Last March 25 and 26, five-member K-pop boy group Tomorrow X Together (TXT) kicked off their second world tour, “Act: Sweet Mirage”, at the KSPO Dome in Seoul. As someone who has followed TXT for a couple of years now, I was lucky enough to snag a ticket for the second night of their Seoul concert: three hours full of spectacle and enchantment.

TXT debuted in 2019, but because of the pandemic, plans for their first world tour, “Act: Lovesick”, were delayed until last year when they performed in 13 cities across Asia and North America. To their fans’ surprise, their second world tour was announced only three months after “Act: Lovesick” ended, this time in support of their latest album, The Name Chapter: Temptation.

But the setlist for “Act: Sweet Mirage” was not just limited to the five songs from Temptation. The boys performed 25 songs, starting with “Blue Hour”, a light-hearted, energetic pop beat from their fourth album (and one of my personal favorites). The five members didn’t seem to lose energy as they danced and sang one song after another. Taehyun — often recognized for his vocals — exuded emotion with his rasp and range during “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)”, a heart-wrenching rock tune filled with yearning. Meanwhile, Yeonjun — the group’s eldest — elicited screams as he projected a confident charisma through his fluid moves and facial expressions. Knowing fans would already be familiar with their songs, TXT mixed things up by performing some differently than usual: for instance, their performance of “Magic”, their first English single, included a dance break set against a high-tempo remix, making it even more upbeat.

In between songs, the audience was entertained in various ways. As the boys changed outfits backstage, the screens would play footage conveying a fantasy plot involving magical powers and a CGI dragon, based on TXT’s official webtoon, The Star Seekers. The group’s youngest member, Hueningkai, took the spotlight with a solo dance performance as the other four went backstage to prepare for their next song. The members also talked to audience members, explaining the meaning behind their songs and their journey as a K-pop idol group. TXT often interacted with the audience, at one point teaching and asking spectators — including Big Hit Music founder Bang Si-hyuk — to do the TikTok challenge of their song “Happy Fools” on camera. During these segments, the most playful member, Beomgyu, drew laughs with his outgoing personality.

The concert was impeccably produced from beginning to end with smooth transitions between moods. Lights throughout the venue — including fans’ individual light sticks — lit up in vibrant patterns during high-energy dance performances and dimmed down for more intimate ballads. A personal highlight from the set pieces was “LO$ER=LOVER”, which they performed on a blue convertible on stage, evoking the road trip featured in the official music video. One unique point of the concert was the scent: a floral fragrance wafted through the arena in the first performance, transforming to a smell that evoked the forests and shores of Neverland during “Farewell, Neverland”. If there’s one aspect of the concert I might have found lacking, it would probably be their clothes; although the five members pulled off each outfit well, it didn’t always fit the concept and tone of the songs they were performing.

Before ending the concert, TXT gave the sold-out stadium a special treat by singing a never-before-heard ode to their fans called “Blue Spring”. The song’s lyrics express the emotional connection between the boys and their supporters and call back to some of their biggest hits like “Crown” and “Magic”. The group had a similar surprise on their first world tour, performing “Sweat”, a song that, to this day, has yet to be released on official platforms and can only be accessed through a special website.

For many fans though, “Act: Sweet Mirage” was a fuller experience compared to “Act: Lovesick”. One KAIST student who attended both tours said, “I was wondering how they could make their new tour as interesting as the previous one, but they managed to surprise us,”  praising the bigger stage and venue, more audience interactions, better setlist, and more dance breaks and solo performances. In just the span of a few months TXT has certainly grown as idols and become more comfortable on stage in front of thousands. At the end, group leader Soobin, whose humble introversion charmed the audience throughout the night, was almost brought to tears as he promised fans that it was just the beginning of their journey together. “I hope that we can be your sanctuary,” he said, “just like you are ours.”