Maps of Music
Rise as God (2015)
Where the lyrics of Rise as God take you, and where it was really made.
A special album made as a parting gift before the duo's military service, Rise as God came out with almost no promotion and still debuted at number one on the Gaon Album Chart.
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Overview
- Rise as God: Korean studio album by TVXQ, unofficially the eighth release
- Released 20 July 2015 by S.M. Entertainment
- Released as a special album; the duo's last musical release before a two-year hiatus for mandatory military service
- Ten tracks; two double title tracks, Champagne (Yunho's solo) and Rise as One (Changmin's solo)
- Title inspired by the group's Hanja name Dong Bang Shin Ki, roughly rising gods of the east
Background
- November 2013: S.M. announced that over twenty songs had been recorded for the new album
- The duo considered releasing the record in two parts
- 6 January 2014: special tenth-anniversary album Tense released with 12 songs
- April 2015: Yunho's enlistment confirmed
- July 2015: Changmin accepted into a special unit for conscripted policemen, enlisting at year end
- The hiatus was announced because of the mandatory draft
- At the June 13 and 14 Tistory encore shows, the duo said they had recorded new material for release during the hiatus
- Rise as God was announced on 15 July, one week before release
- Champagne was first revealed at the Tistory encore concerts a month earlier, during Yunho's solo segment
- Yunho was drafted as an active duty soldier on 21 July, the day after release
Cover
- Released in two versions, black and white
- Two different photobooks, each with solo shots of the duo
- Package photo: Yunho on the black version, Changmin on the white version
- A sneak peek of the digital cover went to Korean media on 15 July
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ja.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org
Tracklist
| 1 | 현기증 (Vertigo) | 3:45 |
| 2 | 샴페인 (Champagne) | 3:43 |
| 3 | Rise As One | 3:01 |
| 4 | 비를 타고… (Everyday It Rains) | 4:41 |
| 5 | Smile (웨딩드레스) | 3:46 |
| 6 | 너는 내꺼 (Top of The World) | 3:57 |
| 7 | Apology | 3:55 |
| 8 | Komplikated | 2:49 |
| 9 | Dominus | 3:11 |
| 10 | Lucky Star | 3:53 |
Sources: musicbrainz.org
Artist
Formation
- Formed in 2003 by SM Entertainment as a five-member boy band; debuted December 26, 2003 with the single "Hug" (2004).
- Yunho was appointed the band's leader; the name Dong Bang Shin Ki was finalized after several alternatives.
- Tohoshinki (東方神起) was the Japanese-market name adopted after signing with Avex Group in late 2004.
Members
- Current members: U-Know Yunho (leader) and Max Changmin.
- Former members Hero Jaejoong, Micky Yoochun and Xiah Junsu left in 2010 and formed JYJ.
Career
- Early Korean albums Tri-Angle (2004), Rising Sun (2005), "O"-Jung.Ban.Hap. (2006) and Mirotic (2008) topped domestic charts; "O"-Jung.Ban.Hap. won Album of the Year at the 21st Golden Disk Awards.
- In Japan, the band became mainstream stars after The Secret Code (2009); their Best Selection 2010 was the first album to top the Oricon Albums Chart.
- After a 2010 split, Yunho and Changmin returned as a duo with Keep Your Head Down (2011); later albums include Tone (2011), Time (2013), Tense (2014), Tree (2014), New Chapter #1 (2018) and XV (2019).
- The duo held a three-day performance at Tokyo Dome on April 27, 2025 for their 20th anniversary.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reception
At release
- Little promotion because of the duo's upcoming enlistment; S.M. used only social media
- S.M. presented the album as a parting gift for fans
- Music critics gave the album positive reviews
- Pre-orders topped the Synarra Record chart in South Korea and the Tower Records chart in Japan
- Hanteo Album Charts: behind Super Junior's Devil on the first day, number one on the second day, number two on the third day
- Finished the first week at number two with about 30,000 physical copies
- Slowest opening week for TVXQ since their 2004 debut with Tri-Angle
Records
- Gaon Album Chart: debuted at number one, TVXQ's fourth consecutive number one since the chart began in 2010
- Gaon: 148,155 copies shipped in the first month, 12,000 more than Super Junior
- Sold about 150,000 copies by the end of 2015
- Oricon Albums Chart, Japan: weekly number six with 18,093 imported copies
- Ranked 10th on Billboard's list of the best K-pop albums of 2015, published in 2016
- Neither title track entered South Korea's weekly digital charts
- Champagne and Rise as One took first and second place on China's Baidu King weekly charts in the first week
- Komplikated, Apology and Top of the World reached the top ten
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ja.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- Yunho was drafted as an active duty soldier on 21 July 2015, the day after the album's release.
- The music video for Champagne features NCT's Jisung.
- Champagne was first revealed at the Tistory encore concerts a month before the album, during Yunho's solo segment.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ja.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org