TWS Breaks Through Boundaries with Fierce Intensity: 'Play Hard' is an Album Full of 'Burning Spirit' (Showcase)

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"We prepared this with the mindset of shattering our limits. We will burn up the stage without holding anything back!" (TWS)

TWS has maintained its signature fresh sound while simultaneously introducing a bold, unrestricted vibe. The group emphasized their blend of clear energy and a fiery 'burning spirit' (dogi), expressing the feeling of a young heart in overdrive.

The musical approach has shifted, incorporating a rawer vocal delivery over the previous pure, clear tone. Their visual concept is also noticeably rougher: they have swapped their school uniforms for techwear, signaling a new image.

TWS held a media showcase for the release of their 4th mini-album, play hard, on the afternoon of the 13th at the Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.

play hard captures the story of fierce youth, carrying the meaning of throwing all one's youth and passion into giving maximum effort. The album contains a total of six tracks.

The members expressed excitement, saying, "We are thrilled to make new memories with our 42s (fandom name)." They added, "This album helped us realize what we are truly crazy about. We prepared it with confidence and ask for lots of attention."

Play Hard: Unrestricted Acceleration

The title track is "OVERDRIVE." The song uses the tone of the guitar effect 'overdrive' to express an overly passionate and intense feeling for someone.

Dohun introduced the track: "We added a much more powerful look to the bright, refreshing energy we've shown before." He highlighted the chorus line, "My heart goes koong" (thump), as a fun point, explaining, "It expresses the emotion of being so deeply immersed in something you love that you can’t escape it."

The lyrics—featuring honest, relatable lines like "My heart goes koong," "I can't stand it anymore," and "Is it always like this?"—were penned by member Jihoon, who also contributed to the performance creation.

Jihoon shared the inspiration: "At our concert, I said, 'It's good even if it rains because the members, like the sun, are rising,' and I used that sentiment [in the lyrics]." He added, "That was a natural thought, and I want to keep that promise."

For the choreography, Jihoon focused on creating connection points between the members. "I wanted the members to be happy on stage, just like the album title. I created moments where they make eye contact or physical contact."

He further elaborated on the concept: "We expressed the feeling of being so passionately obsessed with something that you feel crazy, allowing individual personalities to shine through." He noted that the performance offers the fun of observing each of the six characters—such as Shinyu listening to music or Kyungmin taking a phone call—on stage.

The choreography is high-energy, demanding powerful, continuous jumps and advanced technical moves. The members danced with such intensity that they were noticeably breathless afterward. A key move is the 'oom-oom' shoulder shake during the hook, synchronized like a guitar riff, showcasing controlled intensity. Kyungmin described this section as where "you can see our charisma."
Black TWS: The Raw Look

The group built momentum by performing their pre-released track, "Head Shoulders Knees Toes," a hip-hop song that cleverly samples the children’s tune "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes."

TWS debuted a stylistic shift with black techwear, amplifying a dynamic, hip-hop vibe through synchronized group choreography with dancers. The powerful energy delivered the message of 'no limits.'

Youngjae stated, "This song is about burning up the stage without holding back, with the mindset of breaking through limits." He emphasized, "We wanted to show a different side from the previous TWS. We also tried to use a raw voice rather than a clear and pure one."

Dohun linked this to their musical evolution: "We've been attempting changes with tracks like 'Double Take' and 'Draw a Comma Instead of a Dot.' 'Head Shoulders Knees Toes' is an extension of that, maintaining TWS's refreshing feel while trying new things."

Shinyu pinpointed the dance break at the end of the chorus as the highlight. "If you watch that part, you will see how much we love the stage and how much we are obsessed with it," he said confidently.

The Strength of TWS: Clear 'Dogi'

The members named "Energy," "Heat," and "Immersion" as the key keywords for the album. Jihoon elaborated, "I think this is an album overflowing with heat. The time spent loving something and being completely immersed in it is a hot moment of youth."

Jihoon promised to show a "sincere and raw TWS" and vowed to "study and research music we can present well, so we can continue to show new music in the future."

The members chose "clear dogi (burning spirit)" as TWS's unique strength. Youngjae explained, "People tell us that TWS's songs are light and refreshing, but the dancing looks strenuous. The point is the coexistence of clear energy and a hot, burning spirit."

They revealed that they relied on this fierce spirit when faced with physical limitations during preparation. Jihoon recalled, "I felt physically limited. We tried singing live while running and dancing. It was a process of overcoming limits with the members."

TWS held their first solo concert in Korea in June and debuted in Japan in July, followed by a Japanese tour, collectively drawing about 50,000 concertgoers. The members acknowledged their gradual growth.

Hanjin observed physical and musical maturation: "Our physique and voices seem to have grown. I feel that our music changes in line with that growth." Kyungmin noted visual changes: "Styling and visuals have changed a lot. Hanjin, Jihoon and I dyed our hair, and we switched from school uniforms to techwear."


The ultimate goal for this album is to showcase TWS's passion. Shinyu concluded, "Even if the sound is different, the message we want to convey is the same as before. We wanted to express TWS as a group that approaches everything with passion."