I attended both days of the concert and viewed numerous fan videos countless times. By now, I knew each stage performance by heart. What I had not seen were the behind-the-scene videos and interviews that documented the journey in creating not only the concert but also Taeyong himself-his reflections on his journey from his rookie days to the 10th year marking the beginning of TY TRACK.
These reflections were probably not completely new to many Tyongfs because Taeyong had previously revealed such thoughts via live streamings, interviews, and even in conversations during fan video calls. But the ways in which the film interweaved the behind-the-scene videos and interviews throughout the concert made it incredibly moving to once again witness TY TRACK and everything it represented. It created a space to confirm, to be reminded of everything I had already known about him, and to reaffirm my belief in him.
K-pop idols hold a very unique position in the global entertainment industry-the ways in which K-pop idols are created, produced, and viewed in Korean culture and society cannot be fully explained or understood through EuroAmerican-centric discourses and theories. One thing that makes them distinct from other celebrity cultures is the idea of authenticity. While we all perform in one way or another in our daily lives, how much you reveal yourself authentically can make you stand apart from all the glitter and glam that packages this industry. It can be incredibly scary and terrifying to reveal who you are, to show yourself. And Taeyong is so brave, so courageous to reveal who he is in such an earnest and honest way. He writes and sings about his hopes and struggles, the dark and the light. And Taeyong has always consistently revealed his true feelings and personalities, being strong yet vulnerable, playful yet serious.
But there is also a sense of confidence amidst this process of revealing who he is so authentically. A kind of confidence that shows how much he is aware of himself and his ambitions and surroundings, and how he knows he can take care of himself. A kind of confidence that shows he is not afraid of what others might think because this is Taeyong 100% and he is not afraid to own it.
I see TY TRACK as a kind of "crossing" rather than a destination-a crossing from baby-faced rookie Taeyong to the artist that he is today, a crossing from a multi-member group leader into a solo singer-songwriter who can easily fill a two-hour setlist purely with the songs he composed (which is no small feat), and a crossing from an ambitious young boy into someone who constantly and fearlessly challenges himself. TY TRACK is a part of his ongoing journey in becoming someone whom I cannot wait to meet after his enlistment, and the best part is he will always take Tyongfs with him on this journey because his music will always be for us and with us.
