Kang Taehyun performing at Lollapalooza 2023. Photo by Ashley Osborn.

History makers, Tomorrow X Together (TXT) became the first K-pop group to headline the music festival, Lollapalooza in Chicago. Last year, the five-member group was the first Korean group to perform at the festival. Now, in 2023, Amidst their ACT: Sweet Mirage tour schedule, the group returned to the Lollapalooza stage this time as headliners making history for the second year in a row. In recent years, the popularity of K-pop has surged in America.

Despite it being a rainy day in typical Chicago fashion, once TXT stepped onstage a bright rainbow illuminated the cloudy but still rainy skies. Thanks to this, many of their fans (who are  known as Moments of Alwaysness or MOA) have affectionately dubbed the group “weather fairies.” Even though the ground was muddy, the Grant Park festival goers still had a great Saturday, enthusiastically enjoying the range of music TXT performed.

Formed in 2019, Tomorrow x Together is not your typical K-pop group. The group is composed of five members: Choi Soobin, Choi Yeonjun, Choi Beomgyu, Kang Taehyun, and Huening Kai. Their entire discography features a wide variety of different genres and sounds.

This year at Lollapalooza, they performed songs like “Farewell, Neverland,” a pop rock song about growth, “Cat & Dog,” a playful-sounding song from their debut album about wanting to romantically be with someone 24/7, and “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” a captivating emo-rock song about the struggles of love.

From vibrantly colored sets including fireworks and Beomgyu’s signature move of lighting a rose on fire — the crowd was left in awe. Most of their set was upbeat, filled with energetic dances and outfit changes. They also included slower songs like “Anti-Romantic,” a sad romantic song that went viral and trended on TikTok in 2021.

Constantly thinking of MOA, TXT showed their appreciation by performing an unreleased and fan-favorite song, “Blue Spring”. Though “Blue Spring” was a gift for their fans, TXT still kept the crowd engaged by urging everyone to sing along. Many people in the audience happily raised their flashlights and lightsticks.

The group surprised the audience with a special guest, American rapper and singer, Coi Leray. For their most recent album “The Name Chapter: Temptation” they collaborated with Leray on the song “Happy Fools” an upbeat song about living in the moment.

Most of their music can be attributed to youth, the struggles of growing up, and all that entails from wanting to run away, to friendship, to problems in love like ghosting.

Did you miss out on their epic and historical performance? Have no fear. At the end of their 90-minute set, Taehyun asked the audience to “follow us for the rest of our world tour, our new album, and more amazing stuff.” While we wait, check out some of their older songs like “New Rules,” “Crown,” “Eternally,” and “Fairy of Shampoo.”

It’s so exciting to have new music coming soon, but in the meantime to reminisce on such a special day, here’s the lineup in case you missed it.

Tomorrow x Together Lollapalooza Lineup

• “0x1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)”
• “Dear Sputnik”
• “Devil By The Window” (rock version)
• “Tinnitus”
• “Can’t You See Me” (rock version)
• “Good Boy Gone Bad” (dance break version)
• “Lonely Boy”
• “Thursday’s Child Has Far To Go
• “Anti-Romantic”
• “Farewell, Neverland”
• “Blue Spring”
• “No Rules”
• “Cat & Dog”
• “Happy Fools (feat. Coi Leray) “
• “Blue Hour” (dance break version)
• “Wishlist”
• “LOSER=LOVER”
• “Magic” (dance break version)
• “Do It Like That”
• “Sugar Rush Ride”

Congratulations to Tomorrow x Together for making history and bringing their unwavering enthusiasm to Lollapalooza. Until the next time they come to Chicago, stream their new single “Do It Like That” featuring the Jonas Brothers, and look forward to their comeback on October 13, 2023!