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No. 1 (BoA song)

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"No. 1"
Japanese single cover
Single by BoA
from the album No. 1 and Valenti
A-side"Kiseki"
Released
  • April 12, 2002
  • September 19, 2002 (Japan)
Recorded2002
Genre
Length3:13
Label
Songwriter(s)Kim Young-ah
Producer(s)
BoA singles chronology
"Every Heart (Minna no Kimochi)"
(2002) 		"No. 1"
(2002) 		"Valenti"
(2002)
Music video
"No. 1" on YouTube

"No. 1" is a song by South Korean recording artist BoA. It was released on April 12, 2002, for her second studio album of the same name (2002) through SM Entertainment. In Japan, the song was released as a double A-side CD single with the track "Kiseki" on September 19, 2002, via Avex Trax. The single, titled "Kiseki / No. 1", was included in her second Japanese studio album Valenti (2003). "No. 1" was written by Kim Young-ah, while production was handled by Sigurd Røsnes and Ahn Ik-soo.[1]

Musically, "No. 1" is a dance song that infuses elements of europop. It was met with commercial success following its release; the CD single peaked at number three on the Japanese Oricon Singles Chart and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). In South Korea, "No. 1" won several awards, including the Most Popular Music Video daesang at the 2002 Mnet Music Video Festival and the Grand Prize at the annual SBS Gayo Daejeon. In 2021, a panel of 35 music experts and critics organized by Seoul Shinmun and Melon deemed it the greatest K-pop song of all time.

Background and release

[edit]

Initially, "No. 1" was not planned to serve as the lead single for BoA's album according to former SM Entertainment employee Jason Park. It was originally composed by Norwegian producer Sigurd Røsnes ("Ziggy") and was one of the tracks found on the agency's many demo CDs obtained during a business trip to Sweden in 2001.[2][3] The track eventually gained favorability from SM staff and executive producer Lee Soo-man, and was then slated to be released by the label's in-house composer Yoo Young-jin. However, Park convinced Lee that "No. 1" would be a better choice for BoA after playing it during a car ride for him.[3]

In Japan, it was selected as the second lead maxi CD single for BoA's second Japanese studio album Valenti, and was released as "Kiseki / No. 1" on September 19, 2002, by Avex Trax. The single contains the A-side track "Kiseki" and the B-side track "Flower", in addition to instrumental versions of the tracks.[4] "Kiseki" was also used as Kose's "Luminous" CM song while "No. 1" was used as a theme song for the Busan 2002 Asian Games.[5]

Songwriting controversy

[edit]

After the initial demo was selected for BoA's album in 2002, songwriter Kim Young-ah was offered ₩2 million (US$1,800) by SM Entertainment to write its Korean lyrics. Upon the song's release, SM signed a music copyright license agreement with Universal Music, who in 2003, registered Røsnes as its sole lyricist and composer to the Korean Music Copyright Association (KMCA). In 2011, Kim requested to the KMCA to withhold payments of its copyright royalties for Universal Music, and subsequently filed a lawsuit regarding the song's copyright status the following year. In July 2015, Kim was judged the rightful credit as the songwriter by the South Korean supreme court, and was awarded ₩45 million (US$40,000) in royalties as well as ₩5 million (US$4,400) in compensation for the 13 year-old ordeal.[6]

Composition

[edit]

Musically, "No. 1" is a dance song that incorporates stylistic elements from europop.[7] The version released by BoA was written by Kim Young-ah, while arrangement of the track was handled by Ahn Ik-soo.[1] It features "glittering dance production reminiscent of Max Martin and innocent R&B vocals".[8] While producing the song, Røsnes expressed that he "wanted to write kind of an uplifting happy thing – something that would make you feel good".[3]

Reception

[edit]

"No. 1" was met with positive reception in both South Korea and Japan. In Mnet's Gayo Best 27 ranking of the top 100 popular songs during the first half of 2002, "No. 1" ranked at number three, placing behind Shinhwa's "Perfect Man" and Lee Seung-hwan's "Wrong".[9] In December, it was reported that "No. 1" was the song most frequently looked up by South Korean internet users throughout the year, as well as the top choice for those seeking a song to confess their love.[10] In addition, it was ranked number five in the list of the year's most downloaded mobile phone ringtones.[11]

In Japan, the single "Kiseki / No. 1" peaked at number three on the weekly Oricon Singles Chart. The release became her second top-three single in the country, and remained on the chart for a total of 17 weeks.[12] In October 2002, "Kiseki / No. 1" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for physical shipments of 200,000 units.[13]

Accolades

[edit]
Awards and nominations for "No. 1"
Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2002 Mnet Music Video Festival Most Popular Music Video (Daesang) Won [14]
Best Dance Performance Won
Best Female Artist Nominated [15]
SBS Gayo Daejeon Grand Prize (Daesang) Won [16]
Music program awards
Program Date Ref.
Music Camp May 11, 2002 [17]
Inkigayo May 12, 2002
May 19, 2002
May 26, 2002

Impact and legacy

[edit]

BoA's debut Japanese album Listen to My Heart from earlier that year was met with breakthrough success for the South Korean music industry, where it became the first album by a non-Japanese artist to top the Oricon Albums Chart and to be certified million. Regarding the release of "No. 1", Michael Fuhr wrote that it acted as "not only a milestone in [BoA's] career as a transnational idol star, but also proved the viability of SM Entertainment's export strategy. It was the first time the company gained chart success in Korea and Japan with a song licensed from Europe."[2] Tamar Herman wrote that "As a result, the Japanese music market became more familiar with Korean artistry and a major market for just about every other K-pop act that followed."[3]

In an article that was published after the release of BoA's tenth Korean studio album in 2020, Korea JoongAng Daily highlighted "No. 1" as the track that initially propelled the singer into the spotlight in South Korea, noting that it remained her most acclaimed hit. In an interview with the same publication, BoA singled out "No. 1" and 2012's "Only One" as her two favorite hits of her career.[18] South China Morning Post's Lucy Jeong highlighted the phrase "You're still my number one" as a popular catchphrase and a common fan cheer chant, and remarked that the "iconic song, which showcases Boa's powerful dancing and vocals as well as a cheerful upbeat style, is a go-to for other K-pop girl groups, like GFriend and Red Velvet, to perform as a dance cover."[19]

In 2014, Mnet included "No. 1" in their Legend 100 listing of most influential songs in Korean popular music history since the 1960s.[20] In The Dong-a Ilbo's 2016 survey involving 2,000 people and 30 Korean music critics, it was voted as the fourth best female idol song in the past 20 years by both the public and music experts, the latter along with 2NE1's "I Am the Best" and Girls' Generation's "Into the New World".[21] In a panel of 35 music experts and industry professionals organized by online portal Melon and newspaper Seoul Shinmun, "No. 1" was ranked the greatest K-pop song of all-time for its cultural significance, artistic quality and performance.[22][23] Rolling Stone ranked it the 18th greatest song in the history of Korean pop music, referring to it as "her most emblematic crossover hit".[8]

"No. 1" on critic lists and polls
Publisher Year List Rank Ref.
MTV Korea 2004 100 Best Korean Music Videos 9 [24]
Gallup Korea 2006 100 All Time Favorite Korean Songs 27 [25]
2024 10 Most Beloved K-pop Songs of the 21st Century 10 [26]
Mnet 2014 Legend 100 Songs — [20]
Music Y 2014 Best 120 Dance Tracks of All Time 37 [27]
The Dong-a Ilbo 2016 Best Female Idol Songs in the Past 20 Years 4 [21]
Melon 2021 Top 100 K-pop Songs of All Time 1 [23]
Marie Claire 2021 35 Essential K-pop Songs — [28]
Rolling Stone 2023 100 Greatest Songs in the History of Korean Pop Music 18 [8]

Track listing

[edit]
Japanese CD single
  1. "Kiseki" – 4:17
  2. "No. 1" – 3:13
  3. "Flower" – 3:30
  4. "Kiseki" (Instrumental) – 4:17
  5. "No. 1" (Instrumental) – 3:13
  6. "Flower" (Instrumental) – 3:30

Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from MusicBrainz and Melon.[1][29]

Korean version credits
Japanese version credits

Charts

[edit]
Charts for "Kiseki / No. 1"
Chart (2002) Peak
position
Japan Singles (Oricon)[12] 3

Sales and certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[13] Gold 200,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Label(s) Ref.
South Korea April 12, 2002 SM Entertainment [1]
Japan September 19, 2002 Avex Trax [30]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "No.1 - 보아 (BoA)" (in Korean). Melon. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Fuhr, Michael (June 12, 2015). Globalization and Popular Music in South Korea: Sounding Out K-Pop. Taylor & Francis. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-317-55691-6. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Yim, Hyun-su (April 13, 2020). "Revisiting BoA's 'No.1' two decades on". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on April 28, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  4. ^ "Kiseki / No. 1 – BoA". Apple Music. September 19, 2002. Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  5. ^ Hong, Je-seong (September 24, 2002). 보아 'No.1' 일본서 부산AG 테마송 채택 [BoA's 'No.1' adopted the theme song of Busan AG in Japan]. Yonhap News (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  6. ^ Kwon, Nam-young (July 6, 2015). 보아 '넘버원' 작사가 13년 만에 저작권료 4500만원 받아 [BoA's 'No. 1' lyricist receives 45 million won in royalties for the first time in 13 years]. Kookmin Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2021 – via Naver.
  7. ^ Kang, Mi-seon (April 12, 2002). [코스닥] SM '한국서 보아 새앨범 발매' [[Kosdaq] SM "Releases BoA's new album in Korea"]. Money Today. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Naver.
  8. ^ a b c "The 100 Greatest Songs in the History of Korean Pop Music". Rolling Stone. July 20, 2023. Archived from the original on October 22, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  9. ^ Hong, Je-seong (June 25, 2002). <방송가> m.net 상반기 팝ㆍ가요 결산 외 [<Broadcaster> m.net releases 1st half of the year's pop and song rankings, etc.]. Yonhap News (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 15, 2022 – via Naver.
  10. ^ Kang, Hee-jong (December 11, 2002). '보아 No.1', 올해 네티즌 인기도 '넘버원' ['Boa No. 1', Netizens Popularity 'No. 1' this year]. iNews24 (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021 – via Naver.
  11. ^ Kook, Soon-shin (December 27, 2002). '오~ 필승코리아', 올해 최고 휴대폰 벨소리 ['Oh~ Pilseung Korea', the best cell phone ringtone of the year]. iNews24 (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Naver.
  12. ^ a b BoAのリリース一覧 [List of BoA's Releases]. Oricon. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  13. ^ a b "Japanese single certifications – BoA – Kiseki / No. 1" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2002年10月 on the drop-down menu
  14. ^ Hong, Je-seong (November 29, 2002). m.net 뮤비 페스티벌, 보아 'No.1' 최고인기상 [m.net Music Video Festival, BoA 'No.1' Best Popularity Award]. Yonhap News (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021 – via Naver.
  15. ^ "2002 Mnet Music Video Festival part 1". Mwave. November 29, 2002. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016.
  16. ^ Hong, Je-seong (December 30, 2002). '2002 SBS 가요대전' 대상은 보아 ['2002 SBS Gayo Daejeon' BoA wins Grand Prize]. Yonhap News (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2021 – via Daum.
  17. ^ Kang, Mi-seon (May 13, 2002). [코스닥] 에스엠, 보아2집 국내방송순위 1위 [[KOSDAQ] SM, BoA’s 2nd album ranked 1st in domestic broadcast rankings]. Money Today (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Naver.
  18. ^ Yoon, So-yeon (December 1, 2020). "After two decades in the music industry, BoA is still learning". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  19. ^ Jeong, Lucy (November 5, 2020). "'Queen of K-pop': celebrating Boa's 34th birthday and 20th anniversary". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Kim, Soo-jung (February 3, 2014). '동백아가씨'부터 '강남스타일'까지, 대중 사로잡은 명곡은? [From 'Camellia Lady' to 'Gangnam Style', which famous songs have captured the public?]. MediaUS. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  21. ^ a b '반짝반짝 눈이 부셔'… 빅뱅-소녀시대 역대 최고 아이돌 ['It’s so bright and dazzling’… Big Bang - Girls' Generation's best idol of all time]. The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). September 1, 2016. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  22. ^ "Top 100 K-pop songs of all time revealed". Manila Bulletin. August 29, 2021. Archived from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  23. ^ a b Sng, Suzanne (August 29, 2021). "BoA's song No. 1 is the top K-pop song of all time, say music industry experts". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  24. ^ Hong, Je-seong (July 14, 2004). '최고 뮤비는 브라운 아이즈 '벌써 1년''-MTV 조사 ["Best music video is Brown Eyes 'Already a Year'" – MTV Survey]. Yonhap News (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2021 – via Naver.
  25. ^ 2006 한국인이 좋아하는 가요 100곡 [2006 Top 100 popular songs loved by Koreans] (in Korean). Gallup Korea. December 1, 2006. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  26. ^ "'레전드' 싸이 '강남스타일' 21세기 최고 히트곡 등극[창간 20주년 설문]" ['Legend' Psy's 'Gangnam Style' Becomes 21st Century's Greatest Hit Song [20th Anniversary Survey]]. Star News (in Korean). Naver. September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  27. ^ Park, Byung-woon (July 22, 2014). Dance Track 120 – 보아 (BoA) [No.1]. Music Y (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  28. ^ LeGardye, Quinci (November 8, 2021). "35 Essential K-Pop Songs Every Fan Should Know". Marie Claire. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  29. ^ "Release "奇蹟 / NO.1" by BoA" (in Japanese). MusicBrainz. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  30. ^ "Kiseki, No.1 (CCCD) BoA CD Maxi". CDJapan. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
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