Origins is a recurring series giving artists a space to break down everything that went into their latest release. Today, Yeonjun of TOMORROW X TOGETHER digs into his new single, “GGUM,” the focus track off his first solo mixtape.
When K-pop artists release new music, they often rally their friends to promote a single by teaming up to create a fun dance video together. But one look at the choreography for “GGUM,” the new single from Yeonjun of TOMORROW X TOGETHER, is enough to make even well-seasoned artists pause.
Yeonjun is the eldest member of TXT, and with his new release, GGUM, he becomes the first member of the band to release a solo mixtape project. TOMORROW X TOGETHER have been operating at a breakneck pace recently; since the group sat down for a Consequence cover story (in which Yeonjun used his solo chat to confirm that he loves being described “as a cool person”) last year, TXT have experienced more than a few milestone moments. This includes headlining Lollapalooza, performing at the MTV VMAs, tackling another world tour, and pushing out multiple new collections of music.
And while Yeonjun has always had a reputation as an all-arounder and used those aforementioned opportunities to continue honing his daunting performance skill set, “GGUM” sees him embracing the spotlight in a new way. To dig into the release, he jumps on Zoom from Seoul, his hair — dyed a deep red these days — tucked into a hoodie. That pursuit of “cool” still feels ongoing for Yeonjun; he describes “GGUM” as “trendy.”
The high-energy track kicks off with his own vocals pitched up to eyebrow-raising levels; the chorus sinks into a syncopated piano with a playful, wicked edge to it. Meanwhile, the choreography in the chorus shows Yeonjun dropping into a split before resuming the footwork. (Good luck to him if he’s hoping to rally his fellow idols to give this one a spin for the camera.) “No need to be humble when I’m on the floor,” he sings in the first verse.
“To be honest, I really wanted to try something different from what we’ve done as a team,” he says of the project. “But the members have heard the song, and they thought it was really cool, so I was proud of myself.”
Watch the wild video for “GGUM” below, and read on for Yeonjun’s insights into the Origins behind the key points of the song.
