TXT’s new EP contains members’ personal experiences of being tempted

K-pop boy group Tomorrow X Together has released several concept albums in which all songs are connected to form a story. The band is dropping another album of the kind Friday, containing five tracks depicting the growing pains experienced by young adults.

The group’s fifth EP, “The Name Chapter: Temptation,” delicately unfurls the story of youth swaying in front of the temptation to live in the present, enjoy freedom and entertainment even though they know they have to grow up.

“Happy Fools,” a track off the album featuring American rapper Coi Leray, was co-composed by member Yeonjun, with lyrics co-written by all five members.

During a media showcase for the forthcoming album held Thursday, the quintet said they came to participate in the lyrics writing as BTS producer Bang Si-hyuk said the song should contain their own stories of life.

“There are times in everyone’s life where we are twisted. I wrote the lyrics trying to recall ‘a dark time’ in my life,” Beomgyu said during the showcase at the COEX convention center in southern Seoul.

“It is about a happy fool who procrastinates things to do because one hates his or her endlessly repeating daily routines and wants to dwell in the present, not the future. Other people may say you’re lost but I think it’s good to live a life enjoying the present sometimes.”

Leading the album is “Sugar Rush Ride,” an alternative pop dance song featuring boys who succumb to a sweet but fatal temptation by the devil.

“Devil by the Window,” “Tinnitus (Wanna Be a Rock)” and “Farewell, Neverland” are the three other songs included in “Temptation.”

Team leader Soobin recommended fans listen to the tracks in order to follow the flow of the characters’ feelings and emotions.

“Temptation” is the band’s first release since its fourth EP, “minisode 2: Thursday’s Child.”

The EP became the group’s most successful project to-date. It spent a total of 14 weeks on the Billboard 200 main albums chart, where it peaked at No. 4.

And the upcoming album is expected to break the band’s own record, having secured 2.16 million copies in preorders as of Wednesday, two days left before its release, according to its distributor YG Plus. The number exceeded the cumulative sales of over 1.8 million copies for the band’s fourth EP, “minisode 2: Thursday’s Child,” based on Circle Chart, South Korea’s benchmark music sales chart.

“I was really surprised at the result. It was the moment that I surely realized we’re receiving this much love. I thank MOA for giving us such a valuable result,” Hueningkai said.

MOA is the name of the group’s fan base.

As for the band’s goal for this year, Yeonjun said he will let the world know what kind of group TXT is. Taehyun said nothing will be better than music fans enjoying the group’s albums.