2008 single by TVXQ
"Mirotic" (Korean: 주문, Jumun; Japanese: 呪文, Jumon, lit. "Magic Spell") is a song recorded by South Korean boy band TVXQ. It was released in South Korea on September 26, 2008 by SM Entertainment as part of the band's eponymous fourth studio album, Mirotic (2008). The Japanese version was released on October 15, 2008 as their third single from their fourth Japanese studio album, The Secret Code (2009).
The song was written by Mikkel Sigvardt, Lucas Secon, Thomas Troelsen, and Yoo Young-jin, who also produced the song. The Korean lyrics were written by Yoo, with Japanese lyrics translated by Ryoji Sonoda.
"Mirotic" was a commercial and critical success, reaching number one in several countries. The single peaked at number one on Japan's Oricon Singles Chart and was certified gold in both digital sales and physical shipments by the RIAJ. "Mirotic" is hailed by music critics as one of the greatest songs in the history of K-pop. Both Billboard and Rolling Stone named it as one of the best boy band songs of all time.[1][2] It has reportedly received over 4,100,000 digital downloads in South Korea, making it the group's most downloaded single in the country. Two accompanying music videos were made available in support of the single's release in both regions.
Background and release
"Mirotic" was released as the title track for the group's fourth studio album of the same name on September 26, 2008, via SM Entertainment. In Japan, the single "Jumon: Mirotic" was released via Avex Trax's subsidiary label Rhythm Zone on October 15, 2008. It was physically distributed in three versions: a standard CD, a fanclub special edition CD and a limited edition CD + DVD bundle. The release includes the instrumental version of the song along with a remixed version of "Dōshite Kimi o Suki ni Natte Shimattandarō".[3]
On October 16, 2008, a fanclub event titled "Mirotic Party" was held to commemorate the release of the single. It was held at a club in Tokyo and was limited to only members of Tohoshinki's official fanclub.[4][5]
Following the release of "Mirotic", controversy arose due to the song being nearly identical to "Under My Skin" by German singer Sarah Connor. SM Entertainment revealed shortly afterwards that the team who originally composed the song sold its copyrights to both TVXQ and Sarah Connor in January 2008.[6]
Critical reception
"Mirotic" experienced commercial success in both South Korea in Japan. The track has reportedly garnered 4,173,225 downloads in South Korea, making it the group's best-selling single in the country.[7] In the first week of its release in Japan, it recorded sales of 71,000 copies and achieved top position on the weekly Oricon singles ranking in the chart issue dated October 27, 2008, becoming their fourth number-one single.[8] It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for physical shipments of over 100,000 units in December 2008 and for digital downloads in July 2014. On the Billboard Japan Hot 100, "Jumon: Mirotic" peaked at number seven in the week of October 22, 2008.[9]
"Mirotic" on critic lists
| Publisher
|
List
|
Rank
|
Ref.
|
| Billboard
|
The 100 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time
|
41
|
[1]
|
| The Dong-a Ilbo
|
Best Male Idol Songs in the Past 20 Years
|
4
|
[10]
|
| The Forty-Five
|
The 45 best K-pop songs of all time
|
10
|
[11]
|
| Melon
|
Top 100 K-pop Songs of All Time
|
10
|
[12]
|
| Marie Claire
|
35 Essential K-pop Songs
|
—
|
[13]
|
| Music Y
|
120 Best Dance Tracks of All Time
|
20
|
[14]
|
| Rolling Stone
|
75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time
|
39
|
[2]
|
| 100 Greatest Songs in the History of Korean Pop Music
|
25
|
[15]
|
Music video
The music video was filmed on the end of August 2008 nearby Seoul, South Korea by Cho Soo-hyun (조수현) and premiered on September 21, 2008, after five days the teaser released.[16][17] Later, it was premiered the Japanese version on September 27, 2008, with the alternate clips of the original video. There are also other versions of the video: the dance version and the solo versions of the members.
The music video features all the members walking when they are pulled by a sorceress in red and white. They are then shown in different scenarios, whereas: Hero Jaejoong is tied with rope handcuffs on a wall, U-Know Yunho is bound by ribbons around his wrists, Micky Yoochun is encased in glass, Xiah Junsu is trapped in lasers and Max Changmin is in water. There is also a dance scene in a room with a huge round light at the ceiling's center. In the end of the video, the members managed to break and escape their bindings and chase the sorceress who lost her power. The sorceress in turn attempts to escape as she slowly melts and then fades away as they slowly approach her. The eyes of the members start glowing whitish-green at the end of the music video.
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