TWS, PLEDIS's "super rookies," finally debut with ‘Sparkling Blue’: “We want to be the group everyone wants to be with 24/7” – listen

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The time has finally come for PLEDIS Entertainment’s new kids on the block, TWS. And Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon, and Kyungmin do not hesitate, making a big splash right out the gate with their debut release, Sparkling Blue.

Released on 22 January, Monday, the mini-album comprises 5 buoyant tracks, all bursting with fresh, youthful energy. TWS has even coined a word for their sound: Boyhood Pop – to encapsulate a candid sort of boyish naïveté, and the flurry of “pure and beautiful emotions” that come with it.

“It’s a genre with fantastical elements. In every note and word, we attempt to capture the candid moments in our boyhood,” explained Jihoon at their debut showcase with members of the press (22/1).

“Just like our team slogan, ‘Twenty-four-seven with us,’ we wanted to make sure our music is easy to listen to anywhere, anytime,” said Kyungmin, the group’s youngest, or 막내 (maknae). “We also want to portray our green youthfulness in a very natural and uncontrived way.”

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“The name of our group also means with good vibes and music, we’ll be friends, making your every day special. We’re going to become that group that lightens up the mood and everyone wants to be with 24/7,” added Dohoon.

“안녕하세요 (Hello there), time,” goes the bouncy and infectious pre-debut single and Sparkling Blue closer ‘Oh Mymy : 7s’, like TWS’s big “hello” to the whole world. ‘첫 만남은 계획대로 되지 않아’ – literally: ‘The first meeting didn’t go as planned’ or officially in English: ‘plot twist’ – leaves quite the impression as the band’s first-ever title track, talking about those “heart-fluttering but nervous first encounters where we try to overcome that nervousness,” according to Youngjae, who also drew parallels to their own debut.

More iridescent gems of B-sides: ‘unplugged boy’ (with the same title as the 1997 manhwa by Chon Kye-young 천계영, whose work is also featured in this TWS project – the cartoonist’s first idol collaboration since first gen legends H.O.T.), ‘BFF’ and ‘first hooky’, round out their inaugural offering.

The boys draft a stellar roster of producers, writers, and lyricists to help shape their brand of Boyhood Pop and make their sound stand out. The Sparkling Blue singles alone list the likes of Ohway!, WASURENAI, Jin Jeon, Nmore, Heon Seo (헌서), Building Owner, Glenn, T-SK, YouthK, Shannon, and Corey Marlon Lindsay-Keay a.k.a. Believve (see: Tyla’s ‘Water’). Even B-side ‘BFF’ includes MAX in the credits (see: TOMORROW X TOGETHER ‘Happily Ever After’ and more).

The hype is at a high, considering that the 6-member act is PLEDIS’s first boy group since launching SEVENTEEN in 2015. Considering the stature of the ‘Super’ act, who are at the height of their careers, expectations are equally astronomical for their dongsaengs (동생).

“Our role model is SEVENTEEN. All six members dreamt of becoming just like them,” Dohoon responded to this matter, while the group shared that their seniors (sunbaenim 선배님) had been showering them with encouragement and support. “SEVENTEEN is a group that sends out positive influence through their music, and this really pulled at our heartstrings. As artists, we TWS also want to have that positive impact in others.”

As the first rookies to debut in 2024 under PLEDIS’s parent company HYBE Labels, whose stable includes some of the K-Pop industry’s biggest acts, there’s not only a lot of attention, but admittedly, pressure as well. TWS doesn’t downplay this; however, they suggest a wise shift in perspective instead.

“I know we’ve been showered with curiosity even before our official debut, so we will forever be grateful,” said Jihoon. “Our fellow HYBE artists – their amazing careers and their ceaseless efforts are what intrigued people’s interests in us. We want to really live up to that and make sure we pay back with great music and performances.”

“We have a responsibility, but we want to turn that into motivation. We’re very eager to do a good job in everything we do, so I think it’s a good feeling, actually – that sense of responsibility – because it motivates us to go forward,” suggested Shinyu, the most senior member.

When asked what would set them apart from any of the groups in the scene – especially since there have been several artists leaning into their boyish charms with their music – TWS said that this was a point they had studied well, even naming examples they had explored: SHINee’s ‘View’ and their very own SEVENTEEN seniors’ legendary debut song ‘아낀다’ (Adore U).

“We studied it really hard and thought about how we can bring our unique charms. I’d have to say, we added our own touch to this style of music by making it intense yet disarming,” asserted Shinyu.

“Every time we’re done with dance practice, we have our own goal,” shared the group’s proclaimed all-rounder Youngjae, adding: “Become a better person today, compared to yesterday. And a better person tomorrow than today. So we want to make sure that we work ceaselessly to make a better today, a better tomorrow.”

“[Right now,] we might be known as a super rookie, but we will do our best to earn the name of the best rookie of the year,” declared Shinyu.