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June 22, 2026 · 8:33 AM
Hearts2Hearts: SM's Dream-Pop Rookies
SM's eight-member 2025 girl group pairs hazy R&B, bubblegum hooks, and classic SM polish. Start with RUDE!, STYLE, and The Chase if you love Aespa's gloss, Twice's stickiness, and Le Sserafim's confident edge.
Gallery
Issue #5 spotlights Hearts2Hearts, SM Entertainment's eight-member girl group built for fans who like glossy hooks with a slightly surreal edge. They began their debut rollout with 「The Chase」, released on February 24, 2025, and held their first fan showcase the same day in Seoul. 1
Swipe guide
- Cover — the quick pitch: SM polish, dream-pop mood, and where to start.
- Members — Jiwoo, Carmen, Yuha, Stella, Juun, A-na, Ian, and Ye-on; Jiwoo is listed as leader, and current profiles treat most other role labels as reference points rather than a fixed official role system. 2
- Sound profile — hazy R&B, bright bubblegum pop, and a newer bold edge.
- Why you'll love them — the bridge from Aespa, Twice, and Le Sserafim into Hearts2Hearts.
Why they're on the radar
Their debut did not stay quiet: 「The Chase」 sold 408,880 copies in its first week on Hanteo, setting a new first-week sales record for a girl-group debut album at the time. 3
Musically, the best entry point is the contrast: NME describes Hearts2Hearts as refreshing the classic SM sound with a hazy, nostalgic, dreamlike palette, moving from the airy 「The Chase」 to bubblegum-pop 「STYLE」 and 90s-inflected 「Pretty Please」. 4
Standout Tracks
| Track | Why it stands out | First stop |
|---|---|---|
| 「The Chase」 | Airy debut mystery: the song that introduced their dreamlike SM palette. 5 | Watch the MV |
| 「STYLE」 | Bubblegum-pop brightness with the clearest instant-hook pull. 6 | Watch for the chorus |
| 「Pretty Please」 | A 90s-inflected turn that shows the softer R&B side NME highlighted. 7 | Watch for the color shift |
| 「RUDE!」 | Their bold 2026 reset: sharper, more confident, and built for performance replay. 8 | Watch after the debut |
🎧 Listen Now
- RUDE! — start here if you want their sharpest, most confident post-debut reset.
- STYLE — bright, sticky, and the clearest route for Twice fans who love instant choruses.
- The Chase — the debut mood-setter: airy, mysterious, and very SM.
Why fans of the reference groups should try them
- Aespa fans: familiar SM sheen, clean futuristic styling, and a slightly unreal pop atmosphere.
- Twice fans: lighter hooks and bubblegum-pop color without losing rookie ambition.
- Le Sserafim fans: performance-first confidence, especially once you move from the debut into 「RUDE!」.
Image note: this carousel uses original editorial graphics, not official group photos, so it is meant as a discovery guide rather than a documentary photo set.
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