Mr. Taxi

"Mr. Taxi"
Single by Girls' Generation
from the album Girls' Generation
A-side "Run Devil Run"
Released April 23, 2011 (2011-04-23)
Format
Recorded 2010
Genre
Length 3:32
Label
Writer(s)
  • Allison Veltz
  • Paolo Prudencio
  • Chan Royce
  • Scott Mann
Producer(s) STY
Girls' Generation Japanese singles chronology
"Gee"
(2010)		 "Mr. Taxi / Run Devil Run"
(2011)		 "Paparazzi"
(2012)

"Mr. Taxi" is the first original Japanese song recorded by South Korean girl group Girls' Generation. It was released as a double A-side single with the Japanese version of "Run Devil Run" on April 27, 2011 as the third single from the group's eponymous debut Japanese album. Written by Allison Veltz, Paolo Prudencio, Chan Royce, and Scott Mann, and produced by STY, "Mr. Taxi" is an electropop and R&B song. A Korean version was later recorded and included on the group's reissue of their 2011 Korean album The Boys.

"Mr. Taxi" was a commercial success in Japan; it became the group's first single to sell 100,000 physical units in its first week of release.[1] The single peaked at number two on the Oricon Singles Chart, number five on the RIAJ Digital Track Chart, and number one on the Japan Hot 100. It received certifications from the Recording Industry Association of Japan on four bases–physical sales (gold), digital sales (platinum), chaku-uta (double platinum), and full-length chaku-uta (double platinum). "Mr. Taxi" was also successful in Taiwan, on whose record chart it charted at number three. The Korean version peaked at number nine on the Gaon Digital Chart and sold over 1.5 million digital units in South Korea in 2011.

Background and composition
"Mr. Taxi"
"Mr. Taxi" is an electropop and R&B song
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Proceeds of the single were announced to be donated to the Japanese Red Cross.[2] The double A-side single contains a Japanese version of their 2010 Korean single "Run Devil Run" which was released as a digital single on January 25, 2011.[3] "Mr. Taxi / Run Devil Run" was the first release by the group that contained an original Japanese song, as all previous releases by the group in Japan had been covers of their Korean songs, "Gee" and "Genie".

"Mr. Taxi / Run Devil Run" was released physically in Japan in three different editions on April 27, 2011: The regular edition only contains the CD.[4] The deluxe first press edition contains the CD single, a mini-photobook of the members, a trading card, and a DVD containing the music video of "Run Devil Run" and a dance version.[5] The limited period edition contains the CD, a DVD with the music video of "Run Devil Run", and a different photobook.[6] The Japanese version of "Run Devil Run" was offered digitally through the Japanese iTunes Store starting January 25, 2011.[7] The single was released internationally on April 23, 2011 through digital download on the iTunes store.[8] In the United Kingdom, the single impacted BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix on October 27, 2012.[9]

A Korean version of "Mr. Taxi" was released on December 8, 2011, as the lead single from the group's reissue of their third Korean studio album, Mr. Taxi (2011).[10] The group promoted the single prior to its release on various Korean music shows, including Music Bank, Show! Music Core, Inkigayo, and M! Countdown.[11] "Mr. Taxi" received its first performance as a single on You Hee-yeol's Sketchbook broadcast on December 2, 2011.[12] "Mr. Taxi" is an electropop and R&B song.[13][14]

Live performances

The girl group first performed "Mr. Taxi" live on May 13, 2011.[15] They have since performed the song (both Korean and Japanese versions) on SM Town tours. In September 2012. while promoting "Oh!", they performed "Mr. Taxi" on "Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ"[16] They then performed the song again as part of "Oh!"'s promotions on "Music Lovers".

Commercial performance

"Mr. Taxi / Run Devil Run" set a new record for Girls' Generation, being their first Japanese single to sell 100,000 units during its first week of release.[17] The single also managed to peak at the number one spot on Billboard Japan Hot 100 for two consecutive weeks.[18][19][20] It reached a peak of eleven on the year-end singles chart of the Japan Hot 100.[21] On May 25, 2011, "Mr. Taxi" topped the Taiwanese music chart, G-Music.[22] The single also performed well on the Oricon Charts, reaching number on the Daily Single Chart, number two on the Weekly Single Chart, while reaching number forty-six on Oricon's Yearly Single chart. In the group's native South Korea, the single sold over 13,000 copies on the Gaon Albums Chart.[23] "Mr. Taxi" performed well on its own, selling over 787,000 copies in 2011 on the International Single Chart of Gaon.[24]

Music videos

The teaser video for "Mr. Taxi" was released on April 22, 2011, and the music video was released on April 28, 2011, the dance version was released three days prior on April 25, 2012.[25] The choreography for "Mr. Taxi" was handled by long-time collaborator Rino Nakasone, with Sim Jaewon.[26]

The video begins with the girls dressed in yellow taxi driver outfits in front of a screen that flashes words and patterns in blue lighting. At the beginning of the second verse, it changes to the girls being dressed in black outfits (with differently colored piping for each girl), and dancing in front of a multicolored map of the world. Near the end of the second verse, and throughout the rest of the video, the video alternates between shots of the girls in their yellow outfits and their black outfits. After the second chorus, Sooyoung sings a rap bridge line "One, two, three, here we go! Oh!," which is followed by a dance break performed by Hyoyeon. The bridge continues with vocals by Yuri, Sunny, Sooyoung, Jessica, Tiffany and Taeyeon, after which there are more alternating shots between the two scenes (yellow and black outfits) for the final chorus, ending with the girls freezing in position in their yellow uniforms as the light fades out.

The music video was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards Japan but was lost to EXILE's Rising Sun.

A music video of the Korean version was released to accompany the single's release made entirely from the group's performance of the song on their 2011 Girls' Generation Asia Tour, with a dance rehearsal for the song leaking in March 2012.[27] As of July 5, 2015 the music video has reached 103,000,000.[28]

Track listing

Digital download[29] / Regular CD Edition[30]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Mr. Taxi"  Allison Veltz, Paolo Prudencio, Chad Royce, Scott MannSTY3:32
2."Run Devil Run" (Japanese version)Alex James, Michael Busbee, Kalle Engström, Hong Ji-yu, Kanata NakamuraAlex James, Michael Busbee, Kalle Engström3:21

Charts

Japanese version

Weekly charts
Chart (2011) Peak
position
Japanese RIAJ Digital Track Chart[32] 5
Japanese Oricon Singles Chart[33] 2
Japan Hot 100 (Billboard)[34] 1
South Korean Gaon Album Chart[35] 1
Taiwan (G-Music)[36] 3
U.S. World Digital Songs (Billboard)[37] 12
Year-end charts
Chart (2011) Position
Japanese Oricon Singles Chart[38] 46
Japan Hot 100[39] 11
South Korean International Albums Chart[40] 4

Korean version

Weekly charts
Chart (2011) Peak
position
K-Pop Hot 100[41] 15
South Korean Gaon Digital Chart[42] 9
Year-end charts
Chart (2011) Position
South Korean Gaon Digital Chart[43] 170

Sales and certifications

Japanese version

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Japan (RIAJ)[44]
physical single		 Gold 174,365[45]
Japan (RIAJ)[46]
PC download		 Platinum 250,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[47]
Chaku-Uta		 2× Platinum 500,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[48]
full-length Chaku-Uta		 2× Platinum 500,000^
South Korea (Gaon) 
physical single		 None 12,933[40]
South Korea (Gaon) 
digital download		 None 786,115[49]

Korean version

Region Sales
South Korea (Gaon) 1,533,525 (digital download)[50]

Release history

Region Date Format Label
Worldwide[51] April 23, 2011 Digital download Nayutawave
Japan[52] April 27, 2011 Maxi single + DVD
Hong Kong[53] May 11, 2011 CD single + DVD Universal Music Group

References

  1. ↑ チャン・グンソク、海外歌手史上初のデビュー作初登場首位 (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  2. ↑ KAZUYA OMURO (March 21, 2011). "K-pop stars donate memorabilia to help quake victims". ajw.ashai.com. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  3. ↑ 소녀시대, '런 데빌 런' 블랙소시로 日 또 강타 (in Korean). news.nate.com. January 18, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  4. ↑ "CDJapan: Mr.Taxi / Run Devil Run [Regular Edition / Jacket B]". cdjapan.co.jp. April 27, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Mr.Taxi / Run Devil Run [w/ DVD (A), Limited Edition / Jacket A]". cdjapan.co.jp. April 27, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Mr.Taxi / Run Devil Run [CD+DVD (B) / Limited Pressing / Jacket B]". cdjapan.co.jp. April 27, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Run Devil Run – Single" (in Japanese). iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 25 January 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Mr. Taxi / Run Devil Run – Single". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 23 April 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  9. ↑ "BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix featuring Steve Aoki". BBC. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  10. ↑ Hankooki (November 28, 2011). "SNSD to perform "Mr. Taxi" for follow-up promotions" (in Korean). news.nate.com. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  11. ↑ 기사입력 (November 29, 2011). 소녀시대, 후속곡은 '미스터 택시'로 결정. 12월 말까지 활동 계속 한다! (in Korean). sports.chosun.com. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  12. ↑ Ngoc Nguyen (Dec 3, 2011). "SNSD performs The Boys, Mr. Taxi, and more on Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook". blog.ningin.com. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  13. ↑ Hadfield, James (December 4, 2012). "Kara vs Girls' Generation". Time Out. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012.
  14. ↑ St. Michel, Patrick (September 13, 2011). "How Korean pop conquered Japan". The Atlantic. The Atlantic Media Group. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016.
  15. ↑ "少女時代、5月13日放送予定の〈Mステ〉で"MR.TAXI"をTV初披露" (in Japanese). Tower Records. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  16. ↑ "HEY!HEY!HEY! MUSIC CHAMP - フジテレビ". フジテレビ. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  17. ↑ チャン・グンソク、海外歌手史上初のデビュー作初登場首位 (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  18. ↑ 少女時代 話題の新曲が首位獲得！ (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  19. ↑ "少女時代の「MR.TAXI」が、2週連続1位を記録！" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  20. ↑ "Songs of Hope". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 123 (23): 28–29. July 2, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  21. ↑ Japan Hot 100 2011 yearly ends
  22. ↑ 백지은. 소녀시대, '미스터 택시'로 대만 음반차트 1위 '올킬'. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  23. ↑ "Gaon Chart: Albums – 2011 Year End Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  24. ↑ "Gaon Chart: Online download – 2011 Year End Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  25. ↑ "少女時代、新曲"MR.TAXI"PVのダンス・ヴァージョンを公開" (in Japanese). Tower Records. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  26. ↑ "Rino Nakasone Official Twitter Page". Microblog at Twitter.com. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  27. ↑ Emily Wu (March 19, 2012). "SNSD shows off their coordination in practice video for 'Mr. Taxi'". blog.nignin.com. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  28. ↑ "https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fhseD2tRLUY". External link in |title= (help);
  29. ↑ "Mr. Taxi / Run Devil Run – Single by Girls' Generation" (in Japanese). iTunes Store (JP). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Mr.Taxi / Run Devil Run [Regular Edition / Jacket B]". cdjapan.co.jp. April 27, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  31. ↑ "Mr.Taxi / Run Devil Run [w/ DVD (A), Limited Edition / Jacket A]". cdjapan.co.jp. April 27, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  32. ↑ "2011年05月11日～2011年05月17日" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012.
  33. ↑ "Weekly Rankings" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Billboard Japan Hot 100". Billboard Japan. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Gaon Albums Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013.
  36. ↑ "G-Music Chart" (in Chinese). G-Music. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  37. ↑ "World Digital Songs: November 26, 2011". Billboard. Retrieved July 27, 2015. (subscription required (help)).
  38. ↑ "Oricon Yearly Singles Chart" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Japan Hot 100: 2011 Year-End". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  40. 1 2 "2011 Yearly International Albums" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  41. ↑ "K-Pop Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Gaon Digital Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Digital Chart. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  43. ↑ "2011 Gaon Digital Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Digital Chart. Archived from the original on October 18, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  44. ↑ "April 2011 Statistics" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  45. ↑ "Oricon Ranking Service 'You Big Tree'" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved July 6, 2016. (subscription required (help)).
  46. ↑ "August 2011 Statistics" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  47. ↑ "January 2012 Statistics" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  48. ↑ "April 2012 Statistics" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  49. ↑ "2011 Intertional Download Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Digital Chart. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  50. ↑ "Gaon Download Chart 2011" (in Korean). Gaon Digital Chart. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014.
  51. ↑ "Mr. Taxi / Run Devil Run – Single by Girls' Generation". iTunes Store Hong Kong. Apple Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  52. ↑ "MR.TAXI / Run Devil Run[期間限定盤]" (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  53. ↑ "Run Devil Run" (in Chinese). Universal Music Group (Hong Kong). Retrieved May 2, 2015.
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