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aespa Armageddon: Supernova, a Multiverse and the First Full-Length Album
Supernova came out two weeks early and spent a record run at No. 1 on Melon. Then came the album it belonged to.
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aespa Black Mamba: The Debut That Introduced Four Members and Their Avatars
Most K-pop debuts introduce a group. aespa’s introduced a group and their digital doubles. Before Black Mamba came out, SM had already shown the members linking up with avatars of themselves.
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aespa Dirty Work: A Steel Mill, 225 Extras and a Tin-Case Album
A group known for “the taste of metal” filmed in a steel mill, and the album case later won a Red Dot award.
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aespa Drama: A Hip-Hop Title Track, Three Concert Songs and a Thank-You Note to MY
Think Drama is all about its title track? Half the album was heard live first, and it ends with a song for MY.
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aespa Forever: The Surprise Winter Ballad Between Black Mamba and Next Level
Just two and a half months after a hard-hitting debut about a villain called Black Mamba, aespa released a gentle winter ballad. It wasn’t even a new song.
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aespa Girls: The Final Battle, the First Million and the End of Season 1
Every story needs an ending. For the first season of aespa’s story, that ending is Girls. SM calls the title track the last episode of Season 1, after the big battle with Black Mamba.
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aespa LEMONADE: G-DRAGON, a Lemon Bug and the Second Full-Length Album
If life gives you lemons: aespa’s second full album opens a new chapter, with G-DRAGON on the pre-release.
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aespa MY WORLD: Back to the Real World, With Spicy and a Song Featuring nævis
What happens after the final battle? In MY WORLD, aespa leave KWANGYA and come home to the real world, and strange things start happening. It’s the start of Season 2 of aespa’s story.
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aespa Next Level: The Movie Soundtrack Remake That Sent aespa to KWANGYA
What happens when you take a song from a Fast & Furious movie soundtrack and use it to continue a story about avatars?
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aespa Rich Man: aespa Become a Band, and “I Am Enough as I Am”
For their sixth mini album, being rich isn’t about money. aespa picked up guitars, drums and a synth to say so.
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aespa Savage: The First Mini Album, a Trap Title Track and the Battle in KWANGYA
For almost a year, aespa existed only as singles. Then came Savage, their first mini album and their first physical album of any kind. It took them into KWANGYA to face Black Mamba.
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aespa Whiplash: The First Techno Title Track and a Neck-Grab You Can’t Miss
Five months after Supernova, aespa changed lanes: EDM, house beats and a dance move that acts out the title.
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AND2BLE Sequence 02: Attraction Explained: French Kissing, Five Tracks and the Second Chapter
How curiosity turns into attraction: the second mini album, its three versions, five songs and release night.
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AND2BLE Sequence 01: Curiosity Explained: Curious, Five Tracks and the Start of a Story
The debut mini album: YH’s idea of curiosity, three versions, five songs and the Curious MV.
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ATEEZ GOLDEN HOUR : Part.5: Five Songs Driven by Instinct
BAD and four more songs about instinct and emotion, lyrics by Hongjoong and Mingi, and a third Billboard 200 No. 1.
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BLACKPINK BORN PINK: Pink Venom, Shut Down and a No. 1 Album
A three-step project: Pink Venom, Shut Down and the first Billboard 200 No. 1 for a K-pop girl group.
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BLACKPINK DEADLINE: JUMP, a Stadium Tour and the First Group Album in Three Years
The tour came first and the album after: how JUMP, 33 stadium shows and the mini album DEADLINE fit together.
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BLACKPINK KILL THIS LOVE: A Midnight Release, Coachella and the First World Tour
A worldwide midnight release, a sub-title track and the start of the IN YOUR AREA world tour.
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BLACKPINK SQUARE UP: DDU-DU DDU-DU and the First Mini Album
“Let’s stick together” and “let’s fight”: the first mini album, its finger-gun title track and TEDDY’s four songs.
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BLACKPINK THE ALBUM: How You Like That, Ice Cream and the First Full-Length Record
Three releases in four months, Selena Gomez and Cardi B, and the first K-pop girl group million-seller.
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BTS ARIRANG: SWIM, a Folk Song and the First Group Album in Three Years and Nine Months
BTS’s fifth studio album opens with the folk song “Arirang” inside its first track. A guide to the 14 songs, the SWIM, 2.0, Hooligan and NORMAL videos, and the tour that followed.
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BTS BE: Life Goes On, Dynamite and an Album Made in 2020
BTS's pandemic-era album: the four Life Goes On videos, Dynamite, the eight songs and the first Hot 100 No. 1 sung mostly in Korean.
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BTS LOVE YOURSELF 結 'Answer': IDOL and the End of the LOVE YOURSELF Story
The repackage that closes the LOVE YOURSELF series: IDOL, the two CDs and 25 tracks, the Epiphany trailer and a second Billboard 200 No. 1.
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BTS LOVE YOURSELF 轉 'Tear': FAKE LOVE and the First Billboard 200 No. 1
The pain-of-parting chapter of the LOVE YOURSELF series: FAKE LOVE, the 11 songs, the rollout and the first Korean Billboard 200 No. 1.
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BTS MAP OF THE SOUL : 7: ON, Black Swan and Seven Years Together
From persona to shadow: ON, the Black Swan art film, the Shadow and Ego trailers, all 19 songs and a fourth straight Billboard 200 No. 1.
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BTS MAP OF THE SOUL : PERSONA: Boy With Luv and Seven Songs About Joy
The EP that opened the MAP OF THE SOUL series: Boy With Luv with Halsey, RM's Intro : Persona, all seven songs and three No. 1s in under a year.
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Proof: Three Routes Through a Career
Read the three-disc anthology as a selection, not a complete history.
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ENHYPEN THE SIN : BLISS Explained: Vampire Lovers on the Run, Bloody Paradise and the First Album as Six
The eighth mini album: the second chapter of THE SIN, six songs and four story pieces, Bloody Paradise and Checkmate.
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ILLIT BREAK EVEN: Four Songs About Walking Away at Zero
The break-even idea, a four-song emotional arc around You're Under Arrest, the rollout and the remix release.
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IVE ELEVEN: The Two-Song Debut That Started a Record-Breaking Run
A little over a year after debuting, IVE won the Best New Artist award and the grand prize at the same ceremony.
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IVE EMPATHY: REBEL HEART, ATTITUDE and 15 Music Show Wins
IVE EMPATHY had two title tracks, and both became hits. REBEL HEART won 11 music show trophies and ATTITUDE won four more, according to Sony Music Japan. That’s 15 wins from one EP.
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IVE I’ve IVE: Kitsch, I AM and the First Full Album
After three hit single albums, IVE’s first full-length album came with a twist. They released two music videos two weeks apart. Kitsch came first, then I AM with the album itself.
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IVE Looks Can Kill: The "Girl Hero" EP, Track by Track
The newest IVE EP: the girl-hero idea, the title track, all six songs and the official videos.
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IVE REVIVE+: BLACKHOLE, BANG BANG and the First Full Album in Three Years
The second full album: what the name means, two contrasting title tracks, four B-sides and six tour solos.
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IVE SECRET: XOXZ and the Glamour Behind the Feeling
The fourth EP: a phrase IVE made up, the title track's credits, all six songs and the official videos.
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IVE SWITCH: HEYA, Accendio and a Folk Tale About a Tiger and the Sun
The second EP: the storybook teaser, HEYA's folk tale, the second title track and the official videos.
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KATSEYE WILD: The Third EP and a First No. 1
PINKY UP, Animal, Hootie Frutti and LARA's Unloveu: the songs, the themes of self-discovery and the Billboard 200 No. 1.
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LE SSERAFIM ANTIFRAGILE: Five Songs About Not Breaking
The kintsugi cover, The Hydra, the title track, Impurities, No Celestial and Good Parts, with the showcase and official videos.
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LE SSERAFIM HOT: A Love Song to Doing What You Love
The fifth mini album: ice melting in fire, the first love-themed title track, five songs and the official videos.
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LE SSERAFIM 'PUREFLOW' pt.1: Eleven Songs Hidden in a Word Puzzle
PUREFLOW as an anagram of POWERFUL, BOOMPALA and CELEBRATION, the eleven tracks and the PUREFLOW tour.
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LE SSERAFIM SPAGHETTI: The j-hope Collaboration and a Top-50 Hot 100 Debut
The first single album: j-hope's feature, four tracks, the Member version and the Billboard debuts.
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LE SSERAFIM UNFORGIVEN: A First Studio Album About Paving Your Own Way
Nile Rodgers on the lead single, a 13-track album that revisits FEARLESS and ANTIFRAGILE, and a first Billboard 200 top 10.
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NCT 2018 EMPATHY: Eighteen Members, Six Music Videos and One Giant Introduction
In early 2018, SM Entertainment tried something big. It put NCT’s teams on one record: NCT U, NCT 127 and NCT DREAM, with 18 members in total.
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NCT Golden Age: 20 Members, Baggy Jeans and a Stadium Tour in Japan
In August 2023, NCT gathered for their fourth full-length album and called it Golden Age. The timing matched the title.
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NCT 2020 RESONANCE Pt. 1: 23 Members, a Birthday Song and a Song About Home
In 2018 the theme was EMPATHY. Two years later, NCT went bigger: RESONANCE. SM said the idea was to move from empathy to resonance, connecting through music to create a powerful synergy.
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NewJeans Get Up: Six Songs, Six Videos, The Powerpuff Girls and an iPhone
How do you get fans excited about an EP before it’s even out? NewJeans released videos for every song on Get Up, spread over three weeks. One featured The Powerpuff Girls.
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NewJeans How Sweet: Bubble Gum Went to Japanese Morning TV First
Bubble Gum was playing on Japanese TV every weekday morning before its music video came out.
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NewJeans New Jeans: The Debut EP That Arrived Video by Video
NewJeans didn’t introduce themselves with a long run of teasers. They introduced themselves with music videos.
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NewJeans OMG: The Single That Bridged Winter and the New Year
Here’s something that surprises a lot of new fans: on the OMG single, the song that came out first, Ditto, is track 2. Ditto’s videos came out in December 2022, two weeks before the release itself.
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P1Harmony DUH! Explained: The Hero Goes on Strike, Six Tracks and a Freestyle Title Song
The eighth mini album: a hero who refuses to be taken for granted, six songs and a freestyle routine shaped by INTAK and SOUL.
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P1Harmony UNIQUE Explained: The Hero Comes Back, Six Tracks and the Brazilian Funk Title Song
The ninth mini album: the hero’s return after the strike, six songs, the hand-sign choreography and two music-show wins.
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RESCENE Glow Up: Growing Up, Smelling Like Soap, With Dirty Loops on Board
“Glow up” usually means looking better. RESCENE’s agency says their second mini album means much more: a change in style, confidence and skill, not just looks.
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RESCENE lip bomb: Five Berries, One Scent and the Third Mini Album
Lip balm, but with a bang: RESCENE’s third mini album mixes five berries into one scent, one for each song.
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RESCENE Re:Scene: The Debut That Smelled Like Flowers
Have you ever smelled something and suddenly remembered a moment from years ago? That feeling has a name, the Proust effect, and RESCENE built their whole identity around it.
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RESCENE SCENEDROME: A Mermaid in the City, Ambergris and the Song That Came Back
Ambergris comes from sperm whales. On its own, it’s rough-looking and doesn’t even smell good. But mixed with other scents, it makes them stronger.
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SEVENTEEN Face the Sun: HOT, Nine Group Songs and a New Chapter
The fourth studio album after the contract renewal: HOT, the English pre-release Darl+ing, nine songs for all 13 members and a No. 7 Billboard 200 peak.
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SEVENTEEN FML: Two Title Tracks, Three Units and a K-pop Sales Record
The 10th mini album: Super and F*ck My Life, the hip-hop, performance and vocal unit songs, a 4.55 million first week and a No. 2 Billboard 200 debut.
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SEVENTEEN HAPPY BURSTDAY: Thirteen Solos, One Anniversary
The fifth studio album’s three group songs, thirteen solos, credits and official anniversary videos.
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SEVENTEEN SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN: Beyond God of Music
God of Music, the unit songs and the seven-song plus instrumental structure of the eleventh mini album.
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SEVENTEEN SPILL THE FEELS: Six Songs, Three Teams
The six-track mini album: its title anagram, three teams and LOVE, MONEY, FAME.
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Stray Kids ★★★★★ (5-STAR): S-Class and the Third Billboard 200 No. 1
The third studio album: S-Class, 12 songs, Tiger JK on TOPLINE and the biggest U.S. sales week of 2023 so far.
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Stray Kids ATE: Chk Chk Boom and a Fifth Straight Billboard 200 No. 1
The ninth EP: eating up the summer, Chk Chk Boom, JJAM, eight songs and a No. 1 that put two K-pop albums on top.
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Stray Kids DO IT: The First SKZ IT TAPE and an Eighth Straight No. 1
What an SKZ IT TAPE is, the double title tracks Do It and 신선놀음 (DIVINE), the five songs and an eighth straight Billboard 200 No. 1.
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Stray Kids 合 (HOP): The First SKZHOP HIPTAPE and a Sixth Straight No. 1
The first SKZHOP HIPTAPE: Walkin On Water, the two-meaning title, eight tour solos and a sixth straight Billboard 200 No. 1.
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Stray Kids KARMA: Fate, CEREMONY and a Seventh No. 1
The fourth full album's theme of fate, CEREMONY in three versions, BLEEP, CREED, MESS, 0801 and the tour around it.
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Stray Kids MAXIDENT: CASE 143 and a Second Billboard 200 No. 1
The seventh EP: what the name means, CASE 143, the eight songs, the trailer and a second straight Billboard 200 No. 1.
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Stray Kids ODDINARY: The Mini Album Where MANIAC Began
Odd plus ordinary, the MANIAC title track, VENOM and FREEZE, two unit songs and the start of a Billboard 200 No. 1 run.
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Stray Kids 樂-STAR (ROCK-STAR): LALALALA and a Fourth Straight No. 1
The eighth EP: the 樂 pun, LALALALA, MEGAVERSE, eight songs, a fourth Billboard 200 No. 1 and a first Hot 100 entry.
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Stray Kids THIS & THAT: Eight Songs and a Ninth Billboard 200 No. 1
The 10th EP: This & That, the RUN IT pre-release, what Stray Kids say about all eight songs and a ninth straight Billboard 200 No. 1.
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TREASURE's NEW WAV Explained: Four Hip-Hop Tracks and the Arrival of HYUNHAYO
Follow all four hip-hop tracks, member contributions and HYUNHAYO through official videos.
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TWICE FANCY YOU: The Mini Album That Introduced a "New TWICE"
The seventh mini album's FANCY, six tracks with members as lyricists, overseas songwriters and the official video route.
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TWICE STRATEGY: Megan Thee Stallion, Seven Love Strategies and a Top 5 Debut
The 14th mini album: Strategy with Megan Thee Stallion, the seven songs, DAHYUN's Keeper and a No. 4 Billboard 200 debut.
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TWICE TEN: The Story Goes On: ME+YOU and Nine Solo Songs for the 10th Anniversary
The 10th-anniversary special album: ME+YOU, the nine members' solo songs, who wrote what and a 10th Billboard 200 entry.
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TWICE THIS IS FOR: A Fourth Full Album for the Next Decade
A manifesto for TWICE's next ten years: the title track, five unit songs, the writers and the world tour that shared its name.
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TWS's TO US Explained: Three Songs About Moving Forward and Having Someone There
Three songs about ambition, trust and comfort, with PLEDIS credits and official video routes.
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TOMORROW X TOGETHER minisode1 : Blue Hour: The Sky at 5:53 and the Summer They Lost
2020 was TXT’s second year as a group, and the world was dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. TXT answered with a short album about innocence.
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TOMORROW X TOGETHER The Dream Chapter: ETERNITY: The Night the World Burned, and the First Song the Members Wrote
The title track’s English name is a question: Can’t You See Me?
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TOMORROW X TOGETHER The Name Chapter: FREEFALL: Falling Into Reality, With Anitta on Board
On TEMPTATION, TXT wanted to stay in Neverland. On The Name Chapter: FREEFALL, they let go and fall.
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TOMORROW X TOGETHER The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE: When the Dream Ends and the Real World Arrives
The Dream Chapter was about stars and magic. The Chaos Chapter begins with all of that swept away.
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TOMORROW X TOGETHER The Dream Chapter: MAGIC: Platform 9¾ and the First Full-Length Album
What if you could leave everything behind from a hidden train platform? The lead single on TXT’s first full-length album is called 9 and Three Quarters (Run Away).
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TOMORROW X TOGETHER minisode 3: TOMORROW: A Promise, a Morse Code Song and Deja Vu
One song on this album doesn’t have a title in letters. It’s written in Morse code: - --- -- --- ·-· ·-· --- ·--.
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TOMORROW X TOGETHER The Star Chapter: SANCTUARY: Over The Moon and Six Kinds of Love
Two people meet again under a starry sky. That’s how BIGHIT opens its introduction to The Star Chapter: SANCTUARY, and it’s a big moment in TXT’s long story.
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TOMORROW X TOGETHER The Dream Chapter: STAR: The Debut Where a Horn Grew Overnight
The English title is CROWN. The Korean title of TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s debut song is much stranger.
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TOMORROW X TOGETHER The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION: Sugar Rush Ride and a Farewell to Neverland
What if you could stay young forever? That’s the temptation in The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION.
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TOMORROW X TOGETHER minisode 2: Thursday’s Child: A First Breakup in Five Songs
Denial, dejection, anger and loss. BIGHIT lists the stages of a first breakup in its introduction to minisode 2: Thursday’s Child, and the album goes through each one.
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TOMORROW X TOGETHER The Star Chapter: TOGETHER: The Album Named After the Group, and Five Member Videos
TOMORROW X TOGETHER had already used the first word of their name. minisode 3 was called TOMORROW. In 2025, they used the second.