Posted by Jacques Peterson on 02/04/2013 at 6:25 AM News

The Popdust Files: BoA, j-pop, K-pop

Following a two-and-a-half year break from the Japanese market to reestablish herself in Korea, BoA has returned to J-pop with the release of her new single, “Only One.” The song is, of course, the Japanese-language version of her K-pop hit from last year, which turned out to be a surprise success on the digital charts and started BoA’s current transition from an albums artist to a singles one.

Aside from the language, no other changes have been made to the song. However, the music video has received a change of set, with BoA now dancing in what appears to be an old theater instead of the artificial street corner from the original. And while the choreography remains the same, BoA looks like she’s hitting her moves harder and faster than ever before. Overall, it’s her best song in years and perhaps the most complicated choreography of her entire career. Hopefully that will translate to solid numbers when the single hits stores across Japan on February 27, because if BoA’s Japanese record sales keep declining at the rate that they were before her mini J-pop break, she’ll soon find herself neck-and-neck on the charts with the likes of Rainbow and After School. And for a star of BoA’s caliber  that is not a good thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lS7nI0B-eZY#!