K-pop boy band Tomorrow X Together poses for picture during press conferenced conducted in Seoul on Monday. (Big Hit Entertainment)
Tomorrow X Together returned with their third mini album “Minisode 1: Blue Hour” Monday, sharing a hopeful message to young people isolated and lost in emotions amid the unprecedented pandemic.
“The album tells the story of a boy who faces a completely changed world after experiencing a sudden shift in his relationship with his friend,” the quintet’s leader Soobin said during an online press conference in Seoul.
Fronting the album is “Blue Hour,” a disco dance song reflecting the main story of the album.
“It’s a bright and cheerful disco song. Like the beautiful yet mysterious colors of the sky just before the sunset in the blue hour, the lyrics will portray the beautiful yet fearful emotions of the boy,” Yeonjun said. He added that, hopefully, TXT’s new song could keep alive the disco sensation triggered by “Dynamite” from global sensation BTS, the group’s labelmates under Big Hit Entertainment.
According to Soobin, the album is titled “minisode” because it is a short episode told before turning the page to the next chapter to follow their album “The Dream Chapter.” The new album marks the bandmates’ return five months after they dropped “Eternity,” the last in a three-part series, in May. The series also comprises of their first full-length album “Magic,” which dropped in October 2019, and debut album “Star.”
The five-track album incorporates a variety of music genres and different stories of a boy.
Tomorrow X Together (Big Hit Entertainment)
“The indie-rock based ‘Ghosting’ starts off with a vintage sound,” Taehyun, who took part in writing the song, said. “‘Ghosting’ is a newly-coined word which implies a sudden halt in communication. The lyrics tell of a desperate heart concerned and waiting for the friend who suddenly disappeared amid conversation.” Soobin also took part in writing the song.
Empathy is the key theme piercing the album, the members said, and perhaps this is why several showed special affection for the third track “We Lost the Summer.”
“It’s a song about teenagers who face a world flipped upside down due to the pandemic. Thinking about a song for people who have lost their ordinary lives, producer Bang Si-hyuk gave us an idea,” the leader explained, adding Bang had been inspired by a 1998 Korean pop song “Arcade” by Han’s Band. “Like ‘Arcade’ had been a song of comfort for Koreans going through the (IMF) financial crisis back then, we hope our song also cradle everyone in this era of coronavirus pandemic.”
“Wishlist,” in which Huening Kai, Taehyun and Yeonjun participated in writing, is a pop-rock genre singing the anxious heart of a boy preparing the birthday present for his love. Future R&B track “Way Home” finishes the album with a dreamlike and soft voice portraying the lonely heart of a boy heading home alone after school.
The members emphasized the changes not only in their vocals, but also the dances and styles in the new album.
“We hope people could focus on how much we have evolved, especially in regard to our choreography. While we had usually performed all together in the past, this time each member will have individual parts to themselves,” Beomgyu said.
Regarding the title track’s key choreography utilizing various clothing garments in their dance, Huening Kai said, “we were especially inspired by BTS’ Jimin’s ‘Filter’ performance during the recent online concert.”
K-pop boy band Tomorrow X Together performs during press conferenced conducted in Seoul on Monday. (Big Hit Entertainment)
Tomorrow X Together -- read ‘tomorrow by together’ or TXT in short -- made a splash debut in 2019, making a buzz even ahead of their official debut as the first boy band launched by Big Hit since BTS in 2013.
The five-piece act scooped up 10 rookie of the year awards upon debuting, making a strong presence in the K-pop music scene both in and out of the country.
“It’s been one and a half years since we debuted and I think we’ve advanced much since then. We anticipate that our upcoming performances may best express us, showcasing a more mature and fresher energy than before,” Yeonjun said.
With the album exceeding 400,000 copies in pre-sales ahead of its release, Huening Kai thanked their fans, known as MOA, saying, “We want to return joy and hope to MOAs. I think this is how we could return their love and support.”
The band’s leader closed the event, saying, “The album tells the story of all of us living in this era of COVID-19. We hope you can enjoy and empathize with it. TXT will continue to strive to become a group that presents a better tomorrow.”
By Choi Ji-won (
jwc@heraldcorp.com)
