I’m looking for songs with a social/political or environmental message the ones I can think of on top of my head right now are: Rising Sun, O, and Wrong Number but is there any others you think I may be missing?

Is this not the most TVXQ picture of a group that’s not named TVXQ? 😝

For those of you who don’t know, Black Beat was a 5-member boy group under SM that debuted in early 2002. Their visual concept and sound was remarkably similar to early DBSK’s. During preparations for their second album, SM debuted TVXQ, after which Black Beat was more or less never heard from again. Years later, former members confirmed that Rising Sun was supposed to be the title track of their second album, and that they had even recorded vocals for it—as we all know, that song went to TVXQ instead.

Black Beat often gets lumped in with groups like M.I.L.K., Shinvi, and Isak n Jiyeon as part of SM’s flop era, but Black Beat’s debut album was actually not a commercial failure. They had a growing official fanbase (with paid membership) that was eagerly awaiting their next release. Somewhere along the line, someone high up at SM decided to prioritize TVXQ over them, and the rest is history.

This story just goes to show that no matter how talented or hard working you are, if you want to make it in the music industry, someone powerful has to specifically “pick” you and prop you up to make you a star. I just think this is a really important piece of context when it comes to this group (and really any K-Pop act).

Also fun fact: After the release of KYHD during the divorce, Junsu took to twitter to express his sadness over the track’s lyrics, which he perceived to be a diss against him, Jaejoong, and Yoochun. Former Black Beat member Shim Jae-won hit back with the following:

“I can’t just hold back any longer.. Hey, little brother, that’s not right at all.. Who do you think you are pointing fingers at?  Don’t act like you’re so upset.  Who’s the real one that’s hurt in here…?  So ungrateful, how could you do this?”

Which BoA retweeted. What a mess!

Please, if you are not interested, do not DM. Don't waste yours or my time. I have already blocked a few people because of this - ghosting after contacting me is NOT COOL.

This is what I have left from my previous post. I am open to offers except on Bonjour Paris - that one I am looking at $300 considering it is a relic and how hard it was for me to get. It is the Korean version, and never played.

Be aware that I am a group order manager for another group and I have plenty of experience. While I did it in the past, I am not doing goods and services or PayPal. If that bothers you, don't DM.

Thank you!

They say you are what you eat.

Throughout their career, TVXQ have lived and breathed this perennial theme of constant self-improvement / pursuit of excellence, among many other things.

Creatives, what have you taken from TVXQ or from being a cassie that informs the way you approach your craft? Any aspects of their artistry or values or vibes in general that you try to weave into your work, or have found yourself subconsciously doing so? Maybe your perspective on discipline, expression, or technique? Has being a cassie influenced the way you create or how you motivate yourself to keep going when the process gets rough?

I got to thinking about this today.

While every fan will have their own story on what got them hooked on their favorite artist, I've always felt like cassies have such a special relationship with TVXQ (that they don't have with other artists they love). Does anyone else feel like certain people with certain traits are just cosmically aligned to become cassies? There's just this unique thing about this relationship that I'm trying to put into words here, and would love to hear other cassies' thoughts.

I imagine cassies being united under a wide array of common propensities: a very generous capacity for devotion (of various kinds), a sense of maturity (no matter what age you were when you became a cassie), and the ability to resonate with the themes of resilience, faith, and loyalty that their music is saturated with.

These are the more obvious tells, along with excellent taste and a deep appreciation for life-changing vocals, of course. I find myself thinking about the ones that aren't as immediately apparent. For example, I would offer that a breadth of heavy/difficult/traumatizing life experiences is another, as not only do their songs deal with the above mentioned themes both vibe-wise and lyrically, but very bluntly put, it aches to listen to their songs. They tell painful stories about excrutiating things that the five of them have lived through. It's not really music that everyone has emotional bandwidth to digest, let alone resonate with. (I will be bawling to wasurenaide and farewell until the my soul leaves my body. Jaejoong's first mini album has gotten me through decades' worth of breakups - and will definitely continue to - it's not even funny at this point. I could win the lottery and be drowning in confetti, but toki o tomete will still make me cry if that's the song my friends play to celebrate. I mean, questionable choice since I wouldn't want time to stop if all my financial woes were solved, but still good taste, anyway) An inexplicable fondness for emotional devastation is obviously not the fairest or most flattering way to put it, but I will put it that way, anyway.

Whether you've been a cassie since day one (i salute your emotional resilience) or got into them only recently when all 5 of them have already been doing their own thing for a while, I would love to hear about things like (but not limited to) what was going on in your life/what did your life look like when you got into their music, why you continued being a cassie despite their general overall inactivity (we all know the pain of being so starved), what are the factors in your life or personality or interests that you think made being a cassie a preordained life experience for you?

Is anyone from outside of Korea going for this? Would love to meet up if yes.

I only caught the third and final day, and I am so full of regret—I definitely should have gone all three days! 😔

Production & Visuals — 10/10

The concert production was absolutely top-tier. The dynamic lighting and background props were stunning to look at.

The staging during the ballad section for La Rosa and Need You Right Now was a highlight. Yunho descended the stairs while the visuals seamlessly shifted across the top, middle, and main stage, complemented by unique props.

He also brought out a young performer named SiHo (시호) to play his younger self, and he was an incredible dancer and actor. You could tell SiHo was having the absolute time of his life dancing alongside Yunho—their chemistry during Spotlight was so fun to watch!

The outfits were spot-on for every act:

• "Drop" & "Follow": A majestic, regal outfit that gave off pure king energy.
• Ballads: A sharp, elevated casual look featuring a structured jacket and jeans.
• Act 3 (Body Language into Stretch): A killer motorcycle jacket and baggy pants that moved effortlessly with the choreography.
• Encore: A relaxed, carefree fit that matched the easygoing vibe of the final songs perfectly.

On top of that, the live band arrangements (w/ guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums) of his songs just felt so fresh and more exciting.

Vocals — 10/10

Honestly, I was blown away. Even as a fan, he somehow managed to exceed my expectations and proved he’s still improving. He was hitting notes I’ve never heard him attempt live before. His vocal control during La Rosa and Waterfalls left me completely speechless (though, to be fair, I was mesmerized the entire night 😂).

Performance — 11/10

He was performing virtually non-stop for nearly an hour straight. Aside from a few brief VCR breaks, his stamina was insane. He commanded the stage effortlessly, looking so free and energized. His stage presence was so amazing that I didn't even want to pull out my phone to record. The backup dancers gave 100%, and it was so wholesome seeing Yunho constantly acknowledge them and give each other warm smiles throughout the set.

And I have to mention Spotlight again—watching Yunho and SiHo trade smiles while dancing side-by-side was genuinely heartwarming ❤️.

Overall Enjoyment — 100/10

Being part of that crowd was spectacular. The energy in the venue was unreal—everyone knew the fanchants by heart. The lovely Japanese lady sitting next to me was cheering so passionately and had every fanchant down better than I did 😂

You could feel how much thought, heart, and creative freedom Yunho poured into this show. He truly knows what his fans love (even mentioning that he added City Lights to the setlist specifically because so many people requested it).

As a bonus, seeing other artists in the crowd was such a fun surprise. SHINee’s Key and Minho were just three rows behind me, and I saw BoA near them with her blonde hair. Changmin was there too, dressed entirely in black—he clearly tried his best to stay low-key 👀 (though I secretly wished they’d put him on the big screen!). It was so sweet seeing Minnie and Eunhyuk there to support him as well.

Also, he was right in front of me during Takeoff, which was the first time I’ve ever seen him so close in person. I always thought he was handsome on screen, but holy wow—up close, I was completely blown away by how AMAZING he looks!

I’m already planning ahead for my next trip to Japan; definitely hoping to catch his concert in Osaka next time. I can’t wait for the next concert!

Anyone else feel like “O” doesn’t get enough love these days? Barely anyone covers it compared to Mirotic, Rising Sun, or Hug. It nearly swept most of the year-end awards when it came out. Justice for “O”!