“I can’t believe this day has actually come (오늘이 오긴 오네요),” said Beomgyu at the last show (3/12) of the 2-day finale of TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s (TXT) ACT: SWEET MIRAGE tour.

It was the beginning of springtime in Seoul when Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai embarked on their second and longest tour yet. They even headlined at Lollapalooza last August on top of that – just one of many victories to remember – cementing their rightful place in the pantheon as leaders among fourth-generation idols and as true global pop stars.

And on a winter’s day, this time at the Gocheok Sky Dome, they brought ACT: SWEET MIRAGE to its poignant close, taking stock of the year that passed – with all its joys and pains – in the company of their cherished MOA (Moments of Alwaysness).

“When we first started in March, it was a longer tour than our first world tour ACT: LOVE SICK, so I was excited to meet more fans but also a little scared because this was something we hadn’t done before,” Beomgyu added. “But above all, this moment is more than the excitement and fear. I think the joy of knowing that the five of us and MOAs have done it together is bigger.”

(3월에 처음 시작했을 때만 해도 첫 번째 월드투어였던 <ACT: LOVE SICK> 보다 좀 훨씬 긴 호흡의 투어였던지라. 더 많은 모아 여러분들을 만난다는 설렘과 동시에 해보지 못했던 그런 경험이기 때문에 좀 약간의 두려움도 있었거든요. 무엇보다 지금 이 순간은, 이 설렘과 두려움보다, 우리 모아분들과 함께, 우리 5이서 해냈다 이런 즐거움이 좀 더 큰 것 같습니다.)

“[This world tour], from the start all the way to the end, is complete not only with just the 5 of us, but together with tens of thousands of MOAs,” said TXT’s leader Soobin, addressing the crowd in the colossal stadium and thousands more who were tuning in online. “I’ll never forget the MOAs that I have met over the past 6 months, and each and every one of you who are here today.”

([이 월드투어는] 시작부터 끝까지 저희 5이 아닌 수만 명의 모아분들과 함께 완성한 공연이었는데요... 6개월 동안 만났던 전세계 모아분들, 오늘 함께 해주신 모아분들, 전부 한 명 한 명 모두 잊지 못할 것 같습니다.)

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The bells began to toll this one last ‘Blue Hour’ (5시 53분의 하늘에서 발견한 너와 나) for the tour, like a solemn prelude before the magic unfurled – and a bidding to create another magical moment together. Just as the Korean title roughly translates to “You and I found in the sky at 5:53” – sunset time on the song’s release date and the sunrise on August 22, 2019, the day the fandom was christened Moments of Alwaysness – opening the show with the song perhaps couldn’t just be chalked up to mere serendipity.

Descending from their castle in princely suits, bathed in the blue, dreamlike glow of a sparkling night sky, TXT started a little earlier than the day before, so they urged the crowd to just indulge in the fantasy – have fun, dance and jump. Just as ‘Can’t We Just Leave the Monster Alive?’ (그냥 과물을 살려두면 안 되는 걸까?) went: “이제 모든 무기를 버리고 축제로 just jump / It will be alright, alright, alright.” (Drop all your weapons and onto the festival, jump / It will be alright)

As if switching characters, the members shed their royal costumes and launched into a string of even more upbeat, whimsical cuts: ‘Drama’, ‘No Rules’ and an undisputed crowd favourite, ‘Cat & Dog’, which had everyone unabashedly barking out loud.

The anthemic ‘9 and Three Quarters’ (9와 4분의 3 승강장에서 너를 기다려) (Run Away), together with the simmering intensity of tunes like ‘We Lost the Summer’ (날씨를 잃어버렸어) and ‘Can’t You See Me?’ (세계가 불 타버린 밤, 우린…), set a change of pace without lowering the voltage levels.

While approaching the halfway mark, TXT continued to ramp up the energy, even roaming around the venue to hype up fans – albeit with more angsty fare:  ‘0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)’, ‘LO$ER=LO♡ER’ and ‘Dear Sputnik’, before closing the section with the bright-eyed ‘Magic’.

 

 

 

 

 

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ACT: SWEET MIRAGE shifted gears some more with ‘Opening Sequence’, where the members proved themselves as lithe dancers, while their vocal chops were put in the spotlight during the more subdued ‘Anti-Romantic’. The show later took on a more sinister but bewitching tone with some selections off minisode 2: Thursday's Child and The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION: ‘Good Boy Gone Bad’, ‘Tinnitus’ (돌멩이가 되고 싶어) (Wanna be a rock), and ‘Devil by the Window’ (자정의 창가에서 만난 악마의 목소리는 달콤했다). Then the members got a little mischievous and playful with ‘Angel or Devil’ and ‘Happily Ever After.’

Even as they reached the customary encore stages, TXT showed no signs of winding down. “Shall we be the happiest fools here at the Gocheok Dome? (저와 함께 여기 고척돔에서 가장 행복한 바보가 되어야 하지 않겠어요?)” suggested Yeonjun, as the boys took on ‘Happy Fools’ (sans collaborator Coi Leray) and then ‘Sugar Rush Ride’ for their thrilling “final stage” (a bluff, obviously).

With the plaintive and bittersweet ‘Farewell Neverland’ (네버랜드를 떠나며), they drew the main part of the show to a close, with a spectacular, towering waterfall behind them as they sung ever so softly, “안녕 (Goodbye) Neverland, my love.”

‘Like a miracle’

On the second day of the finale show, the members kept their promise of a longer time onstage, playing an extensive encore set, including ‘Chasing That Feeling’, ‘Skipping Stones’ (물수제비) and the fan favourite ‘MOA DIARY’ (교실일기) (두밧두 와리와리).

Nearing the holidays, and with Soobin’s birthday just a few days ahead (5/12 – today of press time) too, there were surprises in the mix, too: a cake for their baking enthusiast of a leader and some warm Christmas cheer through ‘Sweet Dreams’.

 

 

 

 

 

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As they brought this season to a close – as getting to wrap up their sophomore world tour since debuting in 2019 was a milestone in itself – the members were already looking at the road ahead, thinking of more comebacks and their next world tour. But in the afterglow, there was finally time to wind down a bit and contemplate.

“I feel like my members and I at this moment are still trying to figure out how to make an album and how to make our performances even better for MOA,” remarked Yeonjun. “This moment that we have to ourselves is just too precious.”

(저와 저희 멤버들은 이 순간에 비해 앨범을 만들고 어떻게 하면 모아분들께 더 멋진 퍼포먼스를 보여드릴 수 있을지 꾸님없이 연구를 하는 것 같아요.  오롯이 우리만 있는 이 공간이 더없이 소중하게 느껴집니다.)

Taehyun said, “The more we perform today, the more it feels like we’re just starting again. I’m already looking forward to making even better performances with MOAs next year.”

(오늘 무대를 하면 할수록 저희는 이제 다시 시작인 것 같습니다. 벌써부터 내년에도 모아분들과 함께 더 좋은 공연을 만들어갈 거란 기대감이 막 생기거든요.)

“For me, I always think that meeting MOA like this is a miracle,” said Hueningkai. "Even this very moment is truly like a miracle. It’s a miracle that people I love, love me back.”

(저는 항상 저희가 이렇게 만나는 건 기적이라고 생각합니다. 이 순간도 정말로 기적 같고 제가 좋아하는 사람이 저를 좋아한다는 게 정말 기적 같다고 생각하거든요.)

“Life doesn’t go as you expect it, but in the midst of it all, I feel that I’m really blessed and the biggest miracle of it all is that I met these 4 members,” Taehyun added.

(이 사는 게 뜻대로  되지 않는 거는 모두가 다 마찬가지일 텐데, 근데 그 와중에서 저는 제가 되게 축복받았다라고 생각을 하고, 또 제일 기적이라고 생각하는 게 이 4명 만난 겁니다.)

Putting on a happy front or showing only good things for the sake of the fans – getting fortright about it – they said, hadn’t always been easy nor just about sticking it out.

“We haven't always been happy, you know, we've butted heads a lot, and it's not always easy for the members who are so different to get to agree. But we’ve had to overcome these, and still do!” said Yeonjun.

(우리 팀이 오랫동안, 오래오래 모아분들 앞에서 함께 공연할 수 있는 게 가장 큰 성공이라고 생각하거든요. 사실 매번 행복하진 않았잖아요. 많이 부딪히기도 했었고, 정말 너무나도 달랐던 멤버들이 모여서 맞춰가는 과정이 쉽지만은 않았지만, 늘 우리는 이겨냈었고, 또 지금도 이겨내가고 있고.)

As the members became more emotional in the show’s final minutes, the team’s eldest recalled enduring very tangible hardships way back when they were younger, and then he turned toward them, saying: “Now, you have all grown up and are performing in front of so many people. I really am proud of you members. You worked so hard, guys.”

(근데 얘네가 이제 다 커서, 이 많은 사람들 앞에서, 공연을 하고, 멤버들한테 너무 자랑스럽고 고맙다고 얘기해주고 싶고요. 너무 고생 많았다, 얘들아.)

“For real, without these 4, I would have been shaken,” Taehyun shared. “We really became close to each other this year, and the more time we spent getting closer, I think we became a better team this year.”

(진짜, 4명 없었으면은 저도 많이 흔들렸을 것 같고. 네 명이 올해 들어서 정말 서로 끈끈해지고 여러 일 겪으면서 멤버들끼리 의지하는 시간들이 많아지면서, 더 좋은 팀으로 거듭난 것 같아요.)

“When I see successful teams, I always think that they have great leaders and members who follow them well. This year, I felt it: we have what it takes to be a successful team,” he added.

(제가 항상 생각하는 것 중에 하나가 이 성공한 팀들의 모습을 보면 언제나 훌륭한 리더와 그를 잘 따르는 멤버들이 있어야 된다고 생각을 하는데, 올해 느꼈습니다. 저희는 성공한 팀의 조건을 갖추고 있다는 거예요.)

“Sometimes we might get lost. Sometimes we might want to get lost,” said Soobin, before they closed the evening with the evocative ‘Blue Spring’ and ‘Our Summer’. “But with MOA by our side, cheering for us, we’ll never forget the dreams that we promised to build together with MOAs.”

(또 때론 저희가 길을 잃을 수도 있고, 잃고 싶을 때도 있겠지만, 저희의 곁에 항상 응원해주시는 모아분들이 있다면, 모아분들과 함께 만들어가고자 했던 저희의 꿈을 잊지 않고 늘 걸어갈 수 있을 것 같습니다.)

Yeonjun said, “I hope these moments – moments like this now – will be our future. Until then, I hope the members and I can be together for a long time. I really want to be in front of MOAs, so I hope you can stay with us until then.”

(앞으로도 이 순간들이, 지금 이 순간들이, 앞으로 였으면 좋겠고, 그때까지 오래오래 멤버들과 함께 했으면 좋겠고, 모아분들 앞에서 오래오래 함께 할 수 있었으면 좋겠습니다.  그때까지 우리 모아분들도 있어주셨으면 좋겠고요.)