Epitaph (EP)

On October 18, 2021, Avex announced that Tohoshinki would be returning to the Japanese music scene with three consecutive releases starting December 2021.{{cite web|url=https://mt.toho-jp.net/news/detail.php?id=1094948|publisher=Avex|title=2022.2... "東方神起" Mini Album RELEASE！！|trans-title=Tohoshinki to release mini album in February 2022|language=ja|date=October 18, 2021|access-date=March 26, 2024}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://mt.toho-jp.net/news/detail.php?id=1098196|publisher=Avex|title=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！！|trans-title=Epitaph songs to be revealed through Twitter|language=ja|date=March 5, 2022|access-date=March 26, 2024}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://toho-jp.net/tohoshinki_epitaph_special/|title=Tohoshinki's Epitaph|language=ja}} Their single "Small Talk" (2020), which sold 9,786 downloads, was also revealed to be part of the tracklist.{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/dis/w/2020-12-07/p/2/|title=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 |trans-title=Weekly Digital Single Ranking for November 23-November 29, 2020 |website=www.oricon.co.jp|publisher=Oricon|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202094148/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/dis/w/2020-12-07/p/2/ |access-date=December 7, 2020|archive-date=December 2, 2020 |language=ja}} On March 12, a music video teaser of the EP's lead single "Epitaph (For the Future)" was released.{{cite web|publisher=Avex|url=https://mt.toho-jp.net/news/detail.php?id=1098416|title=2022.3.16."東方神起"Mini Albumより「Epitaph -for the future-」Music Video Teaserを公開!|trans-title=Music video teaser for Epitaph's lead single 'Epitaph (For the Future)' is revealed｜lang=ja|date=March 12, 2022|access-date=March 26, 2024}} A television advertisement for the EP's release, which also featured an extended snippet of the lead single, was revealed on March 14.{{cite web|publisher=Avex|url=https://mt.toho-jp.net/news/detail.php?id=1098436|title=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|date=March 14, 2022|access-date=March 26, 2024}}

From March 14 to 20, promotional images of Epitaph were posted at the Metro Promenade in the Shinjuku Station.{{cite web|publisher=Avex|url=https://mt.toho-jp.net/news/detail.php?id=1098437|title=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！！|trans-title=Epitaph signage to be posted at Shinjuku Station's Metro Promenade | language=ja|date=March 15, 2022|access-date=March 26, 2024}} 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.{{cite web|publisher=Avex|url=https://mt.toho-jp.net/news/detail.php?id=1098490|title=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!|trans-title=Limited time only: Tohoshinki's 'Epitaph (For the Future)' to broadcast on Yunika Vision|language=ja|date=March 14, 2022|access-date=March 16, 2024}}

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.{{cite web | publisher=K Vibe | url=https://korean-vibe.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=1065579641428812 | title=TVXQ to release Japanese mini album 'Epitaph' on Mar. 16 | date=March 15, 2022 | access-date=March 30, 2024}} 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.{{cite web|publisher=Avex|url=https://mt.toho-jp.net/news/detail.php?id=1098624|title=2022.3.16.東方神起 Mini Album「Epitaph」収録「Light My Moon Like THIS」Lyric Music Video公開！|trans-title=Lyric music video for 'Light My Moon Like This' from the mini album 'Epitaph' is revealed|language=ja|date=March 20, 2022|access-date=March 26, 2024}}

Epitaph debuted at number two on the daily Oricon Albums Chart on the first day of release, selling 24,884 copies.{{cite web|website=Oricon|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/d/2022-03-15/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316091119/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/d/2022-03-15/|url-status=live|archive-date=March 16, 2022|access-date=March 24, 2024|title=Oricon Daily Albums Chart, March 15, 2022|language=ja}} It entered the Oricon Albums Chart at number three, with 36,038 copies sold on the first week for release.{{cite web|website=Oricon|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/w/2022-03-28/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813142529/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/w/2022-03-28/|url-status=live|archive-date=August 13, 2023|access-date=March 24, 2024|title=Oricon Albums Chart, Week of March 28, 2022|language=ja}} 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,{{cite web|website=Oricon|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/348854/products/1438698/1/|access-date=March 24, 2024|title=Epitaph by Tohoshinki|language=ja}} selling 45,808 copies by the end of the year, and ranking 86th on Oricon's year-end chart.

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

| headline = Epitaph track listing{{cite web | work=Tohoshinki Official Website | url=https://toho-jp.net/en/discography/detail.php?id=1018907 | title=Mini Album 'Epitaph' | access-date=March 24, 2024 | language=ja}}

| total_length = 21:41

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = Epitaph (For the Future)

| note1 =

| lyrics1 = Hi-yunk

| music1 = Hi-yunk

| extra1 = Hi-yunk

| length1 = 3:57

| title2 = Like Snow-White

| note2 =

| lyrics2 = Kelly

| music2 = {{hlist|Ryan Jhun|Cimo Fränkel|Micah Ross Gordon|Rik Annema|Sophie Hintze}}

| extra2 = {{hlist|Jhun|Fränkel|Annema|Gordon}}

| length2 = 3:04

| title3 = Small Talk

| note3 =

| lyrics3 = Shinjiroh Inoue

| music3 = {{hlist|Cayte Webber|Reece Pullinger|Jarin Lourens|Kristoffer Eriksson}}

| extra3 = Lourens

| length3 = 4:12

| title4 = Mahoroba

| note4 =

| lyrics4 = Kelly

| music4 = {{hlist|Niclas Kings|Andy Love}}

| extra4 = Kings

| length4 = 3:34

| title5 = Storm Chaser

| note5 =

| lyrics5 = Kelly

| music5 = {{hlist|Tania Doko|Jorgen Elofsson|David Musumeei|Anthony Egizii}}

| extra5 = DNA

| length5 = 3:20

| title6 = Light My Moon Like This

| note6 =

| lyrics6 = {{hlist|Katsuhiko Yamamoto|Yascotti}}

| music6 = Yamamoto

| extra6 = {{hlist|Yamamoto|URU}}

| length6 = 3:33

}}

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".

Musicians

{{div col|colwidth=25em}}

• 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)

{{div col end}}

Technical

{{div col|colwidth=25em}}

• 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)

{{div col end}}

{{reflist}}

{{TVXQ}}

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Category:2022 albums

Category:TVXQ EPs

Category:Avex Group albums

Category:2020s Japanese-language albums