#Animated Dancehall Artist

[freakquency96]

Anime & Chil

The unexpected mix between dancehall and cloup rap creates a different vibe you will want to discover!

[kemetic-dreams]

Kumina is an Afro-Jamaican religion. Kumina has practices that include secular ceremonies, dance and music that developed from the beliefs and traditions brought to the island by Kongo enslaved people and indentured labourers, from the Congo region of West Central Africa, during the post-emancipation era. It is mostly associated with the parish of St. Thomas in the east of the island. However, the practice spread to the parishes of Portland, St. Mary and St. Catherine, and the city of Kingston.

Kumina also gives it name to a drumming style, developed from the music that accompanied the spiritual ceremonies, that evolved in urban Kingston. The Kumina drumming style has a great influence on Rastafari music, especially the Nyabinghi drumming, and Jamaican popular music. Count Ossie was a notable pioneer of the drumming style in popular music and it continues to have a significant influence on contemporary genres such as reggae and dancehall.

The Kumina riddim is a dancehall riddim produced by Sly & Robbie in 2002. It has featured in recordings of over 20 artists including Chaka Demus & Pliers and Tanya Stephens.

Kumina is an Afro-Jamaican Religion and is not the same as Pukkumina or Pocomania.

Kumina emerged through the practices of indentured labourers who were brought to Jamaica from the Kongo region of central Africa after the abolition of slavery. In the second half of the 19th century it syncretised with Myalism. Kumina differed from Zion Revivalism in rejecting the belief that the Bible should be the central authority behind worship.

The practices of Kumina are primarily linked to healing.[4] Healing ceremonies utilise singing, dancing, drumming, animal sacrifice, and spirit possession, with the intent of summoning spirits to heal the sick individual. These elements are also found in Myalism and Zion Revivalism.

Organization of Kumina communities follows the general local character of African religions in Jamaica. Kumina communities are small family based communities or nations. Some nations include Mondongo, Moyenge, Machunde, Kongo, Igbo, and Yoruba. People from Kumina families are given the title Bongo. Marrying into a Bongo family is one avenue to become a part of a Kumina nation; special initiation is the other avenue. Kumina nations are led by a "King" and "Queen". Imogene "Queenie" Kennedy AKA Queenie III (c1920-1998) was a well-known Kumina Queen in the 20th century, born in St Thomas in the late 1920s she later moved to Kingston and then Waterloo, St Catherine.

The use of cannabis or ganja in Kumina may have been an influence on the adoption of this plant as a sacrament in Rastafari, a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s.

[thelensofyashunews]

Cochise announces headlining WHY ALWAYS ME? World Tour kicking off in February

Fresh off the release of his fourth studio album WHY ALWAYS ME?, Florida rap star Cochise has just announced his forthcoming headlining World Tour – kicking off in February, 2025. Presale tickets will be on sale starting at 12:00pm EST on 11/20 (PW: WHYALWAYSME), while general on sale tickets go live starting at 10:00am Local Time on 11/22 (ticket link here). Taking Houston rapper TisaKorean on the road with him as an opener, Cochise will be embarking throughout North America during the tour's first leg, ending in his home-state of Florida on 3/30, before linking up with buzzing UK rapper Len for the majority of the European leg – concluding in Poland on 5/6. The recently-released WHY ALWAYS ME? arrived in October backed by a string of singles that included "GOOGLE ME", “YOSHIMITSU” (40M+ Streams), and the Aminé-assisted "NASTY". Boasting other features from Veeze and Anycia, WHY ALWAYS ME? served as a championship album celebrating a new era for Cochise — marking his first LP since 2022's THE INSPECTION and his appearance on the 2022 XXL Freshman cover. With production from BYNX (Drake, Travis Scott), Supah Mario (Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert), CHASETHEMONEY (J. Cole, Juice WRLD), and Lex Luger (Kanye West, Chief Keef), WHY ALWAYS ME? is a nebula of intergalactic opulence, melting into Cochise's hypnotizing vocals and sky-diving delivery.

Hailing from Palm Bay, Florida, Cochise is known for a kaleidoscopic sound that blends elements of Jamaican dancehall, hip-hop, and trap with animated lyricism punctuated by deep-cut references to anime, sports, and pop culture. Hailed for his high-flying vocal acrobatics and hazy, ethereal production, he exploded onto the scene with his 2021 major label debut Benbow Crescent, which featured the RIAA Certified Gold hit track “Hatchback” (400M Streams). Cochise has since sold out a solo headlining world tour and collaborated with the likes of Lil Yachty, Chief Keef, Denzel Curry, Juicy J, Teezo Touchdown, Lil B, and more.

HEADLINING WHY ALWAYS ME? WORLD TOUR KICKING OFF IN FEBRUARY – TICKETS ON SALE 11/22 TICKETS

ARTIST PRE-SALE ON SALE 11/20 @ 12:00PM EST (PASSWORD: WHYALWAYSME) PRE-SALE

WHY ALWAYS ME? Tour – North America Dates: 02/13 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts 02/14 – New York City, NY – Irving Plaza 02/15 – Washington, DC – Union Stage 02/17 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair 02/19 – Montreal, QC – Le Studio TD 02/20 – Toronto, ON – The Axis Club 02/22 – Detroit, MI – El Club 02/23 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop 02/25 – Columbus, OH – Skully's 02/28 – Chicago, IL – Avondale Music Hall 03/01 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line 03/03 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater 03/06 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile 03/07 – Portland, OR – Star Theater 03/09 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow's 03/11 – San Fransisco, CA – The Independent 03/13 – Las Vegas, NV – The Beverly Theater 03/14 – Los Angeles, CA – The Regent Theater 03/15 – San Diego, CA – SOMA 03/16 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory 03/18 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom 03/22 – Austin, TX – Mohawk 03/23 – Dallas, TX – Studio at the Factory 03/25 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live Midtown 03/28 – Atlanta, GA – Center Stage 03/29 – Orlando, FL – Beacham 03/30 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live

WHY ALWAYS ME? Tour – Europe Dates: 04/19 – Dublin, IE – Green Room 04/20 – Manchester, UK – Club Academy 04/21 – Glasgow, UK – SWG3 Warehouse 04/23 – London, UK – Scala 04/25 – Brussels, BE – Botanique – Grand Salon 04/26 – Paris, FR – Trabendo 04/27 – Cologne, DE – Luxor 04/29 – Zurich, CH – Dynamo 05/02 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso Tolhuistuin 05/04 – Prague, CZ – Futurum 05/05 – Berlin, DE – Hole44 05/06 – Warsaw, PL – Hydrozagadka

[bzedan]

[ID: A digital illustration of the Vault Boy condition image from the PipBoy 3000, a glowing green outlined figure on a dark screen with health metre indicators for head, body and each limb. Rather than the regular coverall-clothed guy, the figure is an outline of Garfield. All health indicators are full and he is smiling. Text below him reads "April 2024 - Level 41." End ID.]

A show came out for a game I've thought about 3-7 times every week for the past nine years and I've been completely normal about it. In my birthday month too! It influenced the playlist cover more than the contents, which are all indulgent as should be for a birthday month playlist. A lot of Carly Rae Jepsen this month, thanks to using her song titles as prompts for Storytelling Collective's April Daily Poem challenge (see results here). Two hours and 33 minutes but despite how I love playing with the length I shan't drop a one of these tracks to get to my birthday-day. Close enough, I say!

Related media to some of the songs:

'Two of Hearts' was in my mind thanks to a random video I'd encountered about the "I-I-I-I-I" sample in 'Groove Is in the Heart' by Deee-Lite, summarised over at Laughing Squid.

'Harder' was Medusa's I think birthday month track and had been out on Bandcamp for a bit but finally wended its way to Spotify, allowing me to drop it into a playlist. Their music is always a mood. They also have an At-Cost collection of merch specifically to make things available to more folks, with the option to pay it forward as well.

The way things go I think songs from a playlist I picked up from a Fallout: New Vegas fan artist are in May but heck there's a Nancy Sinatra on here so why not share now, 'Atomic Cocktail' is a very long, vibes-based playlist that is great to have going in the background.

Anyway here's a link to April's playlist on Spotify, with the track list below the cut.

Or embedded if you like that:

'Time to Pretend' - MGMT

'How Does it Feel' - Dizzee Rascal

'Free Animal' - Foreign Air

'Girl Inform Me - 2021 Remaster' - The Shins

'Complex' - Tristen

'Fun But Not Forever' - girlish figure

'Sociopathic Dance Queen' - Amaarae

'Jackie' - Scott Walker

'I Could Be Happy' - Altered Images

'GO! (feat. Karen O)' - Santigold

'Black Sheep' - Kailee Morgue

'Good Luck, Babe!' - Chappell Roan

'Me And My Shadow' - Peggy Lee

'Only A Fool Would Say That' - Steely Dan

'Seabird' - Alessi Brothers

'Thank You (Not So Bad)' - Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike

'Feels Right' - Carly Rae Jepsen

'Two of Hearts' - Stacey Q

'Hey Sorry' - Boy Jr.

'Houdini' - Dua Lipa

'Hard (er)' - Medusa

'i like the way you kiss me' - Artemas

'Really Big Deal' - Jake Shears

'Eye On The Bat' - Palehound

'Sunshine Superman' - Donovan

'Sunset Superman' - Dio

'Godzilla' - Blue Öyster Cult

'Shadow' - Carly Rae Jepsen

'Cute & Cruel (feat. First Aid Kit)' - Tove Lo

'Evil Eyes' - Dio

'Do Right' - Jimmie's Chicken Shack

'Dancehall Queen' - Robyn

'I'm Like A Bird' - Nelly Furtado

'Chemical' - Post Malone

'Juke Box Hero - 2008 Remaster' - Foreigner

'The King of Rock 'N' Roll' - Prefab Sprout

'Call Me Maybe' - Carly Rae Jepsen

'Bury Me With It - Jacknife Lee Remix' - Modest Mouse

'That Life' - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

'Oh to Be in Love - 2018 Remaster' - Kate Bush

'Sideshow' - Nick Lutsko

'Primadonna' - MARINA

'When I Needed You' - Carly Rae Jepsen

'This Hell (feat. CHANMINA - Gyarupi Remix - Spotify Singles)' - Rina Sawayama

[mickeytheticklee]

About me!

I go by many names but call me Mickey or Lee if you want to

I go by they/them but I any pronouns is okay as well

I'm kinda a boring person but my hobbies are stuff animal collecting and listening to music

My favorite genres are kpop, krnb, rnb, 90s hip-hop, black indie and hyperpop with a bit of dancehall (but I low-key like listening to a lot of music)

My favorite artists are Kehlani (the loml), Ambre (my wife), Flo, Kyle Dion,Syd, Kiana Lede, Destin Conrad, ice spice, Enchanting, and Arin Ray, Dean

My ult kpop groups are Kep1er, IZ*ONE, Twice,Itzy, P1harmony, txt, Ateez, fromis_9, cosmic girls, Gwsn, Loona, xg (I know they ain't kpop)

My ult biases that put me in a lee mood is Hyeju, Dayeon, Soojin, Aisha, Chaewon, Yunjin, Swan, Karina, and Ryujin ❤️

I casually stan newjeans

Favorite food is ramen, sushi, carna asada fries, collard greens, anything spicy ngl

I love watching thrillers or any type of crime documentary

My favorite ice cream flavor is Rainbow Sherbet and Vanilla

I love to make playlists

I'm a lee (which isn't surprising by now) but I could be a lee leaning switch

I'm a sucker for tummy tickles like I love them a lot I could sell my soul for some tummy tickles rn

That and tickle teases

Tickles if I'm on somebody's lap I crave

I'm African American

I'm infp (I think so)

I don't have any pets but I love cats! Most of my TikTok favorites are just cats

I dress like a 12 year old boy

As for my account it's mostly kpop girl groups because I write for them but I talk about anything on this app

I like cartoons, my favorite cartoons are Craig of the Creek

My favorite color is purple/lavender, half of the bracelets I own are that color

I sometimes edit I'm still not good at it but I'm trying

I don't have a favorite show but I love gap the series

Asks are always open if you need a friend! I got none!

I write fics, they ain't always gonna be good but I write as a stress reliever

Sorry if there are times I don't update I'm either busy asf or I'm going thru my wave of sadness

DNI:

I usually block any creepy accounts but don't be weird

Don't be racist or problematic

[theultrablog]

Pulp Storytime #14: Wickedest Sound!

Put the needle in the groove and nobody gets hurt. So this is the first time I’ve ever run an adventure, certainly a pulp adventure, based on a podcast. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/wickedest-sound/ Summer of ‘35, Jamaica. All returning players: Javid the sniper/photographer, Lord Simon the gentleman thief, stuntwoman Lala Santinella, Aldous Bingen the ever-ready butler, and Florence Zee the night club singer with ties to dark forces. The early part of the adventure was extremely flavorful, with the players stopping a dockside labor riot by jumping a motorcycle right into the middle of it. And the mystery unfolded slowly… a new record that made people try to kill each other. But with all the vinyl copying going on, who actually made the original? After surviving a Dancehall Brawl, the players interviewed local record distributor Marcus Garvey. Yes, the head of the United Negro Improvement Association, who had been receiving records from “a fan” that were given freely and then copied. By everyone. The second half of the adventure was action-packed! The man responsible for the violent tracks was a sugar magnate, Glengol McTavish OBE. The players tried to sneak up on his private island with a tramp steamer… Unfortunately, he was broadcasting the song into the water, which caused a whale to attack! The players barely escaped. Unable to fight back effectively, they fled. Of course, Glengol was ready. The music blared and the household staff rushed the group. Meanwhile, a sniper, Lionel McTavish, took potshots from the attic. The players battled to the house, Aldous sneaking through the servants’ entrance to flank. Lord Simon turned off the music but was assaulted by the Lord of the Manor, who had a claymore. The players were about to turn the tide when they went to the recording studio, one at a time… And Florence, who went first, was mesmerized by the hypnotic equipment! No longer in control, her body reverted to a demonic host. The host managed to trick almost the entire party into leaving the island without defeating Lord McTavish! Only Miss Santinella’s intense jealousy (how dare Florence solve everything!) allowed her to discover the truth, smashing the entire setup with a claymore. The group rescued the staff and returned to the city, joshing and joking. In the hotel room, Florence signed a contract for the return of her body… At even worse terms.

--- There were some great emotional bits, like Javid being snooty about the aloof butler, threatening to “invoice him for the bullets that save your life” and then doing so.

Lord Simon and Lala both fought for the affection of mystic orphan Devika, who spent the session recovering from a tonsillectomy. Simon was growing more and more into the role of surrogate father. But. Lala, apologizing for an incident where she gave two bottles of champagne to the unsupervised orphan in Vegas, was spending tons of money on stuffed animals and presents.

Every trip back to the hotel was an exercise in one-upmanship. Simon stayed at Devika’s side, even though it cost him a chance to steal a priceless 1600s tea set. Tie game!

When they found the artist who had recorded the hypnotic music, drinking himself into a stupor in an alley, Aldis did his greatest act of butlering… cleaning the man up, getting him fresh clothes and some breath mints, and sending him in a cab back to his wife with an apology note.

Just amazing stuff all around.

[curryvillain]

.@Skillibeng Gets Animated For "Bling Bling" Visual

“Every time I come around your city, bling bling…“ Dancehall Artist Skillibeng has a hard time taking a break. Just when you think he’s catching up on some rest from recording and performing, he’s back with new music and content. He is in a place that has given him plenty success, and he can’t slow down the hustle. This time around, he goes 3D in the visual for the track, “Bling Bling“. Created…

[gobizkorea124]

Demarco is a dancehall star, producer, video director and all-around Jamaican music legend. His signature singles “Fallen Soldiers” and “I Love My Life” are indelibly woven into the fabric of modern Jamaica, while songs like “No Wahala” (featuring Akon and Runtown) have put him at the forefront of the burgeoning fusion between reggae and afrobeats. Behind the scenes, he’s produced some of modern dancehall’s definitive riddims as well as crossover smashes like Charly Black’s “Gyal You A Party Animal,” and written songs for artists ranging from Bounty Killer to Rihanna. More than a decade deep into a career that’s taken him from Jamaica to the States and back again, Demarco is finally set to release his debut album, Melody, October 22 via Oakland’s Ineffable Records. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-n2Iq8A_7aPya0VZ5ikzNQ

[dkevabanana666]

Kongo Krew vocalizes on any Dancehall riddims

[imgigirv]

Sorry But Not Sorry Bae

[riichxgirlz]

Hi! I wanna make tumblr friends

I'm 21, live in Florida and am a lil bit fruity 🏳️‍🌈

Shows i love: the owl house, steven universe, adventure time, gravity falls, stranger things, degrassi, handmaid's tale, insecure, abbott elementary, and some anime

Music I love: alt rock, punk rock, pop punk, indie rock, classic rock, indie/alt pop, rap, rnb, neosoul, dancehall. Some of my favorite bands are Nirvana, the Smashing Pumpkins, the Pixies, Deftones, the Strokes, the Kooks, the Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead, All time low, FOB, 2 door cinema club, franz ferdinand. Some of my favorite artists are J. Cole, Beyonce, Rihanna, Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu, Musiq Soulchild, Mitski, Faye Webster, Steve Lacy, The internet, Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator, Smino, Amine and more!!!

Some books I love: Sally thorne novels and Children of Blood Bone trilogy (3rd one has yet to come but am SOOO EXCITED).

Hobbies: art, sewing, crocheting, skateboarding, rollerskating, cooking, doing hair and sometimes nails

Passions: typical social justice and lefty shit. Intersectional Feminist and Black feminist

I wanna meet someone who's also chronically online and who shares a few hobbies w/ me so we can just talk shit whenever the real world gets overwhelming. :)

[arrowseventific]

Gardening day !!! Thank Jah for #motherearth and the Joy #arrowseventific #seventific #artiste #artist #music #reggae #dancehall #hiphop #experimental #garden #gardening #sunday #sun #hot #plants #herbs #vegetation #animals #herd #goat #goats #sheep #okra #banana #plantain #work #hard #hardwork #farmer #trinidadandtobago https://www.instagram.com/p/B5OMts8napj/?igshid=828hoowoezxn

[medinainternational]

(Motif-Radio)Reggae Pon Top # 29 2022 Track Listing

DEAN FRASER & ERNIE RANGLIN- UNKNOWN MELODY MEDINA INTERNATIONAL DUBPLATES

RIDDIMS: SAD DAY RIDDIM THE GENERATION RIDDIM NAHWMALITY RIDDIM BONJITA RIDDIM

DANCEHALL: PRADO FT. BUGLE- HELLO MINISTER MARION HALL- SORRY TO HURT YOUR FEELINGS LESSONS KARLIE REDD FT. SPICE & CAPELLA GREY- WERK SHANE O- BETTA IN RED YAKSTA- WHIP MARTEI KORLEY- CLIMATE WAR HONOREBEL FT. SNOOP DOGG- CAN'T LET GO RAS X- TALKING HEADS TANYA STEPHENS FT. PATRA- FIFTY BUSY SIGNAL- OLD SCHOOL NEW SCHOOL EXCEL BLACK- GROOVE JB THE ARTISTE- PARTY LIKE A ANIMAL BOUNTY KILLER- BANGA DEM KIPRICH- NA NAH CECILE- MAKE ME FEEL NICE ED ROBINSON- ALL NIGHT LONG

ROOTS/ REGGAE: KEISHA MARTIN- I CAN'T FORGET YOU PETER SPENCE- MAJESTY STICK FIGURE- EDGE OF THE OCEAN EMPRESS NAPHTALI- JUDGEMENT DUE ISRAEL STARR- BEAT YOU DOWN DUB MASTER POPS- TONIGHT WE JAZZ LEBA- AMAZING MICAH SHEMAIAH & GOLDBARZ- REAL WAY AVARAN FT. LUCIANO- FATHER'S WORK KRISTINE ALICIA- I&I JABAR I- SIGHT IT MIKEY GENERAL- CAN'T LEAVE IT ALONE

[tomorrowxtogether]

TOMORROW X TOGETHER on flying the flag for K-pop’s 4th gen

The Zoom call materialises and five well-dressed guys sit in Seoul on the other side of my screen. As young as they are, these boys are far from rookies, in fact, they’re bubbling up to be one of the most promising Korean acts to emerge from the scene. Who are they? Hueningkai, Soobin, and Yeonjun are placed behind Beomgyu and Taehyun, sitting next to a physical version of their second full length album, The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE, out today (May 31). Together, they form TOMORROW X TOGETHER.

To describe them is challenging, so I let them take the lead. Leader Soobin, age 20, lists words such as “magic”, “dream”, “team”, or “narrative”, then cuts to the chase. “The best choice is probably ‘tomorrow’ in terms of both the word’s definition and its representation of the future. Our name, TOMORROW X TOGETHER means that we have all gathered under one dream to build a better tomorrow. Like our name, we want to connect and empathise with those who listen to our music, and together build a brighter tomorrow.”

When TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) debuted in March of 2019, all eyes were on them. They were the newest boy group from HYBE, only the second to debut after BTS. Now, they’ve evolved from baby-faced teens to a more mature, cohesive act set on global domination. After completing The Dream Chapter series in 2020, and taking a pitstop with their last EP Minisode1: Blue Hour, which earned them a number 25 spot on the Billboard 200, TXT are now ready to venture into a new imaginative stratosphere, aptly titled The Chaos Chapter.

“With The Dream Chapter trilogy, it was about these friends who are very similar, they dream the same dream and are going on a magical journey together, but The Chaos Chapter is about a world that is under attack by COVID-19 and other things.” Soobin explains. “The ordinary days are beginning to crumble, and the boys are frozen in space, so to speak, and then, because of one person, they begin to understand and realise this emotion of love.”

The eight tracks on The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE naturally dance through the thinly veiled confines of genre for a perfect pop mix, fusing remnants of rock, punk, dancehall, and disco. It's a journey led by the Gen Z performers, and at its core, as Taehyun puts it, are “really authentic and sincere stories” told by the guys themselves. In fact, TXT’s colour is sprinkled throughout the eight songs, with a producing credit from Hueningkai, and all members taking part in lyric writing throughout. For a group just passing the two year mark, their investment in their craft and clear passion for the behind the scenes process is noteworthy.

Hueningkai beams when asked about his work on “Dear Sputnik”. “First, it’s a real great honor that I get to have people hear a song and a track that I worked on,” he says. “When I first heard that I’d be able to participate in the song I was surprised, and there were things that I thought could be better, but then I think that I will continue to improve as I talk to the label and I continue to evolve and develop.” He’s animated, and the guys listen attentively as he speaks. “The experience of working on this track helped me learn about the production process. I hope I can continue to write music and work on tracks, and also challenge myself with different genres.” Speaking on songwriting in general, he mentions: “When I work on these songs, I try to think of one theme or motif and that also helps me focus on the work.”

All the guys have plans to grow more as multi-faceted artists. Soobin wants to improve his songwriting, Yeonjun hopes to work on more genres and styles of dance, and Taehyun and Hueningkai want to work on more tracks. Beomgyu elaborates: “Working on The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE made me eager to dive deeper into songwriting. I want to write tracks that really embody my emotions and sentiments, and I’d love to share them with our MOA.” He has his current process figured out for now, though. “I tried to express what I feel when I hear the song into the lyrics. Also, the writing process itself allows me to feel different and new things about the song so I think that’s what’s really great about being able to work on these songs.”

Their work is expansive. “What if I had been that PUMA” and “No Rules” have songwriting credits from Taehyun, Beomgyu, Hueningkai, and Yeonjun. Taehyun contributed to “Dear Sputnik” along with Hueningkai, citing “a star called you that I found in this crumble and ruin of the world” as his favorite lyrics because he wrote them. Soobin worked on “Ice Cream”, a song he considers relatable, making the process more seamless. Yeonjun also wrote on “Frost”, sharing: “I talked to Bang Si-Hyuk, our producer, and then I was able to go through the lyrics and add and correct some of them.”

The lead single is “0X1=LOVESONG”, which Beomgyu gushes over. “It’s a song about confirming this emotion of love in a chaotic world, and feeling this emotion for the first time. I think it was selected as the title track because it really contains the message of the entire album, and also the performance really goes well with the track and the song.” With angelic vocals added by singer Seori and introspective lyrics by RM of BTS, it embodies a coming-of-age film, channeling wonder and firsts for youth entering new territory. Soobin starts singing his favourite line from the track, “Say you love me”, which resonated with him.

The other highlight is an English disco-pop track called “Magic”. Their last EP was their first foray into the disco pop trend, and the success and feel-good energy is palpable in this new track as well. “It’s a very lively and upbeat song that once you hear it, you won’t be able to forget it,” Yeonjun comments. “This is something that we worked really hard on and I hope that our MOA around the world can listen to the song, sing along, and really enjoy it.” The song surely carries the intended effect. When they perform “Magic”, it’s hard not to keep a smile on your face.

We then go back in time for a bit for some reflection, with Soobin taking the lead. “I don’t think I would change too many things about myself two years ago, but I think I would just say, ‘You’re doing great, and keep on doing it’.” Soobin and Yeonjun both cite their proudest moments to be winning Rookie and New Artist Awards. “I would like to tell myself, ‘Don’t worry too much’, maybe also to enjoy it a little bit more,” Yeojun says. Beomgyu echoes that advice, before adding: “My proudest moment was our first showcase and everytime we met MOA actually.”

Taehyun gets down to business: “I’d probably tell myself to open your eyes a little earlier to the songwriting.” Consequently, the music and his hand in it are what he treasures the most. “Every time there’s an album and it has our name on it – and it has MY name on it – seeing that each time really makes me proud.” Similarly, Hueningkai finds pride in contributing to the album, but advises his younger self to enjoy it more. Time does indeed fly, but throughout the span of it, TXT have accomplished a lot.

With their expressed team goal coming down to the impending possibility of performing live for fans again, and the emotions that moment will inevitably bring after so much lost time, the guys’ excitement for this comeback shines. They aren’t dubbed the leaders of the 4th generation for no reason, and with the vigour, perspective, and youth they embody, they’re lightyears ahead of the game.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE is out now

[givemegifs]