TVXQ to release special Japanese album on July 15

Korean idol group TVXQ will be releasing a special Japanese DVD album on July 15, according to Japanese daily newspaper Sankei Sports on Wednesday.

Sankei reported that the group, despite having halted all group activities, will release a special album in DVD format with highlights from the upcoming Japanese film "Kimi Ga Odoru, Natsu" which also includes an advance ticket for the movie.

The boy band's song "With All My Heart" is featured as the theme song for "Kimi Ga Odoru, Natsu," set to hit theaters in September.

"The members of the group are currently working on individual projects but they have prepared this surprise for their fans," an associate from Sankei explained, adding that the album will go on sale on July 15 although there are no plans for it to be sold as a single album.

The theme song "With All My Heart" is one of the tracks from their best album "Best Selection 2010," which was released in February, and the latest version has been rearranged with a simple piano instrumental. The special album will also include three different versions of the song.

TVXQ has halted all activities as a five-man band with Xiah, Hero and Micky applying for provisional disposition of their 13-year contract with SM last July. They then filed a lawsuit against SM last week, demanding they be confirmed their contract had been nullified as well as be handed their share of profits they claim to have failed to receive.

The three singers formed a new trio away from their original band TVXQ with Japanese agency AVEX a few months ago.

SM too has sued the three singers for the damages the agency and the remaining two members, U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin, have suffered from the legal battle.

Since their 2004 debut, TVXQ, discovered and managed by SM, had arguably been one of the most successful K-pop acts in Asia with reportedly the largest fanbase in the world.

Reporter : Lucia Hong luciahong@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@