It’s been 254 days since, TXT, my favourite Okay-pop group final launched an album. Though the EP “minisode 2: Thursday’s Little one” fulfilled my craving for recent bangers, 5 songs can solely be replayed so many occasions earlier than they lose their appeal. I’ve been in want of some new music from them for some time.
On Dec. 15, TXT made its official announcement for his or her upcoming launch “The Title Chapter: TEMPTATION,” and the MOA, the identify for the group’s fanbase and a part of my self id, emerged from hibernation. Their launch is scheduled for Jan. 27 at 9 p.m. PST, and as you may think, my calendar is marked and my alarms are set.
One of many the reason why I’m such a raging fanatic of TXT, formally often called TOMORROW X TOGETHER, is due to the variety of their ideas. As most Okay-pop stans know, each group tends to have a “idea” that pertains to their particular music, visuals, album design and choreography.
For instance, BLACKPINK tends to stay to extra techno and dance music with easy beats and music movies. Stray Children tends to align with extra bass-driven rhythms alongside grungy but polished music movies. NCT 127 tends to capitalize on “noise music” and hip-hop-esque music movies.
However TXT? They might actually throw something at you. And it’ll be nice each time.
Take as an illustration their well-known “Blue Hour” period. MOA have been gifted a cheerful, bubbly music video with, amongst different unforgettable aspects, cowboy hats, chaps and — look forward to it — Choi Yeonjun with a pink mullet and pink cropped Balenciaga sweater. It was revolutionary.
But when carousels, blue skies and sing-songy melodies don’t suit your type, then attempt venturing into their “Good Boy Gone Dangerous,” affectionately abbreviated by followers as “GBGB,” period. You’ll be graced by heavy rock, a deep black aesthetic and impeccable choreography. I promise it’s the identical 5 guys from earlier than.
They’re truthfully the one group that I’m accustomed to that is ready to oscillate between ideas so usually and so efficiently. If a gaggle finds an idea that’s distinctive and standard with followers, that’s clearly what they often keep on with. However for some cause, TXT actually likes to push their limits.
Fortunately, the group launched idea photographs for the approaching comeback, and to name the photographs breathtaking can be an enormous understatement.
There are 4 variations of this album — Okay-Pop albums at all times come in several “variations” aka visible ideas; it’s a money-grab approach that followers, together with myself, are extraordinarily vulnerable to) “Daydream,” “Nightmare,” “Farewell” and “Lullaby.” Every model is extraordinarily distinctive in its personal proper, however even simply flipping by way of the totally different photos says quite a bit about not solely TXT as a gaggle, however their capability to welcome androgyny with beautiful artistry in one thing as commonplace as an album launch. But one more reason I really like them.
TXT has by no means shied from bending gender-centered guidelines — please reference the aforementioned Yeonjun in cropped Balenciaga sweater. Within the “WORLD” model of their “The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE” album, every member was depicted with heavy eyeshadow and really delicate, white royal costumes with crowns. Fairly removed from up to date perceptions of stereotypical western “manliness” — which then once more, is a particularly subjective time period.
When it comes to their upcoming launch, the “Daydream,” “Nightmare” and “Lullaby” variations particularly caught my eye -— the “Farewell” model appears nice, too, nevertheless it didn’t come off as strongly because the others by way of conceptualization. Every set of photographs was extraordinarily delicate.
In “Daydream” we see the members in a forest, and there’s a curious sense of mythicality and magic that’s innately tangible. Glitter dances throughout their cheeks and noses and ethereal daylight glimmers from their faces. A bare-backed Yeonjun faces away from the digital camera in a single image, his small body sitting completely among the many shrubbery. A bare-chested Soobin stares instantly on the digital camera in one other, his bleach-blond hair and teal eyes — coloured contacts and hair dye — including extra nuance to his already elegant child pink scarf and over-the-top floral gemmed necklace. It’s uncommon for idols to point out this a lot pores and skin — it’s rather more taboo in Jap cultures — however TXT has by no means been one to draw back from “taboo” within the identify of artistry.
The “Nightmare” model is sufficiently named. The photographs for this model are set in a particularly over-the-top bed room with strings of wigs -— sure, wigs — and stuffed animals chaotically draping from one finish of the dimly-lit chamber to the opposite. The members are every clothed in mushy, white, pajama-like wool clothes which are adorned with pastel pink lace and frills. Everybody can also be adorned with their very own pair of fuzzy white socks. Tender pink eyeshadows deliver the aesthetic collectively. It’s beautiful to witness to say the least.
The ultimate model that I’ll focus on, “Lullaby,” might be nicely summarized by one phrase: androgynous Peter Pan. There’s, inside the photograph set, one image of every member the place they’re all in the identical place, staring longingly out a big window on the evening sky as they sit on the sill. Huening Kai is carrying a sheer glittery yellow lengthy sleeve shirt topped with an nearly comically giant single shooting-star earring and a big silver chrome lotus ring. His pores and skin glows, and the muted make-up doesn’t take away from his immense equipment. Each Beomgyu and Taehyun put on skin-tight pale yellow turtlenecks, every adorned with dainty pearls and crystals. Beomgyu flaunts a big yellow chrome lotus ring and single giant pink chrome lotus earring. With this accented jewellery, there isn’t any query that the boys welcome fluidity in expression. Effectively, both them or their stylists.
In the long run, all of this description and evaluation culminates into one normal realization that I push everybody to additional look at. One, that TXT is the perfect Okay-pop group in the intervening time. And two, that their capability to not solely produce unbelievable music however to additionally pair that with mind-bendingly lovely and tasteful conceptualizations is a feat value nice recognition.
Daphne Yaman is a sophomore writing about Okay-pop. Her column, “Non-Cease Okay-Pop” runs each different Wednesday. She can also be an opinion editor on the Every day Trojan.