"Mr. Simple" is a song recorded in two languages (Korean and Japanese) by South Korean boy band Super Junior. The Korean version was released as the lead single off their fifth studio album of the same name digitally on August 2, 2011, via SM Entertainment. In Japan, the single was made available via Avex Trax on December 7, 2011.

"Mr. Simple"
Japanese CD version cover
Single by Super Junior
from the album Mr. Simple
Language
B-side"Snow White" (JP)
ReleasedAugust 2, 2011 (KR)
December 7, 2011 (JP)
Recorded2011
StudioSM Booming System (Seoul)
Genre
Length3:59
Label
Composer(s)Yoo Young-jin
Lyricist(s)
Producer(s)Yoo Young-jin
Super Junior singles chronology
"No Other"
(2010)
"Mr. Simple"
(2011)
"A-Cha"
(2011)
Music video
"Mr. Simple" on YouTube

"Mr. Simple" became the 85th best-selling single of 2011 in Japan according to the Oricon charts[1] and is certified Gold by the RIAJ for 100,000 units shipped to Japanese music stores.[2] The song was additionally used as a commercial tie-up for Japanese satellite communication holding company SKY Perfect JSAT Group,[3] and as the ending theme song of TBS's Tsubo Musume in January 2012.[4]

Background

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The song was released along with the rest of the album's tracks on August 2, 2011, and has topped online charts hours after its release. The song was written by Yoo Young-jin, which was also the writer of their previous lead singles "Twins (Knock Out)", "Don't Don", "Sorry, Sorry" and "Bonamana". SM Entertainment describes the song as:

The title song, 'Mr. Simple', is a 'SJ Funky' song created solely for Super Junior and it can be considered as the final version of 'SJ Funky' following 'Sorry, Sorry' and 'Bonamana' that swept the world. The lyric describes the reality where modern people living in a complicated world failing to achieve what they intended to and losing their love and dreams without the breadth of mind in a simple way with humorous and metaphorical words, meaning "There is no need for taking take everything very seriously. Simple and easy way can rather be a better choice for finding oneself" like the title, 'Mr. Simple.'

Japanese release

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The Japanese version of the song was released as their second Japanese single on December 7, 2011, under Avex Trax.[5] A b-side track of the single entitled "Snow White" was revealed via the group's official Japanese website on November 30, 2011. The single debuted at No. 2 in the Oricon Weekly Charts, selling 89,000 copies on its first week of release, outselling their previous Japanese single "Bijin (Bonamana)" which sold 59,000 on its first week and 67,000 on total sales, making it Super Junior's highest-selling Japanese release yet.[6]

Commercial performance

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The single debuted at number three in the Oricon Daily Singles Chart on December 6, 2011, selling 17,000 copies.[7] It plunged down to number six for three days and later peaked at number one by December 10, 2011, the day on which the group's Super Show 4 Osaka leg commenced, selling 36,000 copies, beating AKB48's Ue kara Mariko which sold 23,000 copies, at number two.[8] The latter marks Super Junior's first time to have a release to peak at number one since debut.[9] By the end of 2011, the single was ranked as the 85th best-selling single of 2011 in Japan according to the Oricon charts.[1]

Music video

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The music video for the song was released on August 4, 2011, via SM Entertainment's official SMTOWN YouTube page[10] while its Japanese version PV was released November 13, 2011, via Space Shower TV.[11]

Track listing

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Accolades

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Leeteuk at the 2011 YouTube K-pop Awards
Awards and nominations
Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards Best Dance Performance (Male) Nominated [12]
YouTube K-pop Awards Most Viewed Video of The Year Won [13]
Korea in Motion Festival Most Popular Music Won [14]
2012 Myx Music Awards Favorite K-Pop Video Won [15]
Hito Music Awards JKpop Song of The Year Won [16]
Music program awards
Program Date
M! Countdown August 11, 2011
August 18, 2011
August 25, 2011
Music Bank August 12, 2011
August 19, 2011
August 26, 2011
September 2, 2011
September 9, 2011
Inkigayo August 21, 2011
August 28, 2011
September 4, 2011

Charts

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Sales and certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[19]
Physical single
Gold 100,000^
South Korea (Gaon) 1,900,000[20]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Credits

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Credits adapted from album's liner notes.[21]

Studio

Personnel

Release history

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Release history for "Mr. Simple"
Region Date Version Format Label Ref
Various August 2, 2011 Korean
[22]
Japan December 7, 2011 Japanese [23]
Various
  • Digital download
  • streaming

References

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  1. ^ a b "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」 -CD・ブルーレイ・DVD・書籍・コミック-".
  2. ^ "一般社団法人 日本レコード協会". Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  3. ^ "Mr. Simple Super Junior のプロフィールならオリコン芸能人事典-Oricon Style". Oricon.co.jp. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  4. ^ Vitalsign (December 28, 2011). "Super Junior's "Mr. Simple" to be used as the ending theme song for Japan's 'Tsubo Musume'". Allkpop.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  5. ^ Kingpolo (October 7, 2011). "Super Junior unveils teaser video for Japanese version of "Mr. Simple"". Allkpop.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  6. ^ a b "CDシングル 週間ランキング-Oricon Style ランキング". Oricon.co.jp. December 19, 2011. Archived from the original on November 4, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  7. ^ http://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/d/2011-12-06/ [dead link]
  8. ^ http://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/d/2011-12-10/ [dead link]
  9. ^ leesa86 (December 8, 2011). "SHINee and Super Junior climb to the top of the Oricon Charts". Allkpop.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ asphodel (August 4, 2011). "Super Junior unleashes full MV for "Mr. Simple"". Allkpop.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  11. ^ lawlietta (November 13, 2011). "Super Junior releases Japanese "Mr Simple" PV". Allkpop.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  12. ^ Yoo Sang-woo (November 1, 2011). MAMA, 싱가포르에서 세계 향해 외친다... K팝 [MAMA, shoutout to the world from Singapore... K-Pop]. Naver (in Korean). Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  13. ^ "유튜브 최고 K팝 스타는 슈퍼주니어". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). November 23, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  14. ^ 제6회 공연관광축제 대중음악상 '슈퍼주니어'. JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). September 17, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  15. ^ "Parokya ni Edgar wins big at MYX Music Awards 2012 | omg! Philippines News Blog – Yahoo! News Philippines". Yahoo! Philippines. March 14, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
  16. ^ hito流行音樂獎/周杰倫大贏家 Hebe讚阿妹無法超越 [Hito pop music awards / Jay Chou win big Hebe unable to beat him]. Yahoo! (in Chinese). May 7, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  17. ^ "Billboard Korea K-Pop Hot 100 2011.08.03". Billboard. August 11, 2011. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  18. ^ "2011년 Digital Chart". Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  19. ^ "Japanese single certifications – Super Junior – Mr. Simple" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2011年12月 on the drop-down menu
  20. ^ "Gaon Download Chart – 2011년". Gaon Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  21. ^ Super Junior (2011). Mr.Simple (photobook). South Korea: SM Entertainment; Dreamus. Credits.
  22. ^ Kwon, Mee-yo (August 9, 2011). "Super Junior returns with 'Mr. Simple'". The Korea Times (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  23. ^ "Super Junior Mr.Simple". Avex Trax (in Japanese). December 7, 2011. Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
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