Gen Z Icons TOMORROW X TOGETHER Illustrate Nostalgic Coming of Age Tale
TOMORROW X TOGETHER, or TXT for short, are globally known as K-Pop’s visual storytellers. The five-member boy group are embarking on their third world tour ACT: PROMISE. According to the group’s label BIGHIT MUSIC, the concert follows “a meticulously crafted narrative, divided into five sections.”
Photo Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
‘FIND THE NAME’ is the first of the five sections. This portion focuses on youths’ reunion and recounting of their past. Theatricality ensued as all five members emerged seemingly from nowhere, surrounded in a thick fog and donning white lace cloaks. The group gazed at a floating crown to which the eldest member Yeonjun dramatically placed on his head before the lights suddenly cut out. The arena lights turned back on, revealing TXT now dressed in regal garb for the high-energy performance of their lead single “Deja Vu,” off their newest mini album minisode 3: TOMORROW. Even though the show was only just beginning, the next performances “9 and Three Quarters (Run Away),” “0X1=LOVESONG,” and “Devil by the Window” were chalked full of pyrotechnics, lasers, and countless blasts of confetti. After a “quick change,” the members appeared onstage in hanboks with fans in hand to perform a traditional Korean version of one of their top streamed singles “Sugar Rush Ride” and “Farewell, Neverland.”
Photo Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
The second segment called ‘THE REALITY’ portrays “youths confronting reality upon leaving a beautiful yet ephemeral paradise.” Decked out in red bomber jackets with “Chicago” embroidered on the back, the boys took time to play with the crowd. They led their fans in chants of “Chi-town! MOA! Love you!” before ending with the members and audiences’ favorite part – barking. TXT seemed to grow in energy throughout the assumedly taxing performances of “New Rules” and “LO$ER=LO♡ER.” During “LO$ER=LO♡ER,” specialty fake dollars with the words “lo$er” and “lo♡er” printed across it dropped from the ceiling over the GA section. Fans scrambled to grab the unique souvenir to keep as a reminder of the night. The members took a break from the intense choreography during “Ghosting” and walked around the stage, affectionately watching their fans and waving to as many as they could. TXT was the first K-Pop group to headline Chicago’s famous music festival Lollapalooza last year. As a result, Chicago holds special memories for both TXT and their fanbase, “MOA”. The group added the fan-focused song “Blue Spring'' to the setlist as a special moment for the Chicago attendees. Although the lyrics were posted on the screen for fans to sing with the members, it was unnecessary as the fans already knew the words and were earnestly singing along. The second section of the concert's narrative ended with “Thursday’s Child Has Far To Go,” “Trust Fund Baby,” and “Quarter Life.”
Photo Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
“Quarter Life” is a unit song featuring the group's youngest members Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Huening Kai. This song is about the trials of growing up and leads into the third portion of the narrative, ‘GROWING PAIN’ which depicts the pains of maturation while remembering forgotten dreams and identity. The section opened with a much anticipated fan-favorite performance of “The Killa” – a saucy track highlighting the group’s oldest members Soobin and Yeonjun. The full group then dives into their rebellious ‘bad boy’ era by smashing set pieces while donning various articles of black leather clothing. The members posed on the B-stage as it separated into pieces, rising and falling with large plumes of fire erupting along the back of the main stage. The setting illustrated their tumultuous emotions during “PUMA,” “Good Boy Gone Bad,” and “Growing Pain.”
Photo Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
Gone is the fire, leather, and red lighting as the penultimate segment, ‘I’LL BE THERE TOMORROW’ brings about a calmer and more hopeful feeling. “Emerging from introspection, the youths realize that the dreams always existed in their hearts.” Each member dressed in flowy blue button ups that feel both youthful and mature. The songs are upbeat and joyful in comparison to the angst of the previous section. TXT showed off their impressive falsetto registers in “Dreamer” and their House Dance capabilities in “Deep Down” before ending with the aptly named “I’ll See You There Tomorrow.”
Photo Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
For the finale of the narrative, ‘LAND OF PROMISE,’ themes of commitment and reunion are spotlighted. TXT spent the last stages solely focused on MOA, looking as though they were trying to commit the face of each audience member to memory. Confetti slowly fell amongst rays of light during “Magic Island,” bringing back the original fairytale feeling, albeit slightly more somber. The boys took their time to thank the fans and reiterate how special of a city Chicago was to them as they had created numerous memories there. The members ended with “Miracle,” spending any time they weren’t singing during the song talking to fans, reading signs, and playing around with the audience. The group reluctantly left in a storm of confetti after encore songs “Happily Ever After” and “Cat & Dog” – bending down to catch any last glimpse of MOA under the descending barriers.