''Tree'' (stylized as ''TREE'') is the seventh Japanese studio album (fourteenth overall) by South Korean pop duo

Tohoshinki TVXQ (stylized as TVXQ!), an initialism for Tong Vfang Xien Qi (), is a South Korean male pop duo consisting of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin. They are known as in Japanese releases, and are sometimes referred to as DBSK, an abbreviation of t ...

, released by Avex Trax on March 5, 2014. The record was released in four physical versions, each with a seasonal theme cover – Version A (Spring/Summer), a CD+DVD version with music videos; Version B (Autumn), another CD+DVD version with off-shot movies; Version C (Winter), a CD only version with two bonus tracks; and Version D, a fan club limited edition with a CD-Extra. Musically, ''Tree'' is a varied

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...

album that is influenced by a broad range of musical genres, such as electronic dance music, hip hop, R&B,

swing jazz Swing music is a style of jazz that developed in the United States during the late 1920s and early 1930s. It became nationally popular from the mid-1930s. The name derived from its emphasis on the off-beat, or nominally weaker beat. Swing bands ...

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...

s, and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

. Recording for the album began well before the launch of their sixth Japanese studio album ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' in early 2013. ''Tree'' was Tohoshinki's fourth consecutive album to debut at number one on the

Oricon Albums Chart The Oricon Albums Chart is the Japanese music industry standard albums popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Oricon originally published LP, CT, Cartridge and CD charts prior to the establishment of the Oricon Albu ...

and the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Japan Top Albums, selling 225,000 copies on its first week of release. With ''Tree'', Tohoshinki became the first foreign group in Japan to have three consecutive studio albums with first-week sales of over 200,000 copies, breaking

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald (American musician), Hugh McD ...

's thirteen-year record. Less than four weeks after release, the album earned a platinum certification by the

Recording Industry Association of Japan The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969. The RIAJ's activities include pr ...

(RIAJ) for shipments of over 250,000 copies. All four of the album's commercially successful

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

– "

Ocean The ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of the surface of Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. An ocean can also refer to any of the large bodies of water into which the wo ...

", "

Scream Scream may refer to: *Screaming, a loud vocalization Amusement rides * Scream (Heide Park), a gyro drop tower in Soltau, Germany * Scream! (ride), a tower ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags New England * Scream! (roller coaster), at ...

", " Very Merry Xmas", and " Hide & Seek /

Something Something may refer to: Philosophy and language *Something (concept) *Something, an English indefinite pronoun Music Albums * ''Something'' (Chairlift album), 2012 * ''Something'' (Shirley Bassey album), 1970 * ''Something'' (Shirley Scott a ...

" – debuted at number two on the

Oricon Singles Chart The Oricon Singles Chart is the Japanese music industry-standard singles popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Chart rankings are based on physical singles' sales. Until 2017, Oricon did not track download sales. In J ...

and achieved gold certifications by the RIAJ. To promote the album, Tohoshinki embarked on their seventh nationwide tour, Tree: Live Tour 2014 from April to June 2014.

Background and release

''Tree'' was officially announced on January 10, 2014 through Tohoshinki's official website. It contains a total of fourteen tracks, including two bonus tracks, all which were revealed on January 21, 2014. Following the convention of using the first letter 'T' in their album titles, the duo explained in a January 2014 interview that the name "Tree" was meant to be used as a metaphor for their growth as artists. Tree is also an element of growth in East Asian mythology. Yunho and Changmin added in a later interview that the name was actually inspired by the children's picture book ''

The Giving Tree ''The Giving Tree'' is an American children's picture book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. First published in 1964 by Harper & Row, it has become one of Silverstein's best-known titles, and it has been translated into numerous langu ...

'', and that ''Tree'' sends a message about giving. Recording sessions for ''Tree'' coincided with the duo's seventh Korean album, '' Tense'', which was released in January 2014. Similar to the duo's last two Japanese records, ''Tree'' delves into the usual

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

landscape in its dance tracks, some with hip hop and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

influences. The duo also experimented with genres they previously have not attempted before, such as

and

. A variety of different

s permeate throughout the album; "I Love You", written by Katsuhiko Yamamoto, emphasizes the duo's emotive vocal harmony with minimalist programming. Only 22 people were behind the song's instrumental arrangement, playing the piano, guitar, cello, and strings. However, Yamamoto's other composition in the album, , uses smooth R&B arrangements. The song was written after the

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...

and its lyrical content refers to hope and faith. On January 28, 2014, the official covers for ''Tree'' were revealed on Japanese newspapers, music retailers and Tohoshinki's official website. Each album cover represented a season of the year; Version A, a CD+DVD version with music videos, fell on Spring/Summer; Version B, a CD+DVD version with off-shot movies and live performances, fell on Autumn; and Version C, a CD-only version with two bonus tracks, fell on Winter. Version D, which features bare-shouldered Yunho and Changmin on the cover, was a limited edition that was exclusive for registered members of Bigeast, Tohoshinki's official fanclub in Japan. First press limited editions also included a photo card. A short version of the music video for the album's

promotional single A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...

"Tree of Life" premiered on February 4, 2014. ''Tree'' was introduced on TV Osaka's ''Japan Countdown'' on February 9, 2014. On February 15, the special website for ''Tree'' was opened, and the lyrics to seven songs in the album were revealed. In early March 2014, Tohoshinki celebrated the album release with an exhibition opened in Shibuya Tower Records in Tokyo. Pre-orders for ''Tree'' were sent out a few days prior to the official March 5 release date.

Promotion

In August 2013, the duo performed "Ocean" and "Scream" at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, the last stop of their Time: Live Tour 2013. In November 2013, during their fan-meet concert ''The Mission II'' in Saitama, Tohoshinki revealed plans for a new nationwide tour in 2014. Following the duo's unveil, twenty-six dates for their tour were announced, and Tree: Live Tour 2014 was officially announced in January 2014. The tour is set to begin in April 2014 with three shows in the

Yokohama Arena is an indoor arena located in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five-minute walk from the ...

Singles

" was released as the first single from the album, on June 12, 2013. Released three months after their sixth Japanese album ''

'', the duo promoted "Ocean" in their 2013 Japan-wide concert tour, Time: Live Tour 2013. The duo performed "Ocean" at the

Nissan Stadium Nissan Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, it is primarily used for football and is the home field of the Tennessee Titans of the Natio ...

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

, the last stop of the tour. "Ocean" is the album's best-selling single, with nearly 150,000 copies sold on its first week of release. "Scream" was released as the album's second single on September 4, 2013. Serving as the theme song for the Japanese horror film ''

Sadako 3D 2 is a 2013 Japanese supernatural horror film directed by Tsutomu Hanabusa and the sequel to 2012's '' Sadako 3D'' and the final installment in the ''Rasen'' timeline. Plot Takanori Andō (Kōji Seto) is waiting while Akane Ayukawa is giving bir ...

'', the song was first revealed in July 2013. Like "Ocean", Tohoshinki also promoted "Scream" in their Time Tour, and debuted their first performance of "Scream" at the Nissan Stadium. "Scream" debuted at number two on the

and peaked at number two on ''

's''

Japan Hot 100 The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and '' Hanshin Contents Link'' since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thur ...

. Also debuting at number two, the album's third single, " Very Merry Xmas", was released on November 27, 2013 as a special Christmas single. Supported by the holiday season, the song charted considerably well in radio airplay charts compared to "Ocean" and "Scream", both which have failed to chart in the top fifteen. "Very Merry Xmas" charted in the top ten in the ''

'' Japan Hot Top Airplay, and peaked at number nineteen on the ''Billboard'' Japan Adult Contemporary Airplay. Within a week of its release, the single was certified gold by the

(RIAJ) for shipments of over 100,000. The double A-sided " Hide & Seek / "

" was released as the album's fourth and final single, on February 5, 2014, one month before the official release date of ''Tree''. "Something", originally recorded in Korean, was first released in South Korea on January 6, 2014 as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

of the duo's seventh Korean studio album '' Tense''. "Hide & Seek" was featured as the theme song for the

Japanese television drama , also called , are television programs that are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, jidaigeki, thriller ...

, ''Team Batista 4'', which premiered on Japan's

Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network Sys ...

on January 7, 2014.

Commercial performance

Debuting atop the daily

and selling 156,491 copies on its first day of release, ''Tree'' maintained its number one spot for the next four days, making it Tohoshinki's first studio album and second overall release to top the daily Oricon Albums Chart for five days in a row. ''Tree'' debuted at number one on both the weekly Oricon Albums Chart and the ''Billboard'' Japan Top Albums, selling approximately 225,000 copies on its first week of release. It gave Tohoshinki their fourth consecutive number one album in Japan. The album was Tohoshinki's third studio album and fourth record to shift over 200,000 copies on its first week, breaking a record previously set by

thirteen years ago. The album was Tohoshinki's second studio album to top the Oricon's monthly album chart, selling 252,155 copies by March 31, 2014. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan less than four weeks after it was released.

Track listing

;Notes *Version D is only available on the Bigeast Official Shop, which requires Bigeast membership.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Tree''. ; Performers and musicians *Tohoshinki (

Yunho Jung Yun-ho (; born February 6, 1986), also known by his stage name U-Know Yunho () or simply U-Know, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, actor, and a member of the pop duo TVXQ. Born and raised in Gwangju, South Korea, Yunho started his music ...

Changmin Shim Chang-min (; born February 18, 1988), also known by his stage name Max Changmin () or simply as Max, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, actor, and a member of the pop duo TVXQ. Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Changmin was scou ...

) – vocals, background vocals *

Yoo Young-jin Yoo Young-jin is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer and vocal trainer under SM Entertainment. He has produced and written songs for H.O.T., S.E.S, BoA, Shinhwa, TVXQ, CSJH The Grace, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, Shinee, ...

– background vocals (track 6) *Kim Hyeon-a – background vocals (track 6) *Kumi Sasaki – background vocals (track 13) *Yuko Ohtaki – background vocals (track 13) *Hiroaki Takeuchi – background vocals (track 13) *Robin – background vocals (track 14) *Katsuhiko Yamamoto – piano (tracks 1, 15) *Tomohiko Osakabe – bass (track 4) *Kadowaki strings – strings (tracks 4, 15) *Shinjiroh Inoue – background vocals (track 13); all instruments (tracks 5, 8, 12); piano (track 13); guitar (tracks 7, 13) *Kang Soo-ho – drums (track 6) *Jeon Seong-sik – double bass (track 6) *Sam Lee – guitar (track 6) *Kim Dong-ha – trumpet (track 6) *Lee Han-jin – trombone (track 6) *Kim Sang-il – saxophone (track 6) *Taizo Nakamura – bass (tracks 7, 13) *Shika strings – strings (tracks 7, 13) *

Steven Lee Steven Lee (born 6 August 1962 in Falls Creek) is an Australian alpine skier. He competed in the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics, and had a competitive career lasting just on 25 years. He is the second of only 3 Australian skiers ever to ...

– keyboards (track 9, 11) *hitchhiker – guitar, keyboards (track 10) *Andreas Stone Johansson – keyboards (track 11) *Andreas Oberg – guitar (track 11) *Kentaro Kawai – guitar (track 15) *Tomoji Sogawa – piano (track 16) *Kiyoto Konda – guitar(track 16) *Konno strings – strings (track 16) ;Technical personnel *Katsutoshi Yasuhara – direction (tracks 1–5, 7–9, 11–16) *

– direction, recording, mixing (track 6) *hitchhiker – direction, sound processing (track 10) *Atsushi Hattori – mixing, recording (tracks 1, 7, 15, 16); mixing (track 14) *Jung Eui-seok – mixing, recording (track 10) *Naoki Yamada – mixing (track 2–5, 8, 9, 11–13) *Hideaki Jinbu – recording (tracks 1–5, 7–9, 11–16) *Oh Sung-gun with assistant Song Ju-yong – recording (track 6) *Kwang Jung-shin with assistant Jeong Mo-yun – recording (track 6) *Junichi Shinohara – editing (track 3) *Makoto Yamadoi – editing (track 4) *Katsuhiko Yamamoto – programming (tracks 4, 15) *Shinjiroh Inoue – programming (tracks 7, 13) *

– programming (tracks 9, 11) *Andreas Stone Johansson – programming (track 11) *Tomoji Sogawa – programming (track 16)

Charts

Weekly charts

Sales

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

Special website
{{Authority control 2014 albums TVXQ albums Avex Group albums Japanese-language albums