After the poppy delight that was Blue Hour (along with their last mini album, minisode1: Blue Hour), the members of Tomorrow X Together (TXT) have released The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE—and believe me when I say the album is an entire jam with literally zero skips that gives the incredible talent of all five members ample room to shine both individually and as a unit.
If you’re looking for an anthem to yell when you’re frustrated, car windows down, totally without a care whether anyone hears you, their title track this time around, 0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) feat. Seori, delivers on absolutely every level. With TXT’s evolution from the upbeat and cheeky Crown, through the contagious melody of Run Away, to the more bass-heavy, syncopated rhythm of Can’t You See Me, to the pop queen that is Blue Hour, it was hard for me to guess at where they would take their sound next, but color me absolutely thrilled. We get to see them showcase more emotion, a more aggressive vocal tone, and even explore their unique type of flow in ways we haven’t seen them do before.
The group vocalizations at the beginning? Chills, first of all, and you can feel this is building up to something big. Yeonjun and Beomgyu sing the first lines beautifully, though they do it with loneliness in their voices that is practically tangible. It was a pleasantly surprising moment for me as well because you can really hear the uniqueness in their voices on this particular track, which is wonderful. At 0:26 Huening Kai has a more rhythmic line, which made me almost jump in my seat because it was so exciting to hear. Soobin’s first line builds but is smooth and perfectly controlled, and then—AND THEN—we get the revelation that is Taehyun’s emotional, raspy “I know it’s real, I can feel it”—just incredible. This first peak in the song, this introduction to the pinnacle of what the softer verse is building to, has me feeling ready to jump out of my seat. He uses a vocal color we haven’t heard from the members yet, and I felt my heart absolutely soar straight up to the chorus with his incredible vocals.
The chorus is probably going to stay in your head all day since it is just that catchy. Is Huening Kai kidding with that first line in the chorus? It is gorgeous and emotional, cutting deeper than any TXT title track has before. Taehyun’s vocals keep the raspy, raw tone throughout, and obviously, he has to be kidding, too—it sounds so good, and my stomach just drops at the tone of exhaustion he adds to “use me like a drug”. I feel like I’m just as done with the relationship they’re singing about as they are, like I just experienced my first heartbreak all over again.
Seori’s part is absolutely perfectly performed as well. Her voice is smooth, almost gentle, and feels like it just floats, her emotions seamlessly blending with your own through the beautiful tone she uses. Don’t get me started on how she sounds when Beomgyu joins her in his stunning, almost indescribable lower register. His voice (along with Yeonjun’s later) support her voice beautifully without overpowering her. It makes her sound even more ethereal. Hearing it is like soothing balm for your soul—they just merge so seamlessly.
We get Soobin showing off a more rhythmic set of lines as well, which makes me just plain giddy over how beautiful he sounds, as well as the fact that it is a bit different from the lines he usually has, and Yeonjun’s rhythm and tone shines here, too, not to mention I just LOVE his line there—“My life before you was trash / Could never even light a single match” like—excuse me, gotta go scream into a pillow for 24 straight hours! I’m fine!
Overall, this song has a deep, emotional, anthemic feel to it, along with a touch more aggression than we usually see from TXT, and the stunning vocals we are used to but will never be over. All five members sound amazing and I’m so happy they have such an excellent release to show for their hard work. Do yourself a favor and watch their performance of this song, especially Yeonjun and Soobin’s dance at 2:22. The emotion, artistry, choreography, vocals—it is all just everything. (Give their hair team, stylists, and makeup team raises, by the way—just look at them.)
Check out the rest of their album, too, because it’s all just as well done, and every member has opportunities to shine, show off, and steal your heart (although I dare you to try to choose a favorite, because it’s almost impossible, and I double dare you not to smile when you see them—also almost impossible). How can I already be looking forward to future releases from them? Don’t mind me, I’ll just be playing this one on repeat until then!