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In 2021, TXT member Yeonjun won the hearts of the group’s Indian fan base after posting a video dancing to Lata Mangeshkar’s Tere Karan Mere Saajan, from Rajesh Khanna and Asha Parekh’s classic Aan Milo Sajna. While no one expected the clip, it catapulted TXT’s position as one of India’s most beloved K-pop groups.
The group’s debut was overshadowed by COVID, which stopped all planned meetups for MOA (as the TXT fanbase is called) in most places. However, with the restrictions easing out, many have grabbed the opportunity to hold long-due events. India’s first official MOA took place in Manipur for Taehyun’s birthday.
Other cities are not too far behind. The two main components of the group’s Indian fanbase: TXT Bengal MoAs and TXT India Fanbase, are collaborating to host an event in Kolkata and Mumbai. Called the Summer with MOA, the Kolkata iteration of the event will take place on May 27, 2022, at Cafe Tov.
We at SKPOP got a chance to interview two of the key figures of TXT’s Indian fanbase. We will be talking to Sufia Parveen, the admin of the TXT India Fanbase, and Aayushi Sengupta, the head of the TXT Bengal MoAs.
Admins of TXT India’s fan pages discuss their love for the group and the upcoming event
Q. Hey, great to meet you both. To kick off this interview, can you tell me a little about yourself and how you got into TXT.
Aayushi: I was a huge fan of BTS in 2016, but I wasn’t really a big fan of K-Pop. I just used to listen to them. I wasn’t a very ardent fan in that way.
In late 2018, an article came out that BigHit is going to debut their very first Boy group, which would be the only next artist under them. That was what interested me. I didn’t know back then that I would be a fan, but since it was just under the same label as BTS, I would come across notices and stuff.
And then finally, when the logo dropped, and then, one by one, the introduction clips of each member started dropping, I got interested. Apart from just TXT being from the same company as literally one of the biggest bands in the world, I think that they had already started making an identity for themselves, which was very difficult. TXT was way more youthful and refreshing than the previous band and touched me a lot.
So I started looking forward to them, and they finally debuted; I came across a very different album from all the typical K-pop boy group albums. The way they debuted was way refreshing and relatable for me as a teenager. I think that’s what made me want to look forward to their music and become such a fan.
Sufia: I was casually scrolling Twitter, and I saw that BigHit would launch a new group. So I casually said, let’s see what this group will be like, and slowly, as the debut concepts and everything came out, I became so interested in it because it’s so fresh and so new and so different from everybody else. So, that’s how I got into it, and now, TXT is a part of our lives.
Q. Can you tell me about the TXT fanbase in India? Many Kolkata MOAs have claimed that the Kolkata fanbase is the largest in India.
Ayushi: Allegedly, it’s probably the largest because we have a lot of people. I think it’s more. As a regional fanbase, we are way more active than the rest of them because we have a lot of people who show interest and we have minor events for birthdays, and we also hold donation drives often. We get a very good response in all of those on a very local level. People come forward, and we distribute. We do giveaways as well. The group itself is very active. The Whatsapp group that we have has a lot of people who intently look forward to it in Kolkata. And that’s the reason why it also inspires us to hold a lot of events in general, especially at a local level.
Q. Is this the first offline event that is happening?
Sufia: Hi. This is the first offline event as we have had online events since our debut time. We initially thought of doing an offline event in 2019. But since the pandemic happened, it got postponed several times. Now, we finally have our first official offline event.
Q. Okay. So what can MoAs expect at the event? What attractions will be there?
Sufia: There are a lot of activities. General ones are the cup sleeve ceremonies and, you know, dance-offs. But the most important, I wouldn’t say, the most interesting one I am also looking forward to is the challenge where you dress up as your favorite TXT member. The best-dressed person will win an official photo card. So that is a thing that I’m excited about. We hope to encourage healthy competition.
Ayushi: Summer vibes!
Sufia: Yes, It’s summer-themed. So yeah, we can see summery vibes in the concepts.
So who are you guys dressing up as?
Sufia: (Laughs) Honestly, I still haven’t decided if I want to dress up, but I think most other people will go all out.
Aayushi : I am trying my best. I’ll probably go with Soobin or Taehyun because they are the most normal dress in the whole band.
Q. So, how has your experience been so far? Setting up this event, did you face any logistical issues?
Aayushi: I would say the main issue is that we haven’t had an offline event so far. It’s only been online. So the tricky part was reaching out to people. It’s also the season of board examinations. There are a lot of TXT fans who are finding it difficult to be a part of the event. Also, when there’s a money factor, everyone hesitates with paying to attend. So there are a few general problems like that.
But in general, we are doing quite well, in the way of, you know, raising awareness and getting a response. We also have a few people willing to volunteer for us and help us with the arrangements on the day of the event.
Q. So, is this event taking place in any other place in India.
Sufia: Yeah, it’s taking place in Mumbai and Kolkata. So far, since this is our first offline event, we are only doing these two cities. We would want to go to more cities and more events in our cities. But let’s see. If this is a success, we will do more events.
Q. TXT is all set to go on their 1st world tour; ACT: LOVE SICK! While India has a lot of K-pop fans, it doesn’t appear to rank high as a touring destination for idols, unlike, say USA, Europe, or Japan. What is the Indian MOA’s opinion of this?
Sufia: We are excited about the World Tour. It is the first proper world tour. Sure, they did the debut showcase in the US after their first album, but they’ve finally returned after three years. Yeah, we want to see them in more places, in our country, but we can only hope and wait.
But it’s funny how they say world tours are mostly America and a little bit of Europe.
Sufia: Well, it’s entirely true; most artists perform in those places.
But the fanbase in other countries is growing, and I think BigHit and everybody in Korea are seeing that. So hopefully, shortly, they will perform in India, the one country that is generally ignored.
Q. So, is there a plan of action from Indian MoAs to like, you know, attract their attention, make them aware of the vast Indian fan following?
Sufia: I think that streaming is crucial because that shows the numbers coming from each country. We have to work more on streaming, not just in particular cities or regions but throughout the country. So we are growing as a fan base with every comeback; we will have a more substantial base each time with more events and things in other cities.
Aayushi: Right.
Sufia: More and more people are interested, and we wanted to check out; we might reach out to more MoAs.
Q. Speaking of streaming, the group is set to release a new album, Minisode 2: Thursday’s Child, and its lead single, “Good Boy Gone Bad.” Can you tell me what the Indian fan base plans to do for the drop?
Aayushi: We do streaming and listening parties after an album drops for about a week. Usually an online event.
To, you know, instill a bit more competitiveness and interest into the thing, we also do a stream battle amongst the people who have signed up.
At the event, though, we will be playing all the new songs for sure. Although TikTok isn’t a thing in India anymore, we are trying to go with the trends, all performing on the viral songs.
If songs from the new album go viral, we’ll probably be doing a mass choreography and a flash dance at the event, which will likely inspire many people and reach out to more locals in India, and they’ll get to know about it.
Q. So are there any more events planned for Kolkata or in India?
Sufia: as of now, there aren’t any plans. Now we have the comeback; we will have online events for that. So probably after the comeback or maybe after some time, we will be doing more online, even if we're not doing the event offline.
As of now, we do not have anything planned.
Q. Okay, so this is it. I have one final question to wrap up the interview: which TXT song would you recommend to someone who hasn’t heard the group?
Sufia: My favorite is, like, I generally go for the B side. It’s Way Home. I would recommend somebody who has not listened to TXT before because it’s plain comforting. You don’t even have to look for the lyrics; the rhythm and the melodies are so comforting that it’s nice. I recommend Way Home.
Okay, what about Aayushi?
Aayushi: I’m a huge fan of rock as a genre, and usually, you do not come across that concept in K-pop because, in general, nobody does that.
No mainstream K-pop artist has ever done that in such a varied range.
I would probably recommend The Chaos Chapter: Freeze album and the title track 0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) because it’s rock-based. That would give you an insight into how TXT is very different from the rest of K-pop and how relatable they are.
All the Kolkata and Mumbai fans of TXT are sure to be looking forward to the upcoming events.
