\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThe roar starts before the lights go down \u2014 a low, collective thunder that shakes the arena floor. By the time the five members of Tomorrow X Together (TXT for short) appear, not from the stage but through the pit doors, weaving past the barricades and into the sea of fans, the noise has swelled to seismic levels. All day, fans have been buzzing online, daring each other to out-scream every stop before them after Yeonjun teased that some crowds weren\u2019t loud enough. Consider the challenge accepted.<\/p>\n
\n\tOn this final U.S. night of the ACT : TOMORROW tour, the fans deliver a wall of sound that rattles the seats of Newark\u2019s Prudential Center. And when Yeonjun leans into the mic, grinning as he says, \u201cLet\u2019s burn it all tonight, OK?\u201d the roar somehow gets louder.<\/p>\n
\n\tThese are the kinds of screams that follow TXT wherever they go. In the six years since their debut, Tomorrow X Together have cemented themselves as one of the biggest K-pop boy bands on the planet, selling out arenas worldwide, topping charts, and cultivating a fiercely devoted fandom. Beyond the stage, they\u2019ve extended their influence globally \u2014 they recently partnered with UNICEF on a campaign called TOGETHER FOR TOMORROW, even visiting the organization\u2019s New York headquarters, where leader Soobin gave a speech on youth mental health. (Soobin admits he was nervous, but a thoughtful message from BTS leader RM helped him \u201ccalm down a bit.\u201d)\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThe music we\u2019ve always made is about helping youth and adolescents raise their voices and express their emotions,\u201d Beomgyu tells Rolling Stone <\/em>an hour before their last soundcheck of the tour. \u201cWe\u2019ve been through the same obstacles and struggles that many people face, so we wanted to create a space where others can feel cared for and supported.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThe five members \u2014 Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Huening Kai \u2014 are now entering a new phase of their careers. With their most recent album behind them, they have renewed their contracts with HYBE, securing their long-term future as a group while also carving out space for individual pursuits. The balance between collective identity and solo ambition has now become central to TXT\u2019s story, and nowhere was that more visible than on this tour.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n \n\tFor the first time, each member brought a solo stage to the setlist, a showcase of personal artistry that revealed new sides of the group. Taehyun chose restraint, standing in the spotlight for the lyrical ballad \u201cBird of Night.\u201d Soobin leaned into playfulness with \u201cSunday Driver,\u201d a breezy track that matched his easy smile. Huening Kai took a surprising turn with the sultry \u201cDance With You,\u201d while Yeonjun used the moody \u201cGhost Girl\u201d to tease his upcoming solo debut album, confirming the release onstage. (\u201cAll the songs and the choreo are done, and I even shot the music video,\u201d he says, adding that he did the choreography in Atlanta and that American fans are \u201cgonna love it.\u201d) Beomgyu closed out the solos with \u201cPanic,\u201d a mellow, guitar-driven track that nodded to his roots as a songwriter.<\/p>\n \n\tIf the ACT : TOMORROW tour marked a new chapter for TXT \u2014 louder crowds, solo spotlights, and a long-term future secured with HYBE \u2014 the next will be written in their own voices. Backstage at the Prudential Center, the members sat down with Rolling Stone <\/em>to talk about what this moment means: the balance between group and individual, the weight of being senior artists at their label, and how they plan to carry TXT into its next era.<\/p>\n \n\tI was at your very first showcase in New York back in 2019, and now I\u2019m here at the final U.S. stop of your latest arena tour. It really feels like such a full-circle moment and a milestone in your growth as TXT. How does this tour feel compared to your earlier ones, not just in terms of performance, but also in how you see yourselves now as a group?<\/strong> \t\tRelated Content<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n \n\tIs there a moment on this tour, specifically, that really captures that evolution?\u00a0<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\tHueningkai<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcourtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC<\/p>\n \n\tLike you said, this is the first time you\u2019ve brought your solo stages on tour, and they really showcase your individual artistry. What did each of you want to express or explore through your solo performances?<\/strong> \n\tSoobin:<\/strong> I chose an easy-listening song for our fans, MOA. I was really excited to produce and prepare it [for the tour], and I felt so happy performing it on stage for them.<\/p>\n \n\tHuening Kai:<\/strong> I wanted to try a style of music I wouldn\u2019t normally choose, something just for this concert. I really wanted to make an impact through both my dancing and singing.<\/p>\n \n\tYeonjun:<\/strong> I\u2019ve always had a love for rock ballads, so I knew what I was doing. I was pretty confident in my performance. It wasn\u2019t anything fancy, but I wanted to focus and concentrate on myself \u2014 and that music really helped me do that.<\/p>\n \n\tTaehyun:<\/strong> I have a love for a variety of genres. I\u2019m still on a journey to discover my strengths. So I chose a song that could highlight my vocals. It\u2019s all part of the process of exploring where my future direction might be.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tTaehyun<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcourtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC<\/p>\n \n\tRolling Stone<\/em> <\/strong>interviewed your producer<\/strong> Slow Rabbit a few months ago, and he mentioned that you\u2019re in a transitional period right now. I get that sense from your answer,\u00a0 too. It feels like you\u2019re in the process of finding your individual sounds. What has that experience been like for you?<\/strong> \n\tYou\u2019ve all had the chance to watch each other\u2019s solo stages. Did you learn anything new about one another through that? Were there any sides of each other that surprised you or stood out during those performances?<\/strong> \n\tBeomgyu:<\/strong> I perform right after Yeonjun, so I get to watch his stage a lot. He mentioned that he took out a lot of choreography for this performance, but he was absolutely on fire onstage \u2014 fully immersed and really cool. Watching his performance was so motivating and inspiring for me.<\/p>\n \n\tHuening Kai: <\/strong>I often get to watch Soobin\u2019s performances while I\u2019m doing my makeup, and the first thing that comes to mind is how handsome he looks. Watching his stage presence, you can really feel that. My second thought was how well he pulls off this genre. He just did a sexy duet [with Yeonjun] before, and yet he can also handle this style with the two dancers so effortlessly. I found myself really immersed watching his performance.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tYeonjun<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcourtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC<\/p>\n \n\tTaehyun: <\/strong>I don\u2019t think anyone gets to see my performance because I\u2019m the first in the order.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tHuening Kai:<\/strong> But we\u2019re listening, though! We can hear him singing, and we can also hear the fans getting hyped up during his stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tSoobin: <\/strong>I actually get to see his stage sometimes, and his demeanor and attitude are really relaxed. He just takes off his jacket and gets the fans hyped up. Since the song has no dancing, he has to carry the whole performance with just his singing, and he pulls it off really well. It\u2019s cool and exciting to watch.<\/p>\n \n\tBeomgyu:<\/strong> Mine\u2019s last in the order, so I don\u2019t think anyone gets to see it because we\u2019re always busy preparing for the next stage.<\/p>\n \n\tHuening Kai:<\/strong> But we\u2019re still listening! Even when we\u2019re preparing for the next stage, we\u2019re always listening. When he\u2019s performing, he knows how to get emotional during the song.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tTaehyun:<\/strong> I always get that feeling whenever I hear [Beomgyu] think about his solo stages that he\u2019s really trying to improve his vocal performance. It\u2019s not easy to strike a balance between pursuing what you love and excelling at what you do best. Those two don\u2019t always align naturally. But I think he\u2019s managing to pull that off.<\/p>\n \n\tBeomgyu:<\/strong> [Flashing a peace sign<\/em>] I\u2019m lucky!<\/p>\n \n\tBeomgyu, what\u2019s it like going from sharing the stage with four other people to being completely by yourself onstage?<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\tBeomgyu<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcourtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC<\/p>\n \n\tDo you guys feel like your solo work adds new dimensions to TXT overall?<\/strong> \n\tYeonjun:<\/strong> We\u2019ve been a team for such a long time, so even when we perform solo stages, they still reflect the color of our group, whether we intend them to or not. Exploring these personal layers through solo performances adds new dimensions to who we are individually, and that inevitably feeds back into the group. It\u2019s a process that not only helps us grow as artists but also strengthens us as a team.<\/p>\n \n\tYou guys recently renewed your contracts with HYBE, which feels very significant. What made you confident in that decision?<\/strong> \n\tBeomgyu:<\/strong> We had trust in each other, confidence in one another\u2019s growth, a shared love for music, and a common desire to keep improving as one team. All of that came together, and it made the decision feel right for all of us.<\/p>\n \n\tWhen you sat down to have this conversation and you thought about the next several years together, what was one promise that you made to yourselves?<\/strong> \n\tWhat does the next chapter of TXT look like?<\/strong> \n\tHuening Kai:<\/strong> This moment itself has become a new kind of challenge for us. In the past, our music followed one big story, one connected narrative, so we always had a clear direction for the next chapter or the next album. But now we\u2019ve reached the end of that storyline. Figuring out where to go from here is the next task we have to face.<\/p>\n \n\tI interviewed you back when you had just debuted, and at the time, everyone referred to you as BTS\u2019 \u201clittle brothers.\u201d Now, you\u2019re stepping into the role of seniors yourselves. How does it feel to take on that position as a senior group within your company?<\/strong> \n\tHuening Kai:<\/strong> It\u2019s honestly a bit surprising. We always thought of ourselves as one of the younger K-pop acts. But now, seeing trainees and new idols born in 2009, 2010, even 2011, it\u2019s starting to hit us that we\u2019re becoming\u2026 well, the older group now. Maybe even the elders in some ways.<\/p>\n \n\tDo you remember a specific moment when you realized, \u201cOh wow, we\u2019re the senior artists now?\u201d Especially now that a new group has debuted under your company, <\/strong>CORTIS<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\tSoobin<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcourtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC<\/p>\n \n\tWhat advice would you give to younger artists just starting their journey?<\/strong> \n\tBeomgyu:<\/strong> I\u2019ve always believed that having that freshness, being a little nervous or not fully relaxed onstage or in front of fans, is actually one of the charming things younger groups have. So I just want to tell them to let it flow and be themselves. And if things get busy, to stay healthy and try to enjoy every moment.<\/p>\n \t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n \n\tTaehyun: <\/strong>I didn\u2019t know that I would feel this way, but having those younger brothers [CORTIS] debut, like, they\u2019re just so cute. They\u2019re adorable.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAnd very tall!\u00a0<\/strong> The roar starts before the lights go down \u2014 a low, collective thunder that shakes the arena floor. By the time the five members of Tomorrow X Together (TXT for short) appear, not from the stage but through the pit doors, weaving past the barricades and into the sea of fans, the noise has swelled<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[1571,6338,14684,298,11418,213,13624],"class_list":{"0":"post-25674","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-contract","9":"tag-era","10":"tag-renewal","11":"tag-solo","12":"tag-stages","13":"tag-talk","14":"tag-tomorrow"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25674"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25674\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
Huening Kai: <\/strong>Compared to 2019, I feel like I became a pro. I sometimes watch videos from that debut time, and I look so much more professional nowadays in terms of demeanor and attitude onstage and in performances. We look a lot cooler.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
Huening Kai:<\/strong> For the first time, we had our solo stage during this tour, and the solo stages are really different from the group work. Everyone was pretty nervous, and there were a lot of things to care for and think about, but as time went by during the tour, everyone felt more at ease, and everyone seemed more relaxed. I think we have this confidence that, as a group, we\u2019re good, but through these stages, we realized that we can be good on our own, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beomgyu:<\/strong> I\u2019ve always had a love for indie music and the band sound, so it was really meaningful to share that through my solo stage. It felt amazing to be able to give people hope through my music \u2014 it was a truly elating experience for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Huening Kai:<\/strong> Since our debut, we\u2019ve had a specific musical color that we\u2019ve carried as a group, but that chapter is coming to an end. As a group, that phase is closing, but as solo artists, we\u2019re still exploring and still figuring out the direction we\u2019re headed. So I\u2019d say we\u2019re very much still on that journey.<\/p>\n
Yeonjun: <\/strong>In terms of order, I always get to watch Huening Kai\u2019s stage the most, so I\u2019ve been able to observe his performances closely. We\u2019ve always thought of him as the youngest brother of the group, but seeing him onstage, I really felt like he\u2019s grown up so much. He just looks so cool and confident up there.<\/p>\n
Beomgyu:<\/strong> My solo stage is more focused on showcasing my vocal abilities, so I put a lot of effort into making that the core of my performance. But when I get to do a solo dance stage next time, I think that will be a new challenge I\u2019ll have to overcome.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Taehyun: <\/strong>We haven\u2019t come out with another album yet, but this challenge \u2014 we could even call it a bit of a struggle \u2014 has been real. We\u2019ve had to fill a stage that used to be shared by all five of us, and doing that alone is no easy task. But I believe facing this kind of challenge will definitely have a positive impact on our teamwork moving forward.<\/p>\n
Taehyun: <\/strong>When it came time to renew our contract, we were all on the same page. We\u2019d heard from senior artists in the K-pop industry that this part is often the hardest \u2014 getting everyone to speak up and agree at the same time. But for us, it felt natural.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Huening Kai: <\/strong>At the end of the day, we\u2019re musicians. We make music, we live for it. And when it came to renewing our contract, one thing we all wanted to hold onto was our love for music. That was something we promised ourselves we\u2019d never lose, no matter what.<\/p>\n
Beomgyu:<\/strong> We\u2019re still in the middle of that conversation, so we haven\u2019t figured it all out yet. But one thing we can promise is that it\u2019ll be a better version of TXT.<\/p>\n
Taehyun:<\/strong> Time has passed so fast, so it doesn\u2019t feel real at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Taehyun:<\/strong> I think I feel it the most whenever we go to a music show. The older or more senior the group, the bigger the green room they get, and they usually perform last. One time, we noticed we were given the biggest green room and got to perform last, and that\u2019s when it really hit us: \u201cWow, we\u2019ve become the seniors in K-pop.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Soobin:<\/strong> We have a group chat with other artists, and recently, a newly debuted group was asking what they should say to fans during their fan meet-and-greet. It was cute. I think those are the kinds of thoughts and challenges everyone goes through when they\u2019re just starting out. It\u2019s something we can all relate to.<\/p>\n\n
Huening Kai:<\/strong> Oh, yeah, really very tall. [Singing a part of \u201cGo!\u201d by CORTIS.<\/em>] Martin, play that beat!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"