The original demo for TXT‘s “Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock)” has been revealed, and it’s actually quite NSFW…
The song from TXT’s 5th EP The Name Chapter: Temptation became a fan-favorite among MOAs due to its Afrobeat while conveying a relatable message as the members self-identify as a “rockstar minus star, just a rock.”
The lyrics of ‘Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock)’ are a tightrope walk between self-acceptance and justification, calling themselves a ‘rock’ rather than a ‘rockstar,’ and they mockingly say that their dream was never attainable anyway and so they’re fine with who they are now. At the same time, their generation experiences a feeling of hopelessness in a world where material wealth is considered the only path in life and where they’re forced to choose to give up if they can’t achieve it.
— Yoon Haein, Weverse Magazine
While the lyrics of “Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock)” can resonate with a lot of young listeners, its original lyrics are surprisingly NSFW.
One of the songwriters for “Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock),” Ebby Marango, shared that his plaque arrived, commemorating The Name Chapter: Temptation, charting #1 on Billboard 200 and Top Album Sales.
To celebrate, he also gave MOAs a gift… Ebby revealed the original demo for “Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock),” titled “Want It.”
@ebby1l Billboard plaque arrived
@TOMORROW X TOGETHER #1 #billboard #txt #txt_bighit_official #txtedits #kpop #afrobeats #bighit #songwriter #singer
The original lyrics couldn’t be more different from the released version of “Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock).” The original song is actually about sex.
Naturally, MOAs were shook to discover the demo and its lyrics. The song maintained its same catchy beat, but the lyrics took a 360.
how did txt listen to the tinnitus demo about fucking on the weekends and instead made it about emptiness and loneliness in fame with the struggle between dreams as an artist vs ur limits as a human in the form of rebellion by becoming a rock
— Dr. Fishiekins Jr II (@moadevils) April 24, 2023
how wild was the sugar rush ride demo that had txt jumping out their seats in disbelief when they first heard it, so much so they were so concerned on how it would be received, but ain’t none of them say shut about how crazy the tinnitus demo is
— lynx
(@JJUNTORl) April 25, 2023
the tinnitus english demo is already doing rounds on tiktok i’ve seen a bunch of hit videos with it lmaooo pic.twitter.com/JCjKtKlbxF
— mar
(@escape0x1) April 24, 2023
Yet, in some ways, it all makes sense now…
at first i was like "if tinnitus sad, why does it sound so sexy?" but the demo version solved that mystery pic.twitter.com/7fhFT66PQV
— zoha (@vocaltxt) April 24, 2023
We certainly know now why Taehyun kept wanting to take his shirt off during “Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock).”
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Previously, Taehyun revealed they even recorded “Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock)” shirtless.
: tinnitus my fav song in the album & there is a behind story
— ໊ (@cutecatsquirrel) April 6, 2023
And he has continued to lift his shirt during performances of the song, so that original demo really got to him.
taehyun lifting his shirt in tinnitus in slow mo and different angles, you’re welcome pic.twitter.com/hP2j6JiTnM
— terry⁵ /ᐠ. .ᐟฅ
(@tyunvinyls) March 26, 2023
Many MOAs low-key wish the original could be released officially or at least performed live in the U.S. Recently, BLACKPINK‘s Lisa performed the original explicit version of “Money” at 2023 Coachella, so it’s possible!
me trying to hack hybe’s system so i can release the english demo of tinnitus sang by txt pic.twitter.com/bLpBU1WiU5
— mar
in my professional opinion, i think txt should perform tinnitus demo ver. in USA like i want to go wild for the essay i’ll be making … but they’ll also go viral because taehyun will rip off his shirt in tinnitus pic.twitter.com/Z6trrw3s2t
—
(@CSBG0J0) April 24, 2023
While BIGHIT MUSIC will likely never release the original, you can listen to Ebby’s demo on SoundCloud.