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.
Beomgyu released a solo track earlier this year, and Take My Half‘s soft rock feels like an extension of that. This is clearly a genre he prefers and it fits his vocal color well. I just wish he found more engaging songs within this soundscape. Take My Half is pretty and delicate and reminds me of the easy-listening indie music of the early-to-late 00s, but like Panic this just goes in one ear and out the other for me. The melodies feel familiar and unremarkable, cresting in a softly anthemic chorus that practically begs for performative emoting. It’ll likely go down well in concerts but doesn’t do much to push his artistry forward.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
