TWS's 'No Tragedy' explores love and defiance, highlighting growth

This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice. Even if destiny dictates us to become star-crossed lovers, I'd rather crush the stars than surrender to the fate — that's the idea behind boy band TWS's fifth EP, "No Tragedy." Released Monday, the six-member group's latest album marks a step forward from its well-established image of youthful, boy-next-door pop, leaning more into a bolder, mature imagery as "young Romeos." "The youthful energy our fans and the public have shown us love for remains the same in this album," said member Jihoon during a press showcase for its fifth EP, "No Tragedy," at Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul, Monday. Managed by Pledis Entertainment, a HYBE label, TWS debuted in January 2024 as a sextet, consisting of Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon and Kyungmin. Throughout its discography, TWS has built its musical identity around what it describes as "boyhood pop" — with its hits "Overdrive" (2025) and "If I'm S Can You Be My N?" (2024) that emphasized a youthful theme with energetic melody, cutesy lyrics and school-uniform-like costumes. This time, the boys took a dramatic turn, describing the central theme of their latest album as "young Romes," making bold moves for love, rather than nervously fretting over a first crush. "No Tragedy," which comes about six months after its previous EP, "play hard," features six songs: the lead track, "You, You," along with B-sides "All the Possibilities," "Why You So Bad?," "Get It Now," "Fire Escape" and "Back To Strangers." The album's sound spans various genres, from the synth-heavy pop of "Why You So Heavy" to the boom-bap hip-hop of "Get It Now." The song takes "star-crossed lovers" from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" to "star-crushing lovers," Pledis Entertainment said, with the members kicking and smashing stars in its music video. The shift in theme also reflects the growth the TWS members themselves have gone through, the members said. "We have always centered our music on our message, gradually expanding the spectrum of our own genre, 'boyhood pop,'" Jihoon said. "Each time, we think carefully about our music so that our own growth can naturally become part of the songs." Keeping up the momentum from last year's hit, "Overdrive," the group has already garnered 1.16 million preorders with "No Tragedy." "We were so surprised and delighted when we heard that preorders surpassed the 1 million mark," shared Kyungmin. "We never see it as a mere number or take it for granted — we will continue to give our all, taking it as encouragement from our fans to keep moving forward."