True Colors (EP) explained

True Colors
Type:EP
Artist:U-Know Yunho
Cover:Uknow_truecolors.jpeg
Caption:Digital cover
Border:yes
Recorded:2019
Studio:SM Studios (Seoul)
Genre:
Length:20:51
Language:Korean
Label:
Prev Title:U Know Y
Prev Year:2015
Next Title:Noir
Next Year:2021

True Colors is the debut extended play by South Korean singer U-Know Yunho, a member of the pop duo TVXQ. It was released on June 12, 2019 by SM Entertainment. Produced by Lee Soo-man, the EP was recorded in Seoul, South Korea. Musically, the EP is primarily a dance pop album with R&B and electropop influences. BoA and Giriboy are also featured in the album.

The EP was a commercial success. In South Korea, it debuted at number one on the Circle Chart (then known as the Gaon Albums Chart), selling over 57,000 copies on the first day. It also topped iTunes music charts in at least fifteen countries across the world on the first day of release.[1] True Colors sold over 100,000 units after the first week in South Korea, making Yunho the third solo male artist to do so since the chart's inception in 2010. In Japan, True Colors topped the Oricon Digital Charts with over 4,000 downloads on the first week,[2] and the physical version debuted at number five on the Oricon Albums Chart.[3]

Background and release

After celebrating TVXQ's fifteenth anniversary debut with the EP New Chapter #2: The Truth of Love, the duo embarked on their encore concert tour, the Circle #with Tour in early 2019. On May 3, 2019, SM Entertainment announced that Yunho would be releasing his first solo album in June.[4] The EP's lead single "Follow" is written by Yoo Young-jin, a frequent contributor to TVXQ's music catalog. From June 3 through 8, Yunho released teaser images and tracklist highlights from the EP on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.[5] A special clip of the b-side "Hit Me Up" featuring Giriboy was dropped on June 7.[6] The album cover for True Colors was revealed on June 9, and the first music video for "Follow" was released on June 10, followed by a second teaser on June 11. A showcase attended by press and selected fans was held on June 12, ahead of the EP's release.[7] There, Yunho performed three tracks from the EP, including "Follow". The full music video of "Follow" was dropped at 6PM KST.

Composition

True Colors features six tracks, with each track representing a different color.[8] "Swing", which features BoA, is associated with the color red, and has lyrics that emphasize the romantic tension between a woman and a man. "Change the World", the EP's final track, is compared to the color white for the positive energy of its lyrics. Each song also features different vocal tones by Yunho, conveying the different colors in life. The song's lead single "Follow" is written by Yoo and Thomas Troelsen, the writers of TVXQ's hit single "Mirotic" (2008). The song is described as a "dark" dance pop track with sprinkles of "humor" throughout the choreography.

Reception

True Colors was a commercial success. In the week prior to its release, True Colors ranked first in album pre-orders in both South Korea and Japan, per Hottracks and Tower Records respectively. On the first day of release, the digital release topped the iTunes Stores of fifteen countries and territories, and debuted at number four on the iTunes Worldwide Album Chart. Meanwhile, the physical release sold over 44,000 physical units per the Circle Album Chart, then known as the Gaon Albums Chart, in South Korea. After three days of release, True Colors sold over 73,000 physical copies per the Hanteo Chart, one of South Korea's music chart systems.

True Colors debuted at number one on the Circle Album Chart in South Korea, with over 104,000 units sold; and number five on the Oricon Albums Chart, with over 10,000 units sold. It topped Oricon's Digital Album Chart and the Billboard Japan Top Download Albums Chart, with 5,000 downloads. True Colors sold over 150,000 copies in South Korea, making Yunho the third male solo act to sell over 100,000 copies since the Circle Chart's inception.

Credits

Credits adapted from the EP's liner notes.[9]

Studio

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2019)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[10] 5
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[11] 5
South Korean Albums (Circle)[12] 1

Monthly charts

Chart (2019)! scope="col"
Position
South Korean Albums (Circle)2

Yearly charts

Chart (2019)! scope="col"
Position
South Korean Albums (Circle)40

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Edaily via Naver . '솔로' 유노윤호, 日오리콘 위클리 디지털 앨범 차트 1위 . ‘Solo’ U-Know Yunho takes first place on the Japanese Oricon Weekly Digital Album Chart . June 19, 2019 . April 21, 2024 . ko.
  2. Web site: Oricon . 東方神起・ユンホ、デジタルALが1位 米津玄師がデジタルSGで2週連続1位【オリコンランキング】 . Tohoshinki's Yunho ranked first on digital downloads . June 19, 2019 . April 21, 2024 . ja.
  3. Web site: Oricon . List of Yunho albums . April 21, 2024 . ja.
  4. Web site: Sports Chosun . 유노윤호 측 "데뷔 첫 솔로앨범 준비중, 6월 발매 목표" . U-Know Yunho to debut with solo album in June . May 3, 2019 . April 21, 2024 . ko.
  5. Web site: TVXQ! @ Twitter . U-Know The 1st Mini Album ['True Colors']- 'Blue Jeans' Highlight ]. June 3, 2019 . April 26, 2024.
  6. Web site: SM Town's Official YouTube . U-KNOW 유노윤호 '불러 (Hit Me Up) (Feat. 기리보이)' Special Clip #TrueColors . June 7, 2019 . April 26, 2024.
  7. Web site: Yonhap . S. Korean singer U-Know Yunho . June 12, 2019 . April 26, 2024.
  8. Web site: Korea JoongAng Daily . TVXQ star kicks off solo career: U-know Yunho pulls out all the stops for his first EP release titled 'True Colors' . June 12, 2019 . April 26, 2024.
  9. True Colors. U-Know. 2019. South Korea. photobook. Credits. SM Entertainment, Dreamus.
  10. Web site: Oricon Weekly Albums Chart: 2019-06-24 . . April 26, 2024 . ja . https://web.archive.org/web/20230701033119/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/w/2019-06-24/. July 1, 2023.
  11. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of June 19, 2019. Billboard Japan. ja. April 26, 2024.
  12. Web site: 2019년 24주차 Album Chart. Gaon Album Chart Week 24, Year 2019. Gaon Music Chart. ko. June 9–15, 2019. June 20, 2019.