A New Tide in K-Pop
TUIDE, the latest girl group to emerge from the K-pop giant HYBE, is positioning itself to shift the current climate of global pop music. The group consists of seven members from South Korea, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom: Seohee, Seoyeon, Elena, Jia, Saki, Seah, and Yi Hani. They debut under the new label ABD, or A Bold Dream, led by president Jiwon No, who previously served as head of artist planning at PLEDIS Entertainment. Han Sung-soo, the founder of Pledis, also steered the group's creative production.
The name TUIDE stems from the phrase Tune the Tide, representing the group’s intention to act as a new wave in the industry. They enter a competitive environment alongside existing HYBE acts like LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT. Despite the scale of their parent company, the members frame their debut as a specific opportunity to define their own identity. Leader Seohee describes the process as a transition from curiosity to a serious pursuit of her dream.
The Craft Behind the Concept
Beyond their musical training, the group places a heavy emphasis on personal connection and shared hobbies. They spend their downtime in their dorms practicing origami or making beaded friendship bracelets to reinforce their bond. This off-stage dynamic serves as a necessary balance to their rigorous practice schedules, which sometimes stretch into the early hours of the morning. For these members, the dorm environment functions as a private space to decompress.
Member Jia explains that their group dynamic is essential to their identity. She describes the other six members as her home, noting that the group feels incomplete if even one person is absent. They also share a specific interest in horror movies, finding a shared excitement in the thrill of being scared together. This contrast between their public polish and their private, low-key habits is a defining characteristic of the septet.
Sound, Vision, and Future Goals
Their debut EP, Tune & Play, features the lead track Sun Kiss. The producers behind the project, GroovyRoom, bring an established background in the K-hip-hop scene to the group’s pop-focused tracks. The record includes influences ranging from house and garage to R&B, which the label refers to as soultronic. The music video for the title track was filmed on location in Iceland, underscoring the visual investment in their debut.
While they focus on their immediate performances, the members also acknowledge the digital landscape surrounding them. They monitor audience feedback to refine their approach for future promotions. They also follow fan-created content, specifically citing high-quality video edits as a point of interest. Looking ahead, the members aim to reach international audiences and express a clear desire to secure rookie of the year accolades by the end of the year. Their focus remains on the present, relying on each other to manage the pressures of a high-profile industry launch.