TXT "7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns" EP Review

"7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns" Album Art

Kay Joseph | April 2026

Seven years after their debut in March 2019, the K-Pop group TOMORROW BY TOGETHER – TXT for short – came back for the first time since their contract renewal with Big Hit Music in August last year. To celebrate their anniversary, they are looking back on their journey through the lens of adulthood, with their new EP “7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns”. Or, as it’s more widely known in South Korea: “7TH YEAR: When the Wind Pauses Briefly in the Thorn Bush”. 

TOMORROW BY TOGETHER, consisting of Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Huening Kai, debuted on 4 March 2019, with ages varying from 16 to 19 at the time. With them, their fantasy-based, fictional universe debuted as well, often referred to as “Star Seekers” or “The Star Chapter”. The final chapter was released with their comeback “The Star Chapter: TOGETHER”, which was released in July 2025, and now, they are entering a new phase in their career.

Instead of lore, they step forward as themselves, channelling years of ambition and quiet doubt into their music. They framed the project as a turning point, according to the Korean Times. “After seven or eight years, you start asking yourself what you really want and what’s actually possible,” vocalist and dancer Beomgyu stated. “This album captures those thoughts, but through our own lens.” 

The title of their new work holds the same sentiment. “Thorns” refers to the unease and pressure that have followed the group since its debut, while “a moment of stillness” suggests a brief, but hard-earned pause. 

Note: the translations of the Korean lyrics are done by @translatingTXT on X (formerly known as Twitter)! Check out her account if you can, and go support her on Ko-Fi!

Track 1: Bed of Thorns 

The EP opens with the emotionally loaded track “Bed of Thorns”, setting the stage for the rest of the songs. The electronic and synthesiser-driven instrumentals create a dark undertone that delivers the message focused on fully embracing the consequences of one’s actions with a perfection that TXT is often able to achieve. “Bed of Thorns” is inspired by the idiom “You made your bed, now lie in it”.

What stands out to me is the delivery of the chorus, which delivers its emotional impact in its simplicity. It’s no big vocal run or high note, but a strong statement: “I made/ made my bed of thorns / I willingly lay myself down”. 

Track 2: Stick With You

The title track “Stick With You” is electro-pop at its finest. With lyrics like “Stay with me / just one more day / then one more / I can't let you go / I'll just stick with you” it tells a deeply emotional story about the heartache of wanting to hold onto a love that appears to be ending. “Stick With You” sings of feelings of not being able to let go just yet, unlike the partner preparing for a breakup. 

My favourite part of the song is the pre-chorus, from the way the instrumentals are layered to the vocals, especially the first chorus and the way Soobin and Taehyun deliver it. Their lyrics, yet again, deliver an emotional punch that TXT is known for, and the one that stands out the most in this particular bit for me is “We're facing each other, but I'm not in your eyes / We barely miss each other at a distance I can't reach”

It’s the instrumentals that are the true highlight for me. When the lyrics go “Is this a dream?”, the production uses ethereal layers to mimic this feeling. 

Track 3: Take Me to Nirvana

Imagine going to an underground party behind everyone’s back, so you have a moment of freedom. A place where you can truly let loose in a way you’ve never done before. That’s what “Take Me to Nirvana” feels like. Describing a moment of freedom as you temporarily set aside uncertain feelings, this is a song that feels liberating in every layer of its production. One possible interpretation could be the uncertainty that comes with being out in the public eye as an international artist. 

“Take Me to Nirvana” features Fujian-based Vinida Weng, and her voice fits incredibly well with those of TXT’s members. The harmonious vocals in the intro were the first thing that stood out to me on this particular track, and continue to have a hold on me like nothing else in the song has. 

The lyrics that really stick with me the most are sung by both Weng and the members of TXT: “Take me to Nirvana / Free from all the karma / Live inside the moment / You can’t find it elsewhere”.

Track 4: So What

The instrumentals of this song remind me of a hip-hop track like “Danger” by BTS, but more electronically driven, like this EP has proved to pride itself on. “So What” honestly and wittily unpacks the anxieties, worries and concerns about the future. The hook of the song is repeated like a mantra: “It doesn’t matter what anyone says, my attitude is ‘so what’”. 

According to translatingTXT, there are multiple expressions and wordplays that TXT use in the song, like a Korean expression that implies something is meaningless. In this case, it means worrying is unnecessary. 

My personal favourite is the wordplay made by Yeonjun later in the song. The lyrics go “Gathering all the love that has stayed by my side”. Gathering in Korean is ‘MOA’, which is TXT's fandom name.  

Track 5: 21st Century Romance

An introspective and melancholic track with beautifully toned down instrumentals, “21st Century Romance” talks about that, even in a 21st century full of empty noise, they search for a soulmate and their own true voice amidst all the digital distractions. Lyrics that convey this message the best are: “Amidst the abundant noise the world makes / I think I heard something in the distance / It’s a 21st century romance, maybe” 

This is a track that strongly showcases the growth and maturity TXT have gone through over the past seven years, and in my opinion, serves as one of the best examples of which direction their sonic landscape will take in the future. 

Track 6: Dream of Mine

The EP finishes off with “Dream of Mine”, a rock-inspired electronic track that describes how the future is still uncertain, but curiosity and excitement for tomorrow push us forward. Something feels oddly nostalgic while listening to it, which only makes it clear that the EP has come full circle. 

The vocals are one of my favourites on the entire album, light but powerful and conveying a clear message: “Toward the tomorrow I once envisioned / Even if it turns out differently / I’ll keep going, to the next next”. 

TOMORROW X TOGETHER captures their journey over the past seven years in such a raw and emotionally loaded way with this EP. Conveying a love story as well as their struggles and anxieties on one album is nothing short of what they’ve always done, but this time through their own, adult lens. It is only a staple for what’s to come for the group, and we at BRUIT. cannot wait to see what they have in store for the future. 

Listen to “7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns” here!

Follow TOMORROW X TOGETHER here!