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'SEVENTEEN's brother group' TWS seeks to become 'perfect idol'
Rookie K-pop boy band TWS poses during a press event at the Blue Square Mastercard Hall, Yongsan District, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Pledis Entertainment
By Pyo Kyung-min
Rookie group debuts with album 'Sparkling Blue'
Pledis Entertainment, the agency behind the iconic K-pop act SEVENTEEN, has launched a new boy band — Twenty-four-seven With Us (TWS) — to continue its legacy of success.
The six-piece group, however, aims not only to follow in SEVENTEEN's footsteps but also to carve out its own path in the cutthroat K-pop industry after achieving musical maturity.
Consisting of Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon, and Kyungmin, TWS is the first boy band to debut under K-pop powerhouse HYBE this year. HYBE, which runs multiple sub-labels including Pledis, is home to the Grammy-nominated boy band BTS and super rookie girl group NewJeans. TWS is also Pledis' first boy band in nine years since its creation of SEVENTEEN in 2015.
During a press event marking its debut, the TWS members laid bare their ambitions for growth. The event took place at the Blue Square Mastercard Hall, Yongsan District, Seoul, Monday, a few hours before the release of the group's debut album, "Sparkling Blue."
"Our collective dream is to be called the 'perfect idol' through continuous hard work and improvement," Youngjae said, adding that his motto is to let today be a better day than yesterday.
The TWS members also showed appreciation to people for placing high expectations on them even before the beginning of their musical journey. It unveiled the music video of "Oh Mymy: 7s" — a song included in its debut album — on YouTube a few days ahead of its debut, and it garnered more than 4 million views as of Tuesday afternoon.
"We want to thank people for giving us so much attention," Jihoon said. "If it were not for our senior group's career, efforts and sweat, we would not have been able to achieve this. So, we will also take responsibility and strive to showcase quality music and performance ... It is such an honor for us to navigate on the most solid ship called Pledis."
The rookie singers further revealed that SEVENTEEN extended gestures of support and encouragement by buying them a pricey beef meal.
Expressing their gratefulness, TWS members playfully added that Hanjin — the only Chinese member in the team — and Kyungmin indulged the most in the meal.
"Dear SEVENTEEN, we want more beef!" he said, adding a touch of cuteness in Korean.
TWS's new album, "Sparkling Blue" and its title track, "Plot Twist" shed light on the members' refreshing vibes. Laced with powerful drum, guitar and synth sounds, "Plot Twist" is a hybrid pop song about the thrill of a first encounter.
Leader Shinyu said he repeatedly watched the performances of SEVENTEEN's "Adore U" (2015) and SHINee's "View" (2015) to figure out how TWS can build its own competitive edge. According to him, the group's strengths are the members' well-polished performing skills and refreshing charms.
"Our debut track highlights the student-like freshness of us," he explained. "Prior to our debut, we had time to study our own strengths and we concluded that our very own charm is our powerful skills combined with refreshing vibes."
Wrapping up the event, TWS shared what it wants to accomplish in the days ahead.
"I hope our music can bring positive energy to everyone in the world," Kyungmin said.