Let us start by saying that Starkissed is the most perfect name for a TXT album. It’s beyond fitting, and just so cute. TXT’s most recent album finished with ‘Song of the Stars,’ and now we get lots of Starkissed songs!
Instrumentals
One of the very best things about TXT’s Japanese albums is that we are treated to beautiful intro and outro instrumentals! ‘Intro: SPARK’ and ‘Outro: GLOW’ are no exception. We love how these two tracks open and close this chapter and, as always, we hope to see them live on in something else too… perhaps background music for the VCRs at the ACT: TOMORROW Japan Dome Tour? TXT’s creative team, our door is always open.
‘Can’t Stop’
The names ‘SPARK’ and ‘GLOW’ for an album with a starry concept are so gorgeous too, but they’re not the most-aptly named songs on Starkissed. The title track, ‘Can’t Stop,’ is perfect. It’s shot up to the top of all our ‘On Repeat’ playlists, and we truly ‘Can’t Stop’ streaming it. TXT, like a lot of K-Pop groups, usually lean towards ballads for Japanese singles, and this is easily their most fun, catchy Japanese release to date. Full of 80s synth and irresistible guitar riffs, the THP MOA hive was never going to survive this comeback unscathed.
Original Japanese B-Sides
Another one of the new Japanese original songs on Starkissed is ‘Where Do You Go?,’ a song that made us immediately jealous that we won’t be attending the Japan tour shows to see this IRL. It has a cute, bright energy that we haven’t seen from TXT in a while, and instantly reminded us of 2020’s ‘Wishlist.’
The final original track is ‘SSS (Sending Secret Signals),’ which is a pretty good tongue twister. Written by HYDE, this song is rich with the rock-pop energy everybody loves to see from TXT. The pre-chorus breakdown stole our breath the first time we heard it, not to mention Yeonjun’s spoken lines. HYDE is a music icon in Japan, having been active in the industry since 1988. As TXT’s global and Japanese fandoms continue to grow, we are so happy to see them getting the opportunities to work with such storied artists!
Re-Releases
Additionally, we were treated to Japanese versions of some of our other favorite TXT singles, ‘Beautiful Strangers,’ and ‘Deja Vu,’ as well as re-releases of ‘Step by Step,’ ‘Rise,’ and CHIKAI’s ‘We’ll Never Change’ and ‘Kitto Zutto.’ Not to mention that we, of course, had to be gifted with a Japanese version of our beloved ‘Song of the Stars!’
With the Starkissed release, we’ve got to indulge in several brand new songs, renew our love for some familiar ones, and enjoy plenty of TXT content on Japanese music and variety shows! Considering The Star Chapter: TOGETHER still feels like it came out yesterday (how has it been three months already?!), MOAs really do feel like the luckiest fandom.
What’s your favorite track from TXT’s Starkissed? What have you enjoyed about this comeback? Let us know on Twitter @TheHoneyPOP! Or, if you’d rather, you can also find us on Facebook and Instagram!
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