Rookie boy band TWS turn up the heat with second EP 'Summer Beat'

Members of rookie boy band TWS, despite already being six months into their debut activities, were visibly nervous and looked tense as they introduced their second EP, “Summer Beat,” to the press on Monday.

Rookie boy band TWS performs “If I’m S, Can You Be My N?″ during a press showcase held Monday at the Blue Square Mastercard Hall in Yongsan District, central Seoul on Monday. [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

Members of rookie boy band TWS, despite already being six months into their debut activities, were visibly nervous and looked tense as they introduced their second EP, “Summer Beat!” to the press on Monday.

But it’s OK, because their nervousness, more than anything, shows the refreshing and pure energy that only newcomers can pull off.

“The success of our first EP became the driving force as we prepared ‘Summer Beat,’ and instead of thinking about being pressured, we thought of it as a good-intentioned responsibility,” Youngjae said during a press showcase for “Summer Beat!” held Monday at the Blue Square Mastercard Hall in Yongsan District, central Seoul, ahead of the EP’s 6 p.m. release.

The six members — Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon and Kyungmin — however, seemed as nervous as they were during their debut showcase back in January, as the members rapped through their memorized lines and talked faster than usual as they answered questions from the press. Such behaviors matched with the band’s own genre, boyhood pop — a genre that “sparks fantasy in our everyday lives and talks about our boyhood lives” — which it introduced with its debut.

Boy band TWS poses for the camera during a press showcase for its second EP ″Summer Beat!″ held Monday at the Blue Square Mastercard Hall in central Seoul, ahead of its 6 p.m. release. [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

“Summer Beat!” and its lead track “If I’m S, Can You Be My N?” builds on the band’s boyhood pop music while also exploring other genres with its B-side tracks. Member Jihoon explained that its second EP is “more sporty and even more refreshing.”

“The title of our lead track is a reference to how one’s relationship can be like the two opposite ends of a magnet. We are opposites, but we might end up finding out why we are so attracted to each other,” said Kyungmin.

“I liked the melodies from the first time I listened to the lead track, but it’s the lyrics that really got me,” Shinyu said. “There’s a part of the lyrics that goes, ‘You and I, 10 meters apart,’ which refers to the distance between the first and the third floors of a school building. So, I encourage you to look closely at the lyrics.”

B-side track “You+Me=7942” saw the band showing off a saw synth sound, while the pre-released track “hey! hey!” was inspired by rock-based guitar and drum sounds. “Double Take,” “Keep On” and “Fire Confetti,” saw the band members trying boom bap, synth-pop and Jersey club sounds, respectively.

TWS had already received multiple music show trophies and even a Rookie of the Year award, merely months after the band’s debut. So naturally, they hoped to go big the next time around.

“We want to receive a big [grand] prize in the next three years,” Kyungmin said.

“We also hope to hold a [solo] concert within three years,” Dohoon added.

Boy band TWS poses for the camera during a press showcase for its second EP ″Summer Beat!″ held Monday at the Blue Square Mastercard Hall in central Seoul, ahead of its 6 p.m. release. [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

Boy band TWS poses for the camera during a press showcase for its second EP ″Summer Beat!″ held Monday at the Blue Square Mastercard Hall in central Seoul, ahead of its 6 p.m. release. [DANIELA GONZALEZ PEREZ]

Boy band TWS poses for the camera during a press showcase for its second EP ″Summer Beat!″ held Monday at the Blue Square Mastercard Hall in central Seoul, ahead of its 6 p.m. release. [DANIELA GONZALEZ PEREZ]

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]