About a month ago my Twitter feed started filling with links to an experimental take on BoA‘s ID; Peace B created by Dydsu. A few days later it was time again, and then there was more, and more – all made in tribute to Boa. Having a history as a BoA fan myself I found it all quite intriguing and after procrastinating for a while, I made contact via Twitter after which Mimyo soon agreed to answer a few questions of mine:

Who are the people behind the Model B project?
Well, somebody had to do the chores, like organising the calendar, making contacts, blog and tweet, and that was me, Mimyo. Byul.org (모임 별) willingly did the design for the artist images. All the participants, Curly Sol (my label) and PDH have helped a lot in making decisions, which might be difficult when you have many people joining in. Apart that, music was done by respective artists and it was a work for all of us.

What is the story behind this BoA tribute?
I was just joking on Twitter, saying “it would be fun to see a tribute album to BoA.” People told me it really would be fun and that they’re willing to do that together. This was how we got together in the first place.

You tribute an album to somebody largely influential and respected, like John Lennon or some figure, and we recently hear about a Deulgukhwa (들국화) tribute album. But BoA is considered as an idol, a commercial singer or something, and she’s only 24 years old while having 11 years of career behind. I think she really is very significant and symbolic in today’s Korean pop music in various ways. Thus this tribute could be ironic, funny, refreshing on the ideas of “what makes a real artist and what not”, “how an idol is being consumed” or whatever comes into your head. And, of course, we were serious about making a real tribute to our beloved diva.

How did you pick the participating artists?
Basically we’re all friends or friends of friends’ etc. First members have joined from that tweeter conversation, and we took contact for more by recommendations from participants. Some said no and some couldn’t finally do the job, to my regrets. But I personally think that these 11 teams make a fine combination.

What is the next step, when all songs have been released?
We’re now mastering the album, for the least continuity as an “album.” So it will soon be available on free download from our site. Except that, we don’t know much about the future. We were to try to let BoA know about the project(a tribute should be tributed), which seemed not easy, but magically she retweeted about us and that means that now she knows. Maybe she doesn’t quite hate it. :) So I think we have come to a certain point now. We’ll just watch what the right-holders would do to us because we don’t want to get sued! :)

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Let’s all hope they won’t be! Yesterday the full album was finally posted on the official Tumblr: A Tribute To BoA. Go download!

As it happens my own favorite tributes coincides with some of my favorite BoA songs, namely Byul.org’s take on No.1 and mookou‘s version of Meri Kuri but those songs are all worth a listen. Which ones are your favorites? And which BoA song do you think is missing?