"Mr. Taxi / Run Devil Run" is the third single from the debut Japanese album Girls' Generation by Girls' Generation. It is also their first double A-side single. A Korean version of Mr. Taxi was included in their Korean third album The Boys and came out as the second single.
"Mr. Taxi / Run Devil Run" set a new record for Girls' Generation, being their first Japanese single to shift 100,000 units in its first week of release. The single also managed to clinch the number 1 spot on Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart for two consecutive weeks.
The music video of Mr Taxi featuring Sooyoung as the center girl was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards Japan.
Contents
1 Japanese version
1.1 Background and release
1.2 Music videos
1.2.1 Mr. Taxi
1.2.2 Run Devil Run
1.3 Track listing
1.4 Charts
1.5 Oricon Chart
1.5.1 Japan charts
1.5.2 Taiwan charts
1.6 Sales and certifications
2 Korean version of "Mr. Taxi"
2.1 Track listing
2.2 Charts
2.2.1 South Korea charts
3 Release history
4 References
5 External links
Japanese version
Background and release
First announced to be released on April 13, 2011 in Japan, the release was postponed to April 27, due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Proceeds of the single were announced to be donated to the Japanese Red Cross. It is available in three different versions: two CD + DVD versions and a CD only version.
The Japanese version of Run Devil Run was first released as a digital single on January 25, 2011.
"Mr. Taxi / Run Devil Run" set a new record for Girls' Generation, being their first Japanese single to shift 100,000 units in its first week of release. The single also managed to clinch the number 1 spot on Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart for two consecutive weeks. Mr. Taxi was first performed live on May 13, 2011 on TV Asahi's Music Station. On May 25, "Mr. Taxi" topped the Taiwanese music chart Gmusic.
The Deluxe First Press Edition contains the CD single itself, a mini-photobook of the girls, a trading card, and a DVD containing both a newly filmed Japanese Run Devil Run music video and a dance version Run Devil Run music video.
The Limited Period Edition contains the CD, a DVD with only the regular non-dance version of the Run Devil Run music video, and a photobook of the girls. The photobook in the Limited Period Edition is completely different from the photobook in the Deluxe First Press Edition.
The regular edition of "Mr. Taxi" contains only the CD single itself, with no bonus items.
Music videos
The teaser video for Run Devil Run was released on April 8, 2011 and the music video on April 9, 2011, The dance version was released April 25, 2011. The teaser video for Mr. Taxi was released on April 22, 2011 while the dance version was released on April 25, 2011 and the music video was released on April 28, 2011. Mr. Taxi (official version) was filmed in HD. While the choreography of Run Devil Run was made by Lisette Bustamante, Rino Nakasone and Sim Jaewon made the one for Mr. Taxi.
Mr. Taxi
The dance version of 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, Sooyoung and Yoona. 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.
Another version of "Mr Taxi" contains most of the dance scenes but with effects of blue patterns and flashing words in the background. There are also solo scenes of the girls in front of a grey glittery background. The YouTube account of Universal Music Japan, however, only features the dance version.
Run Devil Run
The video is similar to their Korean version, except for some different dance moves and oufits.
The music video begins with a blue room, after, it was changed to white, with the members dancing, in white outfits, like the Korean version, Then, changes the scenes, to a blue room what shows the girls dancing in blue outfits, the girls can be shown wearing different "Black SoShi" outfits.
The first of two settings used in the music video is a white room with the members in white outfits. At the first chorus, glimpses of the second setting, a dark room with the members in fitting outfits, are shown. During the second chorus full scenes in this setting are shown.
Some noteworthy things include:
The official version has more scenes of the white room and the dance version has more dancing scenes of the blue room.
The white setting is seen much more commonly in the Japanese version, whereas the black setting is shown more in the Korean version. The members all have light brown/blonde hair as opposed to the mainly black hair they had before.
The Japanese version features more close-ups of the members.
Track listing
Japanese CD single
1. "Mr. Taxi"
2. "Run Devil Run (Japanese Version)
Source: Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
