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TOMORROW X TOGETHER return with their sixth mini-album ‘minisode 3: TOMORROW’, bridging past and future with a narrative deepening their unique musical journey. Both a throwback and a leap forward, It’s an exciting blend of nostalgia and innovation. Read our latest Dork Mixtape cover feature now.
Words: Abigail Firth.
Photos: BIGHIT MUSIC.
To be a fan these days is a long-term investment, and for those who’ve chosen to follow TOMORROW X TOGETHER, the payoff will be immense. Five years after the South Korean five-piece debuted, they’re returning with their sixth mini-album, the almost-eponymous ‘minisode 3: TOMORROW’ and picking up the Easter eggs they’ve dropped in that time.
TXT’s story began in 2019, emerging as the first group to debut from Big Hit Entertainment since BTS (heard of ’em?), with the peppy electro bop ‘CROWN’ that hides darker lyrics, as its Korean title translates to “One day, a horn grew from my head”. A perfect scene-setter with its balance of light and shade, it laid the foundations for a discography that’d bring very real experiences of adolescence into a fictional world worthy of its own Netflix series.
It’s the place they’re coming back to on ‘minisode 3: TOMORROW’, their sixth mini-album but tenth release overall (if you’re not following, their releases are split into chapters: ‘Dream’, ‘Chaos’ and ‘Name’, with the ‘minisode’s serving as interludes that build on the group’s lore). Teaser images ahead of the drop show the boys wearing crowns once again, while the accompanying videos feature Morse code beeps originally included in that debut single.
“For those of our fans who have been joining us on the journey from the very beginning, I think they are going to find it very fun and exciting since it’s going to be a throwback to the past,” says TAEHYUN, who’s by far the chattiest member of the group alongside youngest HUENINGKAI.
“The Morse code translates to ‘tomorrow’,” says the latter, “and it’s supposed to symbolise the future that we are going to build together and also give that hopeful vibe that there’s going to be an even brighter future, so we thought that it ties in really well with the overarching concept of this album.”
The lineup is completed by leader SOOBIN, plus eldest YEONJUN and middle child BEOMGYU, all five meeting us from a stark white room somewhere in Seoul at an eye-watering 7:30am, although no hint of tiredness is given away.
“I think this mini-album fully encompasses the albums that we put out previously, and at the same time, I feel like it’s a completely unique TXT-style album,” says TAEHYUN. “Since this album is all about being reminded of the promises that we made in the past, we tried to bring back those memories, and it’s overall like a throwback to our past.”
A rich visual world enhances the elaborate storytelling in the TXT’s discography. Echoing the plots of 80s coming-of-age flicks like Stand By Me and supernatural stories like The Lost Boys, TXT’s music videos follow the boys as they grow up and become increasingly aware of and affected by the adult world.
“For those of our fans who have been joining us on the journey from the very beginning, I think they are going to find it very fun and exciting since it’s going to be a throwback to the past”
TAEHYUN
When watched chronologically, it spits out something akin to the series inspired by those 80s films too, Stranger Things; starting out bright and innocent in debut ‘CROWN’, before uncovering a darker underbelly in ‘9 and Three Quarters (Run Away)’. What follows is a flip-flop between the two sides, merging over time until they’re indistinguishable from one another, the devil’s temptation piercing the otherwise literal ‘Sugar Rush Ride’ in its chorus and their own Upside Down revealing itself in the real world on last year’s (also very 80s) ‘Chasing That Feeling’.
With a group concept centred around growing up, it’s never been far from what the TXT boys were experiencing in their day-to-day lives, despite all the extra frills. This album’s lead single, ‘Déjà Vu, ‘ may expand on their fictional world, but the other tracks are a little more real.
“I definitely feel like I’m growing in my personal life as well,” says TAEHYUN. “In particular, I took part in penning some of the lyrics for one of our tracks, ‘Quarter Life’, in this album, and I felt like as much as we were telling our personal stories, we were also representing, you know, the concerns that people in our generation might have. So, in that regard, I think I’m becoming more mature.”
TXT hit the ground running in March 2019, arriving as one of the first fourth-generation groups to debut as K-pop’s global grip really took hold. Within months, they were on an international tour of the US, and by the time the year was out, they’d picked up numerous Rookie of the Year awards at ceremonies across Asia.
Five years on, and they’ve gone from strength to strength. Far from rookies, 2023 saw TXT headline Lolapalooza in Chicago and finish up their second world tour with two nights at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome (which apparently clocks in at around 25,000 ticket holders a night). Their third full-length album, ‘The Name Chapter: FREEFALL’, saw them collaborate with boy band royalty Jonas Brothers and Latin pop trailblazer Anitta, proving their prowess as true global stars. But no amount of achievements could fend off the niggling self-doubt that comes with hitting your twenties.
“As soon as we heard the theme of [‘Quarter Life’] we just went, oh, that’s such a perfect theme,” says HUENINGKAI, “because it not only hits home for us, but I thought that the song narrates something that everybody practically could resonate with. The song itself has a very youthful vibe, and it’s a very upbeat stadium rock track that bursts with energy. TAEHYUN and SOOBIN wrote some of the lyrics, too.”
TAEHYUN continues, “It’s supposed to mean a crisis people usually face when they’re crossing that one-quarter mark in their life, which is kind of the same scenario for us as well, so we were already feeling it before the song came along, and then we thought that it completely tied in with our vibes and that it gave us the opportunity to genuinely and authentically talk about our personal feelings. You get the anxiety and feeling of nervousness that there’s so much left in your life still, so I think I thought most about what I should do with the remainder of my life to become a better person, a better human being.”
“We really want to perform in the UK and meet the MOA there; we love the country.”
HUENINGKAI
Now in their mid-twenties, TXT are often regarded as Gen Z leaders, navigating adolescence in tandem with their fans (also known as MOA, which stands for ‘moment of alwaysness’) regardless of how different their lives have been.
“I would have to say that it was our members and MOA that helped me through these challenges and helped me navigate through what I’m coming across in life,” says HUENINGKAI. “So in moments when something was not working out, I would always rely on them, and it’s through them that I can feel that I’ve become more mature as a person.”
“You know, with each passing year, I have a new concern in mind, something hanging over my head,” adds BEOMGYU, “but no matter how long it will take, I try to tackle things one by one and get things sorted out gradually. I think that kind of helps me grow as a person.”
Vast sonic developments over the years have seen TOMORROW X TOGETHER adopt a rock-driven sound across their releases. From the emo-lite ‘0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)’ and ‘LO$ER=LOVER’, to the rapid guitar riffs of ‘Good Boy Gone Bad’, to almost nu metal on recent album opener ‘Growing Pain’. That sound is maintained on ‘minisode 3: TOMORROW’, as glitchy trap-beat single ‘Déjà Vu’ gets an amped-up rockier remix as a bonus offering.
Elsewhere on the EP, TXT hop on the ‘K-Pop songs that sound British’ trend (a worthwhile Google) with the UK-house-infused opener ‘I’ll See You There Tomorrow’, while ‘The Killa (I Belong To You)’, performed by oldest members YEONJUN and SOOBIN is a sultry Afrobeats style track that shows another side of growing up.
“Previously, we only tried to make some of the sensuous songs mildly sexy with just a hint of sexiness,” TAEHYUN teases. “But this track ‘The Killa’ goes all in; it’s a full-out sexy vibe exuding from the song, so I’m really looking forward to how the two will perform on the stage and pull that song off. It’s gonna be really intense,” he says, theorising what future performances might be like.
As they prepare for their third world tour, titled ‘Act: Promise’, they’re visiting new territories in the US; although they’re still yet to cross the pond for European shows, the boys are hoping that will change.
“You know, we just want to keep putting out songs and performances that everybody can resonate with and relate to that is uniquely TOMORROW X TOGETHER and that represents our unique identity and colour,” YEONJUN says.
“I really want to go,” adds HUENINGKAI. “We really want to perform in the UK and meet the MOA there; we love the country.”
“The UK is home to many of the legendary rock bands, and in the K-pop scene TXT the definition of rock, so it’s meant to be,” TAEHUYN claims.
Although this mini album sees TOMORROW X TOGETHER pulling from their own past, their mindset stays true to their namesake as they push themselves forward once again. ■
TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s ‘minisode 3: TOMORROW’ is out now. Follow Dork Mixtape on Spotify here.
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