Source: KBS Global
Credit: Seoulfull



BoA’s U.S. Endeavors Alongside Rain & SE7EN

Singer BoA (23, real name Kwon Bo-a) says she is looking forward to performing in the U.S. along with Rain and Se7en, because–despite their different music styles–the three of them can cause a bigger stir in the U.S. pop market together rather than individually.

This year, several K-pop artists including BoA, Rain (27, real name Chung Ji-hoon) and Se7en (25, real name Choi Dong-wook) will establish their presence in the U.S.

BoA released her U.S. debut single album “Eat You Up” in October last year and is to release her first studio album targeting the U.S. market early this year. Rain, for his part, will debut in Hollywood in July-August in the movie “Ninja Assassin” and will release his “worldwide album” in August.

Se7en, who last year announced the song “Girls” by famous American producer Dark Child, will launch promotional activities in the U.S. in February along with Lil’ Kim, who is featured in the song, and will release his studio album early this year.

In a recent interview, BoA said she looks forward to this “goodwill competition” with other K-pop artists in a foreign market. “I hope we’ll all meet up in the U.S., because we’re going to feel very lonely. I know Se7en personally and we’ve been keeping in touch while he’s been staying in Los Angeles. He tells me about his life in the U.S. and how he’s learning English,” said BoA.

She also added that she prefers to maintain close relations with a small group of people rather than with many people and that she will need good friends in the U.S. more than ever.

In the interview, BoA also mentioned her long-scheduled debut as an actress. “I’ve postponed my acting plans for a while because my U.S. debut is a priority at this point. In fact, I’ve received an offer from Hollywood as well as from Korea and Japan. If I’m made an offer to appear in a really good production, I’ll try my hand at acting,” said the singer.

BoA says she is happy to see her junior colleagues like TVXQ, Girls’ Generation and SHINee growing up as artists. They are all managed by the same agency, SM Entertainment.

“Singers don’t have much opportunity to meet other apprentice singers after their debut. I learned about TVXQ only after the band’s debut. I like it a lot. I’m the same age as a lot of the TVXQ and Super Junior members. One of the Super Junior members is even older than me. That’s why I jokingly call him ‘Super Adult.’ The Girls’ Generation members are very pretty, while the SHINee members are like my little brothers. The youngest one, Tae-min, is seven years my junior,” said BoA.

BoA said for the past six years she has spent December 31 in the waiting room of the Japanese broadcaster NHK, because she has appeared in NHK’s Kouhaku Singing Festival every year. The singer added that she was happy to see TVXQ participate in the festival last year.