Catch Me is the sixth Korean studio album (eleventh overall) by South Korean pop duo TVXQ. It was digitally released on September 24, 2012, followed by a physical CD release on September 26, 2012, by SM Entertainment and KMP Holdings. The album is a follow-up to their 2011 release Keep Your Head Down, which was TVXQ's first album since becoming a two-piece band with members U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin.
The album spawned two lead singles, "Catch Me" and "Humanoids", the latter being the lead single off of Catch Me's repackage Humanoids, which was released on November 26, 2012. The repackaged edition also features dubstep track "Here I Stand." To support the album, TVXQ embarked on their first world tour, Catch Me World Tour, starting with two shows at Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul in November 2012.
Catch Me is South Korea's third best-selling album of 2012. According to the Gaon Chart, Catch Me has sold 259,425 copies in South Korea as of March 2013, and an additional 47,181 copies in Japan, according to the Oricon.
Background, singles and music videos On September 19 Changmin's teaser photo was released showing him with a mystic and intense look. The title track "Catch Me" is a powerful electropop with an orchestral melody, dubstep sound and house beats. It is about a self-respect man, who says good-bye to his lover but actually wants to hold onto her. On September 21 the teaser for the music video of "Catch Me" was released on their official YouTube channel. This was followed by the released of the full MV on the same day as the online release of the album.
Coinciding with the release of the repackage, lead single "Humanoids" was released on November 26, 2012. Produced and written by Kenzie, "Humanoids" is a mid-tempo EDM song with low-strung vocals, a higher range chorus, and robotic cadences. The lyrics are rather cynical – though it talks of rebuilding a better future, the new generation is stained with daunting fragments of the past.
The music video premiered on YouTube on November 26, featuring members U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin dancing in a dark futuristic backdrop. The choreography was created by NappyTabs. The music video was noted for its dystopian-like steampunk imagery. While the background maintained its washed-out gray undertone, Yunho and Changmin were dressed in color. Changmin wore bright colors, while Yunho carried darker attires, and the duo's contrasts in colors were maintained throughout the video. "Humanoids" underperformed on digital charts, peaking at number 32 on the Gaon Singles Chart with only around 157,000 downloads.
The third track "Here I Stand", produced and written by Kim Young-hu, is an upbeat, dubstep ballad. The lyrics describe the feelings of a long-distance relationship.
Promotion and reception
The duo made their comeback on October 5 on KBS Music Bank. They performed their title track "Catch Me", and "I Don′t Know". This was followed by appearances on October 6 and 7 on MBC Show! Music Core and SBS Inkigayo, respectively.
Catch Me ranked number one on Gaon Album Chart for three consecutive weeks and again a week later but ranked second for the month of September selling 131,882 copies. In October it peaked at number one with 114,956 copies, selling a cumulative total of 246,838 copies.
On November 17, TVXQ performed "Humanoids" for the first time at their two-day concert in Seoul, South Korea, the first leg of their Live World Tour: Catch Me. On November 19, the teaser for "Humanoids" was unveiled online, followed by the announcement of the repackage album, which was released on November 26.
Track listing
Charts
Weekly charts + Chart performance for Catch Me & Humanoids Chart (2012) Peak positionCatch Me Humanoids South Korean Albums (Gaon) 1 1 Japanese Albums (Oricon) 1 – Taiwanese East Asian Albums (G-Music) 4 2 – Monthly charts + Chart performance for Catch Me Chart (2012) Peakposition South Korean Albums (Gaon) 1 Japanese Albums (Oricon) 12
Year-end charts + Chart positions for Catch Me & Humanoids Chart (2012) PositionCatch Me Humanoids South Korean Albums (Gaon) 3 18
Sales Country Month Catch Me Ref. Sales Accumulated sales South Korea (Gaon) September 131,882 131,882 October 114,956 246,838 November 8,131 254,969 December 1,478 256,447 Total 259,425 (until March 2013)
Country Album Sales Ref. Japan (Oricon) Catch Me 33,549
Release history +Release formats for Catch Me Region Date Format Version LabelSouth KoreaDigital downloadRegular editionS.M. EntertainmentCDCD+DVDSpecial editionTaiwanDigital downloadRegular editionAvex TaiwanCDCD+DVDSpecial editionPhilippinesCDRegular editionUniversal Records +Release formats for Humanoid Regions Dates Format(s) Label(s) Worldwide November 26, 2012 S.M. Entertainment South Korea Taiwan Digital downloadAvex Taiwan December 21, 2012 CD See also TVXQ albums discography List of number-one albums of 2012 (South Korea)
References
External links TVXQ official homepage TVXQ official YouTube channel