| Hero | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Hero album cover (2CD+DVD Ver.) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 24 July 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2008–2013 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 51:04 | |||
| Language | Japanese | |||
| Label | Avex Trax | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Super Junior chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Hero | ||||
| ||||
Hero is the debut Japanese studio album (seventh overall) of South Korean boy band Super Junior, released on 24 July 2013 under Avex Trax in Japan. [1] [2] The album placed first in the Oricon Daily Chart on its first day of sales. [3]
After releasing a series of singles ("Bonamana", "Mr. Simple", "Opera", "Sexy, Free & Single"), the group released their first Japanese album on 24 July 2013, coinciding their Super Show 5 in Tokyo that same week. Although the singles were not considered by their management label SM Entertainment as their official Japanese promotional efforts, all the singles sold favorably. Most were within top two of the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart [4] and three were certified Gold by the RIAJ for selling over a hundred thousand copies in Japan. Most of their Japanese releases came out to coincide with their concert in the country that week.
The album's first disc comprises thirteen tracks (with one being a bonus track). The second disc contains Japanese versions of the group's subgroup singles and its b-sides, and the DVD contains music videos, behind-the-scenes of music video making, and live performances from their recent concert in Japan, specifically from a-nation and subgroup Super Junior K.R.Y. Special Winter Concert.
Super Junior had release events in Tokyo and Osaka during August and promoted Hero during Super Show 5 at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, 27 and 28 July, and through A-Nation. Super Junior had a meeting with E.L.F Japan official fan club members at Saitama Super Arena in September to promote the album. A day before the release, Shinjuku station was covered with Super Junior's promotional advertisements, as well Shibuya Tsutaya. [5]
A month before the release, "Hero" was #3 in Tower Records pre-order charts. By 1 July, the CD-only version was sold out in E.L.F Japan store.
On 24 July 2013 the album debuted at number one in the Oricon Daily Album Chart, selling 52,232 copies on the first day. [3] In the first week of sales "Hero" debuted at the second spot of the Oricon Weekly Albums chart with 102,224 copies, just behind rock group Ikimonogakari's "I" at the top spot by almost 10,000 copies. [6]
The version of the song Our Love is a Japanese remake of the re-arranged SS4 version of the original song off the Don't Don album. The original version of Hero, the twelfth track in this album, has vocals featuring member Yesung, while the "performance version" of the song (the bonus track) has all of Yesung's vocals replaced by other member Ryeowook, this being the one used in the music video of the song.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro: Superman Prelude" | Yoo Young-jin | Yoo Young-jin | 1:09 | |
| 2. | "★BAMBINA★" | Sara Sakurai (T's Music) | Erik Lidbom | 4:24 | |
| 3. | "Sexy, Free & Single" (Japanese version) |
|
| 3:44 | |
| 4. | "Mr.Simple" (Japanese version) |
| Yoo Young-jin | Yoo Young-jin | 4:00 |
| 5. | "Opera" (Japanese version) |
| Kenzie | 3:02 | |
| 6. | "Wonder Boy" (Japanese version) |
| Groovie K |
| 3:18 |
| 7. | "Our Love" (Japanese version) |
| Yoo Jae-ha |
| 6:11 |
| 8. | "A-Cha" (Japanese version) |
| Hitchhiker | Hitchhiker | 3:19 |
| 9. | "Bonamana" (Bijin (Japanese: 美人, Japanese version)) |
| Yoo Young-jin | Yoo Young-jin | 3:59 |
| 10. | "Tuxedo" | H.U.B |
|
| 3:52 |
| 11. | "Way" | Hikari | Hikari | Hikari | 4:47 |
| 12. | "Hero" | Natsumi Kobayashi |
| The Heavyweights | 4:40 |
| 13. | "Hero ― Performance Version" (Bonus track) | Natsumi Kobayashi |
| The Heavyweights | 4:40 |
| Total length: | 51:04 | ||||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Wanna Dance" (Performed by Super Junior-D&E) |
| Team One Sound | 3:27 | |
| 2. | "Perfection" (Ōnokanbi (Japanese: 太完美, Japanese version)) (Performed by Super Junior-M) |
|
| 3:25 | |
| 3. | "Promise You" (Performed by Super Junior-K.R.Y.) | miyakei (FHR Inc.) | Zetton | 4:09 | |
| 4. | "For Tomorrow" (明日のめに (Ashita no Tameni)) (Performed by Sungmin featuring Moeyan ) | Chihiro Close | Chihiro Close | Chihiro Close | 4:51 |
| 5. | "Destiny" ((Japanese: 命運線, Japanese version)) (Performed by Super Junior-M) | Liu Yuan | Kim Jin-hwan | Kim Jin-hwan | 4:46 |
| 6. | "Oppa, Oppa" (Performed by Super Junior-D&E) (Japanese version) |
| D2O | 3:17 | |
| 7. | "Rock & Go" (Rokuko (ロクゴ!, Japanese version)) (Super Junior-T featuring Moeyan ) | Yoon Myung-sun | Yoon Myung-sun | Yoon Myung-sun | 2:59 |
| 8. | "Love That I Need" (Performed by Super Junior-D&E featuring Henry) (Japanese version) |
|
| NoizeBank | 3:24 |
| 9. | "First Love" (Performed by Donghae) (Japanese version) | Peter Hyun | Peter Hyun | 2:06 | |
| 10. | "Hana Mizuki" (Performed by Super Junior-K.R.Y.) | Yo Hitoto | Tatsuro Mashiko | Satoshi Takebe | 5:05 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mr. Simple" | |
| 2. | "Opera" | |
| 3. | "Sexy, Free & Single" | |
| 4. | "Hero" | |
| 5. | "Oppa, Oppa" | |
| 6. | "Promise You" | |
| 7. | "I Wanna Dance" | |
| 8. | "I Wanna Dance" (Room Version) | |
| 9. | "Rokuko" | |
| 10. | "Hana Mizuki" |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hero" |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Back Stage ～ Superman" | |
| 2. | "Mr. Simple" | |
| 3. | "Sorry, Sorry" | |
| 4. | "Sexy, Free & Single" |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sorry Sorry Answer" | |
| 2. | "From U" | |
| 3. | "Hana Mizuki" | |
| 4. | "Loving You" |
| Country | Date | Format(s) | Label | Edition(s) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 24 July 2013 | CD | Avex Trax | CD-only | [7] |
| 2CD+DVD | ||||
| E.L.F JAPAN version | |||||
| Various | Digital version | ||||
| South Korea | 14 August 2013 |
| Korean version | [8] |
| Oricon Chart | Peak | Debut Sales | Sales Total | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Albums Chart | 1 | 52,232 | 122,373+ | [3] |
| Weekly Albums Chart | 2 | 102,224 | [6] | |
| Monthly Albums Chart | 7 | 111,085 | [9] | |
| Yearly Albums Chart | 49 | 122,373 | [10] |
| Chart | Amount |
|---|---|
| Oricon physical sales | 122,373+ |
| RIAJ physical shipping certification | Gold [11] |
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