Mirotic

The album had been in production since 2007, but the title was not decided upon until January 2008. TVXQ members Xiah Junsu and Max Changmin participated directly in the making of the album, penning the lyrics for "노을.. 바라보다 (Picture of You)" and "Love in the Ice", respectively. In addition, members Hero Jaejoong and Micky Yoochun composed and wrote the lyrics to "사랑아 울지마 (Don't Cry My Lover)" and "사랑 안녕 사랑 (Love Bye Love)", respectively, for version C of the album.

TVXQ had two promotional singles from the album. The title single "Mirotic" won a total of nine number-one trophies on Korean music programs The Music Trend, Music Bank, and M! Countdown, and is touted by critics as a staple song of K-pop.{{cite web|title=TVXQ, Which Member is Most Pure...?! |url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/interview/070919_02.html|work=Oricon|access-date=March 7, 2009|language=ja}}{{cite web|title=TVXQ, Trying the Dance Number That Fits in the Winter!!|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/interview/061108_03.html|work=Oricon|access-date=March 7, 2009|language=ja}}{{cite web|title=TVXQ, To Become USJ Asia Goodwi-ll Ambassadors|url=http://www.varietyjapan.com/news/showbiz/u3eqp3000003hfjz.html|work=Variety Japan|access-date=March 7, 2009|language=ja}} Though succeeding single "Wrong Number" was unable to meet the success of its predecessor, it was an acclaimed K-pop hit.

Mirotic won the Disk Daesang (equivalent to Album of the Year) at the 23rd Golden Disk Awards and Album of the Year at the 2008 Mnet KM Music Festival (MKMF). It is currently the best-selling album among Korea's second-generation idols, earning the name "Album of the Decade."{{cite web|url=http://www.allkpop.com/2012/07/sm-entertainments-2nd-generation-idols-achieve-great-album-sales-numbers|title=SM Entertainment's 2nd generation idols achieve great album sales numbers - allkpop.com}}

The choreography of "주문-Mirotic," the title track of the album, was done in a collaboration between Korean choreographers and Kenny Wormald, who had also worked with pop stars Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown and Christina Aguilera.{{cite news | title=TVXQ's 4th Studio Album Mirotic Simply Irresistible | date=September 18, 2008 | publisher=KBS GLOBAL | url=http://english.kbs.co.kr/entertainment/news/1546489_11858.html | access-date=September 18, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919062919/http://english.kbs.co.kr/entertainment/news/1546489_11858.html | archive-date=September 19, 2008 | url-status=dead }} The song features a "reverse beat" track, meaning that the bass beat is either a half beat or a whole beat late in coming into a new phrase. While in most genres of music, the bass note comes in directly on the first beat of the measure in setting the chord of the phrase, reverse beat songs alter this usual method. In doing so, the reverse beat genre is said to have an effect of "growing on" the listener, having an addictive sound.

"Mirotic" is a newly coined term, created by member Hero Jaejoong, that combines the Korean miro (미로), meaning "maze", and the English suffix "-tic". The title song was composed by the Danish producers, Remee, Lucas Secon and Thomas Troelsen. The German singer, Sarah Connor, also bought the copyright to the song (not specified when). Despite the fact that the two original songs were the same composed piece, they have musical differences (TVXQ's version has a rap and multi-layered harmonies while Connor's has a bridge; the melodies in the chorus also differ). "Mirotic" is one of the most successful singles ever in South Korea, in 2008 the song was downloaded 2,337,864 times. By the end of 2011 the song was officially downloaded 4,173,225 times.

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = IZM{{cite web|work=IZM |url=http://www.izm.co.kr/contentRead.asp?idx=22516&bigcateidx=1&subcateidx=3&cTp=4 |title=TVXQ's Mirotic |access-date=December 17, 2013 |language=ko |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219034748/http://www.izm.co.kr/contentRead.asp?idx=22516&bigcateidx=1&subcateidx=3&cTp=4 |archive-date=December 19, 2013 }}

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}

}}

Mirotic received positive reviews from music critics. Hwang Seon-eop, an editor of South Korean magazine IZM, rated the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising the record's production and the group members' performance.

{{see also|Censorship in South Korea}}

In November 2008, the Korean Commission of Youth Protection ruled that the lyrics of "Mirotic" were provocative and overly sexual. As a result, the album was labeled with stickers indicating that it was unsuitable for people under 19 years old and any performances of the song would have to be broadcast after 10pm.{{cite news |first=Hyung-eun|last=Kim|title=Teen tunes get the rap from censoring body|url=http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2898642|work=JoongAng Ilbo|date=December 16, 2008|access-date=February 9, 2009|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090529065403/http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2898642 |archive-date = May 29, 2009|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=SM application for injunction on hazardous youth ruling |url=http://news.kbs.co.kr/news.php?kind=c&id=1680203 |work=KBS |access-date=December 10, 2008 |date=December 2, 2008 |language=ko }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In response to the ruling, SM Entertainment agreed to make a clean version but also had filed an injunction to overrule the commission's decision, asserting that the lyrics are "entirely different and miles away from the erotic or sexual that the association is making it to be."

TVXQ performed the clean version at the 23rd Annual Golden Disk Awards. The lyrics were changed from "I got you" to "I chose you" and "I got you under my skin" to "I got you under my sky." In March 2009, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of SM Entertainment, stating that the concerned lyrics "neither encouraged youth to have sex or described women as object for sex".{{cite news |last=Kim |first=Rahn |date=April 1, 2009 |title=Court Rules TVXQ Album Not Harmful to Youth |work=Korea Times |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/04/117_42389.html |access-date=April 1, 2009}} The following month, the Commission of Youth Protection announced they would appeal the ruling to a high court after having an emergency meeting and deeming that the phrase, "I got you under my skin", was inappropriate for minors.{{cite news|first=Ji-sook |last=Bae |title=Government Appeals to Define TVXQ's Song 'Lewd' |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/04/117_42908.html |work=Korea Times |date=April 9, 2009 |access-date=April 10, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204050210/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/04/117_42908.html |archive-date=February 4, 2012 }}

{{tracklist

| headline = Mirotic Version A & B track list

| extra_column = Arrangement

| total_length = 48:44

| title_width = 29%

| lyrics_width = 18%

| music_width = 27%

| extra_width = 22%

| title1 = Mirotic

| note1 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=주문|rr=Jumun|lit=Magic Spell}}

| lyrics1 = Yoo Young-jin

| music1 = {{hlist|Mikkel Sigvardt|Lucas Secon|Thomas Troelsen|Yoo Young-jin}}

| extra1 = Yoo Young-jin

| length1 = 3:28

| title2 = Wrong Number

| lyrics2 = Kang Joon-woo

| music2 = {{hlist|Marvin Ambrosius|Christopher Lee-Joe (BNA Productions)|Philippe-Marc Anquetil (BNA Productions)|Iain James}}

| extra2 = {{ill|Yoo Han-jin|ko|유한진}}

| length2 = 4:14

| title3 = Picture of You

| note3 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=노을... 바라보다|rr=No-eul... Baraboda|lit=Looking at the Sunset}}

| lyrics3 = Xiah Junsu

| music3 = {{hlist|Marcus Jilla|James Hollands|James Critcher}}

| extra3 = {{hlist|Marcus Jilla|James Hollands|James Critcher}}

| length3 = 4:51

| title4 = Crazy Love

| lyrics4 = Young-hu Kim

| music4 = Young-hu Kim

| extra4 = Young-hu Kim

| length4 = 3:43

| title5 = Hey!

| note5 = Don't Bring Me Down

| lyrics5 = Yoo Young-jin

| music5 = Yoo Young-jin

| extra5 = Yoo Young-jin

| length5 = 4:11

| title6 = You're My Melody

| note6 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=넌 나의 노래|rr=Neon Na-eui Norae}}

| lyrics6 = Young-hu Kim

| music6 = {{hlist|Sean Alexander|Pascal Guyon|Jimmy Andrew Richard}}

| extra6 = {{hlist|Sean Alexander|Pascal Guyon|Jimmy Andrew Richard}}

| length6 = 3:33

| title7 = Rainbow

| note7 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=무지개|rr=Mujigae}}

| lyrics7 = {{ill|Kim Jeong-bae|ko|김정배 (음악가)}}

| music7 = Kenzie

| extra7 = Kenzie

| length7 = 4:11

| title8 = Paradise

| note8 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=낙원|rr=Nak-won}}

| lyrics8 = Wheesung

| music8 = {{hlist|Kelvin Kumar (KSK)|Sean Kumar (KSK)}}

| extra8 = KSK

| length8 = 4:39

| title9 = Are You a Good Girl?

| note9 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=악녀|rr=Angnyeo|lit=Wicked Woman}}

| lyrics9 = Yoo Young-jin

| music9 = Yoo Young-jin

| extra9 = Yoo Young-jin

| length9 = 4:11

| title10 = Flower Lady

| note10 = Cover of Andrew Grange's "Stay With Me (Always)"

| lyrics10 = Jo Yoon-kyung

| music10 = {{hlist|Andrew Grange|Rupert Gayle|Micah Williams|Tesung Kim (Iconic Sounds)}}

| extra10 = {{ill|Yoo Han-jin|ko|유한진}}

| length10 = 3:53

| title11 = Forgotten Season

| note11 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=잊혀진 계절|rr=Ichyeojin Gyeojeol}}) (solo performed by Hero Jaejoong

| lyrics11 = {{ill|Park Keon-ho|ko|박건호}}

| music11 = Lee Beom-hee

| extra11 = Hong-seok

| length11 = 4:22

| title12 = Love in the Ice

| note12 = Korean version

| lyrics12 = {{hlist|{{ill|Ryoji Sonoda|ja|園田凌士}}|Max Changmin}}

| music12 = Daisuke Suzuki

| extra12 = {{hlist|Daisuke Suzuki|{{ill|Yuya Saito|ja|斎藤悠弥}}}}

| length12 = 5:18

}}

;Notes

• Track 5 is stylized in all caps as HEY!
• Version B of the album does not include Tracks 11 & 12 ("Forgotten Season" & "Love in the Ice (Korean version)").

{{tracklist

| headline = Mirotic Version C track list

| extra_column = Arrangement

| total_length = 77:38

| title_width = 29%

| lyrics_width = 18%

| music_width = 27%

| extra_width = 22%

| title1 = Wrong Number

| lyrics1 = Kang Joon-woo

| music1 = {{hlist|Marvin Ambrosius|Christopher Lee-Joe (BNA Productions)|Philippe-Marc Anquetil (BNA Productions)|Iain James}}

| extra1 = {{ill|Yoo Han-jin|ko|유한진}}

| length1 = 4:14

| title2 = Don't Cry My Lover

| note2 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=사랑아 울지마|rr=Sarang-a Uljima}}

| lyrics2 = Hero Jaejoong

| music2 = Hero Jaejoong

| extra2 = Jo Joon-young (Crazy Musician)

| length2 = 4:44

| title3 = Mirotic

| note3 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=주문|rr=Jumun|lit=Magic Spell}}

| lyrics3 = Yoo Young-jin

| music3 = {{hlist|Mikkel Sigvardt|Lucas Secon|Thomas Troelsen}}

| extra3 = Yoo Young-jin

| length3 = 3:28

| title4 = Crazy Love

| lyrics4 = Young-hu Kim

| music4 = Young-hu Kim

| extra4 = Young-hu Kim

| length4 = 3:43

| title5 = Hey!

| note5 = Don't Bring Me Down

| lyrics5 = Yoo Young-jin

| music5 = Yoo Young-jin

| extra5 = Yoo Young-jin

| length5 = 4:11

| title6 = Wish

| note6 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=소원|rr=Sowon}}) (featuring Ryeowook and Kyuhyun of Super Junior

| lyrics6 = {{ill|Park Joon-ha|ko|박준하}}

| music6 = Park Joon-ha

| extra6 = Hong Seok

| length6 = 4:36

| title7 = You're My Melody

| note7 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=넌 나의 노래|rr=Neon Na-eui Norae}}

| lyrics7 = Young-hu Kim

| music7 = {{hlist|Sean Alexander|Pascal Guyon|Jimmy Andrew Richard}}

| extra7 = {{hlist|Sean Alexander|Pascal Guyon|Jimmy Andrew Richard}}

| length7 = 3:33

| title8 = Picture of You

| note8 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=노을... 바라보다|rr=No-eul... Baraboda|lit=Looking at the Sunset}}

| lyrics8 = Xiah Junsu

| music8 = {{hlist|Marcus Jilla|James Hollands|James Critcher}}

| extra8 = {{hlist|Marcus Jilla|James Hollands|James Critcher}}

| length8 = 4:51

| title9 = Rainbow

| note9 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=무지개|rr=Mujigae}}

| lyrics9 = {{ill|Kim Jeong-bae|ko|김정배 (음악가)}}

| music9 = Kenzie

| extra9 = Kenzie

| length9 = 4:11

| title10 = Love Bye Love

| note10 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=사랑 안녕 사랑|rr=Sarang Annyeong Sarang}}

| lyrics10 = Micky Yoochun

| music10 = Micky Yoo-chun

| extra10 = Micky Yoo-chun

| length10 = 3:34

| title11 = Paradise

| note11 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=낙원|rr=Nak-won}}

| lyrics11 = Wheesung

| music11 = {{hlist|Kelvin Kumar (KSK)|Sean Kumar (KSK)}}

| extra11 = KSK

| length11 = 4:39

| title12 = Are You a Good Girl?

| note12 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=악녀|rr=Angnyeo|lit=Wicked Woman}}

| lyrics12 = Yoo Young-jin

| music12 = Yoo Young-jin

| extra12 = Yoo Young-jin

| length12 = 4:11

| title13 = Flower Lady

| note13 = Cover of Andrew Grange's "Stay With Me (Always)"

| lyrics13 = Jo Yoon-kyung

| music13 = {{hlist|Andrew Grange|Rupert Gayle|Micah Williams|Tesung Kim (Iconic Sounds)}}

| extra13 = {{ill|Yoo Han-jin|ko|유한진}}

| length13 = 3:53

| title14 = Don't Say Goodbye

| lyrics14 = {{hlist|Kim Ji-hoo|Tesung Kim (Iconic Sounds)}}

| music14 = {{hlist|Kim Ji-hoo|Tesung Kim (Iconic Sounds)}}

| extra14 = {{hlist|Kim Ji-hoo|Tesung Kim (Iconic Sounds)}}

| length14 = 4:25

| title15 = Forgotten Season

| note15 = {{Korean|labels=no|hangul=잊혀진 계절|rr=Ichyeojin Gyeojeol}}) (solo performed by Hero Jaejoong

| lyrics15 = {{ill|Park Keon-ho|ko|박건호}}

| music15 = Lee Beom-hee

| extra15 = Hong-seok

| length15 = 4:22

| title16 = Love in the Ice

| note16 = Korean version

| lyrics16 = {{hlist|{{ill|Ryoji Sonoda|ja|園田凌士}}|Max Changmin}}

| music16 = Daisuke Suzuki

| extra16 = {{hlist|Daisuke Suzuki|{{ill|Yuya Saito|ja|斎藤悠弥}}}}

| length16 = 5:18

}}

{{tracklist

| headline = Mirotic Version B – DVD

| title1 = Directed by Hero (Interviewee: U-Know)

| note1 =

| title2 = Directed by U-Know (Interviewee: Max)

| note2 =

| title3 = Directed by Max (Interviewee: Xiah)

| note3 =

| title4 = Directed by Xiah (Interviewee: Micky)

| note4 =

| title5 = Directed by Micky (Interviewee: Hero)

| note5 =

| title6 = Directed by TVXQ! - Talk about Mirotic

| note6 =

| title7 = Directed by TVXQ! - 'Surprise Project [a-nation'08 Diary]'

| note7 =

}}

{{tracklist

| headline = Mirotic Version C – DVD

| title1 = Mirotic

| note1 = {{small|music video}}

| title2 = Making of "Mirotic" music video

| title3 = Directed by Hero (Interviewee: U-Know)

| note3 =

| title4 = Directed by U-Know (Interviewee: Max)

| note4 =

| title5 = Directed by Max (Interviewee: Xiah)

| note5 =

| title6 = Directed by Xiah (Interviewee: Micky)

| note6 =

| title7 = Directed by Micky (Interviewee: Hero)

| note7 =

| title8 = Directed by TVXQ! - Talk about Mirotic

| note8 =

| title9 = Directed by TVXQ! - 'Surprise Project [a-nation'08 Diary]'

| note9 =

}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
Chart (2008) ! Peak position
scope="row"| Taiwanese Albums (G-Music){{cite web |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028190822/http://www.g-music.com.tw/GMusicBillboard0.aspx |url=http://www.g-music.com.tw/GMusicBillboard0.aspx |title=G-Music Combo Albums – Week 42 of 2008 |publisher=G-Music |language=zh |date=October 17–23, 2008 |archivedate=October 28, 2008 |url-status=dead }} | style="text-align:center;" | 3

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
Chart (2010) ! Peak position
scope="row"| South Korean Albums (Gaon){{cite web |title=Album Chart – Week 18 of 2010 |url=https://circlechart.kr/page_chart/album.circle?nationGbn=T&targetTime=18&hitYear=2010&termGbn=week&yearTime=3 |website=Circle Chart |access-date=September 2, 2022 |language=ko |date=May 1, 2010}} | style="text-align:center;" | 10

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
Chart (2008) ! Peak position
scope="row"| South Korean Albums (RIAK){{cite web|url=http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/kpop_200809.htm|script-title=ko:2008.09월 – 가요 음반 판매량|trans-title=2008.09 – Sales volume|publisher=Music Industry Association of Korea|accessdate=May 16, 2021|archivedate=December 3, 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203032946/http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/kpop_200809.htm|language=ko }} | style="text-align:center;" | 1

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=South Korea|nocert=yes|salesamount=594,649|salesref=Mirotic sold 502,837 copies in 2008, 47,857 copies in 2009, 23,882 copies in 2010, and 20,073 copies from 2011–2022.

• {{cite news |author=Kim Hyeong-woo |date=January 8, 2009 |title=동방신기 4집 103일만에 50만장 판매 돌파 |trans-title=TVXQ 4th album 500,000 sales topped in 103 days |work=Newsen |url=http://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=200901080836191002 |accessdate=November 28, 2014}}
• {{cite web |author=Genlove Benalayo |date=January 11, 2009 |title=TVXQ 4th Album Sells 5-Year-High 500,000 Copies |url=https://gebens2001.wordpress.com/2009/01/11/tvxq-4th-album-sells-5-year-high-500000-copies/ |accessdate=November 28, 2014 |work=KBS |publisher=Wordpress}}
• {{cite web |title=2010 Sales (see #64) |url=http://www.gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/notice/view.gaon?idx=36 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110213045903/http://www.gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/notice/view.gaon?idx=36 |archivedate=February 13, 2011 |accessdate=April 27, 2015 |publisher=Gaon Charts |language=ko}}
• {{cite web |title=Circle Chart's Observation Note #1 [Album Sales] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge3mo0xLBuM&t=91s |accessdate=November 1, 2023 |website= |publisher=Circle Music Chart |via=YouTube}}}}

{{Table end}}

{{Reflist}}

{{TVXQ}}

{{Mnet Asian Music Award for Album of the Year}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2008 albums

Category:Dance-pop albums by South Korean artists

Category:TVXQ albums

Category:Grand Prize Golden Disc Award–winning albums

Category:SM Entertainment albums

Category:2000s Korean-language albums