TXT Announces 8th Mini Album '7TH YEAR' for April 2026 — First Comeback After Full Group Re-Signs with BIGHIT MUSIC
Four months after wrapping a world tour that sold out arenas on three continents, TOMORROW X TOGETHER are heading back into comeback season. BIGHIT MUSIC confirmed on March 2 that the five-member group will release their 8th mini album - 7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns - on April 13, 2026 at 6 PM KST.
The announcement landed via Weverse alongside a concept trailer and official photographs. Both lean heavily on thorn imagery: the trailer features members Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai reciting lyrics from "Thorn Tree" by veteran Korean folk duo Poet and Village Chief (시인과 촌장), their voices quiet and unhurried. The concept photos carry the same mood - high-contrast black-and-white, thorns as a recurring visual motif.
Why the Title Matters
The album name works on two levels. "7TH YEAR" plainly marks where TXT stands - the group debuted on March 4, 2019, making this their seventh year together. The subtitle, A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns, is the kind of long, lyrical Korean phrase that defined their early discography. Their debut single was One Day, a Horn Grew From My Head (CROWN). Their first studio album's lead track was I Wait for You at Platform 9¾ (Run Away). After several albums that pushed in a harder direction, the naming style here is a deliberate signal of where this record is emotionally positioned.
Revealed During a Sold-Out Anniversary Run
The comeback trailer had its first public airing on March 1, the closing night of 2026 TXT MOA CON - a three-day concert series at KSPO DOME in Seoul's Olympic Park marking the group's 7th debut anniversary. The run went February 27 through March 1 and drew around 33,000 fans total. TXT performed a career-spanning set with a live band; members also traded each other's solo songs across the nights. The reaction to the trailer inside the arena was immediate.
Their closing remarks that night captured where the group's head is: "The team is so precious. We want to keep it together and protect what we've built. We hope you'll stay with us so we can."
The Renewal Question, Answered
This release carries extra weight as the first group project since all five members re-signed with BIGHIT MUSIC in August 2025. Contract renewals are a genuine pressure point in K-pop - groups at the seven-year mark have historically come apart - so the unanimous decision to stay mattered to fans tracking the group's future.
The renewal came at the tail end of a big stretch. TXT's fourth world tour, ACT: TOMORROW, wrapped in 2025 after 29 shows across 17 cities and more than 560,000 total attendees. Early 2026 brought a five-dome Japan run through Tokyo, Osaka, and three other major cities.
On the charts, the group has been a consistent Billboard 200 presence. The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION debuted at No. 1 in February 2023 - their first chart-topper, and at the time the largest U.S. sales week for any album since Taylor Swift's Midnights. The two most recent releases, The Star Chapter: SANCTUARY and The Star Chapter: TOGETHER, debuted at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
Pre-orders open March 3 at 11 AM KST. Track details have not yet been announced.
