TXT Releases Nostalgic Continuation of the Chaos Chapter in ‘LO$ER=LO♡ER’

On August 17, TXT released The Chaos Chapter: FIGHT or ESCAPE, and hype surrounding the title track “LO$ER=LO♡ER” quickly spread across social media. After the group made drastic changes to their concept for The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE, they have decided to grow off of their past victory. Instead of a bright and bubbly single like “Blue Hour,” released nearly a year ago, TXT has shifted into an angst-filled nostalgic world. 

Many say that TXT’s purpose is to show the development from youth into maturity, which “LO$ER=LO♡ER” communicated to audiences. Although this comeback was a repackaged album with two additional songs, such as “MOA Diary (Dubaddu Wari Wari),” a song dedicated to fans, listeners were dragged back into reality where the kitsch nature of the K-pop industry no longer exists.

There is so much to say about TXT’s development as a group that has simultaneously been evident in their musical progression. Each comeback conveys different emotions as if the members are slowly learning new parts of themselves through their journey to becoming adults. Big Hit debuted Choi Yeonjun, Choi Soobin, Choi Beomgyu, Kang Taehyun, and Hueningkai at very vulnerable parts in their lives.

Instead of releasing music to appeal to fans, their goal from the start was to build a connected discography that feeds off of each other. Every new comeback was a continuation of the last with more complex ideas and emotions. Although the music seemed scattered at the start, everything is starting to come together like a puzzle.

reasons why moas are feeling emotional:

– txt looks so cute, handsome, and fine
– moa diary choreo
– soobin and beomgyu are wearing specs
– the fanchants from moa diary and loser lover

— khy ლ zzZ – $♡ (@D0LLTXT) August 20, 2021

Tomorrow X Together, better known as TXT, is the second group under HYBE Corporation’s Big Hit Entertainment directly below world superstars BTS. They debuted in 2019 with the refreshing and youthful song “Crown” and have garnered the attention of K-pop fans all across the world. They were never meant to replace or replicate BTS’s success and instead have created a world of their own that differs from their seniors’ music.

The group has grown with its fans over the years, with a target audience in the same age range. Therefore, their music caters to a specific group of fans. This phenomenon helped their fanbase develop an intimate connection with the members who share the same humor and music taste.

After “Crown” was released, they brought a jaw-dropping first comeback to the table in the form of “Run Away.” TXT has always had complex lyrics and meaning behind their music, but “Run Away” stood out from “Crown” because it abandoned the bright attitude and took on a more nostalgic, rock-influenced persona. The song was TXT’s first exposure to such music, but both albums were still strongly bound to the K-pop sound.

In 2020, TXT had two comebacks: “Can’t You See Me?” and “Blue Hour.” The former track was the last part of their first trilogy, The Dream Chapter. The music video is referenced often in the TXT Timeline since it reveals many plot points to their universe. “Can’t You See Me?” is a fantasy-driven track with a slightly violent undertone. The dance is simplistic and meaningful, but the song is still overshadowed by the group’s more energetic title tracks.

“Blue Hour” was an in-between phase for TXT. The plotline in this song’s music video does not align with the previous concepts nor the future storylines in The Chaos Chapter. However, it was a well-deserved break for the boys who needed an upbeat dance track to ground themselves for what lay before them. After months of waiting, TXT finally announced that they would be beginning another trilogy. This time, however, it would change the course of their music. The group has always been primarily experimental with its songwriting and themes. Instead of coming up with something new, they turned to the past for inspiration. 

So far, The Chaos Chapter has been taking bits and pieces from early 2000s punk music to build their title tracks. Their b-sides have stuck to TXT’s character with a mix of ballads and bubbly songs to lighten the heaviness of their promoted song. “0X1=LOVESONG” was beyond anything their fans could have expected. Even though it was a dark concept, it was nothing like “Run Away” or “Can’t You See Me?” The sound was strongly reminiscent of angst music that dominated the pop scene some twenty years ago.

[영상] #TXT (#투모로우바이투게더 ) – LO$ER=LO♡ER @ 뮤직뱅크
(https://t.co/DaJ1cAGZjs)

— TXT OFFICIAL (@TXT_bighit) August 20, 2021

After “0X1=LOVESONG” promotions ended, HYBE immediately jumped to continue on this track, announcing a new song that would be released in a repackaged album similar to The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE. One theory about TXT’s discography that is eerily accurate is that each comeback stands for a different age. As the boys grow up, their music does simultaneously, so the assumption that it corresponds with a certain age seems plausible. 

The theory goes like this: “Crown” is becoming a pre-teen, “Run Away” is around thirteen to fourteen, “Can’t You See Me?” is about fifteen, “Blue Hour” is sixteen or seventeen years old, “0X1=LOVESONG” is eighteen, and “LO$ER=LO♡ER” is nineteen or twenty. These speculations are accurate to the problems the members face in each music video. They have to grow up, accept themselves, and begin to act as members of society. Here is where the theories revolving around “LO$ER=LO♡ER” begin. As always, fans love to create detailed explanations to every detail that appears in the music video. This time, however, the pieces fit together almost perfectly.

[THEORY TIME #LOSER_LOVER] – A little theory, my own thoughts.

tw / death, suicide (mentioned)

I think at the end, the car, some people might think they’re commiting suicide but I think that’s not the case.

At the end when the car goes into the cliff can be + pic.twitter.com/IpNIYpFnPa

— 🐼 TXT Theory 📌 (@alwaysnesstxt) August 18, 2021

The “LO$ER=LO♡ER” music video follows the lives of the members merely surviving. One is robbing a bank, one is working at a restaurant, one is at a skateboard park, one is having lunch, and the last is broadcasting in their bedroom. Their common ground is the desire to bring love into their lives by going against the grain. Though the phrase “Lover with a $ dollar sign is a Loser” sounds cheesy, it has an overarching meaning that applies to all of us.

From the perspective of an eighteen or nineteen-year-old who is at a particularly vulnerable moment in their life, forced to abandon the freedom from their teens to fit into society, TXT expresses contempt towards materialistic values that comes with success and achievements. The group accepts that money is necessary to accomplish nearly everything, but succumbing to that idea makes one a “loser.” The characters in the music video chose to run away from society with their lovers.

Every member except for Beomgyu has a pairing to run away with, which ties back to their “Drama” music video—a song on The Dream Chapter: ETERNITY mini-album. While the others have their lovers beside them, Beomgyu’s true love was towards music. All of the characters escape the prison in which they are held, Yeonjun’s inescapable cycle of poverty, Hueningkai’s attachment to his job, and Beomgyu’s toxic household. 

Their escape proves that the song’s meaning does not only imply love for another person but for the thing in life that gives one purpose. It seems that they saved themselves by running away, but the video takes a dark turn. The last few clips show the members driving together, which will be revisited when discussing its ties to the “0X1=LOVESONG” music video, but they take themselves to their untimely deaths. Without ever being confirmed, it is most likely that the storyline includes the passing of these characters.

theory time!!

so like we’re saying that loser = lover is what happened before lovesong right? does that mean only yeonjun survived after they fell in the cliff WHICH IS WHY he has hospital bands on his wrist and all the remaining members are just a hallucination cuz they + pic.twitter.com/QRWP6af0xq

— terry’s s/o (@centerjjuni) August 17, 2021

Returning to the boys’ deaths in their most recent video, we can trace it to their last comeback. “LO$ER=LO♡ER” shows their lives before The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE, making for an interesting timeline. Yeonjun, the main character, is seen with bandages around his body and is hospitalized several times in the video. His condition is the aftermath of driving him and his companions off the cliff. The burning car and silence imply that everything in “0X1=LOVESONG” is merely a figment of his imagination. His friends are gone, and the car is destroyed. The accident also caused mental trauma, which led Yeonjun to hallucinate. 

There are many other theories about the ending of the “LO$ER=LO♡ER” music video. Some think they are driving to Magic Island, a world mentioned in a b-side with the same name. The group confirmed that the meaning is about someone transformed from a loser to a lover by running away and pursuing their passions. In the recent episode of Showterview with Jessi, they talked about the group’s goal, which is “to make songs to represent Gen Z. We express our honest feelings through the songs.” 

On another note, the repackaged album includes an additional new song titled “MOA Diary (Dubadu Wari Wari)” written for their fans. It is a cheerful tune with lyrics written by the TXT members. After a challenging year for the entire K-pop industry, TXT wants their fans to know how much they love and appreciate them, for their success is all due to the support of MOA. So keep up with TXT’s new performances on Korea’s daily music shows as well as their interviews and reality TV appearances. Follow their Instagram and Twitter for more content and information about their promotions.