Tree (stylized in all caps) is the seventh Japanese studio album (fourteenth overall) by South Korean pop duo Tohoshinki, released by Avex Trax on March 5, 2014.
With Tree, Tohoshinki became the first foreign group in Japan to have three consecutive studio albums with first-week sales of over 200,000 copies, breaking Bon Jovi's thirteen-year record.
[2] Less than four weeks after release, the album earned a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of over 250,000 copies.
Following the convention of using the first letter 'T' in their album titles, the duo explained in a January 2014 interview that the name "Tree" was meant to be used as a metaphor for their growth as artists.
[9] Recording sessions for Tree coincided with the duo's seventh Korean album, Tense, which was released in January 2014.
Similar to the duo's last two Japanese records, Tree delves into the usual electronic landscape in its dance tracks, some with hip hop and rock influences.
[10] A variety of different power ballads permeate throughout the album; "I Love You", written by Katsuhiko Yamamoto, emphasizes the duo's emotive vocal harmony with minimalist programming.
Version D, which features bare-shouldered Yunho and Changmin on the cover, was a limited edition that was exclusive for registered members of Bigeast, Tohoshinki's official fanclub in Japan.
In early March 2014, Tohoshinki celebrated the album release with an exhibition opened in Shibuya Tower Records in Tokyo.
In August 2013, the duo performed "Ocean" and "Scream" at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, the last stop of their Time: Live Tour 2013.
"Hide & Seek" was featured as the theme song for the Japanese television drama, Team Batista 4, which premiered on Japan's Fuji TV on January 7, 2014.