Catch Me: TVXQ Live World Tour in Seoul

Ever wondered how a major K-pop concert will be held in Korea? Let our writer-translator, Sarah Park, brings you to a tour in the recent TVXQ! Live World Tour ‘Catch Me’ in Seoul!

Is TVXQ coming to your city? More locations announced for “TVXQ! LIVE WORLD TOUR ‘Catch Me’”

When the ticketing sales for TVXQ’s World Tour in Seoul ‘Catch Me’ began on 18th of October, a war broke out, literally. Purchasing tickets became a difficult chore whenever you click on the button ‘reserve a seat’ at the ticketing website, an unwelcome window prompted out, saying there were too many people on the same page. The fans were appalled, but took a better turn when SM Entertainment decided to be a savior by having a second batch of ticketing sales.

Starting on the 17th of November, TVXQ’s Live World Tour “Catch Me” concert opened its curtains to Korea. The last concert of TVXQ 3rd World Tour Mirotic was about 4 years ago in Seoul, so when this long-awaited concert was announced, it became a hot issue in Korea.

By the time I arrived at the Olympics Park for the TVXQ concert, fans who purchased the floor seats already started to gather and proceed into the venue. From 12PM, the event staff handed out bracelet tickets to the floor audience. As time passed, more and more fans started to gather around the entrance eagerly to enter the stadium.

As soon as I entered the park, I saw a backdrop curtain banner of TVXQ just in front. I was wondering why there was such a long queue before then, but soon I realized that the fans were queuing to take a picture with TVXQ –  printed on the gigantic banner.

The queue to buy the official goods simply just left me astonished. From what I gathered around from the other fans, there were already about 400 people in line at 9AM, even before the selling began at 10AM!

Check out the official goods list of the TVXQ Live World Tour ‘Catch Me’:

Walking forward, there was the Missha booth, a cosmetic brand that TVXQ endorsed. The staff attending to the booth informed the incoming fans that they will be giving away gifts if any of them presented their concert tickets to them. So, I was one of them who walked away with a mini Missha gift. Next to the queue at the Missha booth were the booths for Genie (Korean music website) and Atom (Android app). They held some interactive games for the general public to play, adding fun element prior before the big show later on.

 Then finally at about 3:30PM, after the security check at the entrance, I entered the stadium.

While I was waiting for the concert to begin, the growing crowd started to scream. I thought TVXQ had just showed up abruptly, but instead what greeted me in front of about 20 metres away was the hot rising rookie group, EXO-K. They had just entered into the stadium to watch and support their labelmates’ concert. Anyway, because there were many people queuing to enter the venue in an orderly manner, the concert ended up starting a little bit late, at about 4:10 PM. Then the lights went off suddenly without warning, and the opening video for the concert was aired through the big projector. After the video ended, TVXQ ‘flew’ from the front stage to the middle stage singing Rising Sun. Right after that, Getaway was performed and so on.

When the duo was performing Getaway, there was a slight hiccup when the music suddenly stopped due to an unexpected technical sound fault. Undauntedly, TVXQ was calm, really calm, and displayed their stage professionalism by coolly joking around saying that ”this (sound accident) was a part of the performance” and started the song again.

What came next could be the cutest stage ever, at least to me. When the duo sang Like a Soap, dancers who were dressed up as bugs appeared and the two members started to play around with the harmless bugs, using ‘sprayers’ to kill them, eventually. Later after Max‘s solo performance with Confession, U-know performed his solo song Honey Funny Bunny, with a female dancer that might have ‘killed’ all the jealous fans down there. Why? Both performed a near-to-kiss scene (though they didn’t actually kiss) and were hanging on to each other. However, that stage was enjoyable as Yunho added a rap that and made the song more tasteful.

Next stage, song number Wrong Number. Undoubtedly, all fans would be wondering, how exactly TVXQ will be able to fill up Hero’s rap part in this familiar song to the fans? However, U-know did it, perfectly almost. After the song I Don’t Know, the two performed Humanoids, for the first time on stage. Humanoids was not the only song that was performed at the concert from the repackage album. The other song Here I Stand was also sung and this song was more of a pop genre than dance track. Changmin described Humanoid as a hybrid electronic sound and Yunho revealed his description as a futuristic song with an aim far from the present. At that point of time, Yunho said that their company (SM Entertainment) reminded them before, ”Now that everyone knows that you guys are hot, stop trying to ‘act’ hot and approach your fans with laughter.”

The fans witnessed the boys tearing and those precious tears affected a lot of fans who started to cry along too. I was not unaffected. It was an emotional moment.

A few weeks ago, TVXQ came on a TV program called ‘승부의 신’ (God of  Victory). Yunho was a character as a babo, and because all the fans knew this, Yunho shouted “Do you guys really promise to be always by our side? I’m going to believe what you guys said because I’m a babo!” 

He also said, “I know that I always say this, but I was so happy because of you guys. This is what I always say and can best say but TVXQ starts from now. This is TVXQ. Thank you so much. You guys sweat a lot! Go eat beef before you go home!”

A concert that lasts for 3 hours and 30 minutes is considered long, but to fans who attended TVXQ World Tour in Seoul concert, it did not even feel like 3 hours and 30 minutes due to every single enjoyable moments that TVXQ has impressed and left for every one of the fans. Personally, I have been to both Mirotic and Catch Me concerts, and I would think Catch Me is a more engaging concert than the former. But Mirotic, Mirotic is more wild and harmonic, and an unforgettable concert that was performed by the once TVXQ of 5-member. For the Catch Me concert, about half of the songs performed were actually pieces originally recorded by the five members. Most of the time when I heard the songs, I could differentiate the parts and think to myself, “Oh that was Jaejoong’s part – that was Yuchun’s part – that was Junsu’s part.” All these five boys are truly talented that left an unspeakable love to their music and performance till now. Despite the absence of the three ex-members, the two remaining members of TVXQ could still fill up the emptiness for the songs that the five members used to perform together, but perhaps not the hearts of the fans who do miss the times when the group performed together. Overall, the the concert was enjoyable and impressive, and I hope fans in other countries will enjoy the Catch Me Live concert as much as I do!

Fighting, TVXQ!

Check out all the photos here:

Concert Facts

Song Sheet for November 18th second & last day of Catch Me Concert in Seoul

- Rising Sun

- Getaway

- Hey

- “O”-正.反.合. (오정반합)

- 비누처럼 (Like a Soap)

- How are you

- Journey

- 고백 (Confession): Max solo

- Honey Funny Bunny: Yunho solo

- Wrong Number

- I Don’t Know

- HUMANOIDS

- Purple Line

- 이것만은 알고가 (Before U Go)

- Destiny

- Tokiotomete/時ヲ止メテ (korean version)

- I Never Let Go

- 지금처럼

- I Wanna Hold You

- Here I Stand (new song from HUMANOIDS)

- 꿈 (Dream)

- Catch Me

- B.U.T

- 왜 (Keep your Head Down)

- 바보 (Unforgettable)

Encore songs:

- Mirotic

- Summer Dream

- Hi yaya

- Sky

- I’ll Be There

- End Talk

Guests Appearance:

- EXO-K

- Donghae

- Stephanie

- Eunhyuk

- Chae Won Moon

- Eun Jung (Jewelry)

- BoA

- CN Blue

- FT Island, etc.

This story is written as a fan account.

Event covered by Sarah Park @hellokpop, photos credits: Sarah Park @hellokpop (taken outside of the concert)

Additional sources & pictures: Yoonhostar TheUmin You Got the Power 

2NE1 photo shows the girls with sunglasses & showing off unique characteristics

[The following is a direct translation of the article as it appeared on Nate via OSEN.]

Group 2NE1 has uploaded a picture that shows the group’s unique characteristics. Dara, from 2NE1, uploaded the picture on her m2day (a Korean social network service that is similar to twitter) saying:

“2NE1 in Okinawa! It was our first trip to Okinawa ~~ We enjoyed the stage so much~!!! The amazing responses from the audience!!! Okinawa sugoidesune~!!! ^.^ 2012 K-POP collection in Okinawa, nice effort everyone~!!!! Yea~!!! (picture originally from CL)”

On the 18th, the group participated in the ‘K Collection in Okinawa‘ and met with its Japanese fans.

In the picture, Dara wore a hat that makes an image of a witch and showed off her baby face wearing a cute facial expression. Likewise, Bom, CL, and Minzy showed off their small faces each wearing a pair of big sunglasses. As the youngest, Minzy made a ‘V’ with her fingers. Netizens who encountered this post said:

“Dara’s baby face, isn’t she 20 years old?”, “Thanks to you guys, it was fun in Okinawa”, “Even though it was a picture taken without any effort, 2NE1 is always 2NE1.”

2NE1 will be performing at the ‘GS & CONCERT‘ on the 21st in Seoul Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium.

Sources: (News & Pictures) – Nate , (Full post and picture) – Dara’s me2day, Translation – Sarah Park

TVXQ takes off veil: album ‘Catch Me’ reflects various colors

[The following is a direct translation of the article as it appeared on Ilyoseoul.]

TVXQ‘s new album, Catch Me, was released at 12 p.m. on September 24.

Including the title song, Catch Me, the album is composed of 11 songs across various genres including, but not limited to, R&B, dance, ballad, and metal. You can meet TVXQ’s various characteristics at once in this album.

Famous composers including The Underdogs, Yoo Young Jin, Kenzie, and Hitchhiker helped produce this album and raise its quality to the next level.

The title song, Catch Me, is a fresh dance track based on trendy electronic sound along with a fancy orchestra tune, balancing ear-stimulating dubstep and melody line. The song heralds stages that feature TVXQ’s unique performances.

Furthermore, 인생은 빛났다 (Viva) is a song composed by a globally known producing team, The Underdogs. The composing team’s characteristic genres of classical R&B, pop, and hip-hop combine in the track.. The Underdogs have previously worked with Chris Brown, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, and other famous artists.

Changmin (Max) wrote the lyrics of I Swear. The lyrics express feelings of apology and protectiveness towards TVXQ’s fans, who have always been the source of the group’s energy.

I Don’t Know, a single previously released in Japan, has been newly translated into Korean; Chani-Mini’s 1999 song 꿈 (Dream) has been remade into a rock number full of refreshing sensation. To preserve the song’s unadulterated atmosphere, the acoustic tone has been expanded as much as possible.

The album’s 11 songs range from Destiny, where Changmin and Yunho’s exchange of melody and ad-lib stand out; 비누처럼 (Like A Soap), which compares a lonely crush to a bar of soap stuck in a corner; How Are You, an emotional medium-tempo ballad; Getaway, a Brit-metal number; Gorgeous, a synth-electronica track; and Good Night, a mellifluous R&B song. This album is plenty to show TVXQ’s abundant styles of music.

TVXQ plans to actively perform with Catch Me.

Check out the music video of Catch Me:

[The following are translated and original lyrics of I Swear, with the song linked in the video.]

Translated lyrics:

It was strange to see you smiling at me but when you called my name I finally looked up to see your dazzling face

Long time has passed and though I am now used to standing in front of you, you are still very precious
Weren’t you ever mad at me being too shy to even say the phrase, ‘thank you’?

Before I realized it, I took it for granted that your love was natural

I can only say that I am sorry

Long time has passed and though I am now used to standing in front of you, you are still very precious
Weren’t you ever mad at me being too shy to even say the phrase, ‘thank you’?

Even if darkness falls upon us (Love U) baby I Love U, Thank U (Thank U)
I will hug you (Love U) baby I Love U, Thank U (Thank U)
Even if darkness falls upon us (Love U) baby I Love U, Thank U (Thank U)
I will hug you (Love U) baby I Love U, Thank U (Thank U)

I’m falling for your love, I’m falling woo~ I will protect you

Even though long time has passed, I still feel too awkward to say the phrase, ‘I love you’,
Treasure the unforgettable memories we had together, laughing and crying.

Even if darkness falls upon us (Love U) baby I Love U, Thank U (Thank U)
I will hug you (Love U) baby I Love U, Thank U (Thank U)
Baby, I swear forever

Original lyrics:

나를 보며 미소 짓던 그 모습이 낯설었지 날 부르던 니 입술에 고갤 들었고 눈부셨어 겨우 바라본 니 모습

오랜 시간이 흘러서 이젠 익숙한 니 앞이 나에겐 아직까지도 많이 소중해
고맙다는 말 한마디 수줍어 말 못한 내가 밉진 않았니

어느샌가 익숙해진 니 사랑이 늘 그랬듯 당연하다 생각했었어 바보같이 미안한 마음뿐이야

오랜 시간이 흘러서 이젠 익숙한 니 앞이 나에겐 아직까지도 많이 소중해
고맙다는 말 한마디 수줍어 말 못한 내가 밉진 않았니

어둠이 다가와도(Love U) baby I Love U, Thank U(Thank U)
내가 널 안아줄게(Love U) baby I Love U, Thank U(Thank U)
어둠이 다가와도(Love U) baby I Love U, Thank U(Thank U)
내가 널 안아줄게(Love U) baby I Love U, Thank U(Thank U)

I’m falling for your love, I’m falling woo~ 너를 지킬게

오랜 시간이 흘러도 사랑한다는 한마디 어색해서 말도 못할 나일 테지만
우리 함께 울고 웃던 지워지지 않을 기억 간직해

(Love U) 어둠이 다가와도(Love U) baby I Love U, Thank U(Thank U)
내가 널 안아줄게(Love U) baby I Love U, Thank U(Thank U)
어둠이 다가와도(Love U) baby I Love U, Thank U(Thank U)

Baby, I swear Forever

Sources: News – Ilyoseoul ; Translation — Sarah Park

TVXQ comeback, will be meeting fans through a world tour!

[The following is a direct translation of the article as it appeared on Nate via enews24.]

The popular boy band TVXQ (Yunho, Changmin), who are having a comeback with the new album Catch Me, will open a world tour.

From this November, TVXQ will begin its world tour TVXQ! LIVE WORLD TOUR ‘Catch Me’; starting from Seoul. The group will not only hold a concert in China, Thailand, and other Asian countries, but it will also be going around the world.

The Seoul Concert, starting the tour, will be held on November 17 and 18 in Seoul Olympic Park – Gymnastics Arena. The tour will allow fans to engage with TVXQ’s distinct performances, stages, and the group’s various charms.

As it is the group’s first independent concert and world tour taking place in Seoul since THE 3RD ASIA TOUR CONCERT ‘MIROTIC’ in February 2009, many expect tremendous reactions from local and foreign fans.

Moreover, TVXQ’s The 東方神起 LIVE TOUR 2012~TONE~ held from January to April in 11 Japanese cities – a total of 26 concerts – gathered 550,000 fans, representing a true top artist’s fame and status. Thus fans are anticipating how the group will show another aspect of itself.

While TVXQ’s new album, Catch Me, is to be released at noon on  September 24 on all music streaming sites, it will be released offline on the 26.

Sources: News & Pictures: Nate , Translation: Sarah Park

The reason why Kim Junsu had to be the one to rewrite the history of K-pop

[The following is a direct translation of the article as it appeared on Nate via Sports Chosun.]

In New York, K-pop rewrote its history.

On August 30, JYJ member Kim Junsu started his first world tour in New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom. Until now, idol groups, girl groups, and agency ‘families’ have gone on these, but Kim Junsu is the fist solo artist to start a world tour alone.

To that extent, the New York performance had a special meaning to K-pop. This was a breakthrough not only for Kim Junsu, but also for K-pop, which had been hampered by limited genres and artists.

▶ The reason why – even though he had gathered 100,000 fans before – Junsu only performed in front of 2000.

No more words are necessary. Kim Junsu is an artist that represents K-pop. The group he belongs to, JYJ, shocked not only the Japanese media but also Korean music authorities because the group gathered about 100,000 fans within two days at the concert that was held in Tokyo Dome in June 2010.

If you consider his fame, the small stage could be unfamiliar and awkward for him because the tour started in a stadium that could only hold 3000 people.

However, this was only a small part of the long-term project for Junsu to jump up to become a world star. His agency representative, Baek Chang Ju, said,

“In order to perform in many cities worldwide and not end with a one-and-done performance by being overly attached to scale, he performed in a small venue. Also, instead of receiving guarantees from a local promoter, the company is directly investing to run the tour. “

The reaction of 2000 fans that were able to obtain the ticket was fanatic. It was easy to find many women fans in their twenties not only from Asia but also from U.S., Canada, and Spain.

▶The reason why Kim Junsu was the protagonist to rewrite K-pop history.

The music video of Tarantallegra, the title song of his first solo album, started the concert. The audience heated the atmosphere by dancing to the song. Next, Kim Junsu met the expectations of New York fans by dancing and singing to Dance and No Gain.

Meanwhile, even though many male soloists held concerts in foreign nations, the reason why Kim Junsu was the first to hold a world tour is special. It is precisely because he has the charm that is hard to find in other artists. As a musical actor,  he mastered acting and singing.

Showing off his singing skills by singing ballad songs such as You Are So Beautiful, 알면서도 (Even though you know), 돌고 돌아도 (Turning Round And Round) as a vocalist, he showed off his fancy dancing skills through Tarantallegra and Fever. Furthermore, he performed the songs he acted and sang to in the musicals he was part of: 마지막 춤 (Last Dance) from Elizabeth and 나는 나는 음악 (I’m I’m Music) from Mozart.

This concert went for 120 minutes with singing, dancing, and acting but the tension made those 120 minutes seem like a quick blink.

Having the worldwide star project ahead, he introduced his English single that day. The album containing the English version of Tarantallegra and an urban-pop style R&B song, Uncommitted, was recorded and the music video produced with the best crew in Los Angeles. On this day, August 30, by performing Uncommitted, he not only satisfied English-speaking fans but even raised their attention to the next level.

Amy (35), who came to watch the concert, said:

“I like the fact that Kim Junsu has that ability to express his emotions when singing which other singers do not have.”

Marige (21) also said:

“I saw his face right in front of the stage. It seemed like he was really enjoying it.”

▶ The significance of his tears every time he performed in New York.

Off of a fresh start, he will have future concerts on September 2 in L.A., September 6 in Mexico, September 8 in Brazil, and in two European nations in November.

Though he is evaluated to be a successful solo artist, ironically, Kim Junsu could not avoid this precise reality. The fact that JYJ cannot promote on TV made drama appearances – like those of other members, Park Yu Chun and Kim Jae Joong – the only TV outlet for Junsu. Still, because he was more confident in singing and dancing than acting, he had to fall into a dilemma.

In the meantime, Junsu chose the third option of recording a solo album and released his first solo album, Tarantallegra, as Xia in May.

Kim Junsu teared up three times on stage in New York. This showed how hard and stressful the long period of time that he had to contemplate on returning as a solo artist was for him.

He was able to meet high expectations even in the worst conditions because the era of publicizing music merely through broadcast has passed away. Junsu disclosed his opinion, saying:

“I think the conditions are no longer too hopeless because development in Internet technology has made it easy for the whole world to get in touch with content. This is why I decided to risk everything on the music video. I think the cost of filming was three times that of other musicians’.”

It is projected that the world tour, with its stable start, will lead to the era of “World Star Kim Junsu” as he releases more and more songs.

Sources: News & Pictures: Nate , Translation: Sarah Park