With the release of their second album, TXT have embarked upon a new “Chaos” chapter. This was preceded by a very cool teaser video that delivered the kind of inventive performance and concept K-pop excels at. But true to form, the tone and energy of that ice storm teaser is completely different than title track 0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You). As much as I love TXT, it can be a little frustrating how dramatically their sounds and concepts change from album to album.
The angsty teasers for I Know I Love You worried me a bit, giving flashbacks to last year’s disappointing Can’t You See Me. I mean, TXT excels at moodiness (hello, Ghosting!), but I still crave another Crown-like blast of synth-pop energy. Instead, the guys have gone full-on emo rock, pulling out ripped jeans and hand mics. The attempt is mostly successful, even if I Know I Love You is unlikely to go down as my favorite of the group’s title tracks.
I Know I Love You is at its best when targeting the rafters — going big and bold with anthemic melodies and thundering percussion. The track lays out this goal right from the start, unveiling a chanted refrain supported by heavy drums. From here, I Know I Love You pulls back for a so-so verse. The production feels a little empty here, but the song is clearly trying to establish a sense of contrast. A heartier melody may have improved things.
Still, this hesitance is forgiven as soon as we crash into I Know I Love You’s chorus. The song lays all its tricks on the line, taking full advantage of its robust backbone as the guys deliver a cathartic hook. It’s just as much “shout” as it is “sing,” but the overwrought delivery works in this case. It certainly helps that the melody feels so expansive and cinematic. R&B vocalist Seori is added for texture, though her voice mostly fades into the swirling bombast of the instrumental.
At the very least, it’s interesting to hear K-pop tackle this brand of singalong radio rock. I Know I Love You may not be what I had hoped to hear from TXT, but I have a feeling it will become even more addictive with time.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
It’s chorus is incredibly anthemic.
The verses…are a bit too hesitant though. At times, they kind of float around…anyways, Wanna see your thoughts on the album. How is it?
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’d say it’s a big ol’ “meh” until No Rules. Weird that the album is back-loaded. The last three songs are probably its strongest.
LikeLiked by 3 people
But balance game is good nick. The last 4 songs.
LikeLike
if no rules isnt the buried treasure then i dont know what else would be, easily their best song yet. it’s giving diet exo/seventeen and i love every second of it!
magic is another standout but i feel like its their version of dynamite (down to the disco influences and all-english lyrics) so… not exactly the most unique song out there
LikeLiked by 3 people
I think the stand out b-side / hidden treasure is Frost. Very interesting choice of sound.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I love that too. One of my fave. Definitely again txt’s album is full of title track
LikeLike
Thank you for bringing attention to this – I probably wouldn’t have listened to it otherwise but it’s pretty great!
LikeLike
I love the song but while I find the chorus absolutely cathartic, the verses threaten to fade. As much as I enjoyed this song, I found the main hook to get too repetitive towards the end.
About the album, big hit slowly seems to be releasing autotune’s grip from the boys’ voices. Most songs were upbeat and I was surprised to hear nimble melodies in some of the songs.
For example, Magic seems to be a sonic successor to Butter, down to that addictive bass. No rules was great and Dear Sputnik was phenomenal and something unlike we’ve ever heard from them.
LikeLike
Although this song is not my favorite title track, it’s certainly on the upper half. The melody really does EVERYTHING for me. The shoutiness emphasizes almost like raw emotion. I really like the delivery.
Downside is the verses don’t hold the same energy as the chorus. But they aren’t dragging enough for me to not like the song. So overall, a well done comeback!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do I like this kind of song? Not really. There are some songs similar to it in some way that I like, but they are way different that I can’t really say I fully like the style of this kind of rock. It’s very not how I envision rock or even pop-rock.
So yeah, I don’t like this song. I like part of the instrumentals except those verses that always seems to love their hi-hats.
Sadly there is not a single rock guitar in this song. There is guitar, but it’s not rock attuned at all. Really, I need better guitar in this song, so it’s off for me in that way.
I do like the background vocals and the entirety of the pre-chorus is definitely the highlight. But I don’t like most of the melodies or hooks, especially the chorus is not for me. The feature is also quite odd, I don’t know why she’s there but I don’t think I would’ve like the part either way so I guess it doesn’t matter.
This song is just not my style at all. But hey, I have questionable taste anyway.
—
For the b-sides, I actually dislike most of the mini-album except for two.
Dear Sputnik is actually one of the songs I do like, because of how interesting it is and cool it is compared to the other songs. Very coming of age movie soundtrack song, but still well made.
The other one? NO RULES. wow. This is a pop-funk BOP! The chorus and especially that POST-CHORUS is insanely fun. Even the verses are good. Personally, this should’ve been the title track but sadly I don’t get to choose.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The could be better if they added Seori a solo part instead of a backing vocal. She’s a good singer and its a waste BigHit did her dirty like that.
I also agree there should have been a rock guitar.. It could have been a proper rock song for K-pop group. It could make new roads for K-pop groups to purue real rock genres like Dreamcatcher. Especially, now that alt-rock/pop punk scene is making resurgence in the US, I hope they tackle that sound too so that the US audience don’t think of K-pop as only polished, dance-y pop.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Honestly, with the way rock is slightly surfacing its way every so slightly, I’d love to see Dreamcatcher overtake internationally and maybe even domestically with their rock-heavy comebacks.
Even though their EDM b-sides are some of the best, rock (or even metal) is where Dreamcatcher resides best and they wouldn’t even be catching on a trend when they technically were in the ocean before the wave even started.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The only thing I liked about the song was the chorus and I agree with you that the constant changing of concepts is making it difficult to keep up but atleast there’s the suspense of what’s gonna come next.Also what do you think the follow up track from the album would be?
LikeLike
But I love 5 outta 8 songs. Title song, balance game, dear sputnik, no rules, and frost is deserve recognition.
GP love anti romantic.
Magic is English
The only filler song is ice cream, but hey it’s UNIQUE.
LikeLike
are
LikeLike
Its alright, but not my thing. To me, the _instrumental_ of the chorus is almost anthemic, but the vocal of the chorus is still basic. To be more specific, the big drums, the choral ah-ah’s, and the heavy white noise synth fill creates a monumentality around what is a otherwise five note sung chorus. The verses pass the time. And then there is this quiet section bridge that isn’t quite earned but exists anyway. Well, at least they didn’t throw in a key change.
Also, it reminds me if One Direction were to do kpop.
LikeLiked by 4 people
I agree. It’s trying to go all out but the vocal performance just doesn’t match the energy in my opinion.
I used to be a One Direction fangirl in their early years (man, the nostalgia), and I love songs that remind me of that (Golden Child’s Let Me). I think this one has more late One Direction vibes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can absolutely relate to being a fangirl of One Direction, man those were the times 🙂 Also, One Directions’s hiatus is what led me to listen to kpop in the first place so there you go lol. You lose some, you win!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I actually think in addition to 1D, this could also be something The Vamps might do. Then again maybe it’s just the fact that Olly Murs is credited on this album that is making me go back and relive my British boyband-loving feels from a few years ago lol
LikeLike
That chorus won me over! And I love the album too, a pretty good mix of their earlier and newer material. No Rules and Dear Sputnik are nothing short of fantastic.
LikeLiked by 4 people
the emotional whiplash between the first line of the song and the first line of the verses was very strong. I adore the chorus, it’s emo and strikes a chord in my inner 14 year old “no one understands me but these lads” self. thundering’s the right word for the emotions the refrain and chorus brings out haha
but the verses, the VERSES 😭😭 it’s so incredibly disappointing and absolutely sours this experience
LikeLike
I actually quite like this. I was a little worried that a TXT rock song would feel like a total mismatch, but I think they pull it off really well. I’d rank this pretty high among their title tracks, at least partially out of personal bias because I tend to like this kind of song generally. And it’s nice to hear their actual voices instead of them being totally buried under the exhausting Big Hit over-processing (which does rear its ugly head on other tracks throughout the album unfortunately, but I’ll take what I can get).
LikeLiked by 2 people
This song is great, but I am already listening to ‘Dear Sputnik’ more often than this. That song, sounds incredible for me.
LikeLiked by 5 people
I didn’t vibe that much with this on the first listen but after a while it really grew on me and I think I might end up loving this! Nothing can beat Run Away but this is very nice. Taehyun (I think?) in that short line before the chorus starts was so cool.
Dear Sputnik is also a great one from the album, loved that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Woah I LOVE this way more than I expected! It might be my favorite TXT title track. What can I say, I am a sucker for emo-rock, I always have been— this track brings to mind Pentagon’s recent stuff, Daisy and Do Or Not, both of which I love. I absolutely adore the scream-shout-sing delivery of “I KNOW IT’S REAL I CAN FEEL IT!!” so props to whoever that is—- Soobin is my guess? And I love the grungey aesthetic of the video itself. In combination with the song, it reminds me of the best of BTS’s old stuff.
I dunno if anyone else noticed this or if I’m crazy, but I think there is a weird mixing issue with the upload of the video on YouTube that caused this song to kind of hurt my ears with headphones lol. I don’t have that problem with the version that’s on Apple Music, thankfully.
LikeLiked by 6 people
I’m actually happy that TXT came out with this song that was reminiscent (at least for me) of their song “Runaway” which I enjoyed the crap out of the song since I had it on replay when it first came out, and I still loveeeeeeee it to this day! Also, when I was watching the mv my mind went the “I NEED U” mv since it kind of has a similar theme but TXT’s version is a lot more chilled and it doesn’t involve murdering someone lol.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it’s proof that you can have the angsty wayward youth concept without anybody having to die lol… just accidentally setting a car on fire. And I like how they made even that into kind of a cute funny moment somehow haha
LikeLike
Dear sputnik is exceptional dude. That’s THE song. Legendary!
LikeLiked by 4 people
100% my fav song off the album!
LikeLike
Again txt got me. They always make me cry with their album. I mean, full pf buried treasure. Come on dig it!
LikeLike
The anthemic half shouted chorus, the rock influences, ..this has many ingredients of a song I should love..but I’m not feeling it. I’m trying to figure out why.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m really glad they went in this direction for a title track! I wasn’t expecting TXT to release a pop rock-influenced song but I’m so pleasantly surprised by how I feel about it. I think this – or the vocals – comes across a little subdued though, which sounds a little at odds with how anthemic the song itself is trying to be, sort of takes this from being something I absolutely wholeheartedly love to something I just like a whole lot. Still, it stands out and the album has some great songs as well – loving Anti-Romantic, No Rules, and Dear Sputnik so far.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, I quite like this song! My interest was piqued by the teasers and I’m glad that the end result doesn’t disappoint. It’s a little pop rock and that chorus is a killer. I do agree that the verses need a kick which would have made this song even better but even without that, I’m going to be playing this quite often and know that this will grow on me more. Also, I like how this sound hasn’t yet popped up in K-Pop this year (at least to my recollection) so it’ll probably cement its favorability for me. I also have to add that the auto tune does seem to be getting better so maybe BigHit is seeing the error of its ways and moving towards a better direction (Fingers crossed).
Also, I liked that cool freeze teaser they released some time back where ice was growing everywhere. How does feature in the album though?
LikeLike
^^i agree. I’m a little obsessed with whoever decided TXT should go rock. But I also disagreed with Nick about Can’t You See Me. I thought it was hilarious and iconic. So much angst!!
I don’t follow TXT that closely but I loved this
LikeLiked by 1 person
I adore Can’t You See Me. They’ve done idyllic childhood and disillusionment and loss of innocence, and now the coming-of-age angst narrative.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Throw in some good electric guitar, change up the drumming a bit, and we were so close to pop punk which is an unexpected genre switch but I would have loved TXT to explore more fully. A lot of people in the comments were noticing how muted or underwhelming parts or all of the song was and though I hear it, it doesn’t really bother me. Maybe it’s because I listened to it with the mv which was also pretty grey and understated so it complemented the song well and gave a bit more context? They’re really going for a teenage target audience and now more than ever would leaning into a more angsty, aggressive, early 2000s emo pop rock serve them well. Also it would serve me well because the more rock influenced kpop songs, the better (take a wild guess on which group I ult)
LikeLiked by 5 people
I’m surprised that TXT pulled this emo-rock concept off, and i meant it in a good way. I knew that Nick would like the song!
The album itself is quite good (8.75/10)
The title track (8.75)
LikeLike
I really really really love this style from TXT. I think it fits them the best. I loved
LikeLiked by 1 person
This kind of anthem pop isn’t really my thing, but I can imagine blasting it while driving with the sunroof open. I feel neutral about it for now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It really does give an end of summer, last hurrah before school starts (bonus if you’re going off to college next year) vibes
LikeLiked by 2 people
I hate to repeat others, but Dear Sputnik is by far my favorite from the album. The prechorus in particular gives me chills. As for Magic/Balance Game/Ice Cream, I’m glad they sound a lot better than the previews promised although the autotune was definitely not necessary.
LikeLike
Boy is that one hell of a title. Oh and I just read your twitter Nick, good luck putting the bed back together!
LikeLiked by 2 people
You dead wrong for not giving it 9’s across the board… Winner could never.
LikeLike
Everyone in these comments being surprised about TXT going rock as if a whole “Run Away” didn’t exist T_T
This is very “Story of my Life” by One Direction. The verses just really drag this thing down, but I’m not sure tighter verses would make me love this either. Ah well, it’s alright.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I quite enjoyed it surprisingly.
LikeLike
I liked this one 🙂 Maybe it’s because they’re my age and I really connect with their energy, but I honestly didn’t have a problem with the verses and the chorus didn’t stand out at first, but it’s already grown on me a lot. I loved Taehyun and Soobin’s parts. The “I KNOW THIS IS REAL I CAN FEEL IT” was weird the first time I heard it, but almost anathematic after a few listens (clearly I am their targeted demographic lmao) . I like how they are tackling new genres, but still being very TXT. Dear Sputnik (along with No Rules) is the clear stand-out in the album (as >70% of the comments here agree).
Side note, not just about this, but does anyone else hate it when the teasers/mood sampler/trailers are so different from the actual track?
LikeLike
Me too, i felt betrayed
LikeLike
Welp. I’ve been listening to this non stop since yesterday so I guess you can say I like it. The chorus makes me feel 16 in the way movies make it look like 16 should feel (it’s been a while since I was actually 16 but it was a lot more boring in real life). Kind of like imagined nostalgia? Point is. Feelings. I’ll forgive the verses for how the chorus makes me feel. I’ve loved much worse songs for much less.
LikeLiked by 2 people
“16 in the way movies make it look like 16 should feel” is so dead-on accurate damn
LikeLike
16 was pretty much hell for me, so I’m all for imagined nostalgia. That “I know I love you” carries all the weight of adolescent certainty even if you break up tomorrow.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Please review these songs Nick: Balance Game (what if I had been that puma), no rules, dear sputnik, and frost
The buried treasures in this album! Full of 8.5++ rating songs. So good
LikeLike
Honestly I do enjoy this song but I hope TXT dont make a permanent shift away from their branding anytime soon. I really adore their bright sound! It really works well with their vocals and makes them so enjoyable to watch live. Its what them stand out to me among so many new boy groups (who, for the most part, are suffocatingly edgy)
LikeLike
Don’t worry. We have No Rules MV coming.
LikeLike
From your lips to HYBE’s ears…
LikeLike
is the beat in the verses a trap beat?
LikeLike
I personally can’t resist good quality pop songs with especially heavy percussions. Really love this comeback. More enjoyable than I ever thought. Taehyun’s raspy voice is gold.
LikeLike
I normally like my pop-rock, I enjoy the riffing, but this song never really takes off for me. The melody is way too limited. It’s a damn shame.
I just don’t see this anywhere near 0x1=LOVESONG, which is phenomenal and threatens Run Away as my favorite of theirs. Low 8s at best.
LikeLike
Wait, I had too many tabs open. This was for their latest CB, not this song (which is fantastic and basically a 10/10)
LikeLike