New and Established Girl Groups Compete After Spring Festival Break … Hearts2Hearts, IVE, and BLACKPINK Return One After Another

With the end of the Spring Festival holiday, a series of comeback releases from various girl groups are set to take place. Ranging from new groups to those with over 10 years of experience, different generations of artists are releasing music at intervals, capturing attention in the music industry.

The first group to make their debut is Hearts2Hearts, a new girl group introduced by SM Entertainment five years after aespa. Debuting last year, Hearts2Hearts will celebrate its first anniversary this year. They are returning with a new song titled “Rude!” four months after releasing their first mini-album, “Focus.”

During their appearance at the MAMA Awards last year, Hearts2Hearts expressed their goals for the year by saying, “What we have always talked about as our goal this year is to win the New Artist Award.” They rely on their unique cute and energetic concept as their strength. As a new group under SM Entertainment, they show determination to achieve results comparable to those of aespa.

Following that, IVE, a group that has been active for six years, is announcing a new album. IVE already drew attention with a pre-release track that has a completely different atmosphere from their previous works. The pre-release song, “Bang Bang,” features an energetic intro and intense performances. Its chorus, “Wake up, don’t hesitate, just go with your heart,” conveys a powerful message.

“Bang Bang” quickly climbed to the top ranks of major domestic and international music charts, signaling a successful start. Their second full-length album, “Rebirth Plus,” which includes “Bang Bang,” is scheduled for release on the 23rd of this month.

The finale of this comeback battle will be brought by BLACKPINK, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year. The group will return in their full lineup with their third mini-album, “Deadline,” on the 27th of this month. This is the first album in about 3 years and 5 months to feature all members’ voices, following the release of “Born Pink” in September 2022.

The “Deadline” album will contain a total of 5 tracks, with “Go” designated as the title track. Since last year, BLACKPINK has solidified their status as world-class stars through solo activities, sub-unit performances, and collaboration projects. This full-group album is both a response to fans’ long wait and a meaningful release to mark their 10th anniversary.