After their smash hit ‘plot twist’ (첫 만남은 계획대로 되지 않아) took the globe by storm, super rookies TWS are back with their first comeback, the mini album SUMMER BEAT!
The 6-member PLEDIS Entertainment boy group – the label’s first in 9 years since SEVENTEEN’s debut – premiered their sophomore record on 24 June with 6 brand new tracks, including the lead single ‘내가 S면 넌 나의 N이 되어줘’ (If I’m S, Can I Be Your N?).
“This song metaphorically likens our relationship to the south and north poles of a magnet expressing the lovely excitement of discovering why opposites attract,” narrated TWS’s youngest member, Kyungmin, at a media showcase prior to the release. “The upbeat melody narrates the journey of how distinct individuals gradually become one. The song perfectly captures the bright and refreshing energy of TWS just like ‘plot twist.’”
“I think TWS’s youth or youthful vibes is all about the time that we share together and the invaluable memories that we make together,” said leader Shinyu. “We are always reminded of the perfect summer that we spend with our closest friends, so I want to reflect that into our songs all the time.”
Ahead of the launch, they also released the single ‘hey! hey!’ last 5 June, along promising B-sides ‘Double Take’, ‘너+나=7942’ (YOU+ME=7942), ‘내가 태양이라면’ (Keep On), and ‘Fire Confetti’, showcasing more of their “delightfully refreshing” brand of “boyhood pop.”
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SUMMER BEAT! is the follow-up to Sparkling Blue, which featured ‘plot twist’, the soundtrack of many TikToks and Reels, proving to be quite the infectious blockbuster.
“Our first album received so much love and attention, so we thought we'd prepare something even better this time around,” said Dohoon.
The new mini album sees the group making a foray into newer sounds, from funk, rock, boom bap, Jersey club, to synth pop, while hewing to the refreshing vibes that made ‘plot twist’ successful.
“As for this album, we are trying out and exploring new genres because ‘hey! hey!’ is based off of rock; ‘Double Take’ is based off boom bap and hip-hop. So, we tried out new genres and as we tried these different things we had to we got to understand each other better and we were we bonded more,” said Jihoon.
“Compared to our first mini album, exploring multiple new genres was quite challenging, but we saw this as an opportunity to learn and also take a significant step forward,” said Youngjae, adding that this was an opportunity for them to show their growth to their beloved fans, 42s (sai 사이).
“This album is another new beginning for both me and all of my members,” said Hanjin.
TWS’s SUMMER BEAT! is now out on streaming platforms.
Check out more photos from the media showcase here:
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