TWS brings every shade of youth to sold-out KSPO Dome debut

Youth was prevalent in every form possible at K-pop boy band TWS’s kickoff concert for its Asia tour at the KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Sunday.

There was the bubbly kind, the grungy kind, the romantic kind and, of course, the emotional kind. Whichever form it took, however, it sure drew deafening roars from its fans, collectively known as 42, a homonym for the Korean word for relationship.

The tour, titled "24/7:FOR:YOU," marks the six-member band's debut at KSPO Dome, a venue widely regarded as a milestone for K-pop acts because of its sizable 15,000-seat capacity. TWS, only two and a half years into its career, managed to sell out both of its shows at the dome on Saturday and Sunday, according to its agency, Pledis Entertainment, a label under HYBE. 

“It is our first concert at the KSPO Dome, which makes this concert much more meaningful,” said TWS leader Shinyu. “It’s all because of you guys '42!'"

TWS member Dohoon also likened the KSPO Dome debut to something he had always “dreamed of,” adding that “of the maybe 18,000 people gathered here, I'm probably the most excited.”

The concert opened with the six members — Shinyu, Dohoon, Jihoon, Hanjin, Youngjae and Kyungmin — making a dramatic entrance as they descended onto the center stage from inside screens designed to resemble a giant gift box. As the ribbon unraveled on the screen, the members emerged in Prince Charming-style jackets studded with crystals.

In the opening set, featuring tracks such as "hey! hey!" (2024), "Overdrive" (2025) and "overthinking" (2025), TWS did what it does best: embracing youth. With upbeat rhythms, harmless lyrics and playful choreography — including the signature shoulder-shaking move from "Overdrive" — the group's trademark bubbly energy was on full display.

The mood shifted, although not for long, when the six members unveiled unreleased tracks as units.

Jihoon and Kyungmin staged a high-octane rock-infused track titled "Shift," where the duo utilized handkerchiefs for a charismatic choreography. Admitting to being "extremely nervous" for the stage, the duo said they put real effort into putting together this performance by researching everything down to the fabric of the handkerchiefs.

Youngjae and Hanjin sang a ballad called "To You Who Have Endured Long Night" (translated), which both members participated in composing and writing the lyrics to. The lyrics reflect upon their hard days as trainees, Hanjin said, especially as a member having come over from China. 

The standout among the unit performances was undoubtedly Shinyu and Dohoon's "How Did You Do That," a hard-hitting hip-hop track that showcased a completely different side of TWS. Grungy styling, swagger-filled choreography and cocky lyrics were a far cry from the group's signature youthful image but at the same time exactly the kind of unexpected transformation fans had been eager to see.

Throughout the more than three hours of show time, TWS's moves, vocals and interaction with the 42s were without flaws. Notably, the live vocals matched so perfectly with the record that it almost felt like lip-syncing. The heavy breathing after each performance was the only “flaw” proving they were live singing the songs.

As the members made final comments, Shinyu and Jihoon broke down in tears in appreciation towards the members and fans for making this moment possible.

“Thank you for being my dream,” Shinyu said. 

TWS is scheduled to perform 15 shows across eight Asian cities over the coming months, with its next stop set for Fukuoka, Japan, from Aug. 28 to 30.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [[email protected]]