One of the fourth generation leaders in K-pop all share one brain cell.

As a casual K-pop fan I listened to most of TXT’s songs without really knowing them as a group… that is until “0X1 = LOVESONG” hit the stage. It was (and still is) a religious experience, it is a cultural reset, and it came when the world needed it the most.

Let me enlighten you on the facts:

• lyrics were co-written by RM, Hitman Bang, Slow Rabbit, and many more
• it won the Melon Music Awards for Music Video of the Year
• it was nominated at the Korean Music Awards for Best K-pop song
• at the time of writing, it has 95M views on youtube
• it also has 203, 451, 577 streams on spotify

This group tends to take a dark turn in their lyrics with their upbeat songs and there are many speculations as to what the real meaning within the melancholic story is. The official meaning of the song and MV is about:

“the characters in their cinematic universe [who] have to face new emotions as they come of age and prepare to begin the journey into adulthood through chaos ripping into their ordinary lives….[it’s about] believing in love even though the world is dissolving into chaos and there are thousands of doubts and sorrows in your mind” (The Rolling Stone India).

I wholeheartedly agree about these overarching themes, but I always like to come up with my own interpretation or look at other fan theories as well. I was amazed at this one specific theory that is quite popular with other MOAs, though I will add my perspective and why it changes from the theory everyone else recognizes.

The main character of the story is Yeonjun who is in an unhealthy environment at home. Contrary to many opinions, I don’t think his parents are just fighting or in the middle of a divorce. I think Yeonjun has gone through a very traumatic event in which his four friends lost their lives. The parents may very well be arguing about what to do with Yeonjun and how to help him overcome this.

Throughout the MV, Yeonjun and Kai are the only two members to directly see these hallucinations of fish, Betta fish specifically. The meaning behind the Betta name is “beautiful warrior” and it is said that in dreams, Betta represent change. It can be that you are ready to confront hidden feelings or thoughts in your inner self. Some people say that Betta bring luck and positive energy while absorbing the negative.

There are many fish scenes in the MV that make it impossible to not take them into consideration for theories. With that being said, Yeonjun could be in the middle of confronting his repressed feelings about the incident which explains his reckless behavior and restlessness.

Why do I think the four friends died? They could have just been more hallucinations of Yeonjun’s schizophrenia. Maybe Yeonjun could see the past and encountered these four friends who were alive a long time ago. Well, we all know that they aren’t really there with Yeonjun as their reflection is nonexistent (in the short clip of the rearview mirror of the car) and the MV starts and ends with Yeonjun all alone. Hence, I would like to redirect you to the Japanese MV:

• ALL the friends are covered in blood

• Taehyun is in a destroyed classroom and he has implied wings

• Kai is in a tub filled with plastic water bottles

• Beomgyu seems to be on a hospital bed covered in bandages

• Yeonjun is by himself in both his room and the rooftop surrounded by bed sheets air drying

• Soobin is in an abandoned wasteland surrounded by flowers and plastic bottles

• ALL the members have a shot of themselves freefalling

There is also a scene in the Japanese MV where it seems like meteorites are falling (many people compared the scene to the movie “Your Name”). TXT concepts always have a connection with stars, eternity, and dreams. Therefore, I think that the “meteorites” falling are not the members being shown as fallen angels, but more so as their dreams and eternity falling as a result of their death.

Something else I wanted to point out is that his friends are always there for him, like when he was coming towards the car with the keys and when he was locked inside his room with the fish. I don’t think they’re waiting for him, but more so as if they were accompanying him in his solitude. Though that may be a stretch within the story and the fandom haha.

In this case, Yeonjun is desperate to see his friends again, so much so that he imagines their entire interaction, their laughs, their hardships, everything. The key lyrics that align with his restless heart and longing are:

“you’re my one and only”

“in this endless darkness”

“now i can’t stop thinking ’bout you when i’m sinking alone”

“Angel who one day appeared to me Take me away to your hometown”

“i know it’s real, i can feel it”

“i was fine to die”

“Save me Take my hand Please use me like a drug”

“Say you love me Till the end of the world”

“All or nothing, I want all of you”

“I’m not going to make it I won’t be able to get into heaven I don’t belong there”

“no place for me in heaven”

When I think about the lyrics with this in mind, I think it has a much greater impact on the audience as it speaks on the longing and desperation one feels when losing someone. Technically speaking, during the bridge sung by Soobin and Yeonjun, they are singing to the girl they love; but I think the character Yeonjun interacts with time itself and a changes occurs in the midst of his mourning. The lyrics “The hole in my soul begins to mend Frigid air starts to thaw In this world of zero I found warmth” is what makes me believe this is the tie to the Betta fish.

Birds are one of the secondary symbols within the story, and they are said to bring freedom, new beginnings, and mean that you are being liberated from the overwhelming situation you are in. If I were to stretch my theory a bit, I would say that because Yeonjun is no longer in shock (like in the shot where he sees the fish in his room), he is finally recuperating his senses and allowing himself to mourn their deaths.

Perhaps his parents were already in an unstable relationship and Yeonjun’s friends were the light in his life , and this is repeated in the lyrics over and over again. Considering that in the “Run Away” MV they all jumped into a pool leading to the magical island, perhaps that is why Yeonjun went to the empty pool out of all places. Hoping to see them again, but realizing that “there was no place for [him] in heaven” as he is not destined to die yet.

Again, this is a compilation of a fan theory mixed with my own thoughts!

I leave a soobin pic for good luck!

-Marcela Bernal ヽ( ´ ∇ ｀ )ノ