TVXQ
{{Infobox musical artist | name = TVXQ
東方神起 | image = | caption = | landscape = yes | background = group_or_band | alias = (동방신기) Dong Bang Shin Ki
DBSK
(東方神起)(东方神起) Dōngfāngshénqǐ
(東方神起) Tōhōshinki
Rising Gods of the East | origin = South Korea | genre = Pop, R&B, dance, electronica, hip hop | years_active = 2003 - present | label = S.M. Entertainment
(South Korea)
Avex Group
(Japan)
| associated_acts = SMTown | website = Official Korean Website
Official Japanese Website | members = U-Know Yunho
Max Changmin
Hero Jaejoong
Micky Yoochun
Xiah Junsu
東方神起 | image = | caption = | landscape = yes | background = group_or_band | alias = (동방신기) Dong Bang Shin Ki
DBSK
(東方神起)(东方神起) Dōngfāngshénqǐ
(東方神起) Tōhōshinki
Rising Gods of the East | origin = South Korea | genre = Pop, R&B, dance, electronica, hip hop | years_active = 2003 - present | label = S.M. Entertainment
(South Korea)
Avex Group
(Japan)
| associated_acts = SMTown | website = Official Korean Website
Official Japanese Website | members = U-Know Yunho
Max Changmin
Hero Jaejoong
Micky Yoochun
Xiah Junsu
TVXQ, an acronym for Tong Vfang
Xien Qi (traditional
Chinese: 東方神起)[1],
stylized as TVXQ![2],
is a South Korean pop
group formed in 2003 under SM Entertainment. In South Korea they are known
as Dong Bang Shin Ki[3][4] (Korean: 동방신기), often abbreviated as DBSK; and
in Japan as Tohoshinki (Japanese: 東方神起). Their name
translates to "The Rising Gods of the East".[5][6]
The group debuted in
2003 as a 5 member boy band consisting
of leader U-Know Yunho, Max Changmin, Hero Jaejoong, MickyYoochun and Xiah Junsu.
In July 2009, the latter three filed for an injunction against their Korean
agency SM Entertainment.
This led to TVXQ ceasing all public activities and appearances after 2009.
After a hiatus of 2 years and 3 months, TVXQ returned as a duo consisting
of Yunho and Changmin.
TVXQ is one of Asia's
most successful acts and they have been labelled as "Asia's Stars"[7] and "Kings of Korean Pop and
Hallyu Wave" for their immense success and contributions to Korean pop.[8][9][10] Since
their debut, TVXQ has released 5 Korean albums, 5 Japanese albums, over 20
Korean singles and over 30 Japanese singles. According to Gaon Chart, til March 2012, TVXQ has sold over 10.1
million copies of albums, singles and DVDs throughout their career in Korea and
Japan alone, excluding sales from other Asian and international countries.[11] After gaining much popularity around
the world, TVXQ also is said to have sold over 20 million copies of album,
singles, DVD and their own publications books worldwide, making them the most
successful Korean artist both in Asia and worldwide presently.[12][not
in citation given] TVXQ’s The Best Selection 2010 broke
several records for being the first foreign male artists to surpass the 700,000
mark in Japan.[13] They have two official fanclubs in
Korea and Japan, known respectively asCassiopeia and BigEast, the former which notably
earned a Guinness World Record in 2008 for its size and is said to be one of
the largest fan clubs in the world, boasting 1.5 million fans in Asia and 5.5
million worldwide.[14]
TVXQ topped the
Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for the ninth time with the release of their single
"Keep Your Head Down"
from their album of the same name in Japan, expanding their record for the most
number-one singles by a foreign artist.[15] It
is the second time since Oricon inaugurated searching for sales in 1968 that a
single by a foreign artist gathered more than 200,000 copies sold in the first
week. The initial occurrence happened in 2009, when TVXQ sold 256,000 units of
“Break Out!”.
In 2011, TVXQ
returned as a duo with the release of their Korean pop album Keep Your Head Down,
which ranked at No. 1 on the Gaon Chart two weeks after its release. Their
full-length Japanese album TONE was released on September 28, 2011,
selling 205,000 copies in its first week and reaching #1 on the Daily, Weekly
and Monthly Oricon Charts. This is the first time in TVXQ's history that they
have achieved a #1 in all 3 Oricon rankings charts. Since their 2011 comeback,
TVXQ has sold more than 1 million copies in Korean album sales and Japanese
singles and album sales.
Contents
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[edit]History
[edit]2003–2005:
Debut, Tri-angle and Rising Sun
Before their debut,
the group was offered three tentative names: O Jang Yukbu (오장육부 lit. The
Five Visceras), Jeonseoleul Meokgo Saneun Gorae (전설을 먹고 사는 고래 lit. A Whale
That Eats Legends), and Dong Bang Bul Pae (동방불패, the Korean title of
Invincible East). They decided on Dong Bang Bul Pae; however the name was
rejected because the Hanja was not aesthetically
pleasing, and the name was changed to Dong Bang Shin Gi, which was suggested
by Lee Soo Man's acquaintance.[16]
TVXQ made their debut
on December 26, 2003 during a BoA and Britney Spears showcase, where they performed
their debut single "Hug" and an a cappella rendition of "O Holy Night" with BoA.[17][18] The
group released their debut single "Hug" on January 14, 2004; it
peaked at #4 on the monthly charts and sold a total of 169,532 copies, making
it the fourteenth best-selling record of the year.[19][20][fn 1] Their
second single, "The Way U Are" (July 2004), debuted at #2 spot on the
charts, becoming the ninth best-selling-record of the year, selling 214,069
copies.[20][21] TVXQ
released their debut album, Tri-Angle (October 2004). Tri-angle debuted
atop the charts and sold a total of 242,580 copies, making it the year's eighth
best-selling record.[20]
In April 2005, TVXQ
debuted in Japan under the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone with the single "Stay with Me
Tonight".[22] They
released their second Japanese single, "Somebody to Love", before
returning to Korea and releasing their second Korean album Rising Sun. Rising
Sun debuted atop the charts and became the fourth best-selling-record
of 2005 with a total of 222,472 copies sold.[23] TVXQ ended the year with two
releases: their third Japanese single, "My Destiny", and a Korean
single with label-mate Super Junior,
"Show Me
Your Love". The latter debuted atop the charts and sold 49,945
copies, making it the thirty-fifth best-selling record of the year.[23][24] At
the end of the year, TVXQ received the Best Music Video award for the song
"Rising Sun" and the People's Choice Award at the 2005 Mnet KM Music
Video Festival.[25]
[edit]2006–2007: Heart,
Mind and Soul and "O"-Jung.Ban.Hap.
TVXQ began 2006 with
their first international tour, "Rising Sun 1st Asia Tour".
And in addition to South Korea, they toured in China, Thailand, and Malaysia,
which made them the first Korean artist to hold a concert in Malaysia.[26] In March, the group released their
fourth Japanese single, "Asu wa Kuru Kara" (明日は来るから lit. Because
Tomorrow Will Come?),
and their debut Japanese album, Heart,
Mind and Soul.
TVXQ in Paris France
in 2007 for theirBonjour Paris photoshoot.
From top-left: Hero Jaejoong, Uknow Yunho;
bottom-left: Micky Yoochun, Max Changmin, and Xiah Junsu.
From top-left: Hero Jaejoong, Uknow Yunho;
bottom-left: Micky Yoochun, Max Changmin, and Xiah Junsu.
The album debuted on
the weekly Oricon album chart at #25 with 9,554 copies sold.[27] Their fifth Japanese single,
"Rising Sun/Heart, Mind and Soul", which was released a month later,
debuted on the Oricon singles chart at #22.[28] To
support the album, TVXQ held their first Japanese tour, 1st Live Tour
2006: Heart, Mind and Soul, from May to June.[29] TVXQ
then released two more Japanese singles, "Begin" and "Sky".
The latter debuted at #6 in the Oricon Weekly Chart, making it the group's
first single to reach the Top Ten.[30][31][32]In
the summer, TVXQ performed in Avex's annual A-Nation summer concert.[33]
The group resumed
their Korean activities with the release of their third album, "O"-Jung.Ban.Hap. ("O"-正.反.合. lit. "O"-Thesis.Antithesis.Synthesis)[fn 2] in September 2006. Like their
previous Korean albums, "O"-Jung.Ban.Hap. debuted
atop the charts; with a total of 349,317 copies sold, it became the number-one
record of the year.[35][36] Two
months after "O"-Jung.Ban.Hap, the group released another
Japanese single, "Miss You/"O" - Sei-Han-Gō" (miss you/"O"‐正・反・合 lit. Miss
You/"O" - Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis?),
which debuted on the chart at #3, making it their first Top Five single.[37] At the 2006 MKMF Music Festival, TVXQ
won four awards, "Best Artist of the Year", "Best Group",
"Mnet.com" and "Mnet Plus Mobile People's Choice Award".[38] At the 16th Music Seoul Festival,
TVXQ won three awards including a "Daesang" award.[39] The group won another
"Daesang" award at the 21st Golden Disk Awards 2006, in addition to a
"Bonsang".[40] At
the SBS Gayo Awards 2006, TVXQ won another "Daesang" and
"Bonsang" award.[41]
TVXQ began 2007 with
a new Japanese single, "Step By Step", which
was followed by their second Asian tour, The 2nd Asia Tour Concert 'O'.[42] The tour took place in Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Beijing.[43] In March, the group released their
tenth Japanese single, "Choosey Lover", and their second Japanese
album, Five in the Black.
Both debuted in the Top 10 of their respective charts, the former at #9 and the
latter at #10.[44] In
May, the group attended the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards
Japan and won the "Best Buzz Asia in Korea" award for
their album "O"-Jung.Ban.Hap.[45] From
June to December 2007, the group released a string of five singles: "Lovin' You",
"Summer: Summer Dream/Song for You/Love in the Ice",
"Shine / Ride On",
"Forever Love"
and "Together".
"Summer: Summer Dream/Song for You/Love in the Ice" reached #2 on the
Oricon, making it the group's highest-charting Japanese single to that point.
TVXQ also collaborated with label-mate Kumi Koda for her thirty-eighth single "Last Angel", which was used as the theme song
for the Japanese release of Resident Evil: Extinction.[46]
[edit]2008–2009:
Continued success in Japan and Mirotic
TVXQ released their
sixteenth Japanese single, "Purple Line",
on January 16, 2008. It debuted atop the Oricon, becoming the group's first
number-one in Japan and making them the first foreign male group to have a
number-one single in Japan.[47] They then released their third
Japanese album, T, which
debuted at #4 on the Oricon Weekly album chart.[48]TVXQ's
label Rhythm Zone,
announced the "Trick" project where five singles would be released
consecutively for six weeks, from February to March and each single would
contain a solo track by a member.[49][50] The
group released their twenty-second single, "Beautiful
You / Sennen Koi Uta" in April. The single became another
number-one for the group and made them the first non-Japanese Asians with two
number-one singles since Ou-Yang Fei Fei set the record 24 years before.[51][52] They
returned to Korea to participate in the 14th Annual Dream Concert at the Olympic Stadium in
Seoul on June 7.[53] On
June 12, TVXQ concluded their Asia Tour in Beijing which had begun on February
23, 2007 in Seoul.[43]TVXQ returned to Japan and released their
twenty-third single, "Dōshite
Kimi o Suki ni Natte Shimattandarō?" The single topped the
chart, making TVXQ the first foreign artists to have three number-one singles
on the Oricon.[54] They performed at Avex's 20th
anniversary meeting and at A-Nation '08.[55][56] In
August, TVXQ returned to Korea once again to take part in SMTown Live '08. They performed alongside label-mates
BoA, Cheon Sang Ji Hee the Grace, Zhang Liyin, Girls' Generation, SHINee and Super Junior.[57]
TVXQ performing at SM
Town Live in Bangkok in February 2009.
The group's
fourth Korean album, Mirotic, was slated to be released on September
24 but due to the large number of pre-orders was pushed back two days.[58] Like their previous Korean
album, Mirotic debuted atop the charts with 307,974 copies
sold.[59][60] In
early January 2009, the album's sales totaled 502,837 copies, making it the
first Korean album in six years to pass the 500,000 mark.[61][62] In
October, TVXQ released "Jumon: Mirotic", the Japanese version of Mirotic's
title track. The single topped the Oricon chart, breaking the record that the
group had set with their previous single.[63][64] TVXQ
attended the prestigious Kōhaku Uta Gassen Music
Festival on New Year's Eve,
making them the first Korean group to attend. The honor of performing on Kohaku
is strictly by invitation, so only the most successful J-POP artists and enka
singers can perform. Even today, a performance on Kohaku is said to be a big
highlight in a singer’s career because of the show’s large reach.[65]
Their twenty-fifth
single "Bolero/Kiss
the Baby Sky/Wasurenaide", released in January 2009, became
another number-one for the group.[66][67] In
March, TVXQ released their twenty-sixth single "Survivor"
which debuted at #3 on the charts subsequently ending their number-one streak.[68] "Survivor" was followed by
their fourth Japanese album, The Secret Code,
which debuted at #2 on the charts.[69] To
support the album they embarked on their fourth concert tour, Tohoshinki
4th Live Tour 2009: The Secret Code, which ended at the Tokyo Dome, making them the first Korean group to
perform there.[70][71]
On April 22, 2009,
they released their twenty-seventh single "Share the World/We Are!".
The single debuted atop the charts, extending their Oricon record.[72] Their twenty-eighth single, "Stand by U", was released on July 1, 2009 and
debuted at #2 on the charts.
The group's live DVD
titled "4th Live Tour 2009 - The Secret Code - Final in Tokyo Dome"
was released on September 30. According to the 10/12 Oricon DVD Ranking, it
sold more than 171,000 copies, their personal best for sales in this category
on the first week of its release. In a month, The Secret Code has sold over
300,000 copies. In addition, this is the first time in twenty years for a
non-Japanese Asian artist to get first place in the DVD rankings, exceeding
previous foreign artists who have attained this ranking included The Beatles' "The Beatles Anthology (Special
Price Edition Edition)" which was released in March 2003 and Led Zeppelin's "Led Zeppelin DVD", which
was released in June 2003 and have held that position for foreign artist
getting first for 6 years and 3 months since. Also, based on the sale numbers
of their DVD, they broke their personal record by pre-selling 107,000 copies.
Their previous records include their 3rd Live Tour 2008 - T which
was released in August 2008 and was last recorded as having sold 112,000
copies, and All About DBSK Season 3 which sold 66,000 copies
so far. This time, their DVD sold more than twice that amount with a total
sales of 353,000 copies and broke the record for the highest initial sales for
foreign artists.[73]
[edit]2010: Japanese
activities, lawsuit and hiatus
TVXQ started out the
year with their twenty-ninth single, "Break Out!", released on January 27, 2010, which
created a new record for the group. The single topped the Oricon, selling
256,000 copies in its first week and breaking Elton John's record for the highest first week sales
for a foreign artist, which had lasted for 14 years and 8 months.[74][75] In
February, the group was chosen to sing the opening song "With All My Heart
-君が踊る、夏-"
for the Japanese movie "君が踊る、夏 / Kimi ga Odoru,
Natsu", which hit the screens in September 2010.[76] On
March 24, 2010, TVXQ released a new single called "Toki o Tomete".[77] TVXQ's
Japanese album, The Best Selection 2010 surpassed
the 500,000 mark, achieving double platinum in February, and transcended the
700,000 mark in March, becoming their best sale in Japan. With this TVXQ became
the first foreign boy band and also the first foreign male artists to sell over
700,000 albums in Japan.[13]
On April 3, 2010,
Avex announced the hiatus of TVXQ's Japanese activities and that it would focus
on helping each member with their solo activities.[78] Avex announced later that month that
Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu would appear as JYJ in the Thanksgiving Live in
Dome concert in Japan.[79]
From August to
September 2010, Yunho and Changmin performed as TVXQ in Seoul, Los Angeles and Shanghai as part of the SMTown Live '10 World Tour.[80]
On November 23,
2010, SM Entertainment announced
that TVXQ would be returning as a duo consisting of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin in early 2011.[81] On November 24, 2010, Avex
Entertainment, as well as SM Entertainment Japan, released a statement
regarding the renewal of SM artists' contracts with Avex, including TVXQ who
would continue as a duo under Avex Trax.[82]
[edit]2011:
Return as duo, Keep Your Head Down and TONE
TVXQ's newest
album, Keep Your Head Down,
was released in South Korea on January 5, 2011 and ranked at #1 on the Gaon Chart two weeks after release.[83] Gaon Chart's half-year sales chart ranked TVXQ's
album Keep Your Head Down as
the highest selling album of the year to date, with a total of 230,922 copies
sold from January to June 2011.[84][85]In
addition, the repackaged album of Keep Your Head Down ranked #9 on the same
chart and sold 55,243 copies, making the total sales figure 286,185.[86]
Their Japanese single
"Why? (Keep Your Head Down)," released by Avex Trax in Japan on January 26, 2011, sold
231,000 copies in the first week and reached #1 on the Oricon singles Daily,
Weekly, and Monthly charts. On July 20, the duo released the Japanese single
"Superstar," which sold over 184,000 copies and was certified Gold by
month's end.[87]
TVXQ performed in
A-Nation 2011 after their long two year hiatus in Japan. A-nation made its way
through five cities, Ehime, Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo. During the live concert
in Tokyo, TVXQ unexpectedly became the first foreign artist to become
A-Nation's "Big Bird," or the ending performer. The honor had
previously gone to Ayumi Hamasaki for
every A-nation concert for the past 8 years.[88]
From September 2–4,
2011, U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin participated in SMTOWN Live In Tokyo,
along with fellow labelmates, at the Tokyo Dome, performing past hits "Rising Sun",
"Mirotic", "Superstar", "Keep Your Head Down",
as well as their new track " B.U.T (BE-AU-TY)".[89]
In preparation for
the release of their first Japanese album in 2.5 years, the full music video
for "B.U.T (BE-AU-TY)"
(one of the singles off the album) was released through various sites on
September 19.[90] TVXQ's
new full-length Japanese album, TONE, was released on September 28. Selling
105,484 copies on the day of its release and over 205,000 copies by week's end,
the album ranked #1 on Oricon Daily and Weekly Charts, and #1 on Oricon October
Monthly Chart, by selling more than 285 000 copies. It is TVXQ's first
full-length album to secure the #1 Oricon Weekly and Monthly positions. TONE
earned RIAJ's Platinum certification within two weeks of its
Japanese release,[91] and
broke an 11-year long record making TVXQ the first male foreign artist to sell
over 200,000 copies of an album in its first week of release in Japan
(previously held by Bon Jovi in 2000).[92]According
to RIAJ's calculations of album sales from January 1 to September 30, TVXQ
surpassed the 250,000 mark, and achieved the Platinum certification in just
three days of release.[93]
In September 2011,
TVXQ gained interest for signing a "friendship contract" with French
fashion brand Lacoste, the
first ever such partnership Lacoste has made with Korea. TVXQ officially began
promoting Lacoste towards the end of 2011.[94]
TVXQ joined many of
Korea's top singers to perform at the 2011 Hallyu Dream Concert at Gyeongju
Citizens’ Stadium on October 3, where they performed songs "Maximum"
and "Keep Your Head Down" from their new album.[95][96] It
was the closing event for Gyeonju’s three-day Hallyu Dream Festival, organized by
the city of Gyeongju, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the Korea
Tourism Organization to promote the “Visit Korea Year.”[97] Live
coverage of the concert was aired on On October 6 by Mnet (TV channel).[98]
On October 9, 2011,,
TVXQ participated in the “New York-Korea Festival", a specially planned
program by KBS Global to
commemorate the 20th anniversary of Korea’s entry into the United Nations. It
was held in New Jersey and the live performances were recorded and broadcast on
October 22 on KBS2 TV.[99]
As part of SMTOWN Live In New York,
TVXQ performed in the SMTown Concert in New York at the legendary Madison
Square Garden on October 23 alongside label-mates including SNSD, Super Junior,
SHINee, BoA and Kangta.[100] They
performed a mix of past and present songs from their most recent Korean album,
opening their act with a medley of "The Way You
Are"/"Mirotic", "Maximum", "Before U Go",
"Keep Your Head Down" and ending with "Rising Sun".[101]
On October 29, TVXQ
released their 東方神起 3rd Artist Japanese Book: El Sol, which
ranked #1 on Book Oricon Weekly Chart by selling more than 11,160 copies. After
5 weeks of its release the photobook sold a total of 35,473 copies.
TVXQ was also the
closing act at the 2011 K-pop Music Festival in Sydney, Australia, presented by
JK Entertainment on November 12,[102] where
they performed songs from their latest Korean album, "Maximum",
"Before U Go" and "Keep Your Head Down".
Their new Japanese
single 'Winter Rose' was released on November 30, it has been described as a
pearly ballade song fit for the winter season. It was selected as the
commercial song for Seven & i Holdings’s “Winter Gift – Tohoshinki (Snow
Episode)”, with TVXQ themselves as actors, which begun airing on November 8. It
was the fourth commercial of Seven & i Holdings to feature TVXQ in 2011.[103]
TVXQ participated
in 2011
Winter SMTown – The Warmest Gift album with the song
"Sleigh Ride". The album was released on December 13, 2011.[104]
On NHK Kouhaku Uta
Gassen's official website, TVXQ was confirmed as one of the performers for the
62nd NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen, the most prestigious award show in Japan. TVXQ
alongside other Korean groups KARA and SNSD attended the award show on 31
December 2011, New Year's Eve. This was TVXQ's third time participating in the
Kouhaku and first time as their new status as a duo.[105]
In 2011, adding up
their Korean album sales and Japanese singles and album sales TVXQ sold over
1,300,000 copies.
[edit]2012: TONE
Tour, Present Activities & Second-half-of-the-year Korean comeback
TVXQ launched their
first Japanese solo tour in nearly three years in January 2012. The initial
Arena tour was to held in 9 cities all across Japan, spanning 2 months, from 18
January to 18 March 2012. [106] Tickets to the tour were so
ridiculously popular that they sold out in just under one minute.[107] After 6 more shows were added (3
nights each for both Tokyo Dome and Kyocera Dome) due to high demand for the
tickets, the tour was expected to draw an audience of up to 550,000 people.[108] Spanning a total of 26 shows in 11 cities
within 4 months, Tohoshinki Live Tour 2012 ~ TONE is the largest concert series
in the entire TVXQ history to date. This tour also marked another milestone in
TVXQ's Japanese career history by making them the 3rd foreign artist (after
Michael Jackson and the Backstreet Boys) to perform at Asia's Dream Stage,
Tokyo Dome, for 3 consecutive days, attracting crowds of over 165,000. TONE's
550,000 audience was also the largest mobilization for any Korean artist, for
both domestic and international concert activities.
TVXQ's newest
Japanese single, "STILL" also grabbed the No. 1 spot in the Oricon
Weekly Chart, recording a total of 138,664 units sold. The track is TVXQ's 26th
single to enter the Top 10 ranking since "Sky" in 2006, breaking
BoA's former record of 25 singles. [109]
TVXQ participated as
the ending stage in the 18th Annual Dream Concert held on May 12, entitled
"I Love Korea", at Seoul World Cup Stadium. This charity event, participated
in by 20 other top Korean acts, is an affair geared to raise funds for helping
underprivileged Korean youths.[110]
TVXQ, along with
other SM artists, took part in SMTOWN Live World Tour III in Los Angeles. The
event was held on May 20 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. [111] The day after, TVXQ participated in
the 2012 MBC Korean Music Wave in Google. This free concert was held at the
Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, and was streamed worldwide
via YouTube. [112]
TVXQ, along with
other SM Entertainment artists, brought their SMTOWN World Tour III to Taiwan
on June 9. The family concert of SM artists was held at Hsinchu County Stadium,
Hsinchu, Taiwan. The duo performed their hit tracks "Keep Your Head
Down," "Maximum," "Rising Sun," as well as the full
2012 version of "Mirotic."
TVXQ's 4th BigEast
Fanclub Event entitled "The Mission" kicked off with the first half
that was held on June 30 and July 1. Held at the Saitama Super Arena, the event
gathered a total of 88,000 fans in attendance. On July 7 and 8, TVXQ brought
their fan meet to Kobe Memorial World Hall, where approximately 32,000 people
came to attend. TVXQ's fanclub event is touted as the largest in Japan's music
history.[113]
TVXQ's 34th single,
"Android" was released on July 11. The full audio was first played on
BayFM radio in Japan the night of June 16. This is the first dance track the
duo will release since Superstar and B.U.T.[114] Android
was met with a huge welcome and following from TVXQ's fans, sending it at the
top of the Oricon Daily Chart with 98,550 copies sold on the first day.[115] Following the single release will be
the official sale for their fifth live tour DVD, Tohoshinki Live Tour 2012 ~
TONE on July 25. TVXQ's Android became the group's 11th Oricon Weekly chart
topper, thus breaking the group's own previous record of 10 chart-topping
singles. TVXQ was also recognized by Japan's Oricon chart as the biggest
selling international artist, recording a total of 3,104,000 single sales to
date. This broke the 10 year and 10 month long record held by The Carpenters.[116]
Sponsored by Belle
Korea Corporation and Shilla Duty Free, TVXQ also held a Special Fan Event in
Seoul on July 15. The event was specifically geared towards TVXQ's
international fans. The duo presented a mini-concert for the attendees and as
well as talk sessions and give away promos.
On April 23, TVXQ
stated in an interview “We are preparing for a comeback in the second half of
the year.” They continued, “We concentrated on working in Japan for the first
half of the year, but we believe our Korean fans are also waiting for us. We
are planning to return to Korea soon with a new image. We have not set an exact
date yet, but we will comeback during a good period of time and achieve good
results. We also plan to hold concerts if possible.”[117][118][119]
[edit]Music style
TVXQ in April, 2006
TVXQ's music style,
in Korea they perform hip hop, R&B, electronica, a cappella, ballad and their brand
of K-pop. In Japan, the music that they are known for
is, dance, electronica, R&B. Their song Mirotic is a heavy-urban dance
song with other genres like electropop andsynthpop.[120][121][122] Their
first and second Korean albums have included Rap rock. The main rappers in TVXQ are U-Know Yunho andMicky Yoochun. Hero Jaejoong also rapped in the
song Wrong Number and Xiah Junsu rapped in "Love Bye
Love" which was written and composed by Micky Yoochun. They have done two
rap rock songs with Korean rock band The TRAX. The Korean album Mirotic had
genres of electronic, dance, ballad and
had more heavy urban songs and less ballads from other albums, R&B songs had elements ofdance-pop.
[edit]Lyrics and composition
Although the
composition and writing of songs were handled by staff in their early years,
TVXQ gradually began to produce their own compositions and lyrics. On their
second Korean album, Rising Sun, Micky, U-Know, and Xiah wrote the
rap lyrics to "Love After Love". For the third Korean album, "O"-Jung.Ban.Hap.,
Micky wrote the English rap lyrics to "Phantom Hwanyeong" and Xiah
wrote and composed "Nae Gyeote Sumsiur Su Ittdamyeon (White Lie)" (네
곁에 숨쉴 수 있다면). For their second Asia tour concert
"O", U-know wrote
and composed for his solo, "Spokesman" (feat. Donghae from Super
Junior). Their fourth Korean album, Mirotic, saw an increase in the
members' participation: Hero wrote and composed Saranga Uljima (Don't Cry My
Lover) (사랑아 울지마), Max wrote the Korean lyrics for "Love in
the Ice", Micky wrote and composed Sarang Annyeong Sarang (Love Bye Love)
(사랑 안녕 사랑), and Xiah wrote Noeur Baraboda (Picture of You) (노을..바라보다).[123][124] For
their third Asia tour concert "Mirotic", U-know wrote and composed for his solo,
"Checkmate".
For their third
Japanese album, T, Micky wrote "Kiss Shita Mama,
Sayonara" (Kissしたまま、さよなら lit. As We Kiss, Goodbye?) and
co-composed the song with Hero.[125] Micky
also wrote the lyrics for his solo, "My Girlfriend", for the second
single in the Trick project, Runaway/My Girlfriend.[126] Xiah composed his solo track,
"Rainy Night", for the third single in the Trick project.[127] Hero wrote and co-composed
"Wasurenaide" (忘れないで lit. Don't
Forget?) and
Micky wrote and composed "Kiss the Baby Sky". Both songs were
included on their twenty-fifth single, "Bolero/Kiss the Baby
Sky/Wasurenaide", as the last two A-sides.[128][129] The
songs later appeared on their fourth Japanese album, The Secret Code,
along with the song "9095", which was composed by Hero.[130]
For their 5th Korean
album Keep Your Head Down, Max wrote the lyrics for his solo ballad "고백
(Confession)".
[edit]Line-up
[edit]Current members
§ Yunho
§ Changmin
§ Jaejoong
§ Yoochun
§ Junsu
[edit]Discography
Main article: TVXQ discography
Korean
studio albums
Korean
Mini-Albums/Extended Plays
§
Christmas Gift from Dong Bang Shin Gi (2004)
|
Japanese
studio albums
Japanese
compilation albums
|
[edit]Controversy
[edit]Lyrics of Mirotic
In November 2008, the
Korean Commission of Youth Protection ruled that Mirotic was
detrimental to youths and declared that the lyrics were provocative and overly
sexual. As a result, the album was labeled with stickers indicating that it was
unsuitable for people under 19 years old and any performances of the song would
have to be broadcast after 10 PM.[4][131] In
response to the ruling, SM Entertainment agreed to make a clean version
but also had filed an injunction to overrule the commission's decision
“
|
We will make a clean version in accordance with the commission’s
administrative order, but since we cannot fully accept the ruling, we plan to
make a provisional disposition with the relevant court to nullify the
administrative order.[4]
|
”
|
After the Commission
of Youth Protection released their statement regarding the ban on the album, SM
Entertainment said,
“
|
Even before when the order had been put against Mirotic, we have
clearly negotiated and tried to explain the real meaning and explanation of
the lyrics, but even after this the results came out unexpectedly and we are
bewildered as of this moment. [and] Jumun-Mirotic's lyrical
meaning is entirely different and miles away from the erotic or sexual that
the association is making it to be.[fn 3][132]
|
”
|
TVXQ performed the
clean version at the 23rd Annual Golden Disk Awards. The lyrics were changed
from "I got you" to "I chose you" and "I got you under
my skin" to "I got you under my sky."[4]
In March 2009, the
Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of SM Entertainment, stating:
“
|
We acknowledge that the lyrics concerned, including "You
want me, you give yourself up to me, you’re crazy about me" and "I
got you under my skin," may imply sexual acts, but they did not describe
sexual acts or feelings excessively to the level that can stimulate youths'
sexual desire... Even though we acknowledge that the young are more sensitive
to sexual stimuli and less able to control sexual urges, the lyrics neither
encouraged youth to have sex nor described women as object for sex.[133]
|
”
|
On April 9, 2009, the
Commission of Youth Protection announced they would appeal the ruling to a high
court after having an emergency meeting and deeming that the phrase, "I
got you under my skin", was inappropriate for minors.[134]
[edit]Lawsuit against SM
Entertainment
On July 31, 2009,
three of the members—Hero, Micky, and Xiah—submitted
an application to the Seoul Central District Court to determine the validity of
their contract with SM Entertainment.[135][136] Through
their lawyers, the members stated that the 13-year contract was excessively
long, schedules were held out without the confirmation or permission of the
members, contract terms have been extended and changed without their knowledge
or consent and that the group's earnings were not fairly distributed to the
members.[137]Early termination penalty of their
contract will cost them twice the profit that the group is estimated to earn
for SM Entertainment the rest of the contract period.[138] The
news was enough to cause SM Entertainment's stock price to drop over 10% on
the KOSPI.[139]
The Seoul Central
District Court granted the three members a temporary contract injunction in
October 2009 and stated that SM cannot interfere with their invididual
activities but also that they can only act as members of TVXQ through SM
Entertainment. The members have claimed that the contract was unfair and they
were left out of proper profit distribution.[140] In
response, SM Entertainment called a press conference and claimed that the
lawsuit was not about unfair contracts or human rights, but motivated by the
three members’ greed to pursue their cosmetics business uninhibited by the
restrictions their exclusive contract with SM bound them with. SM submitted a
complaint on criminal misdemeanour charges against the cosmetics company
Crebeau, however it was never brought to court by the prosecutor on grounds of
insufficient evidence. The three replied that they hoped SM Entertainment would
respect the court’s decision.[141]
In response to the
lawsuit, 120,000 TVXQ fans filed a petition against SM Entertainment’s
long-term contracts to the Seoul District Court.[142] TVXQ's
Korean fanclub Cassiopeia, also filed for compensation from SM Entertainment
for the cancelled SM Town Live Concert, as both SM and TVXQ initially stated
that the concert would go on as planned; the concert was cancelled a week
before its scheduled date.[143]
Currently, the main
lawsuit to validate/invalidate the three members' contract with SM
Entertainment is still ongoing.
[edit]Endorsements
TVXQ has advertised
products on television such as Samsung's Anycall, sportswear Fila, and Oronamin C.[144][145][146] Some
of their songs have even been used as theme songs for television shows,
commercials and motion pictures;[fn 4] such
as One Piece,[147][148] Chevrolet[149] and Subaru.[150][151]
In 2011, the newly
reformed TVXQ duo have landed lucrative endorsement deals in Korea with brands
such as Nike, The Shilla
Duty Free, Pepsi NEX Zero, Missha,
and most recently with Lacoste. In
Japan, they have endorsed Seven & i Holdings,7-Eleven products, featuring their Japanese
single "Superstar" in the CFs, and Seibu Silver card, featuring their song "I
Don't Know." and 7-net shopping CF featuring their song "thank you my
girl". Later in November, they had another 7-Eleven CF with their song "Winter
Rose".
[edit]Other activities
In 2005, the Los Angeles Tourism Corporation launched the
"See My L.A." campaign. TVXQ, along with label-mate BoA, became the
spokespeople for the campaign.[152] Since
April 2007, TVXQ host their own weekly radio program, TVXQ Bigeastation on
the Japan FM Network.[153] On March 28, 2008, TVXQ were chosen
as the "Goodwill Ambassador for Asia" by Universal Studios Japan in
order to further promote the attractions of the USJ.[154] TVXQ
were also chosen to be the new faces for the Lotte duty-free shop, due to their popularity throughout
Asia.[155] TVXQ acted on SBS show, Banjun Theater and they had their own
television show, Vacation, that ran for four episodes.[156][157]
[edit]Other Media
On 5 April
2011, S.M. Entertainment,
together with NEOWIZ Internet Corporation, Ltd, released an iPhone application
which features TVXQ's repackage album, "Keep Your Head Down". The app
can be purchased for free on iTunes.[158]
[edit]Awards and
achievements
Main article: List of
awards received by TVXQ
In 2008, TVXQ made it
in the Guinness World Records for
having the world's largest official fan club. Cassiopeia, the band's official Korean fan club, had more than 800,000 official members just
in South Korea, BigEast their official Japanese fanclub with more than 200,000
official members in Japan and more than 200,000 international fans (iCassies).
Cassiopeia also made the Guinness World Records a second time in 2009.[159]
[edit]Concerts and tours
Asia tours
§
2006: The 1st Asia Tour: Rising Sun
§
2007-2008: The 2nd Asia Tour: 'O'
§
2009: The 3rd Asia Tour: Mirotic
|
Japan Nationwide tours
§
2006: Tohoshinki 1st Live Tour
2006: Heart, Mind and Soul
§
2007: Tohoshinki 2nd Live Tour
2007: Five in the Black
§
2008: Tohoshinki 3rd Live Tour
2008: T
§
2009: Tohoshinki 4th Live Tour
2009: The Secret Code
§
2012: Tohoshinki 5th Live Tour
2012: TONE
|
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