REVIEW: TXT – The Dream Chapter: STAR

The hold this album STILL has on me two years later.

Uh, so this isn’t a gaming blog or an Animal Crossing blog. But I’ve been so engrossed in the Animal Crossing New Horizons 2.0 update, that accidentally got dropped a day before the scheduled release.

It threw off my plans, along with everyone else who’s a part of the Animal Crossing community. I was planning on having this post up Thursday night before 9 pm, so I could play the update without having to worry about getting it done. But then it was released early.

So naturally I had to check out what everyone’s thought were on the leak and favorite parts of the update.

I’ve been watching my fave YouTubers and Streamers play it and the Happy Home Paradise paid dlc, I haven’t really done anything else lmao. I haven’t even gotten to Happy Home Paradise yet.

I’ve been trying to get all the slots on Harv’s island paid off, swipe in Shino, and grow crops. I’ve also just been trying to get photos of my villagers. So yeah, Animal Crossing is back to taking over my life again like it’s March 2020.

I’ve also been busy with personal things in my life as well. But yeah, me not meeting my deadline was because of Animal Crossing and that alone this time lmao.

So, uh, how about them TXT lads?

I didn’t have too high expectations for TXT at debut. I just knew they had a huuuuge target on their back, being the first group since BTS that Big Hit created.

I wasn’t ready for how much I loved this album. It’s definitely in my top 3 favorite debuts and debut albums.

I casually followed TXT after their debut, but it wasn’t really until the second part of the panorama (summer 2020) I really dived into TXT’s music, watched some of their variety shows, and TikToks, and random clips from Vlive.

I really slept on them. But I’ve changed my ways. I still need to actually get physical copies of their albums, but it’s on my to-do list.

I haven’t really bought a ton of albums this year tbh. Let’s get into The Dream Chapter: Star.

Blue Orangeade

They came out swinging with “Blue Orangeade”. I love the 90s Hip & Hip and R&B aspects in this song. The whole is just an opposite attract concept, but it works so well.

The visuals in the lyric video keep my attention the complete time. There’s just so much going on. I especially love that 90s, 00s old website look in some scenes.

The only thing was that I vaguely remember this video. The first time I watched it was back in 2020. So after watching it after like a year, I completely forgot most parts of what goes on in the actual video.

So it felt like I was experiencing it for the first time again. I didn’t remember The Simpsons couch at all. Funny because I was just talking about the couch gag last blog post. Then I realized I misremembered this song with the “Cat & Dog” music video.

So in my head, I had the music videos mixed up this whole time. Good thing I’m doing this revisit, lol.

Beomgyu and Yeonjun look so different with their hair here. I almost didn’t recognize them. Taehyun looks a little different, but Soobin and Huening Kai literally look the same.

The styling in “Blue Orangeade” is all over the place. I like the Sesame Street hoodies. But there really wasn’t any particular fit that stood out to me. Banger song.

CROWN

Love this song. Now I remember the music video for “Crown” because I thought I was gonna do a fashion review post on it in the early years of ATK.

But I never happened. But I also thought I did write something on ATK about it. It might be in a post I’ve since deleted. Idk. So here’s a mini review.

In order of favorite outfits it goes, pink and blue, green and yellow (thumbnail), red, white and black, and the rainbow hoodies. I really like all the outfits here.

I think they work great with the different sets. I forgot how much animation and details they used in this era for edits on TXT’s music videos.

It was such a cute and simpler time. Out of all the songs onThe Dream Chapter: Star, “Crown” is towards the bottom of the list as far as my favorite off the album.

I love it. Pun intended. It’s just there are 5 songs, and it just barely misses the top 3.

Our Summer

Ladies and gentlemen, my favorite song fromThe Dream Chapter: Star, “Our Summer”. When I first saw this video during the panorama, this sealed my fate with TXT.

I think I forgot about this song and album for such a long time, it wasn’t until my deep dive in 2020 I realized, “Hey wait I LOVE their music what the heck am I doin?” There’s just something so refreshing and healing about “Our Summer”.

I love these selfie version music video. NCT 127 has one for “Heartbreaker” that I still think about from time to time. Another selfie version video I love is Monsta X’s “Perfect Girl”. I should do a post about my favorite selfie version music videos.

I think in this era, “Our Summer” also has my favorite overall styling in the music videos. It’s simple, easily replicated, and realistic. Those color tinted (blue, pink & purple) sunglasses were so popular in 2018-2019. They were EVERYWHERE.

I’m gonna talk about NCT 127 again, but off the top of my head I remember Jaehyun wearing them in “Touch” that song slapped, they should have raked in wins with that one, wtf. Also, I have to complain about Huening Kai’s bowl cut hairstyle.

I don’t like it, and I hate that it’s a thing in Kpop. It was 2019, why were they still letting idols debut with bad hair. It’s not necessary. They all kind of have a variation of that bowl cut, and I’m glad it was short-lived, lmao.

Cat & Dog (Korean & English Versions)

I unapologetically LOVE this song. It’s so meme worthy, but I genuinely think it’s catchy and fun, and we need more songs like it in Kpop. Deadass.

This might be a hot take, unpopular opinion, but I like “Cat & Dog” more than “Crown” and that’s why “Crown” is in fourth place on my list of fave songs from this album.

The comparisons of wanting to around someone so much like a pet and the imagery throughout this video. Chef kiss. The furries won this round. Not me but like in general lmao.

We also get better hair here. And I like the styling a little bit more. I remember the video for “Cat & Dog” and “Crown” about the same amount.

Which is weird. Because earlier, I said I got the music video for “Blue Orangeade” mixed up with “Cat & Dog”. I’m gonna get more detailed with that.

So what I meant was that I thought “Blue Orangeade” was flimed in a simlar way. I remembered the scenes where two members (or more) would be in, like a split screen.

But I also misremembered the big, oversized sets of “Cat & Dog”. I think I had watched “Cat & Dog” music video first then “Blue Orangeade” or vice versa and the two just congealed in my brain.

But yeah. Love this song and video. I reaally like Beomgyu’s ash blonde hair here. I forgot he had that hair for a bit. Yeonjun’s gray hair is really cute too.

I’m a big fan of this hair cut and color on Taehyun. Soobin’s hair I also forgot about here. It’s cute on him. And I still hate that bowl cut on Huening Kai, but he grows it out later, and it’s amazing.

The English version is the same video…but in English. They also performed this version on their tour, they did in the States. I hate I didn’t see them then, but I don’t think I’d appreciate it as much as I would now as a full on stan.

Nap of a star

“Nap of a star” is another music video I remember very clearly. I like this song, but I just never listen to it.

Visually, I LOVE watching the video for this and trying to understand the story that’s being set for their comeback. It’s a slower pace music video from the previous ones. It’s much darker, too. Visually and in the storyline.

I’m happy it did get a video. Every song did. But not only ties in “Crown” it really kicks off the TXTCU (Tomorrow X Together Cinematic Universe).

So Very important to watch if you’re trying to understand their following concepts and story they tell/are telling.

I hope y’all enjoyed this throwback TXT post. I’ll definitely be doing more of these with TXT with The Dream Chapter series.

That’s like peak honeymoon era TXT for me. I’ve already talked about minisode1: Blue Hour in my October 2020 faves, and I included it in my favorite albums of 2020 post. I’m not as big of a fan of The Chaos Chapter series musically.

Aesthetically, I love it. So That’s why I’m thinking talking more about The Dream Chapter series which has my current favorite TXT song ever just makes the most sense.

Soooo idk when that will start. Maybe next month because I’ve got November filled up with post. But anyway, I hope y’all enjoyed this post.

Next up was Stray Kids, but since EXO hit 300 million views for “Call Me Baby” which was going to be my next throwback post (I didn’t know EXO-L were streaming like that, it’s been on my to write list forever now) I feel like I should get the EXO post done now.

So No Easy will have to wait until next Tuesday. Thursday is EXO day. I hope y’all will look forward to going back to CMB/Love Me Right era EXO. I’m hype just typing this.

Let me know what y’alls fave songs fromThe Dream Chapter: Star is in the comments. Or if you have any request. Or if you just wanna say hi. I’m gonna go and check out Ateez’s Season’s Greetings they just posted on Twitter. Next is Magic.

Oh yeah, follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

Take care!

Ash🐱🐶