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TXT 'The Dream Chapter: Star' Album Review

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his album marks the well anticipated debut of Big Hit Entertainment’s new boy group TXT. There were a LOT of high expectations surrounding this group’s debut, especially considering the huge mainstream success of their company’s seniors BTS. As I am not generally a fan of rookie boy groups, I wasn’t expecting to like this album as much as I did! Let’s get into the review.

The first song on this album is Blue Orangeade. It is an upbeat song with a nice EDM drop. It wasn’t bad, but I found the chorus to be a little boring. However, the rap in the second verse was really nice, and I liked the sudden change of beat that came with the trap-influenced bridge. It seems like a bit of a filler song – we’re all just waiting for the title track to come on.

Thankfully we don’t have to wait long, as the title track Crown comes next! It starts off slowly with a strange beeping noise… but as soon as the sweet and upbeat melody starts, you know you’re going to enjoy this song. It is fresh and lively, with an innocent youthful air that reminds me of groups such as Seventeen and NCT Dream. The members’ vocals are all tuneful and pleasing to hear, which is a relief. My favourite part of the song is the pre-chorus, which stands out as slightly more mature, with a unique melody and even a hint of pathos. The chorus has a classic combination of shout-singing, high notes and EDM instrumentals, which is a common occurrence nowadays in Kpop, but nonetheless makes it catchy and fun to sing along to. The second verse starts off with a short rap section, which is a nice way to break up the song. For me, the bridge is a make-or-break section of a song, that determines if I’m actually going to listen to it again. Whilst I’m not a big fan of the beeping that’s going on in the background of the bridge in Crown, it doesn’t completely put me off. Whilst this song is not revolutionary, it is still catchy and fun to listen to. The more you listen, the more you like it!

“There’s a horn rising up on my head, but I love it

You become my crown…”

The next song on the album is Our summer. This is a simple EDM-style song, with light and airy vocals to match. Reminiscent of the tropical house/pop phase that hit Kpop in the last few years, this song is your typical summer anthem. Although it’s not that original, it is still one to add to your summer road trip playlist!

I’m sure a lot of people will agree with me when I say that Cat & Dog was my favourite non-title track on the album. It is a youthful and bouncy hip-hop track that sugary and playful, with cute autotune and interesting rap verses. It kind of reminds me of Shine by Pentagon and Hello by Winner – both amazing songs. I especially enjoyed the ending of the song, which was different from the usual pop structure. The woofs were a surprise, but an enjoyable one. More like this please TXT!

“Let’s play forever, I just want to be your dog!”

In huge contrast to the previous song, Nap of a star is a calm and quiet ballad with a classic electric guitar backing track. It’s a slow build, with the beat coming in about halfway through the song. This album felt like an attempt for the group to show off their potential to shine in a variety of different genres. The eerie electrical sound towards the end of the song gave me Wings-era BTS feels – though I’m not sure I like the idea of TXT going in that direction… Whilst this is no heart-breaking ballad, it was still a nice way to end the album!

Overall this debut album is of an impressively high standard, and I expect it is not one that I will get bored of quickly. I am excited to see how the group will mature and develop over the years to come.

What was your favourite song on the album? Comment down below!

Kpop Review Café’s Overall Album Ranking: 5.5/10

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Written by Jessica