TOMORROW X TOGETHER Outline The Trials of Growing Up With ‘0x1=LOVESONG’

South Korean group TOMORROW X TOGETHER made a comeback today with their second studio album, The Chaos Chapter: Freeze. The release was led by the single “0x1=LOVESONG” and its accompanying music video.

In a press conference earlier today, TXT explained that The Chaos Chapter: Freeze is about facing reality and confusion of a rapidly-changing world as it experiences chaos. The characters in their cinematic universe have to face new emotions as they come of age and prepare to begin the journey into adulthood through chaos ripping into their ordinary lives. Rapper Yeonjun stated, “The Chaos Chapter: Freeze is the beginning of our second chapter after The Dream Chapter. So we have our ordinary days, but our experience of the ordinary is being shaken and these are boys who are powerless to do anything.”

Filled with plenty of Easter eggs and references to the group’s previous eras, the music video for “0x1=LOVESONG” outlines a story familiar to us all–finding escape from painful reality by spending time with our friends. The clip begins with rapper Yeonjun running from his dreary home life and stealing his parents’ car to pick up the rest of the members and spend the day with them. The quintet drive to an abandoned pool house and while away the day playing in an inflatable pool and eventually accidentally setting the car on fire. The video is also interspersed with clips of the group performing choreography in an empty warehouse with handheld mics–channeling more of a rock band feel.

The track–which features South Korean singer-songwriter Seori’s soft, breathy vocals on the chorus–is a blend of trap, rock and dancehall. It was co-written by Big Hit Label’s co-founder Bang Si-Hyuk, BTS’ RM and American rapper Mod Sun. “0X1=LOVESONG” is about believing in love even though the world is dissolving into chaos and there are thousands of doubts and sorrows in your mind: “In this world of zero, I know you’re my one and only/ In this endless darkness like oh my god, so holy.” Vocalist Taehyun’s voice shines in particular as he adds a rasp when he sings the powerful line that begins the song and runs through its core message, “I know I love you.” It’s a desperate but beautiful plea for love as the chorus begs, “Say you love me/ Say you love me/ Till the end of the world/ All or nothing I want all of you/ (I know I love you).”

Regarding the title of the track, Taehyun explained, “I think it’s a really unique title that expresses what the song is about. I think fans really like the fact that our titles are long, but also like the unique ideas that are in the title and name. So we wanted people to ask, ‘Why does zero into one equal to a love song and not a zero?'” Leader Soobin shared about choosing the lead single, “We had another candidate for the the title track and everyone had mixed opinions, but RM pitched his opinion that ‘0x1=LOVESONG’ is better and we went with that.”

The Chaos Chapter: Freeze comprises a total of eight tracks and saw all five members of TOMORROW X TOGETHER contribute to songwriting and vocalist HueningKai co-produce the track “Dear Sputnik.” “I first made the demo version by using the same program when I was little and I just made a sample,” said HueningKai about the production process. “I sent it to our label with the file name ‘it’s just a sample’ and I got a good reaction, so I developed it from there and got the final result.”

When it comes to working with various artists like Mod Sun, RM and Seori on The Chaos Chapter: Freeze, Beomgyu said, “It was a huge honour to work with the artists we really admire. Working with producers whose styles went well with the songs made it possible for us to express more diverse emotions through music.” The album also sees TXT’s first English-language release, “Magic,” which the group prepared as a gift for all their fans worldwide. The album also crossed over 700,000 orders in pre-sales, breaking TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s own previous records with their 2020 EP, Minisode1: Blue Hour.