry Association of Korea (RIAK) for two consecutive months
• Debuted at number one on the monthly MIAK album chart with initial monthly sales of 232,626 in April 2002
• Stayed at number one on the monthly chart the following month
• In Japan, the album peaked at number 24 on the Oricon Albums Chart and sold over 14,000 copies
• Peaked at number 21 on the weekly Oricon Albums Chart in 2002

Records

• Ranked fourth on the list of best-selling albums in Korea for 2002, with 544,853 copies sold that year
• Sales of over 540,000 copies in South Korea
• Won Most Popular Music Video (daesang) at the 2002 Mnet Music Video Festival
• Won Grand Prize (daesang) at the 2002 SBS Gayo Daejeon
• Remains the highest-selling Korean album by BoA to date

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

Trivia

• The title track No. 1 was released together with the album and received promotions on domestic music programs.
• The first press included limited copies that sold out within weeks, with the original versions of No. 1 and My Sweetie plus the Big Chorus version of Listen to My Heart.
• Kangta, a senior artist from the same agency, contributed the songs Waiting and Beat It to the album.

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

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