TWS’ new winter single ‘Last Festival’ is a melancholic high-note for the rookie boyband
As the saying goes, there’s only one chance to make a first impression – that uncertainty can put a crippling weight on the idea of trying anything new. Such was the anxiety behind K-pop boyband TWS’ debut single ‘plot twist’ in January 2024. “First encounters are always so hard / Cause nothing goes to plan,” they lamented, yet excitement prevailed over panic: “This moment feels so wonderful.”
It’s a good attitude to have, since things don’t often unfold as we expect. But that isn’t inherently negative; it leaves room for the unexpected triumph, too. That’s what TWS’ debut would be classified as, after all, considering how their bright, youthful “boyhood pop” approach immediately struck a chord with the listening public in South Korea.
High school has been the set dressing for the boys’ stories in all their releases so far, something that has elicited comparisons to early-SEVENTEEN. But they ground themselves even further in the past: their latest single, ‘Last Festival,’ reinterprets Seo Taiji and Boys’ 1993 song of the same name.
Part of why the modern update feels so special is that ‘Last Festival’, at its core, broaches how ephemeral memory can be: “My friend / Don’t forget the warmth we shared / When we meet again.” From the very first firework cracks and warm, dreamy synths, the single feels like a significant departure for TWS. And it is: like a last school bell, this bittersweet send-off is the curtain call for their first year, with the boyish melodrama of ‘plot twist’ channelled into melancholy.
There’s no question the song was made especially for the winter, a season of endings. More so than the original, the TWS reimagining settles like a weight on your chest. That atmosphere is thanks in large part to the interpolation’s wistful instrumental, with lightly bubbling Afrobeat rhythms lending a nostalgic air in place of Seo Taiji and Boys’ mood-lifting jazz and new jack swing influences.
‘Last Festival’ represents a full circle moment for the boyband, who have already noticeably matured in eleven months. “Start over where it all began,” Dohoon sings, reflecting back to that very first meeting, before Jihoon takes stock of what’s changed: “Between fear and excitement / I used to stand all alone / But I tucked that time away.” TWS had us from hello – and after going from strength to strength with every release so far, they won’t be saying goodbye anytime soon.
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Abby Webster
NME
