Random Music Recommendations #3: TVXQ Special
In celebration of TVXQ's upcoming twentieth anniversary (and my limited time this week...), I am going to recommend and share five underrated and underappreciated TVXQ songs. For simplicity's sake, we will keep it to one song per album.
Note: I am keeping the Japanese releases pre-split to a minimum because Avex tends to block them from playing on my site. Some great highlights exist there.
Back to Tomorrow (2011)
Of all the two-member TVXQ albums, Tone is arguably the most consistent, still finding room for some fantastic peaks. While Superstar, I Think U Know, B.U.T., I Don't Know, and Duet, along with the covers of their Korean songs, are all acclaimed, I feel Back to Tomorrow knocks all of them out of the park. The stunning, percolating, keyboard-synth line is one of the greatest TVXQ productions, led by White N3rd's strong production. What makes it even better is the fantastic vocal layering on the thundering chorus. TVXQ rarely ever sound so good, and that is saying a lot.
City Lights Ft. Taeyong (2018)
A solo by Yunho from New Chapter #2, City Lights is one of the most mesmerizing mid-tempos in TVXQ's lengthy discography. The production is simple, but every little move of an electronic synth is made all the more effective. Yunho's suave delivery is perfectly paired with Taeyong's over-the-top flirtatious tone, making one of TVXQ's best recent Korean songs.
Crazy Love (2008)
Crazy Love is very of its time, with its catchy hook-heavy melody, synth and string flourishes, and autotuned verses, but somehow, this makes it all the more charming. Sure, it may be nostalgic to me, but it was created to be nostalgic. In a way, it feels like a confetti-adorned K-Pop Christmas. In a way, Crazy Love is one of the best examples of K-Pop circa 2008-11's cheery composition.
Darkness Eyes (2008)
TVXQ's Japanese album run from Heart, Mind and Soul to Tone is pretty much impeccable, and I highly recommend you hear it in its entirety (or, at the least, everything except Five in the Black's very best). Darkness Eyes is not the best of this segment, but its violin-laced production is a perfect introduction to the sheer drama that laced TVXQ's production at the time.
Phantom (2006)
An early example of producer Kenzie's stirring melodies and arrangement, Phantom is not only TVXQ's most underrated song but arguably, the most underrated K-Pop song ever. The spaghetti-western motifs with the brass-heavy production lead to one of the most addictive choruses ever.
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