Review: TVXQ! return to the music scene with the incredible 'Epitaph (For The Future)'

Review: TVXQ! - Epitaph (For The Future)

The other day I was thinking of my favorite musical acts of all time, and I realized that with the exception of inactive Bollywood legend Asha Bhosle, no living act has a discography as powerful as TVXQ. By this point, the now-duo has nothing left to prove, they are living legends in both Korea and Japan, and for good reason too. There is also very little precedent for what they should be releasing currently. With the exception of Shinhwa, no group from Korea has lasted as long as they have. Later this year, they will be celebrating their 19th anniversary together, an impressive feat further improved by the fact that they exist in a cutthroat industry, known for most bands lasting less than 7 years.

With Epitaph, they have released their first collection of tracks since 2019's stupendous XV. The lead single, also titled Epitaph (with the subtitle For the Future) clearly continues the duo's career trajectory from XV's rock-tinged tracks, particularly Hello and Manipulate. This is especially evident within the verses, headed by a call-and-response between Changmin and Yunho. The lyrical theme of this track is the dichotomy of heaven and hell, seemingly between TVXQ and their detractors, with TVXQ rising to a new future and their enemies failing. The 'Heaven' side is voiced by Yunho, with a lighter, melodic rock sound. Changmin's 'Hell' response is reminiscent of his January mini-album (an... interesting choice for sure), with a gritty '70s and '80s rock texture to it. Both vocalists perform fantastically as always, standing out over the somewhat uneventful melody.

However, as this track is intended for TVXQ, and producer Hi-Yunk (better known as Kenji03 of Back On) is known for his sense of emotive drama, it was a matter of time before the song would explode into a full-blown rock opera. This happens in the pre-chorus, with the instrumental utterly being replaced with spiraling strings and snap beats. After a wonderful autotune sampled note, the chorus enters.

Instantly reminiscent of Kenji03 and TVXQ's previous collaboration, the fantastic Mirrors, there is a sense of finality with Epitaph. Over here, however, it is much more pronounced. The dramatic strings rise and fall over an exploding anime-esque J-Rock instrumental. This is pure pop-rock drama at its peak, with each element, pulled up to 11. And that hook! Changmin and Yunho singing triumphantly over the instrumental is certainly an epic victory, especially with its soaring, euphoric melody. The second phase is particularly memorable, letting both members let loose a little.

With the basic scenario set up by the first verse, the second verse pronounces each of these elements further. Additionally, knowing that the song will soon explode into its instantly memorable chorus helps chase off any doubts of the song's trajectory. The next time the song pulls out a new melody, it is the grunge-influenced dance break of the middle eight. It is a clever choice with climactic synths and a hint of cowbell. 

While the track could certainly benefit from some high-notes or switch-ups in the climax, the thumping melody is already fantastic, setting up a strong return for perhaps East Asia's greatest artists of all time. An already song track, I expect Epitaph to improve with time.

Additionally, I will review every track on this album, leading up to a full album review!

Rating: 9/10

Image Source: Kpop Wiki