Every year, we think that TOMORROW X TOGETHER can’t outdo themselves, and then every year they do. 2023 was huge for TXT, maybe their biggest yet, and we’re in awe of all they achieved this year.
We’ve been spoiled rotten with not one but two comebacks, and a world tour, amongst so much more! In fact, MOA have been gifted so much that it only made sense to lay it all out for you here. Let’s celebrate an epic 2023 for our TXT!
The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION
TXT started 2023 with a bang and then basically didn’t slow down for the rest of the year. On January 27th, they began their new album series with the release of The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION, a flawless five-track masterpiece that won the hearts of MOA and the general public alike.
Title track ‘Sugar Rush Ride’ was everywhere for the first half of 2023; you couldn’t escape it (not that you would want to). What’s more, ‘Sugar Rush Ride’ hasn’t been able to escape our Spotify On Repeat all year, so we guess we’re even. TEMPTATION hit number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and ‘Sugar Rush Ride’ won first place on four music shows – Music Bank (twice), MCountdown, and INKIGAYO. But more on that later…
ACT: SWEET MIRAGE
Shortly after the release of TEMPTATION, the boys headed out on their second world tour, ACT: SWEET MIRAGE. The global arena tour had one of the best setlists we’ve ever seen (25 songs!), and TXT continued to level up their performances. They seem to have no limit to their capabilities, and ACT: SWEET MIRAGE proved that!
One of TXT’s biggest moments this year was the finale of the U.S. leg of ASM, which saw them headline a stadium for the first time! They took over BMO Stadium for two nights in May, less than a year after their first world tour began(!), and you can pretty much assume we’ll see more stadium shows from TXT in the future.
There were so many highlights throughout the tour, including treasured ending ments and that ‘Tinnitus’ choreo, but one we have to mention is that it gave us an early sneak preview of TXT’s next era, as they performed the then-unreleased ‘Blue Spring’ as the encore each night.
SWEET
In the midst of their tour, TXT somehow found the time to have a comeback in Japan. The album, aptly named SWEET, is full of Japanese versions of TXT’s biggest hits, as well as some Japanese originals. Alongside the album release, TXT promoted the Japanese version of ‘Sugar Rush Ride.’ The music video for the Japanese version is maybe one of our favorite tubatu mvs ever because it’s absolutely rife with references to their discography. From ‘Nap of a star’ to ‘0x1=LOVESONG’ to ‘Good Boy Gone Bad,‘ the references are as endless as they are eye-catching.
‘Do It Like That’
Thought ‘Happy Fools’ with Coi Leray would be the biggest collab we’d see from TXT in 2023? Oh no, there’s more (and ‘Back For More’), where that came from. Tubatu took the summer in their stride by collaborating with the Jonas Brothers on funky little bop ‘Do It Like That.’ It also marked the start of an expansion in TXT’s production team, as ‘DILT’ was produced by mastermind Ryan Tedder, who TXT would go on to work with again in 2023.
Our Lost Summer Disney+ Documentary
We’ve loved TXT’s behind-the-scenes content since day one, or even pre-debut! And with their globally-released Disney+ documentary, Our Lost Summer, we gained so much more insight into TXT’s summer in 2022. We saw content from their U.S. promo, as well as backstage at their first world tour, ACT:LOVE SICK, and that breakthrough set at Lollapalooza. Plus, TXT shared so much about the members’ mindsets and their goals for the group, which we are always grateful to learn about.
Lollapalooza
We’re back! And this time, we’re headliners, baby! Remember when we said earlier that TXT have leveled up their performances? Clearly, we’re not the only ones who think so! Following on from their iconic Lollapalooza set last year, TXT was invited back as headliners for 2023! Their show was truly stellar as they bounced through their discography. Plus, Coi Leray joined TXT on stage for a performance of ‘Happy Fools’ and her hit ‘Players.’ The on-stage interactions were so fun, and we always love this carefree side of TXT.
‘Back For More’ And The VMAs
From one epic stateside show to another! Every MOA remembers TXT’s AMAs attendance in 2022, so naturally (as seems to be TXT’s ethos in 2023), they stepped it up a level with U.S. awards shows this year. They not only attended the MTV VMAs but performed and won their first Moon Person! ‘Sugar Rush Ride’ scored them Best Push Performance, and our emotions were in orbit.
And let’s talk about that performance! TXT premiered ‘Back For More’ on the global stage, which is exactly what a song like that deserves. ‘Back For More’ is a genre-blurring disco-pop hit, with references spanning time and space. The collaboration with Anitta (an absolute queen!) was a stroke of genius, TBH. This perfect blend of K-Pop and Latin Pop shows where the global music industry is right now and where it’s headed in the future.
P.S. We’re never gonna get over Beomgyu’s intro in this one.
The Name Chapter: FREEFALL
We reckon lots of MOA would say this is their number-one highlight of 2023, right? After just over two years, TXT came back with a full album! The Name Chapter: FREEFALL is quintessential TOMORROW X TOGETHER, which might make it sound like they didn’t try anything new or test their limits, but you couldn’t be more wrong in that assumption. It’s a gorgeous, tightly woven tale that is as intricate as it is expansive.
From the hard rock of ‘Growing Pain’ to the R&B of ‘Dreamer’ to the grunge of ‘Skipping Stones,’ there’s nothing TXT won’t explore. And guess what? Every single one of those experiments paid off in FREEFALL. The album is an absolute dream to listen to as a fan, and we know its impact isn’t over yet.
We simply don’t have the time to talk about how much we love FREEFALL right now, but if you want to read more of our thoughts, you can do so here.
Yeonjun On Inkigayo And Soobin On Music Bank
We told you we’d be talking about music shows more! With a total of six wins in 2023, TXT have smashed the stages this year, but that’s not all. They’ve won the audiences’ hearts not just as idols, but as MCs, too! Yeonjun’s reign on Inkigayo has continued, and we’ve loved seeing him on our screens every Sunday! Even better, TXT got their first-ever win on the show, whilst he was hosting! Cue the tears…(ours and Yeonjun’s).
We also got a mini repeat of Soobin’s legendary run on Music Bank in 2020 and 2021 when he returned for a week this year (covering for the delightful EUNCHAE), and we adored seeing him return.
TO DO And Other Variety Content
Music show hosting isn’t TXT’s only TV skill! They’re also some of the funniest idols around, so their variety content always has us in stitches. In 2023, as well as guesting on others, TXT shared 23 episodes of their own hit show TO DO! Our faves from this year have to be the 100th episode special and the two-part Boys Leaping Through Time ~Walkie-Talkie Trip~.
ACT: SWEET MIRAGE Finale In Seoul
ACT: SWEET MIRAGE began with TXT’s first time headlining KPSO Dome (15,000 capacity) in Seoul, an iconic venue that holds a lot of memories for TXT, including the first time they saw BTS in concert. It was a show that brought some of them to tears, but they didn’t stop there. The ACT: SWEET MIRAGE finale took place over two days at the Gocheok Sky Dome (25,000 capacity) in December. Like the rest of the tour, it was a gorgeous whirlwind of TXT’s past, but also included their present with the additions of FREEFALL songs to the setlist and looked towards their future…
I hope that the members and I can be together for a very, very long time, and I hope that we can be in front of MOAs for a long, long time. I hope that our MOAs stay with us ’til then as well. Thank you. Please be a MOA for the rest of your life.
Yeonjun at the ACT: SWEET MIRAGE finale, translation credit: @translatingTXT
TXT’s 2023 Achievements
And what does every K-Pop fan enjoy during the festive season? Not presents from Santa, but the end-of-year awards season! With performances at shows like the MAMA Awards and more still to come with the likes of SBS’s Gayo, TXT are having a grand finale to their 2023. There are so many special stages you need to see and awards being added to TXT’s shelf, so let us list some of them here:
Awards
- 4 music show wins for ‘Sugar Rush Ride’
- 2 music show wins for ‘Chasing That Feeling’
- World K-Pop Star at Circle Chart Music Awards
- MTV VMA Best Push Performance for ‘Sugar Rush Ride’
- MTV EMA Best Push for ‘Sugar Rush Ride’
- Global Artist Award – Asia and Bonsang at Hanteo Music Awards
- Worldwide Fans’ Choice Top 10 at the 2023 MAMA Awards
Achievements
- The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION at Billboard 200 number one
- A then-personal-best 2.34 million pre-orders for TEMPTATION, which FREEFALL exceeded in just eight days
- First K-Pop group to headline Lollapalooza
- ACT: SWEET MIRAGE sold out and was attended by approx 379,000 fans across 29 shows
- TXT’s first time headlining two iconic Seoul venues – KPSO Dome and Gocheok Sky Dome – and their first headline stadium concerts in the U.S.
Special Stages
- TXT covering Uhm Junghwa’s ‘Invitation’ at Weverse Con 2023
- Taehyun and Huening Kai’s performance with Hoshiki at the 2023 MAMA Awards
- Yeonjun and Beomgyu covering Chungha’s ‘Gotta Go’ at KBS Music Bank Global Festival
So…2024?
The new year is just around the corner! And we’re going to go ahead and guess TXT will be continuing with their “No rest for the wicked” mentality. So what will they have in store for us?
Well, a couple of them have already mentioned on Weverse that they’re working on new music. But what will TXT’s next comeback look like? It seems to be a general consensus amongst fans that FREEFALL was probably the finale of The Name Chapter series, but could TXT throw a curveball and continue down the lost boys’ path? Or will we have a new Chapter to get stuck into? Or will we take a brief pause with their lore and enjoy another minisode? So many questions, so many ‘midnight KSTs’ to wait for the answers.
What’s more, is that Taehyun has already planted the seed in our minds for a 2024 tour. At the ACT: SWEET MIRAGE finale he said, “We’ll repay all the happiness and gratitude that we’re feeling right now through our 3rd world tour next year. I hope that all the moas watching online can join us in person next year” (translation credit: @translatingTXT)
Want us to tug at your heartstrings some more? In March 2024, our tubatu will be celebrating their five-year anniversary, a fact that makes us want to cry with pride, as well as with confusion over how fast time passes. They’ve come so far and grown so much in each of those years, and we can’t wait to see where the next five (and longer) takes them. So we guess we have to promise Yeonjun that we’ll be MOA forever!
So, what was your MOA highlight in 2023? What are you looking forward to from TXT in 2024? Let us know over on Twitter @TheHoneyPOP! Or, if that’s not your vibe, we’re also on Facebook and Instagram!
Hey MOA! We’re the place for you if you want more TXT!
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