Tokio Hotel is a German pop-rock band, which has recently resurfaced into the public eye after going viral on TikTok in early April of this year. The band consists of four members: Tom Kaulitz, the electric guitarist, Bill Kaulitz, the lead singer, Gustav Schafer, the drummer, and Georg Listing, the band’s bassist. They originally started making music in 2001, under the name Devilish with their self-titled debut album. The album had 7 tracks, including “Lebe Die Sekunde,” which reappeared on the first Tokio Hotel album, Schrei. In 2005, when the band started to take off, they changed their name from Devilish to Tokio Hotel.
There were many different releases through 2005-2006, but only one album, Schrei. They eventually released Zimmer 483 as their second album in 2007. The album was absolutely adored by fans, getting the highest sales with over 375,000 copies being sold in just two weeks of its release. It hit #1 in Germany when released and #2 in Austria. The album has 16 tracks (including bonus tracks from France and Spain). As a Tokio Hotel fan myself, I was very intrigued about this album due to the glowing reviews, the sheer amount of fans saying their favorite songs were on this album, and how many people claimed it was their best work. I was disappointed to see only a few songs were available off the album on Spotify in the states, but I was able to get them on the app through local files.
The album opens with “Ubers Ende der Welt.” It’s one of those songs that will replay in your head over and over again after listening; I’m not sure if it’s the vocals, guitar, or drums, but this song genuinely makes me want to listen over and over again. With such a strong opening, I was even more surprised when I kept listening, and the fifth track “Wo Sind Eure Hände” came on. It started off strong with a beautiful build up on the drums, followed up with Bill’s vocals, which never miss. However, nothing matched the backing vocals of Tom and Georg in the chorus. To say this song instantly became my favorite off the album is a drastic understatement. The song continues with these vocals throughout, as well as Bill’s vocals. This song is an actual masterpiece.
I honestly wasn’t sure if the next track could even nearly live up to Wo Sind Eure Hände, but I was pleasantly surprised when “Stich ins Glück” started playing. This song has an amazing, unique sound. It doesn’t sound like any other song off this album, and there isn’t one thing about this song that I would even consider changing. The tempo changes, the drums, the closing, vocals, everything fits perfectly. This is easily one of the best songs off this album, only a few of the other tracks even come close to this song, it immediately became a favorite of mine.
The next track that really stood out to me was, without a doubt, “Reden”. This track was actually written by Tom, and it showcases his writing talent. It immediately had a much different sound than the other tracks this far, and Bill’s layered vocals actually made me pause this song because of the lovely sound. It continues on with a catchy chorus, repeating the word “Reden” a few times. Bill’s voice hits so many lovely notes on this song, and this is easily one of their best works. While every verse on this track is exceptional, I cannot deny the fact that verse 3 is the best verse on this song. Gustav’s drum’s and Tom’s guitar merge perfectly with the rest of the song , the way the background gets slightly quieter, everything about this song is amazing. It stood out to me completely, Bill’s vocals never cease to shock me.
The final song that was above the rest for me was “In Die Nacht”. This song was softer than the others, with an acoustic guitar rather than the normal electric and bass. It has a smooth, quieter sound, which compliments the guitar beautifully. This song is so different from their normal sounds, yet it fits so well with this album, especially as one of the closing tracks. This song is beautiful all around, and it’s definitely one of my favorite songs by Tokio Hotel.
As for my closing thoughts, this album is easily a 10/10 in my books. Every track stood out, but my official ranking (of tracks I reviewed here) is “Wo Sind Eure Hände,” “Reden,” “Stich ins Glück,” “In Die Nacht,” and “Ubers Ende der Welt.” This album was amazing, every single track is beautifully executed; there’s not one thing I would change. This tracklist is perfect and is definitely some of their best work for me.
