A showcase for the group’s eighth EP, “7TH YEAR: When the Wind Paused Briefly in the Thornbush,” was held Sunday afternoon at Korea University’s Hwajeong Gymnasium in Seoul.
The release is TXT’s first since all five members renewed their contracts with BigHit Music in August 2025. The group said the album compares the anxiety and uncertainty they felt over the past seven years to “thorns,” and looks back on that period while committing to a new start.
Leader Soobin said, “We’re greeting you with our eighth EP. It feels new because it’s our first album after renewing our contracts. We’ll show you a great side of ourselves.” Hueningkai said the group “put a range of emotions into the music.” Beomgyu added, “We came back with a heartbreaking love story. It’s already our eighth year, and time feels like it flew by. Thank you for being with us as we grew.”
Yeonjun said the group prepared “with the mindset of debuting” because it is their first comeback after renewing. Taehyun said, “As always over the past seven years, we’ll work hard.”
The group also spoke about moving smoothly through what is often called the “seven-year hurdle” in K-pop, when many groups face difficult contract talks.
Taehyun said aligning the members’ views “didn’t even take an hour.” “We wanted to keep promoting as a team, and we wanted to keep promoting with our fans, so it was like, ‘Of course we’re doing this, right?’” he said. He added that the group wanted to reassure fans quickly, and said they sought advice from BTS member RM, who “warmly” congratulated them and reviewed documents with care.
Soobin said people told them coordinating among members can be harder than negotiating with the company, but the group reached agreement quickly. He said the company talks took longer than the members’ discussion, but he later learned the process was still considered early and that cases like theirs are rare.
The members said the album marks a shift away from a “persona” toward more personal material.
Taehyun said the group held long interviews with the production team and found their thinking was similar as they looked for “the most honest story” they could tell at this point. He said the change also raised questions about how to keep the work truthful when drawing from real life.
Beomgyu said that while there were many happy moments, there were also periods of anxiety and worry, and he wanted to capture those feelings honestly. Yeonjun said that even after renewing and entering their eighth year, the experience is not “only glamorous,” and he still feels a desire to go higher. He said he once thought debuting would automatically make them global stars, but reality was different, and the process helped him learn and grow.
Yeonjun also said he experienced a severe burnout during preparations, while also working on a solo album. “It was a meaningful time,” he said, adding that what he wants at the end of that process is “the team.” He said he hopes to keep the group together “as long as possible” and promote happily with the members.
Soobin said discussing their seventh anniversary contract made the members feel especially precious to him. He recalled that the group struggled after COVID-19 hit about a year after debut, cutting off many experiences they expected to have, but said the members matured mentally and became closer through what they went through.
The title track, “7TH YEAR: When the Wind Paused Briefly in the Thornbush,” continues TXT’s pattern of long song titles.
Hueningkai said people see the long title and say it feels like a TXT song, calling it part of the group’s identity. Soobin said he was glad to have a Korean-language title again, and that fans saying it reminds them of the group’s early days felt like a compliment because TXT prepared with a debut-like mindset. Yeonjun said he suggested a hand-tutting move in the chorus and said the choreography turned out well.
The EP includes six tracks: “Bed of Thorns,” “Stick With You,” “Take Me to Nirvana,” “So What,” “21st Century Romance” and “Next of Next.”
Taehyun said that while achievements such as Billboard rankings matter, the group’s top priority is staying healthy and happy, and that the process should be enjoyable. “If we need something measurable, I want to be No. 1 on Billboard,” he said.
TXT’s eighth EP, “7TH YEAR: When the Wind Paused Briefly in the Thornbush,” will be released worldwide at 6 p.m. Sunday.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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