Girls on Top
Studio album by
BoA
ReleasedJune 23, 2005 (2005-06-23)
Recorded2005
StudioSM Studios (Seoul)
Genre
Length44:50
LanguageKorean
LabelSM
BoA chronology
Best of Soul
(2005)		 Girls on Top
(2005)		 Merry Christmas from BoA
(2005)
Singles from Girls on Top
  1. "Girls on Top"
    Released: June 23, 2005
  2. "Moto"
    Released: August 17, 2005

Girls on Top is the fifth Korean studio album by South Korean recording artist BoA, released through SM Entertainment on June 23, 2005.[1] A repackage of the album, titled Moto, was released on August 17, 2005. The record saw a continuation of BoA's image change that began with her prior album My Name (2004); Girls on Top sought to portray a "mature and self-confident" image with themes expressing female empowerment. In Japan, a special edition of the album including a DVD was released by Avex Trax on March 26, 2008.

Commercially, Girls on Top peaked at number three on the monthly MIAK album chart in South Korea and entered the album charts in Taiwan and Japan. To promote the album, the title tracks "Girls on Top" and "Moto" were released as singles with accompanying music videos. Similar to My Name, the album also received an overseas version including a Mandarin version of the eponymous lead single, "Girls on Top".[2] An English version of the song was also recorded and included on BoA's self-titled debut English studio album BoA (2009).

Background and release

Girls on Top was released as BoA's fifth Korean studio album on June 23, 2005, and showcased a change in BoA's image and musicality compared to her previous releases, which largely consisted of lighter concepts and feminine visuals.[3] The title track "Girls on Top" was promoted as the main single and contains themes of female empowerment.[4] BoA's "bohemian" look on the album cover art aimed to represent "freedom and depth", while the visual for "Autumn Letter" (shown at the end of the music video for "Girls on Top") showcased BoA in traditional Korean fashion, weaving the "idea of Korean womanhood" into her music.

A repackage of the album titled Moto was released on August 17, 2005, and contained one new track "Autumn Letter", a cover of Kim Min-ki's 1993 song of the same name.[5] A Hong Kong and Taiwanese edition of the album containing a Chinese version of "Girls on Top" was released a week later on August 25, in commemoration of BoA's 5th anniversary of debut. In Japan, a special edition release along with a DVD was released by Avex Trax on March 26, 2008.[6][7] An English version of "Girls on Top" was included on BoA's US debut album in March 2009.[8]

"Girls on Top" contains the message of not tolerating discrimination that is chronically prevalent in our society as the subtle inequalities felt as a woman should disappear from the hearts of all people.

— BoA talking about the themes of the album (Yonhap News)[9]

Composition

A critic from IZM compared the production of "Girls on Top" to music of Usher (left) and Ciara (right).

"Girls on Top" is a dance and hip-hop number with lyrics revolving around themes of female empowerment and countering male chauvinistic expressions.[4] IZM compared the song's production to that of Usher and Ciara, and felt that the change in styles unveiled a new side of BoA's musically. The publication added that the remake of Kim Min-ki's "Autumn Letter" offered a "feeling of gradual maturity". "Moto" is a R&B and dance number and contains a fast-paced hip-hop rhythm produced by Kenzie, who also composed BoA's "My Name". "Do You Love Me?" is an acid pop number while the song "Garden in the Air" was inspired by the hanging gardens of Babylon. "Can't Let Go" is a R&B ballad containing backup vocals sung by Kangta while other songs such as "If You Were Here"', "Love Can Make a Miracle" and "Breathe Again" are lyrical ballads.[10]

Reception

Commercially, Girls on Top peaked at number three on the monthly domestic Music Industry Association of Korea (MIAK) album sales chart for June 2005, selling 52,558 copies.[11] The album sold a total of 112,954 copies by the end of 2005 and was ranked the 14th best-selling album of the year in South Korea.[12] In Taiwan, the album peaked at number 12 on the G-Music Combo Albums chart and number 3 on the G-Music J-pop Albums chart. In Japan, it peaked at number 153 on the Oricon Albums Chart in 2008.

Covers and usage in media

Girls' Generation covered "Girls on Top" along with "My Name" during a special stage on November 10, 2007. Shinee made a performance of the song during a MBC Star Dance Battle on October 4, 2009, and renamed it "Boys on Top".[13] Oh My Girl and WJSN performed parts of the song at the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards.[14] It was performed by Team China on the dance competition television show Stage K in 2019.[15] On July 31, 2020, Baekhyun of Exo released a remake of "Garden in the Air" as part of BoA's 20th anniversary tribute project, titled SM Station: Our Beloved BoA.[16] The release peaked at number 83 on the Gaon Digital Chart.[17]

In 2022, SM Entertainment debuted supergroup Got the Beat as part of a project group titled Girls on Top, which was named after the album and single.[18] The group consisted of BoA herself alongside members of Girls' Generation, Red Velvet and Aespa.[19] At KCON 2023 in Los Angeles, Everglow and Lapillus performed a joint stage and covered "Girls on Top".[20] A remix version of the song was performed on the girl group survival show Universe Ticket.[21]

Accolades

Awards and nominations for "Girls on Top"
Year Award-giving body Category Result Ref.
2005 Mnet KM Music Video Festival Best Female Artist Won [22]
Best Dance Performance Nominated
Music program awards for "Girls on Top"
Program Date Ref.
MBC's Music Camp July 16, 2005 [23]
July 23, 2005 [24]
Mnet's M Countdown July 28, 2005
SBS's Inkigayo July 17, 2005 [25]
July 24, 2005 [26]
July 31, 2005 [27]

Track listing

Girls on Top – Standard edition[28]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Moto"Boa Kwon, Kenzie3:05
2."Do You Love Me?" (둘이 함께; Dul-i Hamkke)Yoo Young-jin3:31
3."Girls on Top"Yoo3:37
4."If You Were Here" (오늘 그댈 본다면; Oneul Geudael Bondamyeon)Joleen Belle, Young H.Kim3:38
5."Love Can Make a Miracle"Waeromoe, Samuel, Kwon3:42
6."Addiction"Jamie Jones, Jin Young-jin4:04
7."Freak in Me"Yak Bondy, Charlotte Eiram, Kwon3:26
8."Garden in the Air"Kenzie3:50
9."I Spy"Hayden Bell, Hong Ji-yoo3:17
10."Can't Let Go"Deviller Dane, Hosein Sean, Kenzie3:55
11."Heroine" (시선; Siseon)Shin Ji-won, Vincent Degiorgio3:08
12."Breathe Again" (숨...)Ha Jung-ho4:26
Total length:44:50
Girls on Top – Hong Kong and Taiwan edition (bonus track)[2]
No.TitleLength
13."Girls on Top" (Chinese version)3:37
Moto (repackage)[5]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Autumn Letter" (가을편지; Gaeulpyeonji)Kim Min-ki, Ko Eun0:50
Moto (VCD)
No.TitleLength
1."Girls on Top" 
2."Moto" 
3."Making of "Girls on Top Music Video" 
Girls on Top - Japan special edition (DVD)[29]
No.TitleLength
1."Girls on Top" 
2."Moto" 

Charts

References

  1. ↑ "Girls on Top". MelOn.com (in Korean). LOEN Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 1, 2013. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "BoA Vol.5 - Girls On Top (Hong Kong Version)" (in Korean and English). YesAsia. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  3. ↑ "당당하게ㆍ우아하게…보아가 온다" [Proudly and gracefully... BoA is coming]. Herald Economy (in Korean). Naver. June 21, 2005. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "보아 `남성 우월주의 거부' 5집 앨범 발매" [BoA releases 5th album 'Rejecting male chauvinism']. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Naver. June 23, 2005. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "BoA Vol. 5 - Moto / Girls on Top" (in Korean and English). YesAsia. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Girls on Top [Special Edition]/BoA" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  7. ↑ "My Name(Special Edition)(DVD付) [CD+DVD]" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  8. ↑ "BoA by BoA". iTunes CA. Apple. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  9. ↑ "5집 발매 보아, '남성 우월주의 거부한다'" [BoA to release 5th album, 'I reject male supremacy']. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Naver. June 21, 2005. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  10. ↑ Eom, Jae-deok (July 2005). "Girls on Top Album Review". IZM (in Korean). Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  11. ↑ 2005.06월 – 가요 음반 판매량 [2005.06 – Sales volume] (in Korean). Music Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on August 14, 2005. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  12. ↑ 2005년 가요음반판매량 [2005 Album Sales Figures] (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  13. ↑ "샤이니, 걸그룹 돌풍에 위풍당당 승부수 '보이즈 온 탑'" [SHINee, a majestic match for girl group sensation 'Boyz on Top']. Newsen. October 5, 2009. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  14. ↑ "'2018 MAMA 홍콩' 우주소녀, 세계 무대도 섹시+파워풀 '압도적 존재감'…차세대 한류돌 인증". Hankook llbo (in Korean). Naver. December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  15. ↑ "'스테이지K' 왕중왕전, 트와이스·아이콘·슈주 팀 4강 진출…비아이 통편집 [종합]". Xports News (in Korean). Naver. June 16, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  16. ↑ "BoA to celebrate 20th anniversary of debut with remakes of her classics". Korea JoongAng Daily. July 27, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  17. ↑ 2020년 31주차 Digital Chart [Week 30 of 2017 Digital Chart] (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. July 26 – August 1, 2020. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  18. ↑ "K-pop girl supergroup to feature stars from Aespa members to BoA". South China Morning Post. December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  19. ↑ Chan, Tim (January 3, 2022). "Meet 'Girls on Top:' K-Pop's New Female 'Super Group'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  20. ↑ "에버글로우, '케이콘 LA 2023'에서 컴백 포문" [Everglow kicks off comeback at ‘KCON LA 2023’]. Sports Dong-a (in Korean). Naver. August 22, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  21. ↑ "'유니버스 티켓' 승급-탈락 희비 쌍곡선". Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Naver. December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  22. ↑ "보아, '...뮤직비디오 페스티벌' 축하공연 후 실신". Sports Chosun (in Korean). November 27, 2005. Retrieved May 29, 2021 – via Naver.
  23. ↑ "보아, 순위 진입 2주만에 '음악캠프' 1위 차지" [BoA takes first place in ‘Music Camp’ just 2 weeks after entering the rankings]. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. July 16, 2005. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  24. ↑ "보아, '음악캠프' 2주 연속 1위" [BoA, 1st place on 'Music Camp' for 2 weeks in a row]. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. July 23, 2005. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  25. ↑ "보아, SBS '인기가요' 뮤티즌송 수상 ; '음악캠프' 이어 1위" [BoA, SBS 'Inkigayo' Mutizen Song Award; 1st place after 'Music Camp']. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. July 17, 2005. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  26. ↑ "'걸스 온 탑' 보아, SBS '인기가요' 2주 연속1위" ['Girls on Top' BoA takes first place on SBS' 'Inkigayo' for 2 weeks in a row]. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. July 24, 2005. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  27. ↑ "보아, SBS '인기가요' 3주 연속1위" [BoA takes first place on SBS' 'Inkigayo' for 3 consecutive weeks]. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. July 31, 2005. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Girls on Top by BoA". iTunes JP. Apple. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  29. ↑ "Girls On Top(Special Edition)(DVD付) [CD+DVD]". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  30. ↑ "ＢｏＡのアルバム売り上げランキング" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  31. ↑ "G-Music J-pop Chart – Week 38 of 2005" (in Chinese). G-Music. September 29, 2005. Archived from the original on October 1, 2005. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  32. ↑ 2005.06월 – 가요 음반 판매량 [2005.06 – Sales volume] (in Korean). Music Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on August 14, 2005. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  33. ↑ 2005년 가요음반판매량 [2005 Album Sales Figures] (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
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