TVXQ
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TVXQ (Tong Vfang Xien Qi) is a Korean boy band. This group is composed of five male members specializing in the areas of dance, acappella, various drama acting, and pop with an R&B vibe. The group has gained popularity in Japan, Taiwan, China, and other East-Asian countries. Today, it has become one of Asia's most influential pop groups, and is one of the top groups of the Korean Wave (hallyu). TVXQ, their international and official name, is written in Hanja as '(東方神起)' and is also referred to by various other names. Its Korean title is Dong Bang Shin Gi '(동방신기)', which is abbreviated to DBSG. The Japanese equivalent is Tōhōshinki, which is abbreviated to THSK. The group debuted in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China throughout 2004.
History
Pre-fame
The Korean phrase “Dong Bang Shin Gi” translates almost literally into “Rising Gods of the East.” This five-man dance team came into being after an audition in 2004. The contestants of the audition were divided into groups of their peers and received training to find potential talents. All the members of TVXQ were originally the lead vocals of other singing groups.
The first member to join was Kim Junsu (김준수). He enjoyed singing at his church when he was young. At the age of 12 he was brought into the band through a televised talent search which Moon Hee Jun and Kangta from H.O.T. were judges. His vocals won over the judges and won him thorough training for the next six years until he debuted as Xiah Junsu (시아준수; Xiah is pronounced She-ah in Korean). Xiah was a stage name that Junsu himself chose, explaining to his fans that the name was short for "Asia," as Asia is pronounced "a-shee-a" in Korean. "Xiah" would be a reference to his desire to become not only a star in Korea, but a star recognized all throughout the continent.
The group’s second member, Jung Yunho (정윤호), secured his spot in TVXQ through a dance competition. Prior to this, he accumulated some musical experience as a rapper and backup dancer for Kpop singer Dana in her Diamond video. His chosen stage name is U-know Yunho from his Korean name Yunho; U-know is pronounced "You know" in English. He is the second oldest member in TVXQ and is also the group's leader.
Kim Jaejoong (김재중) left his hometown in Chungnam to audition for SM Entertainment. Having left the shelter of home, he experienced poverty and strife before becoming a celebrity. He debuted under the name a fortune teller foretold years before: YoungWoong JaeJoong (영웅재중). Youngwoong means "hero" in Korean, hence his international name, Hero. Jaejoong got picked from an audition of 5000 people. Jaejoong won first place, both in best looking and best vocals. That made him the main vocal of TVXQ.
Shim Changmin (심창민) was grouped with the youngest participants in the audition. Like Xiah Junsu, he impressed the judges with his vocal powers. He joined the band under the name Choikang Changmin (최강창민; the English counterpart to his stage name is Max). Choikang in Korean means "the best;" "Max" became an international rendition of this name.
Six months before the group’s debut, a final member was added. Park Yoochun (박유천) lived in Virginia for roughly four years. Yoochun's stage name, Micky, written as 秘寄 in Hanja (Chinese characters), means "hidden weapon", which symbolises his desire to become a "hidden weapon" in the music industry. Micky was also his English name as to when he lived in Virginia, United States. As the winner of a talent show, he was granted the opportunity to sign with SM Entertainment in Korea. He now performs under the stage name Micky Yoochun (믹키유천).
Debut
TVXQ made their first appearance in 2003 during a Christmas time showcase, which also included BoA and Britney Spears, their stage debut featured fellow SM Entertainment star BoA. They performed their debut single "Hug" as well as an acappella rendition of "O Holy Night" alongside BoA. The group eventually released two singles before their first album in 2004. TVXQ surprised everybody by being #1 on Korean music charts 3 months after their debut.
For preparation for their first album, the band recorded the single “Tri-Angle” with BoA and The TRAX. BoA’s profound popularity in Japan, alongside The TRAX’s evolvement in said country, helped to promote the awareness overseas of the new boy band.
Going Overseas
Tong Vfang Xien Qi has also released albums and singles in China. SM Entertainment had once even considered adding a Chinese member to the group to help boost popularity within the country. However, SM Entertainment has abandoned the idea due to the overflowing amount of complaints from their fan club Cassiopeia (named after the constellation near the Big Dipper). TVXQ's fans chose the name "Cassiopeia" for their fan club because the constellation has 5 stars in its galaxy, and TVXQ has 5 members. If you trace TVFXQ on your computer keyboard, it makes the constellation, Cassiopeia.
Their title song “Rising Sun” from their second album has enjoyed great popularity in Korea, China, Taiwan, and Singapore. However, promotional activities in Korea were limited as Hero injured his leg during preparation. As a result, many performances were severely altered; in many cases, a dancer wearing a mask was used as a temporary member.
TVXQ has toured in concerts, made guest appearances, and participated in numerous commercials throughout several Asian countries.
They recently held up concerts in Malaysia and Thailand. In Thailand their concert was named "Channel V Thailand & LG Mobile Presents Be my Chocolate concert TVXQ! Rising Sun Live in Bangkok 2006". It was held in the Impact Arena, one of the biggest place to ever held a concert. Impact Arena had been used for several big concerts such as J-ASEAN POP Concert, Shinhwa State of Art, and many others.
Increasing popularity
TVXQ has also gained a significant amount of popularity around Asia. They were the first Asian group to win two Thailand Music Awards for both Best Music Video ("Rising Sun") and Favorite Asian Artist. They are also one of the few Korean groups that can draw 40,000 fans to one concert and have sufficiently secured their place in Japan as well. Their seventh Japanese single Sky reached third place on the Oricon daily charts, making them one of the few non-Japanese artists to have reached the top five; it eventually hit #6 on the Oricon weekly chart. The song was used as the background music for a Baskin Robin's commercial, as well.
Also, they have topped both the Japanese and Korean charts on the Malaysian radio show "988" twice with their singles "Begin" and "The Fighting Spirit Of The East" respectively. The show has an audience of about 4.2 million listeners, reaching as far as Singapore, who voted for their singles via the internet, as well as other means.
Third album and beyond
The group returned to Korea in late August in order to prepare for their third album. Titled 'O'-正.反.合 ('O' - Jeong.Ban.Hab.), it was released on September 29, with one edition containing a poster and a photobook and the other with a poster and a special DVD. As this album has been released in 7 Asian countries (South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and China), the group is planning to perform in these countries. In the first month of its release, the third album has already surpassed the 100,000 mark.[1]
U-Know Yun-Ho has announced that he will act in a Japanese movie expected to be released next year. The Japanese romance/drama will consist of several famous Japanese actors as well.
Their newest music video is "풍선" (Balloons). This video has a happy, cheerful theme to counteract the serious vibes of "O".
Acting
Banjun Theater
In 2005 and 2006, TVXQ released Banjun Theater, which aired on Korean television station SBS, that featured the boys as budding actors. They have acted in their own one- or two-episode dramas titled First Love (Parts 1 and 2) (Micky Yoochun and U-Know Yunho), The Masked Fencer (Micky Yoochun and U-Know Yunho), King And The Clown, Yunho's Tokyo Holiday, Dangerous Love, Finding Lost Time, Uninvited Guest, and The Most Unforgettable Girl in My Life.
Theatrical TV Drama
- VACATION
VACATION consisted of four episodes (including a special) which were shown only at Yonsei University from July 7 to August 8, 2006; three of the episodes focused on one member while the fourth had a shared storyline. For this drama, the band recorded an original soundtrack which consisted of two tracks (and their instrumental versions). The DVD version of this drama is now available with the third (C) version of their third album "O".
- DATING ON EARTH
Currently being filmed.
Member profiles
| File:YoungwoongJaejoong.jpg |
HERO Jaejoong
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| File:UknowYunho.jpg |
U-KNOW Yunho
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| File:MickyYoochun.jpg |
MICKY Yoochun
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| File:KimJunsu.jpg |
XIAH Junsu
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| File:MaxChangmin.jpg |
MAX Changmin
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Discography
Further information: TVXQ Discography
External links
References
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