We’ve been posting quite a lot about our friends from the other East coast in the past month. From Megan Fox having the hots for South Korean actor/singer Rain to the Wonder Girls and their tour with the Jonas Brothers — as well as their English rendition of mega-hit “Nobody,” now sold on iTunes. Today, we keep chugging along on the Asian-Pop Express with an exclusive premiere of BoA’s new video, “Energetic,” and a Q&A with its star.
BoA, one of Asia’s top-selling pop singers, recently dropped her self-titled American debut album, BoA, back in March; below, the 22-year-old talks to EW about living Stateside, working with Britney, and crushing on American heartthrobs. Click after the jump for a first look at “Energetic,” and a full Q&A:
EW: Hello BoA, you’ve been a hugely successful pop star in Asia for nearly a decade, but you’re living in Los Angeles now, right? How is that?
BoA: I go to restaurants, to Koreatown, to the beach to get some tan, go bowling… And I just watched the Hangover. It’s a crazy movie! I loved it. I’m doing English lessons since I’ve been here, I think I’m slowly getting better. But I don’t have car in L.A., so it’s pretty hard to go anywhere. I tried to get my driver’s license but I failed — I didn’t study well. I didn’t know that the test was so hard. Actually, I failed twice last year, but don’t tell anyone!
EW: I wanted to talk about your transition to the United States. You’ve worked with a lot of different producers; what can we expect with the new album?
BoA: Well, I went to Atlanta last year and recorded “I Did It For Love” with Sean Garett [the man behind hits for Beyonce, Usher, Ciara, and Chris Brown] and one more song is coming out for my repackaged album released in September — it’s the same as the first album but with added new songs. I also have one with Flo Rida, he was featured in my “Eat You Up” song.
EW: Can we expect more writing from you? I know you had a song a long time ago you wrote, “Dear My Love,” you wrote that song.
BoA: I don’t have any talent for writing, so no.
EW: I actually liked that song, you should write more.
BoA: Really? Maybe I can make more songs!
EW: I know that one of your songs was co-written by Britney Spears, “Look Who’s Talking.” What happened with that? Did she give it to you?
BoA: When we picked that song, we didn’t know she was the writer. When we saw the credit, we saw B. Spears we were like, who’s B. Spears…as in Britney Spears? They told me that she wrote that song, so I was like ‘Oh, okay!’ She was really cool, really nice.
EW: A lot of your songs you created did become semi-popular in the U.S., though you didn’t technically release it here. Like your Japanese single, “Merry Chri” — Weezer remade that song. What did you feel?
BoA: I’m so grateful. Of course I feel honored. They’re huge in America!
EW: Let’s talk about your last single, “I Did It For Love.” Have you had a lot of relationships in your life? What kind of guy are you looking for?
BoA:You know what? It’s really hard. I thought when I came to America maybe I can meet some cute guys. Japan, Korea and then come back here. But [I’m looking for]someone like…who’s that guy going out with Jennifer Aniston?
EW: Bradley Cooper?
BoA: Yeah…he’s so hot! Zac Efron too. Everyone has girlfriends, though! I’m so bad…
EW: Do you feel like you will have success in the U.S.?
BoA: Hopefully, that’s why I’m here. If it’s not going that way, I think I got a lot of good stuff from relationships, met other producers, doing choreography with really great dancers. If it goes well, I’ll be happy, but I don’t care.
source: music mix EW.com
Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:12 am