Why “Good Boy Gone Bad” is TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s song of the year

Slow Rabbit: While TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s had the vulnerable boy image plenty of times, I wanted to put a twist on that in “Good Boy Gone Bad.” Even the lyrics bring to mind a new image of the group. TOMORROW X TOGETHER already had a lot of songs with beautiful lyrics centered around the melody; “Good Boy Gone Bad” was a first because it’s still an upbeat song but the chorus is really catchy and the melody uses repetition. The chords also feel more difficult than previous songs, too. That makes it sound really fresh, and I think it’s their song of the year because it’s still clearly a TOMORROW X TOGETHER song despite being radically different.

A different side of the members

Slow Rabbit: This was the first time TOMORROW X TOGETHER did a lead single that’s heavy and loud. Emotion has always been a major component of the group, but I think this song shows how they’ve grown up from being young boys both musically and visually. This song is the start of showing that fans more readily accept TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s songs no matter what kind of music they’re making and shows the group’s range as an artist. I also feel “Good Boy Gone Bad” is sort of like the gasoline that starts the fire for the direction the songs on the next album will take.

The voices of the TOMORROW X TOGETHER members

Slow Rabbit: SOOBIN has a fantastic falsetto. He sang the main vocals for the pre-chorus again in this song. There’s no way it would’ve been the same without him. He’s also got a friendly image, so I wasn’t sure if this kind of song or the facial expressions would suit him, but when I saw him practicing for live performances I realized how good of a fit it was and was reminded just how much talent and skill he has.

YEONJUN’s been unmatched in both his rapping and singing styles and expressing lyrics ever since he was a trainee. He’s the main singer for the chorus on this song, which is a first. I had a sense that it wouldn’t work unless YEONJUN was the one doing it. (laughs) He’s also the one who came up with the idea to throw in some laughter while making the rap. He’s got a really good sense and feel for things and he’s good at creating a flow depending on what the song calls for.

I love the tone of BEOMGYU’s voice. He’s especially good at low notes so I tried to give him a lot of pointers about that. For the lyrics in the intro that go, “Put that nail in the coffin over the word forever,” he basically has to sound like he’s chanting. That part has to be fast and the pronunciation’s hard, so we were worried about how it could be done, but he did such a good job with it that it really stands out.

TAEHYUN’s great at conveying emotion. There’s something about his voice that makes it soft but disarming, and I think hearing that all throughout the song helps it sound even more like a TOMORROW X TOGETHER song. And his vocals are layered in the chorus and pre-chorus. He puts all kind of detail even into the parts people don’t notice so he’s a really good behind-the-scenes contributor and an invisible helper. (laughs)

HUENINGKAI’s really good at picking up any song, whether it’s intense like “Good Boy Gone Bad,” or a slow ballad, or a dance track. He’s always great at making things work right from the demo versions. And he did a really good job on this song connecting all the different parts the other members sing. He’s also really good at coming up with these beautiful, emotional melodies when he’s writing.

Behind the scenes of recording the vocals

Slow Rabbit: Recording the vocals was actually the hardest part for both me and for the boys. We kept hearing, “TOMORROW X TOGETHER has a friendly image.” (laughs) And the members and I worked really hard to record the vocals, and when we listened to the first version together, we actually applauded because, to us, it sounded really good. But we got some feedback saying, “It sounds like nice kids pretending to be bad.” (laughs) We put a lot of thought in after getting that feedback and we tried so many different things. They originally pronounced the words really clearly but I thought it might sound cooler and give them a tough image to slur them a bit more, so then they intentionally recorded their vocals that way. I could tell after all that experimentation that they’re getting better with each album and they’re giving it their all.

Hoping “Good Boy Gone Bad” will be memorable for TOMORROW X TOGETHER and MOA

Slow Rabbit: “Good Boy Gone Bad” was a new kind of song for the boys so it was a little tricky at first but I’m really grateful they trusted me and followed my guidance. It’s also the first single they promoted in person since the pandemic started, so I think it’ll hold a special place in the hearts of both the members and MOA. I feel like this is just the beginning of TOMORROW X TOGETHER because the song’s so different in so many ways. The group always has something new and original to show off so I hope fans are looking forward to their next album. (laughs)