Visualizing Music Through Design: TXT

One thing that has always fascinated me about graphic designers is their ability to tell a story visually. The creative decisions that we as designers make can create a mood around a particular subject – it’s almost like creating a preview of what people should expect. When we look at book or album covers, or posters for events or movies, that is the very first impression we have on the subject, and if the visuals do not properly convey or match the subject at hand, viewers feel confused or betrayed. Of course, this could be intentional – for example, a horror movie with a ‘cute’ looking poster could be completely intentional, utilizing the element of surprise. However, I think there is something really amazing in the ability to flawlessly convey an emotion through design; I particularly enjoy the way K-Pop group Tomorrow X Together (or TXT for short) use visuals to create a mood around their music that conveys the concept of their albums and tells a story that follows through with their music.

TXT, a 5-member K-pop group that debuted in 2019, have consistently utilized graphic design to convey their concepts, musical storylines, and the overall feeling of their releases – they do this with their group logos, album covers, and other promotional content with every musical release. I find it particularly interesting how TXT and their creative team manage to reimagine their logo design with every release but manage to stay consistent and recognizable.

Simply looking at these logos can give you a feel for what the music might sound like or what the concept of each release could be. K-pop artists often have a clear theme or concept behind their music releases, and they often have constant concept changes which would naturally need design and logo changes to match! TXT keeps audiences engaged and excited through their consistent logo changes with every release and the storyline that follows throughout their music videos. TXT has managed to create a whole ‘cinematic universe’ through their music and fans are always excited to see where the story is heading and what the logo and album cover might look like. The last logo on the bottom right is for their upcoming release, which is coming out tomorrow on the 13th, yet we can already imagine what the music might sound like just from the logo design. TXT themselves have praised their team’s skills and how well they have managed to capture the mood of each album with these designs.

As an example, let’s take a look at one of my favorite releases of theirs, titled The Dream Chapter: Magic.

Before even listening to the tracks on this album, we can already expect it to sound bright and upbeat, with a dreamy and magical theme. The popping star in the center of the cover design teases at the explosive feelings that come with growing up – which is a recurring theme in TXT’s discography. Featuring tracks with titles like Run Away (Platform 9¾), Poppin’ Star, and Magic Island, the theme of magic and references to Harry Potter are prevalent, the theme persists seamlessly from the cover design to the tracks. In terms of the genre of the music in this album, the songs include elements of synth-pop, pop, and hip-hop, which are generally upbeat and match well with the color palette of the album design. That being said, there is an alternate version of this album with a darker cover, which is a reference to some of the darker themes present in their storyline. Moreover, TXT releases logo animations for every logo change, adding an element of storytelling to the changing designs.

Another interesting thing to think about when designing something that is going to be seen both digitally and physically is adding finishing touches or interactive elements when printing. A great example of this is the star on the cover of The Dream Chapter: Magic, which actually glows in the dark!

TXT uses graphic design, logo changes, and visual storytelling not only for aesthetic purposes but also to convey emotions and tell the stories behind their music. I think meaningful graphic design can be very impactful and leaves behind an impression on people –  transcending merely aesthetics and adding a layer of depth to other forms of art, such as enhancing or even visualizing music in the case of TXT, leaving a lasting impression on their audience and engages them with a message and story, it’s more than just music.

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