REVIEW: Beomgyu – Panic

Does anyone else feel a bit of whiplash with how quickly this snowballed from, “oh Beomgyu solo confirmed/announced and on the way”, to “oh, it’s out NOW and the preorders for the album are sold out”. It’s back in stock on Weverse (as of writing, at least). It’s not just me, right? I barely had time to enjoy the memes before the teasers started rolling out.

I saw a tweet where a MOA suspected based on the pattern so far is that the member solos will be released in their birth month, so maybe TOLO next February to round things out?? HOLO in August??? SSOLO in December????? I’m here for it.

I think now we have a pretty good idea of what to expect with these mixtapes as well. 1 song, some cool item to go along with it, killer visuals and an excruciating amount of care and detail by the members. There’s a translated Q&A here by queen TranslatingTXT. Most of the tweets sourced here are from her, lol. But it’s been fascinating hearing and reading about the creative process for “Panic” and the real life experiences that helped shape the song and music video.

I knew I’d be obsessed with “Panic” from vibes, mostly. When I look at this list of songs that TXT have credits on (Soobin’s credits are in the following tweet OP posted, don’t worry).

And the lean towards more alternative music in TXT’s group and subunit songs, and from Beomgyu’s personal music taste based on songs he plays during lives (and mentioned in interviews, etc), yeah I wasn’t surprised we got a rock song.

“Maze in the Mirror” part two essentially. I talked about my love for “Maze in the Mirror” in my TXT article on The Dream Chapter: Eternity. One of my favorite TXT songs ever. And “Thursday’s Child” is an absolute banger, talked about here. So, in Beomgyu we trust .

But…idk… I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as “Maze in the Mirror” for me. I wasn’t expecting to have it played so much already and be so attached to it on the first listen. I have looked at the English lyrics, there is some English in “Panic” but it isn’t solely in English.

I think that was a great call. In his live he did earlier (as of writing, like two hours ago), he talked about how he and Heo Hoy Kyung (singer and writer), wrote the song in English and he sung part of it in English.

But after asking Yeonjun, Beomgyu decided on it being in Korean (overall). Full interview here, btw. I agree with Yeonjun about the grounded-ness. And I think it just adds to the authenticity of “Panic”. It’s easier to convey those emotions in your native language vs trying to do the same in a language you aren’t as comfortable with.

The music video does a wonderful job of visualizing the stress and anxiety Beomgyu is going through, but ultimately, he’s on top.

The cool tones and winter vibes also add to the depression/anxiety vibes. Again, my only complaint with these mixtapes is that I wish there was a b-side with them as well. I am glad this one is three minutes long. It doesn’t feel like a three-minute song.

The instrumentals fill the time nicely. I love a song that starts and ends the same way, and the guitar does that. The “ahhs” again suck me into the song. A good harmony will have my heart forever.

I love that ADOY, the band who made the song “Wonder” that Beomgyu covered (gyu’s version here), covered his song, . I’m crying in the club. Beomgyu reposted clips of other covers of “Panic” as well on his insta. Along with posting the whole dang music video on there. His promo has been taking me out, but he’s so real for it.

I had to include some of my favorite tweets so far about “Panic” and Beomgyu this era:

And of course…

I love Bamgeut so much . There’s been so much adorable fan made ppulbatu art for “Panic” as well.

So cute!! The fandom is sooo talented. Oh! And the thumbnail used is from the live version released yesterday:

It’s sooo good. I love Beomgyu’s voice so much. It’s so soothing. I can’t help but to sway along. I love the setting for the live video. I love that he’s wearing the same thing from the music video to tie it together.

The styling for both this and the music video has been pretty simple and muted to fit the scenes. He looks stunning, and I think the basic styling just showcases his visuals even more. I think that’s what has been the most exciting about this entire solo, it’s gyu’s time to shine.

As a Bamtori, we’re always in the trenches when it comes to line distribution with Beomgyu. I couldn’t help but laugh at the tweet before “Panic” released that was like, “I wonder how many lines Beomgyu is going to have”. Because it’s a recurring issue, and only something we could satirize.

As OT5 who really swerves out of everyone’s lane, it sucks. There’s always a member either being left out of something, not getting the same styling, line distribution or something.

So yeah, it’s been nice to see the members have a solo opportunity to showcase their talent in the music genre they want, with styling, and creative control. That’s ultimately what I keep going back to with these mixtapes, and why I’m so excited to see the other members’ releases. Eventually, we’re going to get the solo (and subunit) mini albums, and I’m gonna lose it .

I’ve couldn’t wait to discuss “Panic” and at first, I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough to say about it besides that I like it and think it’s spectacular. Which is straightforward to say, but to showcase why and have it fill out an entire article is a bit more challenging.

I say this a lot with the artists I discuss on here, who have very distinct but consistent sounds. If you like TXT’s alternative songs like “Thursday’s Child”, “Blue Spring”, the rock version of “Deja Vu”, you’ll love “Panic”. It fits in perfectly with the rest of TXT’s discography. And I can’t wait for more music written and produced/arranged by Beomgyu.

So, what are y’alls thoughts on “Panic”? Tell me your thoughts below. Next up is Miss A and Colors. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Threads, & BlueSky.

Take care!

Ash