The group TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TOMORROW X TOGETHER, TXT) has embarked on a new start after renewing their contracts.
On the 12th, TOMORROW X TOGETHER (Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, Hueningkai) held a showcase for their mini 8th album '7TH YEAR: 가시덤불에 잠시 바람이 멈췄을 때' at Hwajeong Gymnasium, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER's mini 8th album '7TH YEAR: 가시덤불에 잠시 바람이 멈췄을 때' is an album that contains thoughts and feelings felt over the past seven years and is the first new album released after signing a contract renewal with their agency BigHit Music.
Soobin said, "We are greeting you with this mini 8th album, and because it is our first album after renewing our contracts, it feels especially meaningful. We will show a cool side of ourselves," and Hueningkai said, "The album title is really long. We prepared it diligently, so please look kindly upon it." Beomgyu said, "We, who used to tell a boyhood coming-of-age narrative, have returned with a heartrending love story. We are in our eighth year and time has passed very quickly. Thank you for being with us as we grew like this." Yeonjun said, "As it is our first comeback after renewing our contracts, we prepared with the determination of a debut, so please show us a lot of interest," and Taehyun said, "As in the past seven years, we will do our best this time as well."
Regarding the contract renewals, TOMORROW X TOGETHER said, "It didn't even take us an hour to align our opinions. We wanted to continue as a team and be with our fans, so we came together with the mindset that we should renew. We went to seek advice from senior BTS member RM, and he gave us very kind advice. He told us, 'It's already been seven years, you've worked so hard,' which gave us strength," and "People around us said coordinating would be difficult, but we coordinated within an hour. They said coordination with the company was relatively quick as well. A good result came out."
Regarding their seventh anniversary, Taehyun said, "I can't believe it. Looking back, it feels like we spent happy times, so we've done well. There is much more road ahead, so I'm looking forward to it. There were several crises, but I remember times when we wrote lyrics about things we couldn't empathize with. The responsibility of having to persuade others was difficult, but this time it wasn't like that. And our teamwork seems to have grown a lot." Yeonjun added, "There were many hard moments during team activities, but there weren't any major crises. There is a firm conviction about this team, so there were no crises." Soobin said, "After becoming accustomed to the members, when the period of discussing contract renewals passed, they felt very precious. I felt again how grateful and loving I am. I remember the difficult time shortly after debut when COVID made things hard. Going through that time seems to have matured all the members mentally."
This album focuses on intimate emotions starting from the five members' present, the responsibility accumulated since debut, the confusion arising from the gap between expectations and reality, and the anxiety and worries felt ahead of contract renewals. '가시덤불에 잠시 바람이 멈췄을 때' means the brief calm that comes amid endlessly shaking pain.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER said, "Although we renewed our contracts and entered our eighth year, it wasn't all glamorous. There was anxiety about the future and a desire to rise higher. It's a story anyone can relate to," adding, "When we knew nothing, we thought debuting alone would make us global stars, but there was a gap between reality and ideals. Going through that process allowed us to learn and grow. I think there are worries that come when you steadily do something for seven to eight years. You wonder what you truly want and what you can achieve, and I think everyone can feel that emotion. We made an album adding our own narrative to universal feelings. Saying this may make us seem fragile, but we are all upright and solid. We will work hard during this promotion, so please watch over us kindly."
The title track '하루에 하루만 더 (Stick With You)' is an electro pop genre with an addictive and powerful chorus melody. It depicts the heartache of wanting to hold onto a love that appears to be ending. It sings of feelings of not being able to let go of the relationship, unlike the partner preparing for a breakup. Deep lingering attachment is a new attempt for TOMORROW X TOGETHER. Moving a step beyond the youth narratives they have shown, they present expanded emotions. The heartrending quality in the song can also be interpreted as their determination toward their dreams.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER said, "When we listened to the guide version, it felt different from what we did. As members added ideas, our own color came through. We recorded so many different versions that I wondered when was the last time we recorded this much. It felt relatively difficult, but after much thought a good song came out," and explained, "We find it fun that MOA (the fandom name) shortens our long song titles, and we are looking forward to how they will shorten this one."
In the music video, TOMORROW X TOGETHER members and actress Jeon Jong-seo acted together. With film-like direction, Jeon Jong-seo added strength to the cinematic narrative with dense emotional acting. Soobin said, "I heard actress Jeon Jong-seo is very shy, and she was indeed very shy before actual filming, but once filming started she transformed into an affectionate partner and I felt that she is an actor." Hueningkai laughed, "An action scene was memorable; there's a behind-the-scenes detail where he received a lot of praise when being hit, but he wasn't good at hitting."
The album, which includes the title track '하루에 하루만 더 (Stick With You)' as well as 'Bed of Thorns', 'Take Me to Nirvana (feat. 万Vinida Weng)', 'So What', '21st Century Romance', and '다음의 다음', candidly contains thoughts and feelings felt over seven years since debut. The first track 'Bed of Thorns' conveys the message of fully accepting the results created by one's own choices. 'Take Me to Nirvana (feat. 万Vinida Weng)' sings of a moment of freedom when you temporarily set aside uncertain feelings and feel liberation with your whole body. Chinese artist Vinida Weng (万, Vinida Weng) participated as a featured artist.
'So What' is a song that honestly yet wittily unpacks the anxieties, worries and concerns about the future the team felt. Yeonjun participated in lyrics and composition, and Taehyun participated in lyrics, adding sincerity. '21st Century Romance' says that even in a 21st century full of empty noise, they will listen to the inner signals. Hueningkai contributed to the melody work, elevating delicate emotions. The final track '다음의 다음' conveys that the future is still uncertain but curiosity and excitement toward tomorrow push us forward. Soobin is credited with lyrics on the song.
Now in their eighth year and envisioning an even brighter future, TOMORROW X TOGETHER continues forward. Yeonjun said, "Not only during the period preparing this album but while working on solo albums I experienced a somewhat severe burnout. It was a time to deeply contemplate myself and the team, and through that I came to know who I am. I'm still getting to know myself, but it was a meaningful time that allowed me to grow one step as a person and as an artist. What I want going forward, at the end of that, is the team. I want to keep this team together as much as possible and continue to be happy performing." Hueningkai also said, "We renewed our contracts early and had a period before the comeback, so I felt at ease. Fans called it the 'bewitching seven years,' but announcing the contract renewal decisively felt refreshing. I thought more about the next album. I worried about how to start, feeling like we were closing the seven-year narrative and starting anew, and the result came out well. If it's our goal, I think this team's strength is powerful. We are a team that can rise further, so we will keep working hard."
Meanwhile, TOMORROW X TOGETHER's mini 8th album '7TH YEAR: 가시덤불에 잠시 바람이 멈췄을 때' will be released at 6 p.m. that day on various music sites.
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