Honorary mention to “Ice Cream“, Sorry for not putting her on this list Soobin. It isn’t personal. I just don’t listen to it much, and that’s very much a me problem, not you 🙈. I understand and appreciate the irony and cynicism going on in it. I do. It’s not lost on me. I just, I’m sorry. That beat tho 💃🏾 Okay. I’m done for real.

Alriiiiight we made it to the last article of this TXT miniseries! After this article, I will be caught up on all my favorite TXT albums and had talked about them in some way or another on the blog. I’m so thrilled.

Now, I was originally gonna have this titled as My Other Favorite TXT Songs, or something like that. But then I looked closer at what was left, and it’s just these two albums. I don’t really listen to their Japanese releases, so I don’t have anything to say really on those songs. And random collabs like “PS5” aren’t really anything I’m checking for unless I’m forced to listen to it on the album, like “Do It Like That”.

So… yeah, that just leaves these too. And like my EXO article where I had like 3 albums in one article. I decided to put these two together because one, there’s only like 6 songs here. And two, there are more similarities going on here than I realized when it came to TXT’s rock sound and when I like it and when I don’t.

The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE

I think I’ve hinted at it a few times. But my falling off TXT era started with FREEZE. I was so ecstatic for FREEZE era after watching the concept trailer. I still think about them running around tearing up the Hyundai shopping plaza randomly. This trailer is still my favorite TXT trailer. I tell everyone about it whenever I can.

And we hear “Frost” in the trailer. So when it officially released, I don’t know what exactly I was expecting, but it wasn’t that, lmaoooo. I think my general issue with this era was that I wasn’t ready for the drastic, well, “drastic” change in music direction so soon. I wanted another album and title track with more Pop and dance tracks.

I wasn’t ready. And it turned me off. And I started focusing on other groups (I think this aligns with my ATEEZ and Stray Kids new stan era), especially after they released “LO$ER =LO♡ER”. I’m not even sorry I peaced out so hard when that song dropped. It hurt me so much, still does, that they gave Beomgyu my favorite hair to date, on my least favorite title track. How cruel.

I’ve heard the song live, I’ve listened to it multiple times in different sittings. But “LO$ER =LO♡ER” has yet to convert me to being a fan 🤷🏾‍♀️. Probably my most unpopular MOA take. So why do I love “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” and TXT’s other rock songs. Literally every other one. But “LO$ER =LO♡ER”.

“0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)”

Let’s start with what works so perfectly with “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” for me. It’s one of my favorite TXT title tracks, top 5. Probably sits right at 5, lol. But a top tier song. God tier for sure.

I talked about “Wishlist” being a such a Lollapalooza/festival song. But “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” is very much that song. When I saw TXT live back in 2023, this was one of the songs I knew I’d be screaming the lyrics at the top of my lungs.

I just adore a song that starts and ends the same way. We start with “I know I love you” and that’s the last line we hear as well. The emotions and vocal direction throughout the song is so well crafted. A great balance of “yelling”, honey vocals, and ohs and woah’s. Seori’s voice in the post chorus is absolutely wonderful. Truly, the song wouldn’t be the same without her.

And the drums! The band really did the damn thing with the instrumentals on “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)”. Everything blends together so well, a perfect storm.

And I think that’s why I couldn’t vibe with the repackage single “LO$ER =LO♡ER”. “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” is very much a Pop-Rock (my favorite genre back when I was in high school) ballad. It was a different sound for TXT at the time, but it still was melodic like their previous stuff. It follows a similar formula. The familiarity and harmonies really sold me on “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)”, once I was done being crunchy it wasn’t “Blue Hour” part two.

And structure wise, “LO$ER =LO♡ER” isn’t that different. A bit more choppy and punk. Addicting guitar riff, versus the addicting drums in “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)”. I’m also very picky with songs that have a bunch of people, members of the group yelling the lyrics in songs.

I talked about this in my CIX review when I talked about “Imagine”. But basically, I only want it maybe once or twice in a song, and it not go on for longer than like 20 seconds. Anything longer than that and I’m over it. I will bring this up again in this article, I’m hard foreshadowing here.

There’s also a mix of Hip Hop and Autotune in “LO$ER =LO♡ER” that doesn’t flow as well melody wise for me. TXT does this better in “Deja Vu”. But the Hip Hop vibes also have more time to breath whereas in “LO$ER =LO♡ER”, it feels a bit cramped and rushed.

There’s a lot going on in that song. “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” picked four things to focus on and gave each part room to breathe. There’s a lot of jumping around that just doesn’t work for me.

The build up for the chorus in “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” has a better pay off then what you get with “LO$ER =LO♡ER”. But “LO$ER =LO♡ER” does remind me of top 40 rock music back in the early 2000s. So they did get that part right. If there’s one thing about Tubabtu, they’re gonna nail the sound of a certain decade in music.

I forgot RM from BTS co-wrote “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)”. That explains all the emotions and sad boy hours. Melanie Joy Fontana is also back along with Slow Rabbit as a few familiar Big Hit/HYBE peeps. You can read the full list here along with more background on this era.

Now we HAVE TO talk about this music video. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Ehm. The visuals keep on giving!!!!

Thank you so much to the stylists and set direction team for putting TXT in those fits and giving us the scenes of them being dorks in the pool. Well, minus that closeup shot of Soobin, having everyone swerving into his lane. And just like in “Blue Hour”, it’s the black and white fits that stole the show for me. I love punk!txt so much.

I GOTTA talk about hair. That light blue hair on Taehyun has to be my favorite non-natural hair color on him. He killed that. And towards the end of the video it becomes more silvery. Love that shit. I’m a basic lass, Yeonjun’s short black hair is a big slay, same with Soobin.

Platinum blonde Huening Kai… sometimes I think it washes him out. I like a darker blonde on him. But it works in “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)”. And of course of course of course I’m madly in love with long dark brown hair on Beomgyu. I don’t care what anyone says, brown is his natural hair color. We won here.

Magic

Oh…we’re talking about this song sooner that I realized, lol. I never knew about this special video for “Magic”. I’ve always just listened to the audio on Spotify of it. But again, I wasn’t really into TXT as much this era, so I missed it when it first dropped.

This is such an entertaining music video. Aliens arresting other aliens. Another round of hair changes I love. My favorite scene is them dancing while people are running around in the background panicked because the emergency button was hit. It’s just business as usual for Tubatu.

“Magic” is their first official English song. Co-written by a fave 10s British invasion artists of mine, Olly Murs. I still love “Troublemaker“. And again, now that I know what to look for, I hear it.

So the only thing that stops “Magic” being a 9 or 10 out of 10 song is that “everybody clap your hands” part. It goes on too long for me and if I can, I fast-forward through it 😅. After the third time, it should have just jumped back into the chorus. But oh well. Still love the song. I dance every time. Puts me in a joyful mood immediately.

Dear Sputnik

Oh yeahhhh. Our last track of FREEZE/FIGHT OR ESCAPE segment. Going out with an absolute banger. Of course, this track has the Hyuka touch. How could I not have known. This is my favorite b-side off this album. These albums. More melodic rock tracks. Another song that was even better experienced live. I crank it up in the car anytime it comes on shuffle.

This is the rock!txt that I’m here for. And really after this era, TXT just continues to perfect this sound. It felt to me the time between The Chaos Chapter and Minisode 2 was some nice breathing room and growth to be had. So let’s jump into those songs next!

minisode 2: Thursday’s Child

The online discourse between MOAs that love GBGB and the ones that don’t is intriguing to me. I get why the girls (gender-neutral) love “LO$ER =LO♡ER”. I think it’s the slight abrasiveness to it that really hooks into people.

“Good Boy Gone Bad” is a little watered down. A little diluted, especially after the huge splash “LO$ER =LO♡ER” and “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)”. A bit back peddling in a way. But to me, it’s doubling down. Solidifying that this isn’t a phase mom. This is a part of our brand now, and we’re sticking to it.

That’s why I have such a soft spot for this era and album. I’m still going to talk about three songs in particular. But this album as a whole is much more cohesive to my ears. I get the teen angst and emotional rollercoaster going on in FREEZE and Fight or Escape. Is that all caps too? *pulls Spotify back up* Oh, it is. FREEZE and FIGHT OR ESCAPE. I didn’t put or in caps earlier, and I’m not hunting it down to fix it. I’m on a roll.

Hating on Thursday’s Child is such low-hanging fruit. You can’t have the loud bombastic Chaos Chapter without having a quieter demure side. It’s the Brian to Peter Griffin, ying to yang, light to dark.

“Good Boy Gone Bad” is still rebelious. And what’s more rebelious than being unabashedly you. And showcasing multiple sides of you?

I think that’s pretty radical, pretty rock and roll.

I will safe the melodies throughout Thursday’s Child reconfirmed to me that the boys still had it. I always get this fear (and I’ve talked about this before) when groups gain a freight train of new fans off a different sound, and then that group just keeps making music like that to appease the new fans, and give the middle finger to the old fans that were their during their “old” sound.

But TXT didn’t do that. And I’m so thankful. Even on FREEZE they sprinkled in pop songs to not alienate us. I feel like actually Thursday’s Child is more of a rock album than FREEZE. Of course there’s still some Hip Hop elements here.

Knowing what is to come (FREEFALL and TOMORROW), it’s crazy seeing the foundation being laid here. Really minisode 1 Blue Hour and minisode 2: Thursday’s Child set up minisode 3: TOMORROW up so incredibly well. A perfect blend of both major sounds each album is know for individually. Holy cow.

I’m done dilly dallying, let’s get into “Opening Sequence”.

Opening Sequence

Another phenomial album opener!! I love the trap beat with these emotional ass lyrics. Taehyun’s vocals in this song steal the show for me. I get so excited to hear it in the chours. I adore the members vocals in this song. There’s so much pain and drama throughout the song. I just love how TXT makes these songs with sad lyrics bangers like “Farewell, Neverland”.

There are a few SM people I recoginze in the credits. January 8th and Danke for example. Supreme Boi is here. Along with Slow Rabbit, but Huening Kai and Taehyun are also here. So yeah I guess me being obessed with Taehyun’s voice on this track makes much more sense. It was designed around him in a way.

I had to pick this Mnet video to include in this article. It’s such a simple set up with simple fits. Love a tank top moment, especially for Soobin and Yeonjun. That vlog of Yeonjun in the states where he’s in a tank top for most of it lives rent free in my mind. I love their travel vlogs so much. That entire playlist is so cozy. My comfort TXT videos.

Anyway, “Opening Sequence” is an S tier TXT b-side. It gives me ETERNITY vibes. And as much as I love bright, bubbly TXT, their darker concepts hit just as hard for me.

Good Boy Gone Bad

“Good Boy Gone Bad” is a song. SDFGHJK Now I do like the song. But I’m ranking it like second to last of my favorite TXT title tracks. Because even Louis Vuitton makes mistakes. Now let me make it clear. I will defend this album as a whole, but I do not check for this song like that. I have it saved but I usually skip it if it pops up on shuffle.

It’s fine. A strong 7/10 for me. A 79% out of 100. The music video and photoshoot they did for the album hard carry this song. You put TXT in fur coats and I’m that angry dog gif. Side note because it came up on the timeline again. I too am still in mourning that Huening Kai said that VMA’s look with him in that fur coat was his least favorite outfit.

It also ruined my whole year. Craaaazy. He changed lifes that day and didn’t even know it. Had us all mad still TXT got the ambassador ship with Dior instead of YSL. Just craaaazy. I still need to watch that video where they were ranking each each others outfits where that info came from, lol.

I will say Huening Kai’s styling in “Good Boy Gone Bad” is top tier. One of the best he’s looked in a TXT video. Or maybe it’s just a person preference on him because we kinda get that look again in “Sugar Rush Ride” and I was also very much here for it there too. Yeonjun’s dirty ass blonde black hair is such a great look on him.

He pisses me off too, never having a hair color that doesn’t suit him perfectly. He and Taehyun have the same “problem”. That pinkish red eyeshadow on Huening Kai and Soobin is stunning. Them having dark hair and that vampire like eye makeup was such an excellent choice. The aurburn brown hair on Beomgyu, maaaan what a look. Last but not least, that blue black hair on Taehyun, again 10/10, he pisses me off.

The visuals this era are just so good. Round of applause for everyone involved.

We have most of the same people who work on most of TXT’s title tracks, and Yeonjun was also credited. And his “I like being bad” line and the timing is great. But idk, this just doesn’t feel grand enough to be a title track. I think that’s my biggest issue. “Opening Sequence” has so much bang to it. And I think that lack of grandeur is what some MOA don’t care for “Chasing That Feeling”.

So if that’s your defense for not liking “Good Boy Gone Bad”, especially when “LO$ER =LO♡ER” is what brought you to TXT? 1000% valid. You got ripped off girl, lmao.

Idk if I’m seeing them live and it’s performed I’m gonna dance, but it’s not a song I’m listening to a lot if ever on my own. It’s not a bad song. I guess it’s just mid for me. Nothing too exciting for me to get worked up for good or bad.

I mean I wrote paragraphs explaing why I didn’t like “LO$ER =LO♡ER”. It gave me a strong reaction and I could pin point why. Same with “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)”. I just don’t feel that strongly about “Good Boy Gone Bad” as a song. My least favorite on the album too. and out of the songs on this part of the article.

Hmm kinda ending on a bad note… Uh here’s a tweet I saw last night about GBGB era Beomgyu:

Alright, last song of the article and funny enough, last song on Thursday’s Child.

Thursday’s Child Has Far To Go

My second favorite song off Thursday’s Child and another b-side I have such a soft spot for. More 80s synths from Tubatu. And looking closer at the credits, I didn’t realize it was only sung by three members. And I’m also realizing I get Taehyun and Huening Kai’s vocals mixed up sometimes. Because I swear it was both of them in the chours, lol the fake MOA jumps out again.

I noticed Beomgyu is listed here under producer and writer here and I love that for us. Taehyun and Soobin are listed under writers. And Slow Rabbit is back along with Melanine Joy Fontana and Hitman Bang.

This just feels like quintessential TXT, minus like, Yeonjun and Huening Kai not being on the track. But like when I think about some of the sounds that make TXT stand out of the rat race that is Kpop, it’s stuff like this.

I love it as an album ender. It’s sad but optimistic about the future at the same time. The rest of the album is a rollercoaster ride of emotions, typical of TXT. But this sums up everything well. This isn’t a very long album but it feels complete.

And that friends is the last of this mini TXT series! I’m so happy I did it. But I’m also happy it’s over because now we can move on to other series. I’m not exactly sure when we’re getting the next comeback from them.

But I’ve been seeing tweets about TXT comeback in November. And I’m liking and retweeting every one. I love this trend we’re doing now. It’s so much fun and I love seeing the community find ways to promote the boys and make it entertaining at the same time.

If you missed the Blue Hour, TEMPTATION, or even my quick thoughts on Minisode 3: TOMORROW you can click the links and read up on those. I also have a ton of other TXT articles sprinkled throughout the blog.

Just type in TXT in the search bar or click the tag at the end of this article and you’ll see them all. I hope y’all enjoyed this article. Let me know your favorite songs off FREEZE/FIGHT OR ESCAPE and Thursday’s Child. I’m curious. Next up will be a couple of shorter quick thoughts articles.

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Take care!

Ash💫