On Jan. 27, Korean pop quintet Tomorrow X Together (TXT) released their fifth mini album, titled “The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION.” Members Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Huening Kai reveal a fantastic, shocking new side of the band, presenting fans with a unique sound and overall amazing new music. 

As with all of TXT’s albums, this one also connects to a larger, deeper, conceptual storyline. This mini album includes five songs: “Devil by the Window,” “Sugar Rush Ride,” “Happy Fools (feat. Coi Leray),” Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock),” and “Farewell, Neverland,” with a music video accompanying “Sugar Rush Ride” as the title track. In this song, Yeonjun kicks off the intro, and Beomgyu and Taehyun pick up the first verse soon after. “Sugar Rush Ride” is a dreamy, alternative pop track that follows the story of a boy who falls into the trap of a devil’s temptation. I absolutely loved this song from the very first listen. The chorus is addictive, not to mention that all of the member’s voices are given the opportunity to shine beautifully throughout the track. The music video is an ethereal, elegant experience, and I felt like I was being transported into a dream world when watching it. The choreography is incredibly dynamic and utilizes every single element of musicality included in the song. I do not think I could find a single flaw within this music video or song if I tried. “Sugar Rush Ride” is, if not number one, definitely one of my favorite TXT title tracks! 

Besides “Sugar Rush Ride,” my favorite song on the album is “Devil by the Window.” While this song sets up the storytelling for the rest of the album, I also just love the sound and lyrics of it. Entirely in English, the lyrics tell the story of how the main character of this album first meets and makes a deal with the devil. As a dancer, this song inspires me with so many self-choreography ideas. The musicality in the track is gorgeous. The outro to this track is sung by Taehyun, Soobin, Yeonjun, and Huening Kai, and it is, contradictory to the album’s narrative, wholly angelic. The first two songs in this album are near perfect, and I am obsessed with them. 

With every album comes a least favorite track, and for me, this would have to be “Happy Fools (feat. Coi Leray).” While I mainly do not love the execution of the song, I also feel as though the more upbeat and lighter sound to it does not perfectly fit into the overall darker storyline of the album that the other songs do. My dissatisfaction with this song is not at the fault of any of the members or Coi Leray, because it is a relatively enjoyable track. I just do not think it was fitting for an album with such a complex and eerie storyline. However, that is not to say that this song is bad by any means – and only having one complaint out of an entire mini album is pretty impressive, thanks to TXT’s amazing performance quality and utter talent. 

Whether you are looking to expand your music taste and try something new or are a longtime K-pop listener like me, TXT’s new “The Dream Chapter: TEMPTATION” is a fantastic new addition to the band’s repertoire, and an even better one to your playlists.