There’s no denying TVXQ Yunho’s musical talent. In recent albums from the duo, his solo tracks have always stood out the most to us, and his solo ventures are always a treat. His latest comeback mini-album NOIR promised a retro concept to match the album name, but there was certainly a bit of a twist added to that in the title track “Thank U.”

“Thank U” is a hard track to pinpoint musically, since there’s some rather strange elements woven into the retro-esque jazz beat. The song can be a bit jarring at times, especially during the repeated chant of “I hate this!” which cuts in rather hard and can be somewhat distracting since it seems so different from Yunho’s general vocal tone. The track opens up with him speaking to the beat, as it can’t exactly be considered rapping or singing and lies somewhere in between. This combination is a little off-putting at the beginning to be honest, but once he finally cuts in with vocals and the song flows into the chorus, it has a more TVXQ type of vibe. The most charming portion is definitely the bridge into the final chorus, where a muted horn takes center stage and really drives home the retro big band influence in the melody. Considering the overall theme of NOIR, it fits well concept wise, but some of the elements really do throw the song off a bit. 

*A quick warning for those adverse to gore. This music video is rife with gory images, from stabbings to gun murders to blood splatter. Proceed with caution in viewing.

The easiest way to describe this music video is that it’s extremely reminiscent of intense action flicks with over-the-top violence and an undefeatable protagonist, not unlike John Wick or Rambo. The video begins with Yunho fighting off at least a dozen men successfully before being stabbed approximately five times in the stomach, something that would undoubtedly be a fatal wound if this wasn’t an action flick. If you’re going into the video blind, it’s definitely unexpected. As the song begins, we see Yunho going through recovery while facing a number of different attacks on his life in the meantime, including a knife fight in the hospital elevator with a still gaping wound in his stomach. There are some choreography shots about halfway into the video intertwined with the narrative, an interesting choice given the overall intensity of the narrative itself. The eight minute long video finishes off with a game of Russian Roulette with the big boss assassin and a classic shootout, mafia style. Interesting cinematics to say the least, but definitely not for those who aren’t a fan of hardcore action films. What this does highlight, however, is the production value of K-Pop music videos and how it has skyrocketed in such a short period of time.

Check out the music video below and be sure to listen to the full mini-album NOIR on any major streaming site.