Epitaph (EP)

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Epitaph
A gray and black vault door with the artist and title engraved on an attached plaque.
Digital cover
EP by
Tohoshinki
ReleasedMarch 16, 2022 (2022-03-16) (release history)
Recorded2020–22
Genre
Length21:41
LanguageJapanese
LabelAvex Trax
Producer
  • Hi-yunk
  • Ryan Jhun
  • Cimo Fränkel
  • Rik Annema
  • Micah Ross Gordon
  • Jarin Lourens
  • Niclas Kings
  • DNA
  • Katsuhiko Yamamoto
  • URU
Tohoshinki chronology
XV
(2019) 		Epitaph
(2022) 		20&2
(2023)
Singles from Epitaph
  1. "Small Talk"
    Released: November 27, 2020
  2. "Epitaph (For the Future)"
    Released: March 16, 2022

Epitaph is the first Japanese extended play by South Korean duo Tohoshinki. It was released on March 16, 2022, by Avex Trax. Epitaph is a pop album with elements of pop rock, dance pop, and synthesizers. It was released as a follow-up to Tohoshinki's solo EPs Human (2021) by Changmin and Kimi wa Saki e Iku (2022) by Yunho, and is also the duo's first original release in Japan since XV (2019). The EP's first track, "Epitaph (For the Future)" is the lead single.

Epitaph debuted at number three on the Oricon Albums Chart,[1] breaking Tohoshinki's streak of number one debuts. Epitaph is their lowest-charted album on the Oricon since T (2008), which debuted at number four. Epitaph also debuted at number three on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums,[2] but topped the Billboard Japan Download Albums, with 2,402 downloads on the first week.[3][4]

Epitaph accompanied Tohoshinki's nation-wide Classyc Tour in 2023, which started at the Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya on February 11, 2023, and concluded at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo on June 25, 2023.

Background and release[edit]

On October 18, 2021, Avex announced that Tohoshinki would be returning to the Japanese music scene with three consecutive releases starting December 2021.[5] Referring to the EPs as mini albums, it was announced that Changmin would be releasing his mini album Human in December 2021, followed by Yunho's mini album Kimi wa Saki e Iku in January 2022, and finally the duo comeback mini album Epitaph in February 2022. Epitaph would be the duo's first Japanese release since XV in 2019. However, due to production issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, Yunho's mini album was delayed to a February 9, 2022 release, while Epitaph was delayed to March 16, 2022. Changmin's Human was released as scheduled, on December 8, 2021.

The tracklist of the album was unveiled on March 5, 2022.[6] Avex released snippets of each track every day starting March 5, 2022, through Tohoshinki's official Twitter account. The EP's official website was also revealed.[7] Their single "Small Talk" (2020), which sold 9,786 downloads, was also revealed to be part of the tracklist.[8] On March 12, a music video teaser of the EP's lead single "Epitaph (For the Future)" was released.[9] A television advertisment for the EP's release, which also featured an extended snippet of the lead single, was revelaed on March 14.[10]

From March 14 to 20, promotional images of Epitaph were posted at the Metro Promenade in the Shinjuku Station.[11] The music video for "Epitaph (For the Future)" was released on March 16, alongside the EP. From March 16 to 22, the music video was broadcast at the Yunika Vision, a landmark of Shinjuku, every twenty minutes from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.[12]

Composition[edit]

Epitaph consists of six tracks. A pop album, the EP opens with "Epitaph", a pop rock dance track, with lyrics about determination toward the future.[13] The second track "Like Snow-White" is a mid-tempo track with funk and R&B elements. "Mahoroba" draws inspiration from trap music with heavy bass. "Storm Chaser" is a mid-tempo rock ballad, and "Light My Moon Like This" is a mashup of Changmin's b-side track "Light Up My Moon" from Human (2021) and Yunho's "Shake It Like This" from Kimi wa Saki e Iku (2022). A lyric video for "Light My Moon Like This" was released on March 20.[14]

Reception[edit]

Epitaph debuted at number two on the daily Oricon Albums Chart on the first day of release, selling 24,884 copies.[15] It entered the Oricon Albums Chart at number three, with 36,038 copies sold on the first week for release.[16] Epitaph broke Tohoshinki series of number one debuts in Japan, and was their lowest-charted album since T (2008), which debuted at number four. Epitaph stayed charted for 17 weeks on the Oricon,[17] selling 45,808 copies by the end of the year, and ranking 86th on Oricon's year-end chart.[18]

Epitaph also debuted at number three on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums, its lowest-charted album since the chart's inception in 2015. However, it topped the Billboard Japan Download Albums Chart, with over 2,402 downloads.

Track listing[edit]

Epitaph track listing[19]
No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
1."Epitaph (For the Future)"Hi-yunkHi-yunkHi-yunk3:57
2."Like Snow-White"Kelly
  • Ryan Jhun
  • Cimo Fränkel
  • Micah Ross Gordon
  • Rik Annema
  • Sophie Hintze
  • Jhun
  • Fränkel
  • Annema
  • Gordon
3:04
3."Small Talk"Shinjiroh Inoue
  • Cayte Webber
  • Reece Pullinger
  • Jarin Lourens
  • Kristoffer Eriksson
Lourens4:12
4."Mahoroba"Kelly
  • Niclas Kings
  • Andy Love
Kings3:34
5."Storm Chaser"Kelly
  • Tania Doko
  • Jorgen Elofsson
  • David Musumeei
  • Anthony Egizii
DNA3:20
6."Light My Moon Like This"
  • Katsuhiko Yamamoto
  • Yascotti
Yamamoto
  • Yamamoto
  • URU
3:33
Total length:21:41

Notes

  • "Epitaph (For the Future)" is stylized as "Epitaph -for the future-".
  • "Mahoroba" is stylized in all caps.
  • "Storm Chaser" is stylized as "Storm chaser".
  • "Light My Moon Like This" is stylized as "Light My Moon Like THIS".

Personnel[edit]

Musicians

  • Tohoshinki – lead vocals (all tracks), background vocals (all tracks)
  • Yoo Young-jin – background vocals (track 1), recording (1)
  • Hi-yunk – background vocals (track 1), all instruments (1)
  • Suginami Junior Chorus – background vocals (track 3)
  • Jun – background vocals (track 5)
  • Katsuhiko Yamamoto – background vocals (track 6)
  • Yascotti – background vocals (track 6)
  • Uda Shika – cello (track 1)
  • Miho Shimokawa – violin (track 1)
  • Shinjiroh Inoue – guitar (track 3)

Technical

  • Katsutoshi Yasuhara – directing (all tracks)
  • Yuka Koizumi – mastering (all tracks)
  • Makoto Yamadoi – mixing (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5), recording (1, 5), editing (3)
  • Jung Eun-kyung – recording (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5)
  • Pollen – directing (tracks 1, 2)
  • Atsushi Hattori – mixing (track 3), recording (3, 5)
  • Kevin G. Cho – directing (tracks 3, 6)
  • Dk Choo – directing (tracks 4, 5)
  • Kim Kwang-min – recording (tracks 4, 6)
  • URU – mixing (track 6)

Charts[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Weekly chart performance for Epitaph
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[1] 3
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[2] 3

Year-end charts[edit]

Year-end chart performance for Epitaph
Chart (2022) Position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[18] 86

Sales[edit]

Released Oricon chart Peak Debut sales Sales total
March 16, 2022
Daily Albums Chart[20] 4 24,884 46,095
Weekly Albums Chart 3 36,038
Monthly Albums Chart (March)[21] 10 41,112
Yearly Albums Chart (2022) 86 46,095

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format Label
Various March 16, 2022
Avex Entertainment
South Korea[22] S.M. Entertainment
Japan
  • Digital download
  • streaming
  • CD
 Avex Trax

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b 週間 CDアルバムランキング 2022年03月28日付 [Weekly CD Album Ranking on March 28, 2022] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Billboard Japan Hot Albums, Week of March 23, 2022" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  3. ^ "Billboard Japan Download Albums, Week of March 23, 2022" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  4. ^ "東方神起『Epitaph』DLアルバム首位デビュー、JUJU／ヒプマイ／TWICE／Stray Kidsら混戦" [TVXQ's "Epitaph" debuts at the top of the DL album, JUJU/Hypmai/TWICE/Stray Kids join forces] (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  5. ^ "2022.2... "東方神起" Mini Album RELEASE！！" [Tohoshinki to release mini album in February 2022] (in Japanese). Avex. October 18, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  6. ^ "2022.3.16.Release"東方神起" Mini Album「Epitaph」、公式Twitterにて試聴用音源全曲公開！！" [Epitaph songs to be revealed through Twitter] (in Japanese). Avex. March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  7. ^ "Tohoshinki's Epitaph" (in Japanese).
  8. ^ "オリコン週間 デジタルシングル（単曲）ランキング 2020年11月23日～2020年11月29日 11～20位" [Weekly Digital Single Ranking for November 23-November 29, 2020]. www.oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  9. ^ "2022.3.16."東方神起"Mini Albumより「Epitaph -for the future-」Music Video Teaserを公開!" [Music video teaser for Epitaph's lead single 'Epitaph (For the Future)' is revealed｜lang=ja]. Avex. March 12, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  10. ^ "2022.3.16."東方神起"Mini Album「Epitaph」SPOT動画を公開！trans-title=TV Spot for Epitaph is revealed｜lang=ja". Avex. March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  11. ^ "2022.3.16."東方神起"Mini Album「Epitaph」リリースを記念して、東京メトロ新宿駅「メトロプロムナード」の特大ボード&サイネージをジャック！！" [Epitaph signage to be posted at Shinjuku Station's Metro Promenade] (in Japanese). Avex. March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  12. ^ "期間限定！ユニカビジョンで"東方神起"「Epitaph -for the future-」Music Videoの特別放映が決定!" [Limited time only: Tohoshinki's 'Epitaph (For the Future)' to broadcast on Yunika Vision] (in Japanese). Avex. March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  13. ^ "TVXQ to release Japanese mini album 'Epitaph' on Mar. 16". K Vibe. March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  14. ^ "2022.3.16.東方神起 Mini Album「Epitaph」収録「Light My Moon Like THIS」Lyric Music Video公開！" [Lyric music video for 'Light My Moon Like This' from the mini album 'Epitaph' is revealed] (in Japanese). Avex. March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  15. ^ "Oricon Daily Albums Chart, March 15, 2022". Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  16. ^ "Oricon Albums Chart, Week of March 28, 2022". Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 13, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  17. ^ "Epitaph by Tohoshinki". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Oricon Top 100 Albums of 2022" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  19. ^ "Mini Album 'Epitaph'". Tohoshinki Official Website (in Japanese). Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  20. ^ "Oricon Daily Albums Chart: 2022-03-16" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  21. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2022-03" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  22. ^ "Epitaph by 동방신기". Melon (in Korean). January 31, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
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