TVXQ

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. Currenty, it is one of the top pop 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 동방신기 (romanized as Dong Bang Shin Gi/Ki, abbreviated as DBSK/DBSG), whereas the Japanese equivalent is Tōhōshinki (abbreviated as THSK). The group debuted in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China throughout 2004.

Musical style

Although initially marketed as an "A cappella" group, most of TVXQ's music is mainstream K-pop. Their debut single "Hug" was a romantic bubblegum pop song, whereas their followup single "The Way U Are" was a dance/R&B number, complete with stylized outfits and heavily choreographed dance moves. Their third major single release, "믿어요" (Believe), in contrast, was a ballad. TVXQ concluded the year with a Christmas album that also had an a cappella version of "Jesus, Joy Of Man's Desiring". With their releases in 2004, the group showed a versatility in style and has managed not to be permanently typecast as a certain "genre style" (as opposed to Fly to the Sky's ballads or Koyote's dance songs).

With consecutive releases, they have not moved from this formula, as their second and third albums have had a similar mixture without moving outside of the mainstream label. The second album's singles, for example, included a dance song (their first release) and a ballad (their followup). As the third album's releases have so far been dance, ballad and pure pop tracks, TVXQ has continued to move from genre to genre while staying mainstream. Although the group has given many a cappella performances, TVXQ has yet to release an a cappella (or an otherwise mostly vocal) single.

Pre-fame

Their Korean name in English translates to “Rising Gods of the East.” All the members were separately chosen by SM Entertainment through various auditions and did not start off together, as they (and others, including members of Super Junior) 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 through 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 the State of 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. 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, and their stage debut featured fellow SM Entertainment star BoA; Britney Spears was at this showcase as well. 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.