Seoyeon, TWICE’s Jihyo’s younger sister, to debut with HYBE girl group TUIDE
Seoyeon is officially set to debut as a member of HYBE’s new girl group TUIDE.
On August 3, HYBE subsidiary label ABD announced that rookie group TUIDE will debut on August 24 with its first mini album, ‘TUNE & PLAY’.
TUIDE is a seven-member group made up of Seo Hee, Seoyeon, Elena, Jia, Saki, Seah, and Yi Hani.
ABD stated:
“The seven members come from diverse cultural backgrounds, including Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan, creating TUIDE’s distinctive team identity. All members are teenagers born between 2006 and 2011, and with their unique personalities and multinational synergy, they aim to bring a fresh experience to music fans around the world.“
The group will release its debut mini album ‘TUNE & PLAY’ on August 24 at 6 PM KST. The project is overseen by Han Sung Soo, former CEO of Pledis Entertainment, who serves as the project’s Master Professional (MP) and executive producer.
ABD said the album title represents “tuning” different musical languages into a single rhythm to create “play” and enjoyment, and that it reflects TUIDE’s aim to introduce a new global music trend by transcending generational, cultural, and linguistic boundaries.
Before debut, TUIDE held a preview event called ‘PLAYGROUND’ on August 1 and 2 at Layer Studio 11 in Mapo-gu, Seoul. They performed five songs at the event and appeared without any prior public introduction, showing polished live vocals and performances, according to the report.
Seoyeon has drawn particular attention among the multinational lineup. She is the youngest sister of TWICE’s Jihyo. Born in 2008, Seoyeon has been noted for her resemblance to her older sister.
TWICE is currently in discussions with JYP Entertainment about contract renewals. On July 28, Jihyo addressed fans through the communication platform Bubble, writing:
“I could simply chat with ONCE about everyday life, but it’s still difficult for me to continue conversations as if nothing is happening.“
“I thought about it a lot and was very cautious before communicating with everyone. I want to resolve everything properly and share good news as soon as possible so ONCE won’t have to wait too long.“
“As the person responsible for my own life, I’ll think things through carefully and make the wisest decision. I sincerely love and cherish TWICE as a team, and I believe ONCE will understand that from the bottom of my heart.”
Earlier reports said Jihyo was preparing to leave JYP Entertainment, where she trained since 2005, and establish her own one-person company. In response to renewal reports, JYP stated on July 14:
“TWICE is currently in the contract renewal discussion period, and we are continuing careful negotiations.”
Jihyo joined JYP Entertainment as a trainee in 2005 and debuted with TWICE in 2015. All nine TWICE members renewed their contracts with JYP in 2022 and have continued group and individual activities since then.