Concert review: K-pop group Tomorrow X Together are at the top of their game

Tomorrow X Together World Tour Act: Promise In Singapore

Singapore Indoor Stadium
Sept 7

Before a sold-out 9,200-strong crowd, boy band Tomorrow X Together, also known as TXT, showed why they have stormed the K-pop and global music scene in recent years.

Since their debut in 2019, the band have clinched a string of accolades. They were named Best Asia Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2022 and went on to become the first South Korean group to headline Lollapalooza, one of the biggest music festivals in the United States, in 2023.

The same year, they came in No. 7 on the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s Global Artist Chart.

The band, with members aged 22 to 24, are on a high. And judging from their electrifying performance at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, where they also performed in 2023 during their previous Act: Sweet Mirage world tour, they are not losing steam.

Here are three aspects of the quintet’s appeal that were apparent during the performance.

1. The cool kids

These are five undeniably good-looking guys, with a mostly female fan base.

Leader Soobin is known for his deep voice and cute dimples. Yeonjun, with his fiery-red hair, has a wholesome boy-next-door vibe, while Beomgyu’s sleek, ash-coloured mane looks straight out of an idol drama.

Hueningkai has the right mix of dorkiness and exoticism, while left-hander Taehyun has the confidence and debonair appeal of a leading man.

Each is a pin-up, and together, they are like the stylish, out-of-your-league clique that the whole school cannot stop talking about. Donning flashy black blazers over white shirts and pants, they opened with the rousing Deja Vu.

When performing Sugar Rush Ride in traditional Korean outfits, their choreography incorporated fans with flower designs, stirring up much excitement over which member flicked open his fan with the most suaveness (this reviewer’s vote goes to Soobin).

During Magic, their oversized blue and white bomber jackets conveyed youthful energy, and were perfect for dropping over a shoulder or two at the opportune moment. They also shed the jackets to show off baggy T-shirts underneath. Although not a lot of skin was revealed, it was enough to elicit screams.

2. The dreamers

One of TXT’s draws is that they have aptly captured the heady rush of sweet infatuation commonly felt in one’s teenage years.

The cutesy Cat & Dog conveys the cloying clinginess of liking someone so much that you want to be his or her pet, while Loser = Lover expresses a devil-may-care attitude emboldened by young romance.

Dreamer depicts a protagonist on the cusp of adulthood, with big ambitions for the future. These tracks evoke a sense of wide-eyed optimism which is attractive and captivating.

3. The rock stars

Countering the idealism, TXT’s music also conveys angst-ridden frustration with reality.

New Rules, for example, is about charting one’s own path amid directions from teachers and authority figures, while the rock number Good Boy Gone Bad explodes with adolescent rage at life’s stress and expectations.

The bass-heavy Growing Pain laments the inevitability of getting older, which it compares to free-falling into the void, depicted by a deep growl of exasperation.

It is clear that TXT’s success does not come only from their comely looks. The Gen Zers have also given voice to the hopes and struggles of their generation.