Hitting new creative heights with their fourth studio album, TOMORROW X TOGETHER close their latest chapter in style. Talking past, present or future, Wonderland gets the full rundown.
Images courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
“I think K-pop is more than just a genre. It’s a complete experience,” Taehyun, one fifth of TOMORROW X TOGETHER, muses on the incessant indelibility of the Korean sonic movement. Over the modern arc of popular music, K-pop has failed to stunt in growth, nowadays arguably nestled canonically within the pinnacle of ‘genre’. Whether it’s your thing or not, you simply can’t deny that it’s a global and defined style that has captured the imagination of the chronically online generation in an unparalleled fashion.
Leading K-pop’s musical and cultural progression is TOMORROW X TOGETHER. Since their 2019 debut EP, the Big Hit Entertainment-formed five-piece has showered fans with several acclaimed and adored bodies of music, undertaken world tours, and amassed the significant milestone of being the first K-pop act to headline Lollapalooza.
Continuing to pursue their pre-eminence on the global industry, the quintet are back with a fourth studio album, The Star Chapter: TOGETHER. Marking the conclusion of The Star Chapter, their current artistic epoch, the work unravels from four concepts that portray the human psyche. ‘Awake,’ ‘Etched,’ ‘Starlight,’ and ‘Afterglow.’
SOOBIN, YEONJUN, BEOMGYU, TAEHYUN, and HUENINGKAI are at the top of their game across the LP — bringing striking performances and potent lyricism atop the musical backdrops that span from snappy hip hop infusions to tender and textured balladry. What K-pop acts often do well is bring variety — and none do it better than TOMORROW X TOGETHER. Each member brings his own flavour to the musical melting pot, resulting in an eclectic unity that feels unique and necessary to the group’s sound.
With US dates added to their fourth world tour ‘ACT : TOMORROW’, there is the increasing feeling that the group’s trajectory is without ceiling. Grabbing some time with Wonderland, the heartthrobs get candid about their origins, impact on K-pop, and the making and meaning of their new album.
Listen to The Star Chapter: TOGETHER…
Read the exclusive interview…
Talk us through your origins as a group?
SOOBIN: Our name TOMORROW X TOGETHER embodies the idea that all five of us have come together under one dream, hoping to build a better tomorrow. Since our debut in 2019, our discography and narratives have reflected the emotions that our generation feels as they grow up. We’ve explored themes of fractured friendships in ‘The Dream Chapter,’ the aftermath of heartbreaking love in ‘The Chaos Chapter,’ the allure of temptation in ‘The Name Chapter,’ and, most recently, the story of salvation in ‘The Star Chapter.’ We’ve always wanted to create music that our generation can truly connect with. And we’ve highlighted this message by incorporating our group name into album titles like our 6th Mini Album minisode 3: TOMORROW and our 4th Studio Album The Star Chapter: TOGETHER.
What are each of your roles within the collective?
HUENINGKAI: We don’t have rigidly defined roles, and that’s a big part of why our teamwork shines. Every member contributes to the making of each album, and we’ve become increasingly involved over the years. On our 4th Studio Album, you can see that with YEONJUN co-writing lyrics for “Upside Down Kiss” and “Ghost Girl,” BEOMGYU taking part in the production of “Take My Half,” and TAEHYUN contributing both lyrics and composition to “Bird of Night.” YEONJUN also helped create the choreography of our lead single “Beautiful Strangers.” Having the freedom to step outside of fixed roles brings us closer. We’re always sharing feedback and ideas, and that helps us create music and performances that truly represent all of us.
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How do you measure the continued rise of K-pop as a genre? What about it, do you think, resonates with so many people of so many cultures?
TAEHYUN: It’s been an incredible honour to witness and be part of the global rise of K-pop. We’ve seen it firsthand from our first European tour this March as part of ‘ – EP. 2’ and performing at Mexico’s AXE Ceremonia festival as the first K-pop act to do so. I think K-pop is more than just a genre. It’s a complete experience, built on the talent of the artists, striking visuals, powerful messages, and, most importantly, a genuine connection with our fans. We believe sincerity goes beyond cultural and language barriers, and we only hope to repay the love and support.
How would you define the essence and sound of TOMORROW X TOGETHER?
BEOMGYU: We’re very experimental when it comes to exploring different genres because we want to challenge ourselves and show different sides of ourselves to our fans, MOA. It’s difficult to put our sound into one box—you’ll hear everything from pop to R&B to even some rock influences in our music. But what ties it all together is the theme of growing up and the narrative that’s unique to TOMORROW X TOGETHER. Whether it’s the innocence of ‘The Dream Chapter’ or the angst of ‘The Chaos Chapter,’ each release captures where we were in that moment, and it’s all part of our story.
dd
You recently shared your fourth studio album The Star Chapter: TOGETHER. How do you feel the release went?
YEONJUN: The Star Chapter: TOGETHER marks the end of our ‘The Star Chapter’ saga, building on the story we began with our 7th Mini Album The Star Chapter: SANCTUARY. It’s about finding salvation through empathy and connection through the power of calling out each other’s names. It’s bittersweet to close this chapter, but it’s also exciting because, for the first time since our debut, we’ve included solo tracks from every member in the album. Those songs allow us to open up and express how we each felt about the idea of ‘togetherness,’ making the album feel even more personal.
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What inspired the new body of work, sonically and thematically?
TAEHYUN: We draw inspiration from many things when creating a new album, but since our music follows an intricate narrative, we often look back to our past releases for guidance. Sonically, we’re always trying to push ourselves and explore new territory. For example, our lead single, “Beautiful Strangers,” is a hip-hop track built on trap rhythms, which is something we haven’t really done before. But then the outro track, “Song of the Stars,” perfectly captures our core energy, which is rooted in stadium rock. It also plays with the symbolism of the star, which connects all the way back to “Nap of a star” from our debut album The Dream Chapter: Star.
How does the new album show your progression as musicians from your previous works?
BEOMGYU: I think the biggest way this album shows our progression is just how much more involved we were in every aspect of the creative process. We’ve always had a hand in things, but this time we really dove deeper into songwriting and producing. We’re all growing as artists, and The Star Chapter: TOGETHER reflects that journey.
dd
You’ve just announced US dates for your world tour — ‘ACT : TOMORROW.’ Firstly, why is it named as such? What will be the tour’s themes? How will it differ from previous stints on the road? What do you hope the tour achieves?
SOOBIN: ‘ACT : TOMORROW’ marks our fourth world tour, following the ‘ACT’ world tour series— ‘ACT : LOVE SICK’ (2022), ‘ACT : SWEET MIRAGE’ (2023), and ‘ACT : PROMISE’ (2024) with ‘ – EP. 2’ (2025) as the second instalment, where we performed in Europe for the first time. The title reflects our promise to keep moving forward together toward a brighter future. Building on the narratives of our previous tours, we’re excited to expand that story and create unforgettable moments with MOA around the world.
Are there any particular shows you’re excited to play?
HUENINGKAI: Kicking off ‘ACT : TOMORROW’ at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome on August 22 and 23 is going to be amazing, but honestly, every single show means the world to us. What makes them truly special is that our beloved MOA come together and turn each show into a celebration, so it’s never just about one stage. We’re also hyped to hit the U.S.—especially BMO Stadium in LA, where we felt MOA’s incredible energy back in 2023.
What else is to come from you, this year and beyond?
YEONJUN: There are a lot of secrets we’re holding onto right now! But I can promise you that we’re committed to only presenting the best of TOMORROW X TOGETHER to MOA this year and beyond. We’re doing our best to grow both musically and as people, and we hope that shows in everything we do. You’ll just have to stay tuned to find out what’s next, but we’re so excited for you to join us on this journey.
dd
Words – Ben Tibbits