Hearts2Hearts Returns with New Mini Album 'FOCUS': A Showcase of Cool and Chic Charm

"This time, you'll feel a cool and chic charm."

SM Entertainment's youngest girl group, Hearts2Hearts, is back with a fresh allure. The group, consisting of Carmen, Jiwoo, Yuha, Stella, Jueun, Aina, Ian, and Yeon, held a media showcase for their first mini-album 'FOCUS' at the Blue Square SOL Travel Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 20th.

Hearts2Hearts' first mini-album 'FOCUS' features a total of six tracks, including the single 'STYLE' released in June, showcasing a variety of genres. The title track 'FOCUS' is a house genre song highlighted by a vintage piano riff. Renowned hitmaker KENZIE, who previously worked on their debut song 'The Chase' and single 'STYLE', contributed to the lyrics once again.

With 'FOCUS', Hearts2Hearts ventures into the house genre for the first time. Jiwoo explained, "This album marks the beginning of establishing Hearts2Hearts' unique color. While 'The Chase' announced our start and piqued curiosity, and 'STYLE' brought us a step closer, 'FOCUS' aims to clearly showcase our color and capture attention, as the title suggests."

The group also shared behind-the-scenes stories from their music video shoot. Aina revealed, "Jiwoo, Jueun, and I filmed an action scene for the first time. It depicted us in a competitive relationship, even using wires for the shoot. Initially, we were worried about doing well, but it turned out to be fun, and we were satisfied with the result."

Jueun added, "The staff on set and our action coach praised us a lot, boosting our confidence. The action coach even joked about us becoming professional action actors because we finished faster than expected, which made everyone laugh."

Hearts2Hearts is known for their 'knife-like choreography'. Ian shared the secret to their performance, saying, "All members are sincere about the stage, so we frequently give feedback and listen to each other during group practice. I think that's how our popular synchronized choreography came to be." Jiwoo added, "We practice choreography for 4-5 hours every day of the week. Everyone works hard enough to lose weight naturally."

Yeon mentioned, "Kangta, an SM director, advised us that harmony is crucial on stage." Jiwoo also shared, "He told us to keep our promises to each other. 'On stage, just keep your promises to each other without worrying about anything else,' he said, which seemed to carry a lot of meaning. Hearing that helped us strengthen our teamwork."

Hearts2Hearts is rapidly expanding their global reach. Carmen, from Indonesia, expressed her joy, saying, "I was thrilled to perform in Indonesia. I didn't expect to have a concert there so soon. My parents came, and it made me happy."

The group is also receiving love calls from advertisers. Hearts2Hearts has secured major brand endorsements, including 'Catch! Teenieping' and KB Kookmin Bank. Yuha explained, "It's because each member has a distinct personality, yet when the eight of us come together, the synergy is great." She added, "Through collaborations, we can communicate with various audiences, including children, game, and animation fans, which is an honor."

With this comeback, Hearts2Hearts aims for top positions on various charts. Aina expressed her aspirations, saying, "We want to achieve first place on music shows again, as we did in our previous activities. If we set our goals high, we also want to top the music charts. We hope many people recognize our sincerity on stage."

Hearts2Hearts' first mini-album 'FOCUS' will be available on various music sites at 6 PM today.

Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia Reporter one@tenasia.co.kr