HYBE's new girl group TUIDE begins its journey with 'soultronic' music

TUIDE, the first act from ABD, a new HYBE subsidiary dedicated to girl groups, made its debut Monday with the EP "TUNE & PLAY," arriving with the stated ambition of becoming 2026's top new act.

The seven-member group is made up of Seohee, Seoyeon, Elena, Jia, Saki, Seah and Yi Hani. Its name comes from the phrase "tune the tide," reflecting what the members describe as their intent to steer the currents of the music scene themselves.

The group met with reporters Monday at YES24 Live Hall in Seoul's Gwangjin District, where the members introduced the album and spoke about their debut. They showed little sign of nerves, greeting the press in bright, assured voices.

"I'm thrilled to be making the debut I dreamed of," Seah said. "I want to show refreshing performances and give audiences something to enjoy."

Elena, who is from the United States, said she has loved singing since she was young and was drawn to R&B.

"As a member of TUIDE, I want to show a lot of that groovy tone," she said.

Saki, who is from Japan, said debuting in Korea had been her dream since childhood.

"It feels like a dream to debut with amazing members like these," she said.

The group drew attention before its debut because Seoyeon is the younger sister of Jihyo of TWICE, the powerhouse JYP girl group.

"My sister gave me a lot of encouragement and advice," Seoyeon said. "She told me we'll see our members more than our own families, so we should hold each other up and have a long career together."

ABD describes "TUNE & PLAY" as the product of the harmony among the seven members.

The members defined the album's music as "soultronic," combining the warmth of soul with the polish of electronic music. Around that core, the album moves between R&B, house and U.K. garage.

The track "SUN KISS" is about trusting your own instincts and staying with the feeling of the moment.

"The track shows the team's color and each of the seven members' individual appeal," Jia said. "It captures the good energy of dancing in the sunlight."

Elena said the hook stood out to her immediately.

"When I first heard it, I was sure that its addictive, repeating hook was the strongest thing about it," she said. "I knew it would be on people's playlists the moment it came out."

The five-track album also includes "ABD," "Echo," "Flip-Flop Girl" and "GRLS." Production duo GroovyRoom produced the entire record, and "Echo" interpolates Janet Jackson's "All for You" (2001).

"Like a lot of people, I grew up listening to GroovyRoom's music," Seohee said. "The compliment from them I remember most is that our vocal tones are all different and distinctive, so the group's character comes through best when we express ourselves naturally. That's connected to our identity, so I was really glad to hear that."

The launch also comes with an unusually large promotional push.

Timed to the album's release, the "SUN KISS" music video is being screened on the media facade at Shinsegae Square, at the main branch of Shinsegae Department Store in central Seoul's Myeong-dong shopping district. The video runs for a month, through Sept. 25, and the campaign also includes in-store announcements recorded by the members.

Asked about their goals, the members said they wanted audiences to recognize and remember the group's name, and that they hoped to win a rookie award.

"I hope people enjoy our music and our performance," Seah said. "I'd like to hear that we're a team whose next release people are looking forward to."