After a three-year stint of TOMORROW X TOGETHER (shortened as TXT)'s absence from Dallas, MOA — their fan base — used hand-hearts, lightsticks and screams to show them they were missed. The South Korean boy band returned the favor with a supporter’s dream: The lights went dark at 7:30 p.m. Massive screens at the main stage showed the artists dressed in outfits fit for royalty, before switching to a montage of them running in a field, then away from the crowd. Deep inside the VIP pit, panic erupted.
“Where are they?” “Which side are they coming from?” Everyone seemed to be yelling — to their peers in black leather and heeled glittering cowgirl boots — to no one at all.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER is only the second group to debut under BIGHIT MUSIC, the same label that manages pop phenomenon BTS, alongside HYBE Corporation. Like their seniors, they were taught the importance of expressing gratitude to their fans, the main people making their coveted lifestyles a reality. It’s worked out well for them so far. Since debuting in 2019, the quintet, with more than 7.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, has become a trailblazer in the genre, with a collection of “firsts” under their belt: The first K-pop act in history to achieve seven top-five entries on the Billboard 200. The first to headline Chicago’s iconic Lollapalooza festival in 2023. The first to perform two consecutive sold-out shows in New York’s famed Madison Square Garden in 2024.
These members appear to have taken fan appreciation to the next level. In Dallas, several acts by the group felt unscripted, a true manifestation of adrenaline and appreciation for life on behalf of the boys. Sometimes, even the stage staff seemed taken aback — mostly, when a member jumped into the crowd, inciting a sea of fans to take stumbling marches toward the barricade.
Soobin and Beomgyu are the first to be spotted on the left side of the venue, striding past seats in the lower bowl to give high-fives to fans and pose for a selfie or ten. Kai, Taehyun and Yeonjun took to another side of the floor before scurrying to the extended stage to perform their 2021 track “LO$ER=LO♡ER,” a song about finding solace in the world through the escape of a person you adore. The song is a familiar favorite among MOA, and one that gets us jumping and head bobbing to the punk-rock style guitar and drum beat.
“Long time, no see, right?” Taehyun told the crowd after the track. “How have you been? Are you ready to have fun?”
High-pitched shrieks answer his question.
“Alright, I’ll be watching,” he says cheekily.
TOMORROW x TOGETHER is a South Korean boy band consisting of five members: Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Huening Kai.
BIGHIT MUSIC
Yeonjun also welcomes guests who are seeing them for the first time, assuring that there’s nothing to worry about — the group will take them through each chapter in the TXT universe. They do just that, leaning into the youthful concepts of “Blue Hour,” which features an upbeat, almost funk-like dance break, and “Blue Orangeade,” a rendition that casts the stage in a hue of rainbow colors. Later, the members say they were worried about the night’s show because they were all suffering from a cold. It did not show in their choreography. They moved in unison, pushing powerful arm gestures in tight, tactical motions. Even when they let loose, throwing a smirk or a wink toward the crowd, it appeared effortless, a skill built after nearly a decade in the industry.
When the concept grew darker for performances like “Love Language,” a 2025 single, “Over The Moon” and “Danger,” both from their 2024 album, The Star Chapter: Sanctuary, their facial expressions shifted accordingly. Their eyes darkened, and eyebrows straightened, creating a seductive, confident and sometimes sassy display. A teasing showcase of “Upside Down Kiss,” with lyrics like “Baby, girl, let’s get freaky / Laughing at gravity / Like our lips are almost, almost touching / We're gеtting even freer” leads us into the next section of the concert. Sighs and “Oh my Gods” are whispered throughout the crowd. A few people fanned themselves.
The next section of songs carries a darker, but still dreamlike tone. If any band is a walking contradiction, it's TOMORROW X TOGETHER. At fan events, many of them happily do “aegyo,” a Korean term used to describe excessively “cute” or “childish” behavior. Yet, for the metal, emotional number that is “Growing Pain,” they dance against the backdrop of a twisted fence and an abandoned graveyard. Fire literally shoots upward, illuminating Yeongjun’s Pink Floyd tee-shirt and plaid pants. None of it feels unnatural.
For those in a seated section of the venue, the view of the stage is clear no matter where you are. Those in a farther back area of the pit struggle more to spot the members unless they walk out on the extended stage. To combat the issue, the members often do so, looking into the eyes of and blowing kisses toward those who had incrementally camped out near the venue since 2 p.m. the day prior.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER - One True 5 in Dallas
Each member shines in a slew of standalone acts, echoing a notion on a fan sign that reads “OT5 or nothing,” which combats messaging from listeners who support a specific member, rather than the group as a whole. For Taehyun, it's a majestic, opera-like performance of “Bird of Night.” For Soobin, a perky rendition of “Sunday Driver.” Meanwhile, Kai uses a chair for a sultry recital of “Dance With You,” and Yeonjun flaunts a laid-back vibe for “Ghost Girl.” Yellow confetti falls as Beomgyu rounds out the solo stages with “Take My Half.”Yeonjun meant it when he said the concert would guide the viewer through their eras. We’re brought back to quarantine with the 2020 track “Eternally,” a song that switches genres midway through and back to the present day with “Beautiful Strangers,” an electrifying track that matches lightning on the screens above them. The barricade shakes at the jumps of those on the floor.
Minutes before what we thought was the end of the two and a half hour-long show, Taehyun says Dallas MOAs are “the best singers,” and they were blown away by the fan chants, which are shouted during the bridge of select songs.
“I kind of expected that you guys were really going to sing, because last time, you guys absolutely slayed too,” Taheyun tells us. “Y’all really improved, and I hope you guys feel that we have improved as well. Next time we’re here, we are going to be even better artists.”
Both Yeonjun and Beomgyu say they're sad that their Dallas stop is not a two-night event. Fans cheer at the praise but are utterly shocked by the members' damn-near making it one with an encore of their fan-dedicated anthem “MOA Diary (Dubaddu Wari Wari),” “I’ll See You There Tomorrow” and “Magic.” Then, Yeonjun’s 2024 single “ … GGUM,” which has not been performed at any other stop on the North American tour except San Jose, California.
It’s here that he abruptly jumps off the stage and into the audience. The members look at him wide-eyed, but proud. It isn’t a normal gesture. The members have grown beyond their humble, 4,000-seat capacity beginnings at The Bomb Factory in 2019.
“Dallas is very meaningful to us because our debut showcase was here,” Yeonjun told us prior.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER means what they say, creating an intimate bond with MOA. And with the talent to back it up, it’s safe to say few fans were worried about the realities of their next day as the night stretched past 10 p.m.
See more photos from Tuesday's show:
