---

There is something je ne sais quoi about the K-pop concert experience. The energy outside the venue beforehand is buzzing and exhilarating and is part of the concert experience as much as the performance itself. Outside of the Crypto Arena hours before Tomorrow X Together’s second LA night of their Act: Promise US Tour, was no exception to this unspoken rule. 

Another implied rule of a K-pop concert is that it is coupled with a fashion show. All fans’ concert outfits were unique, expressing one’s connection with the group. Additionally, at a glance, the outfits exquisitely exhibit gender fluidity outside of traditional stereotypes as there are no rules to TXT’s fanbase, MOAs (Moments of Alwaysness), looking beautiful.

TXT’s music continuously blasted outside the venue while MOAs in professional dance cover groups performed and filmed various dances spanning over TXT’s 5-year discography. There were some covers from their debut EP, The Dream Chapter: STAR, with songs such as “Blue Orangeade,” to songs off their most recent EP, minisode 3: Tomorrow, such as the upbeat dance-pop opening track “I’ll See You There Tomorrow.”

Despite the sunburns on my back from sitting outside a couple of hours beforehand, arriving early at K-pop concerts is always worth it. You can witness this unique social phenomenon, an incredible sense of community built among complete strangers in a short 2-3 hours. The performance hadn’t even started and TXT’s LA show was off to a great start.

---

Once my friend and I arrived at our seats, the venue was buzzing with excitement. TXT’s music videos were playing on the big screen as fans sang along. Other MOAs came to where we were sitting to hand out gifts, or “freebies,” they had made to show their enthusiasm for the concert. 

As the lights began to dim, the volume began to increase as TXT rose out from underneath the stage. Their costumes were immaculate. The fog and blue lights emphasized the majestic, white cloaks draped over their shoulders, giving them an almost otherworldly look. They regally walk down the stage, with the confidence and poise expected from global superstars. The stage rises as a crown appears out of thin air; Yeonjun, the eldest member, reaches out for it and places it on his head. This eludes to their lore that traces back to their first album. 

Within an instant, everything becomes dark. In classic K-pop concert fashion, the audience starts barking in anticipation, which quickly transforms into screams, as the title track from TXT’s latest EP, Deja Vu, begins to play. The orange lights illuminate the stage. TXT is now sans-robes and looking princely-like in their new steampunk-esque outfits. They are dancing, of course, perfectly in sync.  Compared to the last time I saw them, I was much closer. I could see the details of their authentic expressions. Their movement was expressed in such a way that they embodied the music themselves. 

The crowd was shouting and singing along, and TXT was definitely feeding off the incredible energy. After the song ended, they gave quick introductions. Soobin, the leader, introduced himself. 

Next, Hueningkai, the youngest member, who was full of energy gave his introductions. 

Then the camera pans to Beomgyu, and the screams intensify as he introduces himself. He seems to be the crowd favorite of the night already. 

He is followed by Yeonjun, the eldest member, who introduces himself and blows kisses to the audience in his classic flirtatious manner. 

Lastly, Taehyun, who is the group’s strongest vocalist, greets the crowd. He urges the audience to cheer louder for his introduction as he takes out his inner-ear piece, and listens until he is satisfied with the volume level. He then says his hellos and graciously takes a bow.

The group talks about how LA is special and feels like their second home, and you can tell by their smiles and excitement they truly mean it. They raved about the amazing tacos they had for dinner last night and began to speak Spanish to the crowd, showcasing that they are quadrilingual. Is there nothing they can’t do?

---

The show continues with a fan favorite, “01X=Lovesong,” one of the many songs of the night showcasing Taehyun’s vocal talent. Truly, TXT is giving it their all and the audience is too, singing every lyric in Korean, English, and for some songs, Spanish. After several more songs, TXT changes into traditional Hanbok and performs a remix of one of their most popular tracks, “Sugar Rush Ride,” integrating traditional Korean music within the track.

TXT continues through their setlist joined by another costume change into slick blue lettermen jackets, singing their title track from their album The Name Chapter: Freefall, “Chasing That Feeling.” Normally, I am very captivated by Taehyun’s and Hueningkai’s stage presence when I see the group perform, but during this song and the following, “Magic” and “LO$ER=LO♡ER,” I just could not take my eyes off of Yeonjun. He is arguably the group’s best dancer and all-around performer. His smile and expressions directed at the crowd left me speechless as he performed the dance break of the song. He knew he was born for the stage. If music and expression were a glove, Yeonjun would be a perfect fit.

Additionally, Beomgyu kept the energy level skyrocketing during this set, especially during “Magic.” He was giving it his all in his dancing and engagement with the crowd. I couldn’t help but smile every time he came over to our section. 

During the last chorus of “Magic,” the combination of the confetti and the passion in his performance left me awestruck. The final part of this set was electrifying as they performed one of my favorite songs, “Thursday’s Child,” from their EP, minisode 2: Thursday’s Child. The energy was astounding, both from TXT and the crowd, which made Yeonjun a bit emotional. Mid-song, his voice was shaky as he was wiping tears from his eyes. Afterward, they split into subunits for the next set, keeping the momentum high.

---

The first subunit, featuring Hueningkai, Beomgyu, and Taehyun, delivered an exceptional performance during their song, “Quarter Life Crisis.” In my opinion, this song is the anthem for navigating your 20s. The members, all in their twenties, poured genuine emotion into their performance, making it especially compelling. I was particularly impressed by Beomgyu’s vocals and the depth of emotion he conveyed throughout his verses.

The final unit was Soobin and Yeonjun, who gave a sultry and captivating performance of their song “The Killa (I Belong to You).” My words cannot even begin to express the surrealness of this performance. I think I can speak for all MOAs when I say this performance was highly anticipated as one of TXT’s Afrobeat songs. The two members were dressed elegantly yet edgy, contrasting with other, Soobin in black and Yeonjun in white. 

The juxtaposition of the two as performers is what made this performance so memorable. Yeonjun has a more vibrant fluidity to his dancing and voice, whereas Soobin has a soft and refined mysteriousness to his vocals and dancing talents. Together, their two performance styles meshed together perfectly, resulting in one of my favorite performances of the night.

TXT is a cross-genre group that expands outside the K-pop realm. Not only do they dabble in Afrobeats (as mentioned above), but also rock songs. I am most definitely a rock girl, so I was very much looking forward to their latest hard-rock song off their album, The Name Chapter: Freefall, called “Growing Pains.” Man, it did not disappoint. The group as a whole gave such an electrifying performance, but Hueningkai was the star of the show. He played the song’s electric guitar solo and, like a true rockstar, threw it off the stage.

Time seemed to fly by.  Before I knew it, we were at the last set of the show. After one last costume change, TXT sat down to sing a couple of ballad songs to a sea of glowing lightsticks with hues of blue and white. The arena never looked better, making the moment all the more magical and memorable. 

They closed their show with their new upbeat song, “I’ll See You There Tomorrow,” as the whole stadium shouted TXT’s fan chant during the song. In response to the chant, the group’s faces lit up, especially Yeonjun and Taehyun, who were grinning from ear to ear. They heightened their energy even more than I thought was possible, ending the show with a bang.

---

Was the show really over? A true K-pop fan knows a K-pop concert isn’t truly over until the members of the group come back on stage wearing their tour merch to sing the encore. That is exactly what TXT did. They sang another beautiful ballad track, “Magic Island,” then transitioned into their goodbyes.

Once again Taehyun takes out his inner-ear piece, smiling as he is soaking up the cheers and energy from the crowd. “Woah, thank you guys thank you guys so much,” he expresses. Then he gives the audience the biggest compliment, “I’ve performed on stage for like 5 years. I went to stadiums, also huge festivals like Lollapalooza, but today is one of my best shows ever because I’ve never heard this volume of cheers–” The audience cuts him off cheering loudly as Taehyun gives the crowd a knowing look. 

“Wooo,” he says amazed “Loudest cheers in my life!” He then thanks MOA for such a special night, followed by an, “I love you MOA,” paired with kisses and a series of gracious bows.

The camera then pans to Yeonjun who is just as equally impressed by the current volume of the stadium. Once again the crowd starts barking. Yeonjun smiles lovingly, “I love this bark!” he pauses taking in the moment. 

“Oh, I was also so surprised. You guys’ energy was crazy today… you guys are just so energetic. You guys were just amazing!” he smiles. 

“Honestly, I was kind of worried today because my body was a little bit tired, but when I saw MOA in front of me screaming and yelling, I had so much happiness in my heart. I was so happy today. Thank you for making today amazing, Love you so much MOA!”

He makes a heart with his hands in appreciation and throws it at the crowd as the camera focuses on Beomgyu. Cheers, barks, and screaming of all kinds erupt across the stadium. Beomgyu tries to keep his composure for a minute, but then ends up in a fit of giggles and starts whooping along with the crowd. “If I am being honest,” He begins, “During yesterday’s concert, personally, I had some parts that were a little disappointing, but for today I couldn’t even tell time was passing by. I had so much fun!” he expresses. 

“And one of those reasons being while we’re up on the stage singing and dancing, we can see the happiness of our MOAs as well. I gained so much energy today hearing your cheers and looking at your smiles, and going forward, we need to work harder to protect these MOAs and keep their smiles on their faces.”

“How was the show?” He asks. Once again the crowd begins to scream. Beomgyu smiles in solace, “That’s a relief, and during the next show, I’ll make sure you are 3000 times more happier than tonight’s show as well.” The audience cheers at this. “We’ll be back, thank you so much! I love you!” He screams as he takes a bow.

Hueningkai’s face appears on the big screen while he is barking along with the crowd. “Ah! I love it!” he smiles and takes a bow. Then he resumes his barking once more as the stadium follows suit. 

“I love this sound!”  he giggles. “So the name of this tour is Promise, and there is one promise I want to give MOAs tonight. If you guys can be a 평생 MOA (Forever MOA,) then I will always love you as well. I would like to be a figure that always gives you energy and love as well.” He takes a small bow and smiles graciously. 

“I won’t forget all the love you have given me today, and I will be sure to present you with a better concert next time too!” he gazes lovingly at the crowd. “MOAs, you were so great tonight thank you so much! Together MOA!” He blows a kiss and waves goodbye.

Last but not least, the camera pans to Soobin. The crowd bursts into screams. Soobin commences more barking and jumping around as the crowd emulates. 

“Continuing from yesterday, we had our second show tonight, but during those two days, it feels like we got a lot closer. MOAs made me believe with my eyes what love is.” He starts to tear up but continues, “Although where we live and talk might be different, we are still connected and will be together despite this. I love you MOA.” he smiles. 

The audience erupts into cheers, and he smiles once again holding back his tears. “Wow,” he almost whispers into the microphone. Then, the crowd starts chanting his name over and over. He smiles once more and begins jumping around. “Thank you so much,” Soobin says “And moving onto the next show, we will take all this energy and all this love we are receiving and continue to have great shows this tour.”

“So since yesterday, we have been very happy these past two days. And we have had the best time with our MOA, and next time we promise to spend more time with our MOA at an even bigger venue.” The crowd cheers, “So… See you again soon!” He shouts, “It’s time to say goodbye. This has been…”
“Tomorrow X Together” the rest of the group finishes his sentence. The final song, “Miracle,” off their last EP starts to play. They gave a great performance with beautiful harmonies and more confetti. 

---

After the song ended, I expected the show to be over, but Taehyun had other plans. “Thank you my homies!” Taehyun starts, “Also how do you guys cheer like that? I don’t know how you do it like that.” 

“Do it Like That,” their single with the Jonas Brothers begins to play as their final song of the night. They walk around the stage interacting with the crowd, connecting with the audience one last time, or so I thought. 

Just when I think the group has retired for the night, an American fan favorite, “Cat and Dog,” off of TXT’s debut album starts playing. Everyone goes crazy, as this is the song that originated the concert barking within the K-pop fandom. 

After a long series of goodbyes and kisses from TXT, they disappear from the stage. The concert was now officially over. I felt an emptiness and longing on the drive home. 

At the same time, I was also full of happiness, and new-found great memories my friend and I had made during this concert. I shouldn’t fret as Beomgyu said, they will be back, and next show MOA will feel 3000 times happier than tonight’s show. I cannot seem to fathom feeling happier than I do now.