Hi all,
I just have this urge to jot things down, so this will be more like a letter. If you find any error, please excuse me. It will also sound a bit rambling, but I want to get my thoughts down before getting busy with work again.
TXT has so much potential, we MOAs are so fortunate to be following the boys for this journey.
I always want to write about why I believe in TXT, but it’s quite hard to write such a convincing essay. Aside from haters and antis who can’t tolerate anything, the real challenge is I don’t know how I can do the members justice with my words. Reading my posts from only a few months ago already embarrasses me. Come on Michael, what’s up with all the footnotes…
But seeing Yeonjun in blue hair today reminded me of something. Let’s see if you can get what I’m trying to say without my actual thought process. I think you can.
I still remember 2019. I still remember the members in their rookie stage (though they have been already top-notch since 190304). I still remember One Dream. I remember when everyone had rounder cheeks (they are still adorable, but 2019 was a special year for early MOAs). Just look at Run Away era below.
You know what I’m saying?? - Choi Beomgyu
It’s not just their appearance or performance that has changed. Yet the essence of being a member of TXT has not changed (and will never change).
Yeonjun is still our dear Choi Yeonjun. But he is also someone new. An artist who has learned to embrace his talents, to become confident but not ignorant. A son who is still healing to his family, which now includes many MOAs. A MC who charms millions every week while making two great friends with his co-hosts and picking darlings left and right. Most importantly, a kind, supportive, and inspiring pillar to the family called Tomorrow X Together (plus Odi, Toto, and all of the plushies).
I can keep going, but I’ll save my Yeonjun love letter for his birthday (we are only a few weeks apart in age, so technically he’s my hyung). The same goes for Soobin, Beomgyu (read my Beomgyu essay here), Taehyun, and Hueningkai. I only wrote about Yeonjun because he’s been on my mind today and I can’t stay up too late getting excited over each member’s awesomeness, hehe…
As I was writing the words above, I remembered some things I wrote in the first few posts of Moament. I can’t really think of a better way of expressing my thoughts (unless I spend hours editing my sentences).
In Moament #1 I wrote:
In a very weird sense, following TXT over the years feels like writing my own biography, because they are so embedded in my life. It’s like watching my dear friends go through trials and tribulations and finally making it. I’ve felt every possible emotion on the spectrum during this process.
And because of that, we witness how growing up works in such a transparent and sometimes painful way. What people often think only happens to them (e.g. doubt, hurt, fear, lacking motivation) turns out to affect many people, including those far beyond our reach like TXT and BTS. TXT is not the first nor the last K-Pop group to openly document their journey, but they are special in taking this idea of growth really seriously.
In our recent interview with Filipino MOAs, my friend @tubatuprint said:
TXT’s passion towards music and their fans really just feels different. They were so dedicated to become a better artist since day 0. Honestly their age range being the same as mine makes me relate so much to them.
And also, their concept is just so unique. It is really amazing how a group has so much consistency when it comes to their story about growth. Everything matches so well from the lyrics, the music video, and the album. Everything was so well thought out. They don’t just release an album for the sake of releasing it, but because they want to convey something. In this era of saturated K-pop, TXT always stands out.
That’s right.
I fell in love with Tomorrow X Together in 2019 after watching Beomgyu’s New Rules fan-cam, but the deeper reason has already been clear.
I know betting on them wouldn’t make me regret. I am not very good at most things, but I somehow can tell if an artist has what it takes to make it in the long run. And TXT is one of the rare cases that is obvious.
It’s hard to summarize my thought process, but some qualities are must-haves for people to make an impact with their creativity: perseverance, hard work, and most importantly, authenticity.
Perseverance decides how long the journey lasts. Hard work determines our pace. These two qualities make sure we are going and getting better, but without authenticity we wouldn’t be on the right path in the first place. I remember something from my math teacher: it’s not about how fast you run (speed), but how fast you run in the right direction (vector).
TXT members are on the right path.
Notice how I didn’t mention talents. Talents are very important, but I think society is wrong about over-emphasizing talents (and I will save you a philosophical essay on that topic). There are either two situations: either most people have talents so talents aren’t what separate us, or such strong talents are so rare that talking about talent makes no sense (similar to only looking at super-tall people for basketball teams).
Can you think of any member of TXT that doesn’t embody all of these qualities?
Now are you bullish like me?
I wrote the following in Choi Beomgyu: Le Prince de Dualite for Beomgyu. I really meant to write that for all five of them:
I have seen so many young talents fall through the cracks, my routine question has now become “what will they do in the long-term?”
Choi Beomgyu is one of the few artists I have full conviction since day one. He will do well regardless of what he pursues in music and in life. I have no set expectation for what he must achieve, because like I said before, his free spirit and hard work and goodness will lead him to do great things naturally.
And he knows it too.
Weverse Con was a time that made me feel "I'll make it if I just diligently walk on my path." (translation: @translatingTXT)
If we give Beomgyu and TXT enough space, enough support, and stand up against anyone stopping them from growing, then TXT will have the potential to redefine not only K-Pop, but what it means to be an artist and role model. And during that process we will also grow. We just need to focus on the long-term and make it possible for them to grow.
I have changed my opinion slightly about “redefining K-Pop” only because I think TXT is on a path to do their own thing (similar to their BTS sunbae-nims). K-pop in the narrowly defined sense is too restricting to describe the stories BTS and now TXT are trying to tell.
They are onto something much better and much more important - telling their own stories, which in turn are our stories as human beings. Do you think professional songwriters can come up with the raw messages of Paradise (Love Yourself: Tear) or Ghosting (Minisode1: Blue Hour)?
These artists really give all of themselves to us. What more can we ask for? Instead, I think we have a duty to be with them for the long-term:
Like Yeonjun and Taehyun sang in PS5, we are all in this for the long run. And we should indeed be ready to let them focus on the long term. By letting TXT be their most authentic selves and encouraging them to push themselves (naturally), they will eventually be the most successful in their own right. Remember, sales and revenue and streams are not the only metrics that matter. How deep TXT affects fans in a positive fashion and making themselves better in the process is much more important.
Let’s focus on growing with TXT and supporting their growth. However, we shouldn’t obsess over growth in the ways we imagine.
It’s not only about numbers and metrics. Those are indicators of how well TXT is doing commercially, which partially reflects their connection with MOAs (and our spending power) and the general public. But that is not the full picture. Let’s remember life-changing things are often not measurable by one easy-to-understand number.
Think about how many people TXT have healed with their songs, their shows, and more importantly, their kindness and love? Or how many friendships that happened because of people’s mutual love for tubatu? Or how many dreams that formed under One Dream? We can’t quantify them, but they are so important, right?
In the recent interview with the lovely @moachartdata, the admins made these wonderful insights:
Admin D: The growth is constant. It's just often subtle, unless you have access to past data to compare it to.
Admin R: To add to what Admin D said, it gets difficult to see the forest for the trees for everyone, but the forest has always been growing, outwards and upwards.
So I will end the rambling letter here. We are all smart to follow TXT. Let’s focus on being with them for a long long time, take care of ourselves and each other, and enjoy our journey together (without being too hurried).
I appreciate you all. Thank you for the last three years (personally) and the last four months (for Moament). I can’t wait to spend the future with you.
- Always, Michael