K-Pop Stars TWS Work Hard And ‘play hard’ With New EP

TWS ‘play hard’

PLEDIS Entertainment

It has been over a year since TWS, a K-pop group under PLEDIS Entertainment / HYBE, debuted with their EP, Sparkling Blue. Known for their youthful, refreshing sound, their rookie year was a success, earning several South Korean and Asian awards for their album and seven New Artist Awards. Their lead single, “plot twist,” won several domestic music program awards and was included in NME and Paste Magazine’s Best K-pop Songs of 2024 lists. In January 2025, when they celebrated their first anniversary, they were named “Billboard’s K-pop Rookie of the Month.”

Since then, TWS– consisting of members Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon, and Kyungmin – has released a total of three mini-albums (EPs) and one single album, all hitting KMCA Platinum and more. Now, their fourth EP, play hard, has been released, showcasing an edgier side of the sextet.

“We’re so excited because we put our hearts and souls into this album,” says Jihoon over Zoom from the HYBE offices in Seoul. “So we just really want our fans to love it.”

Since their debut, the fifth-generation group has coined the musical genre “boyhood pop,” meant to capture their sentiments and experiences of youth and growing up. It made sense as the members’ ages ranged from 16 to 20 at the time of debut. Many people relate to their songs, which are often rooted in everyday moments of friendship, crushes/love, growth, and perseverance. Sonically, their music has always been catchy and nostalgic, with a softness that evokes a sense of innocence – and, possibly, a happier time in our lives.

Their pre-release single for play hard, “Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes,” a play on the childhood song, is an explosive hip-hop track that describes the group’s determination to break past limits with their energy and confidence. The song resonated with leader Shinyu because the lyrics reflected their evolving artistry. He reveals, “My favorite part of the song is the lyrics: Nevermind / Smash into the limit, break ’em down / Watch me now / I can’t get tired of it, because it showcases the new sides of us going forward with new characters.”

“Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes” and the new track “Hot Blue Shoes” display a different sound to TWS that they haven’t focused on before. The two tracks play hip-hop, with the latter incorporating beat patterns associated with Jersey club. Jihoon found it refreshing to perform these new styles as a fan of the genre.

“We like the concept and the songs,” he explains. “We wanted to showcase that we can perform and express different types of music and that we can do anything that we want.”

As for their EP, Shinyu says the new mini-album symbolizes the message, “Let’s go all out with our youth and passion.” Similar to the popular motto “Work Hard, Play Hard,” the members worked hard to create the album, which shows them playing with the things they love and dream about. He smiles, “So we want to show ourselves how we’re running towards the things that we love and absolutely are great and crazy about.”

Hanjin agrees, revealing what the title of the EP means to him, “For me, play hard means [focusing] on the things that I love and for my dreams. [I am] working hard on the things that I love and dream [about]. We really put a lot of work into this album and are preparing for our comeback.”

It’s why their lead single, “Overdrive,” is his favorite from the album. He says the lyrics from “Overdrive” really define what it means to play hard. He shares, “It delivers the image of someone really falling into something that they like – the true passion of that person.”

Throughout their promotions, the group has emphasized “more energy,” “a new face,” and “breaking boundaries” for their new album. But don’t expect them to step away from their signature “Boyhood pop” genre. Jihoon makes it clear that ‘boyhood pop’ isn’t just one genre; it’s just something they use to express and explain how they’re feeling at this moment. As they continue to grow as a team and as individuals, the genre will broaden alongside them.

“I don’t think ‘boyhood pop’ will change, but rather, as we grow, the realm or the spectrum of the genre keeps expanding,” Kyungmin explains.

Youngjae adds, “This genre shows how we’re growing and [moving] forward. We want to keep sharing more music and more of who we are through this genre because I believe boyhood pop is unique to us. So we will continue to deliver a wide range of music under the ‘boyhood pop’ [banner]. All of us are going through youth. Through our music, I hope our listeners’ youth and their youthful times will become more [light and bright]. We will put in more effort to make this kind of music going forward.”

With the youngest member, Kyungmin, becoming an adult this month (he turned 18 on October 2), the group also would like to try out new concepts and songs that show a more mature side of themselves —but, of course, gradually. They’ve already begun transitioning from wearing school uniforms to more tech and urban wear in their music videos. During their Comeback Showcase, Hanjin commented that they’ve grown in both their voices and physical appearances. Kyungmin agrees, noting the changes in their style and visuals, having grown so much since their debut.

“It really feels like I should become an adult,” Kyungmin laughs. “Because I have reached this age, all of our members will be adults. I feel I can do everything.”

They’re interested in doing more hip-hop, house, and refreshing songs that keep their lively identity, but also try more greener—and sexier—songs. Dohoon shares, “Since we all become adults next year, maybe we would like to try a sexier concept as well. I think the listeners will be quite surprised, but also like these new concepts.”

TWS has begun to show their musical growth with this album, with Jihoon and Dohoon contributing lyrics to “Overdrive” and “Here For You,” respectively.

Jihoon, who worked on both the lyrics and choreography for “Overdrive,” learned a lot about himself and about working with his team during this process. He hopes to continue doing so for their future albums. He explains, “Contributing to the album was a really good experience for me. I felt a lot of happiness. If I can feel that feeling once again, I would love to do it going forward. I always feel happy when I work on something that is for us.”

As for “Here For You,” Dohoon wanted to write a love letter dedicated to their 42 (SAI), the name for their fandom. He mentions that their second EP, Summer Beat!, and single album, Last Bell, already had songs dedicated to their fans, and he was continuing that.

“If you look at these songs, they send a really heartwarming message to our fans,” says Dohoon. “We would love to continue making and singing these songs with these beautiful lyrics. That would be great for us. We’ll express them on stage as well. If you listen to the chorus, there’s a part [referencing] that I will wait for the future, where we meet again. This specific chorus really captures the meaning in a really poetic way.”

It’s also why the song is Kyungmin and Youngjae’s personal favorite from the EP. Youngjae thinks the song is romantic, especially the Korean meaning of the title. The English version has the song titled “Here For You,” while the Korean title, “내일이 되어 줄게,” directly translates to “I’ll be there tomorrow.”

He says, “This is really romantic because tomorrow means an uncertain future, but you’re willing to [be there] and take that uncertainty to become that person for the person you like.”

As the group continues to evolve as artists, they stand committed to working together more than just a team, or even friends – TWS is a family.

“I will use the word familyship, because we are always together during our off-days,” Dohoon says, “We have this strong familyship amongst us. We feel more joy and happiness when we are together.”

TWS’s fourth EP, play hard, is out now on all streaming platforms. The physical albums can be purchased online and at select retail stores.