~Tomorrow X Together ~

 

Members from left to right: Hueningkai, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Soobin and Taehyun.

Who is TXT?

Tomorrow by/X Together (most commonly known as TXT), is a South Korean boy group under Big Hit music (a branch of Big Hit labels that includes Pledis, Source Music, Belift, and more) who debuted on March 4th, 2019 with their debut track "Crown" from their debut album called "The Dream Chapter: STAR". The group is composed of five members: Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai. Their fandom is called MOA (Moments of Alwaysness), and here are their official accounts you can follow: 

• Instagram: @txt_bighit
• Twitter (official): @TXT_bighit
• Twitter (members): @TXT_members
• Twitter (Japan): @TXT_bighit_jp
• YouTube: TOMORROW X TOGETHER OFFICIAL
• V-Live: TOMORROW X TOGETHER
• Official website: txt.ibighit.com
• Facebook: TXT
• TikTok: @txt.bighitent
• Weverse: TXT

Get to know the members

Stage name: Soobin (수빈)

Birth name: Choi Soo Bin (최수빈)

English name: Steve Choi

Position: Leader, vocalist, rapper, dancer

Birthday: December 5, 2000

Height: 185cm

Weight: 67kg

MBTI type: ISFP-A 

Nationality: Korean

Spotify playlist: TXT: SOOBIN

Fun Facts: Soobin was the second member to be revealed on January 13, 2019. His representative animal is a Praying Mantis, his representative flower is an Anemone, he has a brother who's 6 years older than him and a sister who's 10 years older than him. Soobin can endure anything but dieting, he loves bread. He isn't a picky eater but cannot handle spicy food really well. He can't live without almond milk and has said that he'd be happy to receive it for his birthday any time. Soobin is shy in front of people he just met, fans says he looks like Astro's Sanha and BtoB's Minhyuk, and he's a big fan of BTS's Jin. He has a dog named Sean, his favourite animal is raccoon and he sees himself as a rabbit. He is the "spelling police" as he always corrects his team members every time they make a spelling errors. Soobin reads a lot of life-helping books, his favourite movie is Avengers: Infinity War, and he's an MC (master of ceremony) on the Kpop music show "Music Bank" alongside Oh My Girl's Arin. 

 

Stage Name: Yeonjun (연준)

Birth Name: Choi Yeon Jun (최연준)

English Name: Daniel Choi

Position: Rapper, Dancer, Vocalist 

Birthday: September 13, 1999

Height: 181.5 cm

Weight: 62kg

MBTI type: ENFP 

Nationality: Korean

Spotify playlist: TXT: YEONJUN

Fun Facts: Yeonjun is from Bundang-gu, Seongnam City, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. When he was 9 years old he lived in the US for 2 years, and stayed in San Jose, California. His representative animal is a pupae and his representative flower is a tulip. His hobbies are skating, dancing and eating. His favorite fruits are apples and bananas. He likes soju, beer and a mixture of both. His favorite colours are blue and purple. Yeonjun loves the movie "The Intern" (I do too, and I highly recommend you to watch it, starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro). Yeonjun is a fashionista, he's good at games, and he's broad-shouldered. Yeonjun was a trainee for 5 years and is a former CUBE entertainment trainee. He's the oldest in the group, but he's actually a fake maknae (he has the attitude of the maknae/youngest while he's the oldest one) and he was the one who created the TXT hand gesture (the one they do with their greeting).

 

Stage Name: Beomgyu (범규)

Birth Name: Choi Beomgyu Gyu (최범규)

English Name: Ben Choi

Position: Vocalist, Rapper, Dancer, Center, Visual

Birthday: March 13, 2001

Height: 179.5cm

Weight: 53kg

MBTI type: ENFJ

Nationality: Korean

Spotify playlist: TXT: BEOMGYU

Fun Facts: Beomgyu is from Daegu, South Korea. He has an older brother and is a student at Hanlim Multi-Arts School. He has his own studio,. His representative animal is a butterfly and his representative flower is Poppy. He likes playing the guitar and is the mood maker of the group. His favourite animals are bears and parrots, his favourite colours are pink and white, and his favourite fruit is strawberries. Beomgyu has been a trainee under BigHit for 3 years. He was the 5th and last member to be revealed on January 20th, 2019. When he sleeps, he talks to the members, and he used to stay up all night writing songs for them. Him and Taehyun are the early birds. His favourite movie is "August Rush" (another movie I highly suggest you go watch, especially if you're sensitive to music).

 

Stage Name: Taehyun (태현)

Birth Name: Kang Tae Hyun (강태현)

English Name: Terry Kang

Position: Vocalist, Dancer

Birthday: February 5, 2002

Height: 179cm

Weight: 55kg

MBTI type: ESTP

Nationality: Korean

Spotify playlist: TXT: TAEHYUN

Fun Facts: Taehyun is from Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea. He is a student at Hanlim Arts School. He speaks English and has a sister who is 4 years older than him and knows how to speak English as well. He was the 4th member to be revealed on January 17th, 2019. His representative animal is a caique parrot, and his representative flower is a Daffodil. He likes sweet things including Caramel Frappucino but he doesn't like mint chocolate ice cream. He cannot eat spicy food, his favourite movie is "Inception, and his favourite color is yellow. Taehyun likes photography, he is mature and passionate, and he has a cat named Hobak (he also sees himself as a cat). 

 

Stage Name: Hueningkai (휴닝카이) 

Birth Name: Kai Kamal Huening

Korean Name: Jung Kai (정카이)

Chinese Name: Xiuning Kai (休宁凯)

Position: Vocalist, Dancer, Visual, Maknae

Birthday: August 14th, 2002

Height: 186cm

Weight: 67kg

MBTI type: ENFP-T

Nationality: Korean-American

Spotify Playlist: 

Fun Facts: Hueningkai is half Korean (mother) and half German (father). He's also Polish and Scottish from his father's side. He was born and lived in Hawaii, USA and then moved to China where he lived for 7 years. He moved to South Korea when he was eight. He has an older sister named Lea who's a former member of the Kpop girl group VIVA, and a younger sister. Hueningkai's parents are divorced and his father got re-married in 2016. His father He is also a musician and released an album in 2007. Hueningkai can speak in Mandarin, Korean, Portuguese, and English. He can play drums, guitar, piano and the flute. His favourite foods are seafood and pizza, and his favourite fruit is pineapple. His favourite movies are “August Rush” & Spiderman 1, 2, 3, his favorite colors now are turquoise, mint, sky blue and black, and his favourite global artist is Bruno Mars. He was the 3rd member to be revealed on January 15, 2019, his representative animal is a leopard gecko, and his representative flower is an Icelandic Poppy. He is the first foreigner to debut under BigHit and he is nicknamed the ‘diamond maknae’.

How I discovered TXT and became a "MOA" 

TXT debuted in 2019, when I was already pretty much into Kpop. I was already a fan of multiple groups and started getting used to all the business around this industry. I think it was one of, if not the first, groups that I followed since their debut. I remember watching all the teasers and getting crazy over these morse codes that I never tried to solve (I really didn't have the energy to translate the code on a paper and find what each sequence meant). I also remember being very anxious for them, because I knew people would start comparing them to BTS. They were the first group to debut under Big Hit after BTS, they had an enormous pressure on their shoulder. And then came the day when Crown was released. It trended on YouTube, the number of views after 24 hours was really amazing, but as expected people compared them non stop to BTS, which honestly drove me really mad.

Today I think TXT have their own identity. After only 2 years, they managed to create their own universe, made of magical and unrealistic elements, which I absolutely love. Sometimes the storyline is hard and complicated to follow, and I'm sure I didn't get everything about the story they're trying to tell us, but what I can boldly state is that I found a group I really feel close to. Their songs speak to me, the messages they convey speak to me, their art speaks to me, their attitude, their feelings, their lifestyles, etc. I really feel close to them because we're from the same generation (I was born in 2000). And I just love them, I love the humans they are, with their qualities and flaws. 

Although I've been following them since their debut, I only became a fan on their first comeback with "Runaway". First, that reference to Harry Potter (platform 9 and 3/4) made me smile as soon as I saw the title of the song. Second, the song in itself was absolutely amazing. And last but not least, I understood their identity and knew that I would like every single comeback they make. So that's when I really started to be a MOA.  

TXT's discography 

THE DREAM CHAPTER: STAR, 1st Korean mini-album & debut

"TOMORROW X TOGETHER delivers their story through ‘TheDream Chapter’. As they transition from childhood to adolescence, the boyshave gathered together under ONE DREAM. For TOMORROW XTOGETHER, star is another name for dream: the emotionsswelling up inside as you look up at the starry night sky, thegrowing excitement about tomorrow – chasing the starsmean you are remembering your childhood dreams. ‘TheDream Chapter’ will unfold the stories of what theyencountered as they grew" (source: TXT's official website).

TXT debuted on March 4th, 2019 with their 1st Korean mini-album: THE DREAM CHAPTER STAR, and its title track "Crown". The title track is very refreshing and cute, and the editing of the MV plays a lot on animations and stop-motions. I really liked that debut because it gave a very refreshing touch in a time when I really needed it, and  we were just so hyped for that debut that I had to play the song at least three times to grasp everything. This mini-album contains four other songs: Blue Orangeade, Cat&Dog, Our Summer, and Nap of a star. Cat&Dog got its own MV and was promoted alongside Crown. Till this day I find it hard to like the song, but the choreography is just too cute. They also had a pretty long MV for that song that is a bit more artistic than the others, in the sense that it has a whole story behind it (don't ask me to explain it to you because even 2 years after I still have no clue of what they were trying to tell us). And the MV is also pretty artistic, using more of a movie-like shooting technique. You can watch it here. Now, my favourite song of this album has to be Our Summer, because it's a chill song that helps me relax, because it has such a nice feeling to it,  especially the acoustic mix they sang during their US tour. I remember they had prepared a "special event" for one of their stop in the US tour and they just stood their doing cute hand gestures, which was during "Our Summer". 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE DREAM CHAPTER: MAGIC, 1st Korean full-length album

"TOMORROW X TOGETHER unfolds their story of growth andencounters in this new journey through the album conceptThe Dream Chapter. While The Dream Chapter: STARexpressed the “happiness and excitement of meeting thatspecial someone”, The Dream Chapter: MAGIC tells the story of“magical adventures” that boys encounter together with theirfriends who are different, yet alike. Through this adventure, the boys share their transformation, confusion and exploding emotions that arise during their transition to adolescence" (source: TXT's official website).

On October 21st, 2019, TXT came back with their first full-length album THE DREAM CHAPTER: MAGIC and its title track "Platform 9 and 3/4 (Run Away)". I automatically smiled when I got the Harry Potter reference, but it makes so much sense because their concept was, from the start, fantastic and coming from another world, another dimension. And as I mentioned it earlier, I really became a fan during this comeback, simply because the song was incredible. What's paradoxical however is that I never got into a single b-side of this album, even though there are 7 of them: New Rules, Roller Coaster, Poppin' star, Can't we just leave the monster alive, Magic Island, 20cm, and Angel or Devil. They even did an MV for "Angel Or Devil" with the same kind of animations they did with Crown's MV. 

 

 

THE DREAM CHAPTER: ETERNITY, 2nd Korean mini-album

“Dream Chapter: ETERNITY”, following their debut album“Dream Chapter: STAR” and their first full-length album“Dream Chapter: MAGIC” tells the story of young boys’ experiences meeting friends who are different yet alike. While they struggle with reality and rifts sometimes appear among them, the narrative encapsulates their hope that their time together will last eternally" (TXT's official website). 

On May 18, 2020, TXT returns with their second mini-album and its title-track "Can't you see me?", which has a more dark and mysterious vibe to it compared to the previous albums that were more refreshing. This album is composed of 5 other tracks: Puma, Drama, Fairy of Shampoo, Maze in the mirror, and Eternally. I'm not going to lie, "Can't you see me" has to be my least favourite title track of theirs, simply because I find it hard to sing along to, and because I didn't quite get the concept of that song. Plus, the MV kind of made no sense to me. However, kudos for the choreography and choreographer, that was amazing. They did release another MV and that was for "Puma", which they promoted as well, and which I loved way better than "Can't You See Me". It has a more powerful choreography, a more mature vibe and concept, and song-wise I absolutely loved the intro with that "West side, East side" line. There's still one song on this album that I want to comment on, and that's my favourite one: Drama. Drama is a b-side on this album, and this is just another example to prove to you that a title-track is not always the best song on an album. Anyways, Drama is just amazing because it has that musical almost jazzy vibe that makes you want to dance, and it's a brighter song than the other ones that are on here. 

 

MINISODE1: BLUE HOUR, 3rd Korean mini-album

"For their second year of debut in 2020, the members are making their way back into the hearts of fans all around the world with their new album brimming with stories only they can tell, armed with “innocence uniquely TOMORROW X TOGETHER” as the world faces the unique and unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic" (TXT's official website). Indeed, that album came out on October 26, 2020, at the right moment, when I and all of us were struggling with that pandemic that still doesn't want to leave us alone. This album is one of the best of 2020 thanks to its comforting message. 

The title track "Blue Hour" had a sort of cheering vibe to it, it's like the members were telling us not to give up on to keep going on. Plus, the very autumnal colours in the MV were so heartwarming. I could see they were struggling as much as we all were and still are, but they seemed happy to still do music, and they made me happy as well with that song. 

The album has four other tracks on it: Ghosting, We lost the summer, Wishlist, and Way Home, and let me tell you one thing: I love every single one of them! It's very rare for me to love every song on an album, and here it happened. "We lost the summer" will always have a special place in my heart, because it straightforwardly addresses the way the pandemic literally "stole" our summer. I'm glad they made an MV for it too and promoted it on music shows. 

THE CHAOS CHAPTER: FREEZE, 2nd full-length album

On May 31st, 2021, TXT made their grand return with their second full-length album "THE CHAOS CHAPTER: FREEZE" and its title track, "0x1 = LOVESONG (I know I love you)" featuring Seori. Just from watching the teasers, I knew I would love the title track and the album more than their previous ones, and I was right, because that's one heck of an album.

First, let's talk about the title track. When you dive deep into the lyrics, you realise this song is really sad. They're basically talking to an angel and asking him to bring them to his hometown (paradise) because they're losers in the game (they talk about chess in the song but you can twist it into the game of life in which there's one and only rule: dying at the end) and because they are full of problems. So yes this song is pretty dark, but I think it translates what some people might feel during this harsh period, and there's one thing I want t0 say to those people: It's okay to have problems, and yes ultimately we're going to die at the end of the game, but until this happens let's just enjoy the game because life is a game after all. So do whatever you want, set your goals, and enjoy. I have to say that I was also impressed by Taehyun's raspy vocal tone and Hueningkai's evolution. I didn't know Taehyun had this kind of voice (and I hope he wasn't forcing himself to have that raspiness because it would really hurt his lungs from a technical point of view), and I'm so proud of our maknae who has grown up so much already.

Since this album is a full album, there are seven other tracks on it: Anti-Romantic, Magic, Ice Cream, What is I had been that PUMA, No Rules, Dear Sputnik, and Frost.

Anti-Romantic is the first track on the album and is very melancholic, almost nostalgic. The song is about someone who doesn't believe in love anymore and who's running away from it. Someone who's an "anti-romantic". 

"Magic" is the third track on the album and is much more upbeat. It's a shorter song (2:38 minutes, way below the average of 3 minutes) and is all in English. I think this song is about them finding that angel they were talking about in the title track, who's now making them feel strong emotions that feel like magic. I'd like to think that we, the fans, are that angel (maybe I'm going too far on that one but who cares).

Then we have "Ice Cream", the fourth track on that album. I honestly don't have much to say about that song if it's not that it makes me crave for ice cream. 

"What if I ha been that PUMA" is the fifth track on the album and has an R&B vibe to it, it has more rap in it (and more autotune, to my greatest despair) but it's still a great song I can vibe to. The chorus is bouncy enough to make me bop my head. 

Then, for the sixth track on the album, we have "No Rules" that feels like a sequel to "New Rules" in the sense that they have the same fun vibe. They performed the song on their showcase (at 24:15) and, believe me or not, they gave me early SHINee vibes, like "Dream Girl" SHINee vibes. You don't think so? Well, go watch both performances and get back to me :) 

"Dear Sputnik" is the penultimate track of the album, and is a strong contestant to be my favourite b-side of the album. I really hope the reaction channel "ReacttotheK" will react to that song because it has a big range switch from major to minor at 0:34 which is weird but so cool (it's right before the chorus that goes back to major again). This song is straight Kpop when the title track is more on the rock/emo side. 

Finally, to end that beautiful album, we have Frost, that's maybe the most surprising song on that album. I cannot tell if I like it or not because I wasn't expecting that kind of song on a TXT album(I don't even have the words to describe it). I think I'll have to listen to it a bit more, but it's interesting to say the least.  

More TXT content!

If you want to check out more TXT content, here are some of my suggestions:

The whole "TXT star in US" series, retracing their first US tour back in 2019 not long after their debut. Start watching episode 1 here. All episodes are available on Mnet's official YouTube channel. You will get adorable moments (Hueningkai wanting to sleep with all the members on the same bed, that was so cute), and some amazing interactions (notably with their elders BTS). 

TXT & Enhypen playground, episode 1 and episode 2. You'll get wholesome interactions between TXT and their juniors Enhypen (who debuted in November 2020 after the survival show "I-LAND" ended). 

Weekly idol episode 483 with TXT that was published on October 28th, 2020. Hueningkai was amazing dancing to Oh My Girl's Dolphin (I think he was really having fun when the other members were just trying to get the dance right, but they did great!). 

That's it for TXT's presentation! I hope I helped in getting to know them better as well as their magical universe I totally fell into. I feel like they've grown so much in 2 years of time, and I have a feeling that they will only keep growing as a group and as individuals. 

Take care and I'll see you soon!

Love, Swan

 

Sources: Kprofiles, YouTube, TXT's official website.