Buried Treasure: TVXQ – T.R.H.M

A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve.

TVXQ just released their best song since 2014, and I wasn’t expecting it at all. Their Japanese anniversary album was preceded by two tracks — neither of which did much for me. But when I ventured into the album I was immediately struck by the scope and power of opening track T.R.H.M. This is what I’ve been waiting for! Finally another song that sounds as massive as TVXQ’s talent.

I’m not sure how to aptly describe T.R.H.M except to say it’s everything I love about K-pop and J-pop. A true genre hybrid, the track melds an incredibly funky backbone to rock bombast and a sledgehammer dance beat. This provides a cinematic backdrop for TVXQ’s performance, and the guys rattle off a series of power notes that add fuel to an already blazing fire. When the arrangement does shift directions, it simply propels the song even higher. There’s a satisfying sense of intensity running through the whole thing.

Digging a little deeper into the credits, T.R.H.M was composed by Hi-yunk from popular J-rock band Back-On. That may be one of the reasons the track has so much more personality than many of the album’s other b-sides written by teams of outsourced talent. This is why I’ll always be a proponent of visionary composers unleashing their own musical perspectives. This is clearly a TVXQ song and not a Back-On song, but it has a singular vision and sense of purpose that’s incredibly refreshing.

Grade: A