K-pop duo TVXQ take on new challenge with love-filled album

U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin of legendary K-pop duo TVXQ have always been invincible as a pair.

In 2011, they confidently proclaimed, “This is the return of the king,” in “Keep Your Head Down,” their first release after three members left the originally five-piece act. The pair’s 2015 album was also titled “Rise as God.”

This time, TVXQ has returned with a new album fully charged with love. After breaking records worldwide, including in Japan, the duo released its eighth full-length album “New Chapter #1: The Chance of Love” on Wednesday. 

Fronted by the swing-jazz tinged dance track “The Chance of Love,” the 11-track album marks the duo’s first release since Yunho and Changmin returned from their mandatory military duties in April and August last year, respectively.

“Many might have expected ‘The Chance of Love’ to be like our old jazz-tinged hit ‘Something,’ but we tried to focus more on the music’s catchiness and sense of maturity. Most importantly, we want people to take our new music easily,” said Yunho during a press showcase for the album in Seoul on Wednesday.

True to his word, the two looked confident and more relaxed than ever, a testament to their 15-year career in the K-pop scene.

Clad in black suits, TVXQ performed “The Chance of Love,” which featured musical-like performances and buoyant choreography.

And the stage performance definitely veered away from the group’s previous works that centered on an aggressive and fiery image. The song centers on love, but it also sends a message that TVXQ is “destiny,” Changmin said. 

“I think TVXQ has been kept in certain fixed images, mostly powerful and mysterious ones, but we wanted to break that mold and approach fans in a more comfortable way. We debuted with an easy song, and we hope to go back to the basics. The new album will be like a magazine that holds various stories,” Yunho said.

In a bid to approach people in a friendlier manner, the duo have been appearing in TV variety shows to promote their friendly image. They have even showed their own residences, morning routines and hobbies.

As a dynamic duo not limited to a certain genre, the tightly packed album also portrays various facets of love, from its bloom to heartbreaking demise.

Medium tempo pop “Love Line” depicts a couple’s efforts to accommodate each other, while “Broken” is about the whirling inner feelings of a man who pretends to be cool after a breakup.

Balladry “Lazybones” plunges into the lethargic feeling after a breakup and “Wake Me Up” portrays a man addicted to bittersweet love. TVXQ’s collection of love also includes “Puzzle” and “Closer,” solo tracks of Yunho and Changmin, respectively.


 

Originally a five-piece act that debuted under S.M. Entertainment in 2003, consisting of Yunho, Changmin, Junsu, Jaejoong and Yoochun, TVXQ soared to stardom with its breakout hits “Hug,” “Rising Sun” and “Mirotic.”

Attracting fans all around the world, especially in Japan, as one of most prominent K-pop acts in the 2000s, TVXQ became the first Korean group to hold a solo concert at Japan’s Tokyo Dome, commonly known as the “dream stage” for many international musicians in 2009.

But that year also saw a major change in the group, as Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu filed a lawsuit against the management agency over contract issues.

Since then, Yunho and Changmin have been continuing the legacy of the group. They have remained influential in the industry by putting out albums in both Korea and Japan.

Their Japanese collection album “FINE COLLECTION~Begin Again~” became the act’s latest album to rank first on the weekly Japanese Oricon music chart. The duo’s last five albums -- “Best Selection 2010,” “Tone” in 2011, “Time” in 2013 and “Tree” and “With” in 2014 -- also topped charts.

Looking back at their years as TVXQ, the duo, both in their 30s, said passion and perseverance have been driving forces throughout the ups and downs.

Likening their 20s to red and their 30s to white, Changmin said, “I think we are more like white as we are now able to absorb any color. It also means that we have matured that much.”

 “I always tell junior artists, that being able to perform for a long time is the coolest thing for artists. We still have many other things to show, and our upcoming albums will be all connected like a big story. It’s just ‘Chapter 1,’” Yunho said.

TVXQ will hold a solo concert titled “TVXQ! CONCERT -CIRCLE- #welcome,” the band’s first in two years and nine months, in the open-air Auxiliary Stadium of Jamsil Sports Complex in eastern Seoul from May 5-6.

(lotus@heraldcorp.com)