Welcome to the 4th issue of Moament, a bi-weekly newsletter on TXT and MOA by a MOA! 🐰🦊🧸🐿🐧
Everything here is linked. Today’s newsletter is 3k words (10 minute read).
Table of Contents (scroll to any section you like):
Comeback news
Other updates
Data and charting
Member updates & social media
MOA fan art and edits
Lyrics and music
Moaville Tea (fun things)
Michael’s Corner
Michael: Comeback is here at last! MOAs have waited so long for this (nine months to be exact). Even though something unsavory happened, I want Moament to be a happy space. Today let’s focus on being happy, which we can and should.
I want to give a shout out to MOAs and ARMYs who have reached out to me. Your thoughtfulness, kindness, and well-articulated thoughts made me go through this week much better than feeling upset (also due to some personal stuff) the whole time. I really appreciate our conversations and I love you very much.
If you like Moament, please subscribe, follow us on Twitter, and retweet. Your help matters a lot! You can DM @moament304 for anything TXT/MOA related.
Source: Weverse
TXT Updates
Let’s get right into it.
Minisode2: Thursday’s Child
It’s so weird to write about comeback because so much happened in a day or two and so little happened during the other days.
Well, a lot happened during those days too. We just clown ourselves and watch TXT clown us as well. We are just losing our minds.
The iron law of Moaville is MOAs will get clowned no matter what. Never forget that.
Then we get a comeback confirmation because Korean media is also losing it.
Then MOAs start losing their minds again, this time guessing what is the theme of the next comeback. Taehyun’s hints only make us feel more stupid (pabo in Korean).
Since we had no idea when the comeback day will be other than “early” May, MOAs started losing their shit.
MOAs started making their own comeback logos, some of which are quite good! (I had to skip posting all of them because there are too many, but please get in touch if you want to be tagged!)
Some even decided to take it out against HYBE (rightfully so in my opinion). I understand why HYBE chooses secrecy so much this time around, so even our reliable spoiler Taehyun is prevented from speaking out. Thankfully we have Soobin in the end, who decides to comfort us.
And we even got spoilers from Yeonjun’s new friends, who sent coffee truck to TXT’s music video shooting sessions. Of course, the instagram post was taken down quickly.
But as much as I and MOAs are all excited about the comeback, I want to make sure the members get enough sleep. Taehyun doesn’t get enough, that’s for sure.
But at last the comeback is here!
Of course, the truth is hiding in plain sight but we just have to make it so much harder for ourselves… We literally see it in MMA performances but we overthinks. Beomgyu has been giving us so many hints but we also forget.
Look at the pent-up demand (including the need to not poop).
As of 220415, the pre-order sales data on ktown4u is already insane. Essentially it blew past The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape milestone in 35 hours, which took FOE almost an entire month to achieve. By the way, I have no idea how @moachartdata collects the time series data, but huge kudos to the admin!
And we know this is going to be really good. Taehyun doesn’t lie.
Given the names of the album versions, it is no surprise the new trends are scaring people.
Here are some interpretations of Thursday’s Child. I will go into details next time. All I know is the album is closely related to all previous works, especially Eternity and Chaos chapter.
But the design is really cool though!
Just remember that as much as the hype is around, no MOA is REQUIRED to buy albums to love TXT. If you can afford and want to do it, then please do it. If you can’t, there are many things you can do to help such as streaming.
I still have to work on a comeback related guide, but I am also worried about not having enough energy to pull that off. If more MOAs want to join, that would be awesome. For now, please enjoy some helpful information by other MOAs!
More Updates of All Sorts
There are two great articles on TXT this time around, one by our very own Weverse Magazine and another great one by Kooky Magazine. Be sure to read them both!
(On a side note, Moament wants to be on that caliber in the future.)
Don’t forget to keep supporting Yeonjun and his new friends at Inkigayo!
Don’t forget to celebrate Choi Odi’s birthday on 220402!
Oh yes, TXT members someone went on Twitter Space for the first time. Soobin is getting really scary.
There are more things to write here, but honestly nothing matters in comparison to comeback:
Taehyun’s Lee Mujin video is above 1M views officially.
Smash Villa updates.
Dior event photos.
Korean Dispatch stuff (which actually is pretty big but I’m too tired).
TO DO & Videos
Our favorite TO DO is back with episodes 78 (V Live, YouTube) and 79 (V Live, YouTube). Watch the boys cook food and Beomgyu eat shrimp for his first time.
Watch the last episode of this season’s TO DO because now comeback is officially here. Nothing is better than watching the boys end up in a gaming session.
Data & Charts
Today let’s celebrate streaming milestones, but also look at pre-order sales.
Please continue learn about charting with our friend @moachartdata and visit their EXQUISITE website.
Regarding TXT’s Spotify data so far. Followers mean a lot and add a whole new dimension to monthly listeners.
Some music milestones!
Here is something personal for me:
I want to properly write about the albums in the future, for now let’s remember how big of a deal Freeze is.
As of 220415, @TXT_bighit has 9.3M followers, @TXT_members has 11.8M followers, @TXT_bighit_jp has 2.4M followers, TXT Youtube has 8.9M subscribers, @txt_bighit (Instagram) has 11.7M followers (@yawnzzn has 7.8M followers), @txt.bighitent (on TikTok) has 16.4M followers, V Live channel has 7.2M members, and TXT Weverse has 5.5M members.
Please share Moament with MOA and people who are interested in dubaddu!
Member Updates 🐰🦊🧸🐿🐧
This section includes Twitter and Instagram updates, V Live, official Weverse posts, and TikTok. We are skipping merchandise announcements (mostly), Weverse stories, and Japan MOA membership content (since Michael doesn’t have one).
There have been less updates in the last two weeks, because the members are getting ready for
Twitter & Instagram
This includes updates on @TXT_members @TXT_bighit_jp and Instagram accounts @txt_bighit and @yawnzzn.
Soobin: sleeping like Odi, selca 1, selca 2, sleepy selca 1, sleepy selca 2
Yeonjun: on Inkigayo, pouty lips, flower boy, the SBS staircase
@yawnzzn: at Dior event
Beomgyu: once in a month selca (manly man lol)
Taehyun: Lee Mujin behind the scenes, MMA fighting
Watching Yeonjun on Inkigayo
Weverse Posts
Here are the books behind Soobin.
V Live
Soobin: Painting 🎨
Here is a beautiful rendering of Soobin as Sesshomaru after Hueningkai painted him.
Soobin & Beomgyu: Beomgyu’s Radio
Beomgyu live would be incomplete without Soobin. I love them so much.
Taehyun: minisode2
TikTok
Not much is happening on TikTok right now. More will happen soon!
Taehyun calling the new album a masterpiece after comeback article
Some Notable Comments
There are so many in this category every damn week. I can’t even choose… But before that, I want to thank our best @translatingTXT for literally making non-Korean speaking MOAs as integrated with the community as possible.
The next ones need trigger warning. They do say a lot about the kind of person Yeonjun is (of course, one of the best boys, I love him so much.)
If you have any suggestions for this section, please leave a comment and DM @moament304 on Twitter!
MOA Ments
Given the comeback season, there are so many new things from MOAs! I love our creativity and how much we love the members.
In the future I want to do a separate issue just for MOA created content and shout out to some great creators in our community! At this rate we can curate an entire online gallery just from #txtfanart
Fan Art & Edits
Special shoutout to the MOAs who made a song for TXT. Yeonjun found you!
Individual members
Sorry I don’t know why I saved so many Beomgyu fan arts (shut up Michael you know exactly why this happens!).
Multiple members
Here are some great edits! All too well fits TXT way too well.
Threads & Discussions
Usually I’d include some stuff but given comeback is already an entire section and I will address the fandom war below, let’s skip this week.
Music & Video
This is now officially a permanent section, because #MOAMusicMonday is here to stay! Our great friends @txtlyricism are doing awesome work on this front.
We need more people to express their thoughts and share these excellent tweets with more MOAs! It’s about damn time for us to dig deeper into the lyrics.
The first song is We Lost The Summer.
The second song is Wishlist.
If you haven’t, please check out my essay on Our Summer, one of my favorite songs!
Learn more about song writing here.
A random appreciation for our genius lyricist Soobin.
Moaville Tea
Honestly there is always something fun happening in Moaville. Of all the fan communities, TXT and MOA run on clowning. TXT clowns MOAs. MOAs clown MOAs. And the cycle repeat.
For example, when members say there is no choreography we are literally faced with this dilemma.
There isn’t any love triangle drama this week like before, but being the clowns we are, MOAs will never stop posting funny and interesting stuff.
Enjoy!
I appreciate @beomiedeul so much, who is the first MOA who gave Moament a big push.
Starter Pack
This is a repost.
Given comeback is around the corner, it makes sense to gather some resources for new MOAs (and to be honest, old MOAs too). There are videos and watch and re-watch, moments to live and re-live, and emotions to feel and be felt again.
Moament is hoping to collaborate with a few MOAs (e.g. the ones mentioned today) to create comeback guides for MOAs, as well as adding sections to the regular newsletter during comeback season.
Michael’s Corner
As much as I want to write about what happened this week on Monday, I think it’s best to not think too much about it. I am working really hard on getting my emotions together (along other personal matters), but I don’t think I can write a lot more about this without space and time. The essay will be a lot longer and addressed to both MOAs and ARMYs, because there are bigger things that lurk beneath the surface here.
As an ARMY myself, I can tell you that getting ARMYs involved is always scary.
There are basic facts that I think all MOAs will agree with.
BTS has done a lot to make TXT possible, no MOA rejects that (after all, they made Big Hit a financially secure company).
BTS and ARMYs have gone through a lot of shit to get to where they are today, which is very different from every other K-Pop group.
BTS is a big role model to TXT members and artists around the world.
BTS loves TXT, there is no doubt about that.
BTS makes good music (like, objectively good).
Not all ARMYs will become MOAs and that shouldn’t be surprising.
But there are also things I think ARMYs should know, or at least acknowledge.
TXT has worked fucking hard to debut and every member is outstanding (look at most rookie groups and 2019 TXT to see some huge differences).
TXT has a lot of pressure because they are expected to do well, so haters are watching all the time (not more or less than BTS, but haters are watching).
TXT makes good music (unless you think Hitman Bang, Pdogg, Slow Rabbit, El Capitxn cannot make good music unless it’s with BTS).
Not all MOAs are ARMYs as given. Many of them got into K-Pop due to TXT.
There are also facts I think both sides should agree on.
No one person’s rhetoric represents the entire community, especially extreme ones.
Most ARMYs and MOAs do not want conflicts of any sort. Maybe toxic things are typical of other fandoms but these two hold themselves to a higher standard because their artists stand for universal values.
There are always people who just want to start shit. Their egos suck.
Bad apples exist in any community, especially places as big as fandoms.
Even if you want to explain things, the other side may not be able to react calmly because their favorite artists (I don’t like to say idols) are under attack.
But this is exactly where the problems lie:
The lack of important contexts for both sides - ARMYs don’t know all there is about TXT, and MOAs don’t always know all there is about BTS. How to bring more contexts to both sides is a long-term work in the progress.
The nature of social media when negative things travel much faster and get more clicks, not to mention the shitty features of Twitter known as quote retweet and lack of identity verification (we don’t even know if shitposts are from bots or real people)
A fundamental difference in fandom size. 1% of ARMY is still hundreds of thousands, more than enough to make all of Moaville feel under attack. Thousands of retweets is normal to ARMYs, but to MOAs it is a big fucking number that qualify as truly viral. There is at least a difference of 10 times between the two fandom’s social engagements.
In that way, there isn’t much we can do to contain this kind of crap from traveling. Blocking and reporting accounts that constantly stir shit up is the only reliable method. We need to literally nip the fire in the bud and drown negative and unnecessary things (which is almost always the case) early.
Let’s suffocate the haters in both communities.
I wish to write more about other subjects, but I’m running out of energy so I will end with the following:
We are capable of doing good, choosing to be happy, and making the world a better place. Let’s actually go do that. If TXT makes us feel like home, let’s be that person for someone else as well.
If you want to, read this earlier essay on haters, which I thought was enough but isn’t nuanced enough for everything between the recent fandom war.
One quick note on how I think about Moament lately, because I’m swarmed with things and am a bit low on energy.
I will keep my promise of 3 months, but by the time comeback season is in full swing, I will likely make adjustments to what each newsletter will include. Maybe I will write less per piece to make the efforts sustainable. Maybe more people will contribute (which I really want already!). But whatever it is, I know this passion project of mine will run into challenges. I still want to be consistent, I just want to be upfront with potential problems.
But you can all help out! Get more people to follow the account, share this with others, and most importantly, read and give feedback. The point is to engage with MOAs, so it doesn’t make sense if I don’t hear back from you all. I am happy with what I have, but more would certainly be nice. The goal is to have 500 followers by end of April and perhaps 1000 by end of May?
Here are some things I’m considering for Moament’s near future:
An essay on haters and fandom wars
An essay on why I am bullish on TXT
How to buy during comeback season
A Starter’s Pack for new MOAs (TXT101)
More collaborations would be great! I will start to reach out to some really cool people and fingers crossed they get back to me. It’s been wonderful to collaborate with a few MOA friends already, and I hope to work with even more of you! Ultimately, MOAs win if all of us work together and enjoy one another’s company. There are hundreds of you that do so much, I want to meet you all!
No Time Capsule and Reminders Today!
If I had more time I’d add these, but I also think they may not be too necessary for every newsletter. Perhaps it is good to do them separately and go into more details, such as streaming targets, account recommendations, things to watch, etc.
But let’s end with something nice!
Moranghae. 🐰🦊🧸🐿🐧
Have a good weekend everyone!! Please share and subscribe if you read it this far.