Nothing gets our hearts singing quite like new music from TOMORROW X TOGETHER! This time, TXT are back with their 4th full album, The Star Chapter: TOGETHER, and it’s already embedded itself as one of the most important records in their catalog.
The Star Chapter: TOGETHER not only closes The Star Chapter, but closes the door on The Star Seekers and all of TXT’s lore to date. That’s seven years of references from lyrics, film, literature, TXT’s own webtoon, and so much more, all brought to a very bittersweet end.
However, across the eight tracks of TOGETHER, TXT are certainly not closing the door on the distinct-yet-kaleidoscopic identity they have built as a group. In fact, it’s never been as crystal clear as it is in this album. In an effort to combat how genuinely awestruck we feel over The Star Chapter: TOGETHER, we’ve unpacked exactly why this is the most TXT-coded album TXT has ever done.
‘Upside Down Kiss’
How could there be any doubt that TOGETHER could be anything other than epic when it opens with a song like ‘Upside Down Kiss?’ We were hooked from that bass intro, and then were fully sold when we heard Yeonjun sing “Don’t give a s***,” (sadly, it then transpired that he says “thing” on the streaming services version, but cussing-enthusiasts can rest assured that the CDs have the explicit version).
From our very first listen, we hoped that this would be the promotional b-side from TOGETHER, and we were right! The performance of ‘Upside Down Kiss’ truly elevates it to a whole other level, not least because it (sometimes) opens with Soobin literally performing upside down.
‘Beautiful Strangers’
It’s time for TOGETHER’s title track! ‘Beautiful Strangers’ broke our hearts in more ways than we can count. An ethereal mix of delicate, dreamy vocals over a hip-hop track, ‘Beautiful Strangers’ encapsulates how this album closes out TXT’s lore. With lyrics that mention heaven, names, eternity, promises, horns, and more, there are so many references to TXT’s back catalog!
The second we heard how many instrumental sections there are in ‘Beautiful Strangers,’ we knew that the dance breaks were going to be stunning. It wasn’t an easy process to create this performance, though! There were several iterations of the choreography that just didn’t feel right, so TXT and their team turned to 4th Gen It Boy and dancing maestro Yeonjun. TXT’s eldest member ended up creating the ‘Beautiful Strangers’ performance in just two days, creating about 80% of the choreography and directing the overall performance! All the members, especially Soobin and Kai, have praised how well the choreo showcases TXT’s identity.
Solo Tracks
Next, we dive into something we have been waiting literal years for: TXT solo tracks. Across these five The Star Chapter: TOGETHER songs, TXT manage to show such versatility whilst still retaining their core identity and storytelling. But, in all honesty, we’d expect nothing less from them! Cohesive-yet-diverse is kinda their thing at this point.
‘Ghost Girl’
Yeonjun kicks off the solo songs with ‘Ghost Girl.’ If you know him best through ‘GGUM,’ the production on this track might come as a shock, but MOAs know better. Co-written by Yeonjun and co-written and produced by Yungblud (another THP fave!), ‘Ghost Girl’ has both reggae and rock influences. Yeonjun has been a fan of Yungblud for a long time, and we couldn’t be happier that they got to work together! Recovering from the yearning, raspy lyrical delivery is gonna take us a while. Plus, the music video, which sees a punk-inspired Yeonjun stomp through East London, couldn’t fit the vibe of ‘Ghost Girl’ any better.
‘Sunday Driver’
Contrasting beautifully, Soobin brings the bright, cutesy energy in ‘Sunday Driver.’ Soobin is lowkey K-Pop’s biggest fan, so a solo track that is this level of adorable just makes perfect sense. The lyrics are so hopeful and reassuring: “The car turns into our own coin-free karaoke, Even off-key lyrics are okay.”
And if, somehow, that wasn’t sweet enough, the music video, featuring blissful skies, adds to this. There’s no escaping Soobin’s (very odd) sense of humor, though. His passenger for ‘Sunday Driver’ is… a plant. Together, they travel through increasingly weird scenes before turning into a cartoon. At least there were no watermelons involved, we guess.
‘Dance With You’
Who guessed that Kai’s solo would sound like this? Certainly not us! The lyrics about surrendering oneself to ‘you’ are exemplified by Huening Kai’s deliberately simpering vocals, as he shows us a new sultry side of his artistry.
With a rich color palette of deep reds to match the sensuality of the song, the aesthetic of the music video is divine, too. Kai’s cowboy-influenced styling is one of his best looks to date! The glimpses of ‘Dance With You’ choreography have us terrified for potential solo performances on the ACT: TOMORROW tour.
‘Take My Half’
Following up from March’s ‘PANIC,’ Beomgyu’s identity as a soloist is quickly becoming clear. Just like ‘PANIC,’ ‘Take My Half’ was co-written and co-produced by Beomgyu and shares a similar message. Likely referencing the idiom, “a problem shared is a problem halved,” the lyrics of this track center around a deeply-bonded relationship, where ‘you’ can share safely with one another, be it burdens or celebrations. The soaring, anthemic production makes this easily one of the most euphoric moments on The Star Chapter: TOGETHER.
The ‘Take My Half’ MV has the exact aesthetic we’d anticipate from Beomgyu, too; it’s basically a Pinterest board come to life! We’re not sure if it’s just us, but did the drawings in this music video remind anyone else of The Little Prince? Does this qualify as a minisode 3: TOMORROW easter egg?
‘Bird of Night’
Taehyun composing a song to comfort MOAs who struggle with anxiety or insomnia? Cue our tears! When we heard the ‘Bird of Night’ preview, we thought this might be a ballad, but it transforms as the first chorus kicks in. This might seem like the most ‘simple’ of The Star Chapter: TOGETHER‘s solo songs, but there’s absolutely nothing simple or unsophisticated about Taehyun’s vocals. It should be well-known by now that Taehyun is easily one of K-Pop’s best singers, and ‘Bird of Night’ shows this. The influences from music that Taehyun loves are clear too, in the undercurrents of R&B. The music video is beautiful too, balancing between frantic and soothing energies, both of which match the feeling of late nights in the city.
‘Song of the Stars’
The transition from Taehyun in the previous track to his opening verse in ‘Song of the Stars’ is heavenly. But as divine as this song is, it’s definitely a tearjerker! We’d heard a lot of this song within The Star Chapter: TOGETHER‘s concept trailer, but we still weren’t prepared. ‘Song of the Stars’ feels like the sequel to their debut b-side ‘Nap of a Star’ and wraps up TXT’s lore so beautifully. In fact, it might even replace ‘0x1=LOVESONG’ as the quintessential TXT track; it is the perfect representation of exactly who and what this group is. There couldn’t be a more apt closing song for this album!
So, there you have it! The Star Chapter: TOGETHER is a masterpiece from start to finish, and magnificently showcases TXT’s core group identity.
Which is your favorite TXT solo on The Star Chapter: TOGETHER? How do you feel about their lore coming to an end? Let us know on Twitter @TheHoneyPOP! Or, if you’d rather, you can also find us on Facebook and Instagram!
We’ve always got more TOMORROW X TOGETHER for you!
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