TXT’s new (full) album weighs in at eight tracks and a paltry twenty-one minutes. This brevity isn’t unique to TXT and I don’t mean to call them out specifically, but it’s representative of choices the K-pop industry is currently making. So much effort seems to go into everything surrounding the music, even as the actual songs grow shorter and less developed. In this case, that effort includes music videos for each of the members’ solo tracks. In keeping with the truncated nature of the album, I’ll be writing mini reviews for each song as the videos are released.
We’re bursting out of the gate with my favorite of the solos. In fact, Yeonjun’s Ghost Girl is probably the best song on the whole album. It’s also one of only two tracks that crack the three minute mark. Rather than the quirky hip-hop of his solo single GGUM, Ghost Girl blends rock music with a reggae beat. These two genres might seem incongruent, but their contrast works to the song’s benefit. While the structure is relatively flat and never climbs to any notable climaxes, the off-kilter rhythm keeps interest high and a few well-placed percussive flourishes break up an otherwise straightforward groove and repetitive melodic cycle.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
the production on this is exactly what ive been yearning for txt’s music. Its somewhat eerie, the guitar is such a nice touch, the piano is spooky.
I mean you get Paul meany and Yungblud as the producers for the first time and somehow cook harder than slow rabbit and bang pd’s recent releases by a mile lmao.
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my 2nd favorite solo! the writing and production is really good and is somehow reminiscent of late 2010s music to me.
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Not to be/sound old but I remember when a release was only considered a full album when it was 30 minutes plus of music, which wasn’t hard because most songs were easily 3+ minutes 🥲
Songs in general are too short right now across all music and with TXT’s new album I do feel it hurts them because their best moments have been when a song has had enough time to truly blossom (Blue Hour and Lovesong come to mind). The music is still decent but with more runtime it could be great.
in any case, Yeonjun sounds great as ever but we could always have more.
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I remember when anything under 20-something minutes would have been called an EP. It might have even been a 12″ 45RPM EP, with no printed inner sleeve, just one picture on the cover.
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Unfortunately, TXT’s full albums have always only been 8 songs, which even with 3+ minute songs wouldn’t reach the 30 minute mark. But their very first full album back in 2019 was 8 songs, totaling almost 28 minutes. This one’s only 21 minutes. I really wish the songs were longer 😦
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The Name Chapter: Freefall is the only TXT full album that has more than 8 songs. Even then, it only has 9 songs.
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I personally don’t count that one because the 9th song is Do It Like That, which was released as a single a few months before the album. It wasn’t a pre-release single either, just a collab single that they decided to add to the album. But yeah, even 9 songs is not a lot for a full album.
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I understand.
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The drop into the overt reggae beat in the verse is so 2010’s. Usually back when it was done to break the tension from some massive chorus or crazy rap, just a nice insertion of something with a different beat to change it up without losing momentum.
Here, the reggae beat is the point, so it isn’t quite as effective. There isn’t the harder section to be the counterpoint.
That said, it’s fine. A nice aural break from the current boring kpop template this year.
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This is my favorite solo off the album!
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