Bonamana (song)

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Bonamana is a 2010 song by South Korean boy band Super Junior. It’s the lead single from their fourth studio album, also titled Bonamana. The Korean digital single was released on May 10, 2010, ahead of the album.

Style and theme
Bonamana is built in a “SJ Funky” style, mixing house, electronica, funk and hip hop with Afro percussion and a Jupiter synth riff. The vocals use auto-tune. The lyrics describe a man who is sincerely trying to win a girl’s love and are noted for being witty and humorous.

Background
The song was written and produced by Yoo Young-jin, who also wrote the Korean lyrics. It draws on American-influenced electronic, funk and dance sounds and helped shape the band’s continuing funky, groove-focused style.

Japanese release
A Japanese version was released in 2011. It was released as a digital single on May 18, 2011, and as a CD/DVD on June 8, 2011, making it Super Junior’s first official Japanese single. The release performed well on Japanese charts, with strong initial sales and a popular music video.

Promotion and reception
Bonamana was announced as the lead single for the fourth album on May 6, 2010, and first released digitally on May 10. Super Junior performed the song on major Korean music shows starting May 14, and it quickly rose to the top of Music Bank’s K-Chart. The song also appeared on shows like Inkigayo and The Music Trend during the promotion period, giving the group several early wins.

Music video
The music video, directed by Jang Jae-hyuk, was filmed in Namyangju, Korea, in late April 2010. It features sepia-toned visuals and hip-hop dance formations inspired by speed skating, including a skate-dance motif in the first hook. A teaser was released on May 7, 2010, and the full video premiered on May 12 on SM Entertainment’s and GOMTV platforms. The video drew hundreds of thousands of views on release and has accumulated hundreds of millions of views over time.

Accolades
Bonamana earned several music show wins in 2010, including multiple first-place finishes on Music Bank and Inkigayo during the promotion period.

Credits
Studio work was handled by SM Booming System (recording and mixing) and Sonic Korea (mastering). The team included SM Entertainment (executive producer) and Lee Soo-man (producer). Super Junior contributed vocals and background vocals. Yoo Young-jin produced the track, wrote the Korean lyrics, composed and arranged the music, and directed vocal sessions. Goro Matsui provided the Japanese lyrics, and Jeon Hoon did the mastering.

Charts
Korean chart performance saw a peak near the top 10 on Gaon, while the U.S. World Digital Song Sales chart placed the song in the upper tier. In Japan, the single performed strongly on Oricon’s daily chart and sold well overall.

Release history
- Korea: May 10, 2010 (digital)
- Japan: May 18, 2011 (digital); June 8, 2011 (CD/DVD)