Maps of Music

The Face (2008)

Where the lyrics of The Face take you, and where it was really made.

Originally set for 20 February 2008 alongside the single be with you., the album was pushed back a week to 27 February to avoid clashing with other major artists.

Key places

Recorded at Japanese studios, 2007–2008 (2008)

Recording site Tiny Voice Production — The Face was recorded at various studios across Japan during 2007 and 2008. This map point uses the city centre of Tokyo, where the candidate studio is listed, and does not mark the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• The Face: sixth Japanese studio album (eleventh overall) by South Korean recording artist BoA
• Released 27 February 2008 through Avex Trax
• Fifteen tracks, issued in three versions: regular CD, CD and DVD bundle, limited first press edition
• Recorded in Japanese with minor English phrases; a pop album with electropop influences
• BoA took greater creative control over the record than on her previous releases
• Four singles: Sweet Impact, Love Letter, Lose Your Mind, be with you.

Background

• Production started with the Sweet Impact single, released in spring 2007
• Release date of 27 February 2008 was announced on 15 January 2008
• Originally planned with the single be with you. for 20 February 2008; moved back a week to avoid clashing with other major artists
• Follows the fifth studio album, Made in Twenty (20)
• BoA wrote lyrics herself for several songs and became more particular about song selection and arrangement
• Promoted by The Face Live Tour, 20 concerts across Japan

Recording

• Recorded at various studios throughout Japan during 2007 and 2008
• Label enlisted longtime creatives such as Natsumi Watanabe, H-Wonder and Kazuhiro Hara
• Foreign producers Daniel Pandher, Tommy La Verdi and Jonas Jeberg also worked on the material
• Mastered by Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound in New York City

Cover

• Three cover versions, one for each edition, shot around the theme of wearing face makeup, matching the album title

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

• AllMusic reviewer Adam Greenberg called it a safe set that sits well within contemporary J-pop
• Greenberg noted the vocal demands never become too great
• Greenberg described most songs as sugary little ballads with a sweet, slightly warbling vocal
• Greenberg said the songs show components of a lot of American R&B circa 1996

Records

• Sixth consecutive number-one album on the Oricon Albums Chart in Japan
• At the time, the second-most number-one albums by a solo artist in Japanese history, behind Ayumi Hamasaki with eight
• Sold over 185,000 copies in Japan according to Oricon
• Certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ)
• Sweet Impact peaked at number five on the Oricon Singles Chart and received two gold certifications from the RIAJ
• Love Letter peaked at number three on the Oricon Singles Chart and was certified gold in downloads by the RIAJ
• Lose Your Mind peaked at number six and sold 22,961 copies as of 26 December 2007

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The Sweet Impact PV was inspired by Michael Jackson's Moonwalker.
• The Lose Your Mind PV features Yutaka Furukawa of Doping Panda playing electric guitar.
• The be with you. song was featured in the Japanese film 10 Promises to My Dog.
• The be with you. PV shows BoA with a Golden Retriever.
• The album was originally planned to come out one week before its eventual release date.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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