COLORS - Melody and Harmony / Shelter (Japan Version)

Composed by Jae Joong and Yoo Chun, COLORS ~Melody and Harmony~ ranks among the higher echelon of Dong Bang Shin Ki ballads. The title very much reflects the song, which has an almost lulling quality to its easy-going melody, light beats, and gentle harmonization. COLORS ~Melody and Harmony~ is certainly soft, fuzzy, and motivational enough to be Hello Kitty's 35th anniversary image song. The chart- and heart-friendly track is catchy but unassuming, giving it high replay value, and Jae Joong and Yoo Chun's comfortable vocal performance and harmonization are spot-on.

The single's second A-side Shelter unfortunately hasn't gotten much plugging, but it's a great song with more ambitious designs than COLORS ~Melody and Harmony~. Composed by Jae Joong and Jun Su, Shelter comes out stronger in melody and arrangement with an R&B dance tune, distinct beats, background vocals, and prominent rap sections. The angsty love song builds from a mid-tempo R&B composition to a dramatic, uptempo, multilayered beast. Yoo Chun's self-penned rap sections are particularly surprising, shifting from low and soulful in the first verse to strong and pointed in the second as the song grows in volume and emotion. The outstanding arrangement by Jae Joong and h-wonder effectively carries the track through many tonal and musical transformations.

Although fans would no doubt prefer to have all five guys singing together, Jae Joong and Yoo Chun also make a great project duo as they complement each other very well both in singing and in songwriting. As a side rather than a TVXQ release, COLORS ~Melody and Harmony~ and Shelter allow them to experiment more with different vocal arrangements and compositions and to grow as singers and songwriters, which will ultimately make TVXQ even stronger in the future.