Posted by Jacques Peterson on 01/16/2013 at 7:46 AM News

The Popdust Files: K-pop, tvxq, upcoming albums

After smashing the K-pop charts late last year with their Korean album, Catch Me, TVXQ are getting ready do it all over again in Japan. The duo’s sixth Japanese studio album, TIME, is set to roll into stores this March, and if the success of their last J-pop album is anything to go by, it’s gonna be a pretty big deal. Their last effort, 2011′s TONE, became the first TVXQ album to top both the weekly and monthly album charts in Japan (surprising since TVXQ is the biggest Korean artist in Japan ever), and was the first time in 11 years that a foreign male act hit No. 1. It eventually went Platinum and finished the year as the 20th highest-selling album in Japan of 2011 — not too shabby considering that Japan is now the world’s biggest music market.

TONE’s shoes will be hard to fill, but so far, TIME is off to a strong start. Two of its three singles have already topped the singles chart, and a fourth, “Catch Me ~If You Wanna~,” which was just released yesterday, is currently No. 1 on the daily sales chart. TVXQ will also be gettin’ that promo by touring extensively through Japan beginning in April, which should help keep TIME in the charts for a while.

There’s a lot to be said for TVXQ’s current success. The pair were virtually written off after three of their members jumped ship to form a trio, with most considering it the end of Asia’s biggest boy band. Now, almost three years later, they’re still topping the charts in both Korea and Japan, and have grown to become the world’s best pop performers. (We’re not being hyperbolic with that last statement — just check this out for proof.)

Look out for TIME to hit Japan on March 6. Check out one of the album’s No. 1 singles, “Android,” below.

[Continue TVXQ]