Jaehwa Bernardo

TWS in a promotional photo for 'No Tragedy.' Photo courtesy of Pledis Entertainment

Article (news)

Beyond viral success, TWS seeks to ‘show better sides of ourselves’

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177684105456825_TWS (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">TWS in a promotional photo for &#x27;No Tragedy.&#x27; <em>Photos courtesy of Pledis Entertainment</em></span></span></span></div><p>One of the standout moments from the 2025 Asia Artist Awards (AAA), a major Korean entertainment ceremony, came when several South Korean actors joined the “Angtal” challenge — a dance trend set to TWS’ track “Overdrive.” The challenge sees participants striking cute expressions, such as pouting or lightly biting a finger, while shaking their shoulders.</p><p>Among those who joined the trend that night were idol-turned-actress Lee Hyeri, “When Life Gives You Tangerines” actor Choi Dae-hoon and “Dear X” star Kim You-jung. A TikTok video showing the celebrities performing the challenge, with the TWS members described as the “trendsetter[s],” has since garnered 4.1 million views and about 260,000 likes.</p><p>But the popularity of the “Angtal” challenge, and “Overdrive” more broadly, has extended beyond the AAA stage. Other celebrities have also joined in, including Park Ji-hoon — another K-pop idol-turned-actor — whose version of the dance challenge has likewise drawn hundreds of thousands of likes on TikTok, further highlighting the track’s expanding viral reach.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TzbGBkEh9ms?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>In today’s digital landscape, social media virality plays a key role in music discovery and promotion, helping songs spread rapidly through trends and challenges, especially when other celebrities take part in these trends.</p><p>But “Overdrive” is not the first TWS (pronounced “Two-Us,” short for “Twenty-Four Seven With Us”) track to gain such widespread attention. The K-pop boy group had already made waves from the outset with their debut single, “plot twist,” which quickly rose to the top of South Korean music charts and remained on the Billboard Global 200 for eight weeks.</p><p>In fact, many casual K-pop listeners — even those who do not actively follow TWS — would likely recognize the song, even if they are unaware of its title or the group behind it, reflecting its ubiquity within K-pop circles following its release in early 2024.</p><p>“Just knowing that so many people are listening to and recognizing our music already means so much to us. It’s a huge source of happiness and motivation,” Youngjae, one of TWS’ six members, said in an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177684129427018_YOUNGJAE (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Youngjae</span></span></span></div><p>But TWS are not relying on virality alone, as their success has also translated into strong sales. The group’s first two extended plays (EPs) each sold half a million copies, while their fourth and last EP “play hard” — which features “Overdrive” — went on to sell more than 600,000 copies within a week of its release.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2025/10/13/k-pop-group-tws-channels-burning-passion-in-ep-play-hard-1722"><strong>READ: TWS channels &#x27;burning passion&#x27; in EP &#x27;play hard&#x27;<br/></strong></a></div><p>“We don’t want to stop here,” Youngjae added. “We’ll continue doing our best to grow and show better sides of ourselves as artists.”</p><p>The group’s latest effort to showcase a “better side” is “No Tragedy,” their fifth EP which dropped this Monday. Comprising six tracks, the project is inspired by &quot;Romeo and Juliet,&quot; the classic tale of two young lovers from feuding families whose romance ends in tragedy.</p><p>TWS, however, takes a different approach to the tragic narrative, offering their own perspective on love by rejecting a fate that deems their relationship impossible and, in doing so, steering clear of tragedy.</p><p>“With this album, we wanted to express a more self-driven perspective on love. Instead of following a predetermined ending, we focused on choosing and shaping love for ourselves,” Jihoon said.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177684132191021_SHINYU (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Shinyu</span></span></span></div><p>Shinyu, who leads the sextet, explained: “Through the way we reinterpreted the motif of &#x27;Romeo and Juliet,&#x27; we felt that many people would be able to both enjoy the story and relate to it on a more personal level.”</p><p>Here’s more from our interview with TWS as they discuss “No Tragedy,” their signature “boyhood pop” style, and how they’ve evolved — both as artists and as close friends — since their debut.</p><div><strong>With two years of experience, how did the process of creating this EP differ from that of your debut EP?</strong></div><p><strong>HANJIN: </strong>I think the biggest difference this time is that we were able to express who we are right now more naturally through our music, which made the overall album feel more honest. Because of that, I think you’ll also be able to see a more mature and developed side of us.</p><p><strong>KYUNGMIN: </strong>Each member has been able to show a wider range of their own charms, and as a group, our overall spectrum has grown as well. Since some members also participated in songwriting, I think our own colors are coming through more clearly in the music.</p><div><strong>The album clearly explores romance and intense emotions. How did you channel these feelings, and in what ways did you personally connect with the songs?</strong></div><p><strong>SHINYU:</strong> While preparing this album, we really took time to understand each song on a deeper level, so that the messages we wanted to share could come across sincerely to both 42s, our fans, and anyone listening. <strong></strong></p><p><strong>HANJIN: </strong>This time, I started by imagining that the character in the song is truly feeling both excitement and certainty, and then slowly blended my own emotions into that. During the music video shoot, I also tried to immerse myself more deeply into the storyline, which helped me express things more vividly than before.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MiO16KlMPaU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong></strong></div><div><strong>What made “You, You” stand out as the right choice for the lead single?</strong></div><p><strong>DOHOON:</strong> What I liked most about “You, You” was the message of confessing your feelings to someone you feel destined to be with. The hook, especially with the repeated “dda-rum,” is really catchy, which made me feel it was a great fit as the lead single.</p><p><strong>JIHOON:</strong> I felt that “You, You” was a strong choice because it allows us to show a new side of ourselves while still staying true to our “boyhood pop” genre. It seems to be a natural bridge between our signature sound and the direction we want to grow into.</p><div><strong>What is each member’s favorite track on the new album?<br/></strong></div><p><strong>SHINYU:</strong> “All the Possibilities” stands out to me the most. It shows a different side of us compared to what we’ve shown before, so I’m both excited and curious to see how people will receive it.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17768413821501_DOHOON (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Dohoon</span></span></span></div><p><strong>DOHOON:</strong> My favorite is “All the Possibilities.” Not just the choreography, but the overall mood and energy of the song really match my personal taste, so I find myself enjoying every moment of performing it on stage even more.</p><p><strong>YOUNGJAE: </strong>For me, it’s “Fire Escape.” When I got the opportunity to participate in writing the lyrics, I liked the song so much that I looked deeply into books, songs, dramas, films with similar messages for inspiration. As I’ve put in a lot of effort into contributing, it’s a very meaningful track for me.</p><p><strong>HANJIN:</strong> Personally, I’d like to choose “Back To Strangers.” I love the line “<em>If fate once again / Asks for an answer then / I’d still choose us all the same</em>,” because it makes the song feel like more than just a love story. It also speaks about choice and sincerity, which seems to add deeper meaning to the song.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17769464908329_HANJIN (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Hanjin</span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:959px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177684143284715_JIHOON (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Jihoon</span></span></span></div><p><strong>JIHOON: </strong>“Fire Escape” feels the most special to me. It’s a song I put a lot of care into while working on this album. Also, during times when I felt uncertain about trusting my own choices, this song gave me strength and confidence, which made it even more meaningful to me.</p><p><strong>KYUNGMIN:</strong> I really like “Back To Strangers” because there are a lot of emotional moments in the lyrics that can really hit you. The topline is also very much my style, so I feel especially attached to this track.</p><div><strong>Since your debut, you’ve described TWS’ genre as “boyhood pop.” Looking back at your title tracks, there isn’t just one defining sound, but there is a clear sense of youthful energy that ties them together, even as you’ve “graduated” beyond a schoolboy image. Two years into your career, how would you define “boyhood pop” now, and how do you see it evolving in the future?</strong></div><p><strong>YOUNGJAE: </strong>Since we can’t go against the flow of time, we try to capture the stories and messages that come from each moment as they are. That leads us to think about what kind of “youth” we can express right now, and that’s why our “boyhood pop” continues to evolve. At the same time, we believe the essence of it remains the same.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/01/22/24/new-k-pop-group-tws-aims-to-deliver-best-youthful-music"><strong>READ: New K-pop group TWS aims to deliver &#x27;best&#x27; youthful music<br/></strong></a></div><p><strong>KYUNGMIN: </strong>To us, “boyhood pop” is a genre that’s uniquely ours to define and carry forward. It’s not something that’s limited to a fixed style — it’s something that keeps evolving as we create and grow. As we meet 42s across regions and gain new experiences, we hope to keep expanding the spectrum of this genre.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17768414518307_KYUNGMIN (1).jpg" style="width:960px;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Kyungmin</span></span></span></div><div><strong>Two years into your career, how would you describe the bond you’ve formed with your team? Are there still things that surprise you about each other, and if so, what are they?<br/></strong></div><p><strong>YOUNGJAE: </strong>I’m so thankful that I met the members through TWS, and they have become my close friends, almost like brothers. They’re also someone I’m truly grateful for — they’ve helped me grow a lot, both as an artist and as a person. Moving forward, we’ll continue to rely on each other and work hard together to present even better performances and meaningful albums.</p><p><strong>HANJIN: </strong>Now, it feels like we’ve naturally become a source of support for one another. We’ve grown so close that we can understand each other even without saying much, sometimes just through a glance. What’s really interesting is that even after two years together, we’re still discovering new sides and little details about each other. That’s why I’m excited about what’s ahead, because I believe we’ll continue to grow together and create more stories as TWS.</p>

<p>The K-pop group has scored viral success with several singles, but its members say they are driven to 'show better sides of ourselves as artists.'</p>

The K-pop group has scored viral success with several singles, but its members say they are driven to 'show better sides of ourselves as artists.'

EXCLUSIVE: Beyond viral success, TWS seeks to ‘show better sides of ourselves’

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EXCLUSIVE: Beyond viral success, TWS seeks to ‘show better sides of ourselves’

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 27, 2026 06:00 PM PHT

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No Tragedy

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