The 2023 Countdown – #5
Next on my album countdown is…
TOMORROW X TOGETHER | The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION
The way the five songs on this EP are put together, it’s easily my absolute favorite Tomorrow X Together project and really shows how they’ve matured since their initial debut. It’s cohesive as a collection of songs and every song still has that pop appeal while also being very relatable.
Track 1| Devil by the Window
2023 Favorite New Songs: #15
I met the devil by the window, traded my life.
Temptation touched my tongue, spread the wings of desire.
The album opens with a song which sets the theme for the EP. I don’t believe in the devil or temptation in any sort of literal or even spiritual sense, but I really like this song. The overall emotion resonates with me.
I especially relate to the feelings of both giving in and resisting. And of course, lines that talk to not being able to discern fake from real also speak to me; it’s a fine line at times, determing what is real or true.
The lyrics are rich in vivid imagery, helping capture that complexity of desire and surrender.
High, high, high, I feel my body drifting into the sky
I won’t come down, come down, come down
I’ll fly weightless without a worry into the night
He said, “Dream on, dream on, dream on”
Track 2| Sugar Rush Ride
2023 Favorite New Songs: #44
You’re bad, you liar
What did you do to me, sugar?
Gimme, gimme more
Gimme, gimme more
It’s me who’s bad
I know this bad desire, sugar
Gimme, gimme more
Gimme, gimme more
A catchy, poppy song, again following the theme of temptation. Based on the lyrics, I think it’s more about a bad/toxic type of relationship, whether that’s romantic, friendship, business—who’s to say? There’s clearly an expression of losing control and surrendering to a force one knows is unhealthy. The craving and indulgence of this devilishly sweet relationship is well portrayed with the energetic tone and rhythmic production of the song.
All in all, a very enjoyable listen for me. Especially if I’m craving sweets. Because why not also take it literally? 😉
Track 3| Happy Fools (feat. Coi Leray)
2023 Favorite New Songs: #–
The pleasant taste of laziness
Is very sweet
A dream-like guilty pleasure is right in front of me
Another catchy song, still within the motif of the album, but not one that I caught on to. It didn’t make my favorites playlist but I enjoy it well enough when it comes up all the same. Coi Leray is a nice feature and her verse fits the carefree theme.
Track 4| Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock)
2023 Favorite New Songs: #20
Even if I cover my ears, the daze gets louder
The empty sound is deafening
As if submerged in a fishbowl, the bruises and tinnitus fills it up
In the empty noise, feel so lonely
In many ways, I like this song even more than Devil by the Window, but somehow it didn’t come up as often played so ended up a bit lower on my personal chart. It continues with the storyline in this EP, if one sees the devil in the window as one’s dreams, so I think it fits into the album well.
I love the imagery and usages of rock throughout this song, from dream to reality, to being good with what that reality is. While there are mentions of isolation and loneliness, there’s also the aspirations of finding a more meaningful and authentic self. In the end, I interpret this as seeing both the positives and negatives in oneself and starting to accept oneself for who one is.
Rockstar minus the star
Just a rock, okay?
I had a dream
Without knowing anything
A noisy dawn
But a void at the end
Tinnitus filling my ears
It’s deafening, as if I am locked inside
Track 5| Farewell, Neverland
2023 Favorite New Songs: somewhere in there … #100 – 51
No matter where I go
This is no home
Even if I’m afraid, I’m going down
Another great song to round out the album. Even though it’s lower on my favorite list, not even officially ranked, it’s still one I truly enjoy. It completes the story, at least the way I interpret it, as facing that reality even more, truly coming back down to knowing who one is and letting go of the fantasy.
Running above the air
At full speed toward the ground
Time to fall, it’s time
Four more albums to go, and four members of BTS released solo albums in 2023. Care to guess how many and which ones made it into my top four? Apobangpo! 💜