SM Entertainment’s newest girl group, Hearts2Hearts, has hit the ground running with their debut single album, The Chase. Jiwoo, Carmen, Yuha, Stella, Juun, A-na, Ian, and Ye-on make up the company’s largest girl group since Girls’ Generation in 2007. Released on February 24, The Chase’s two R&B tracks serve as an introduction into Hearts2Hearts’s world. 

TRACKLIST: 

1. “The Chase” 

2. “Butterflies” 

Prelude to Hearts2Hearts

Hearts2Hearts made their debut shortly after SM Entertainment celebrated its 30th anniversary. The company used opportunities related to this anniversary to tease Hearts2Hearts. The company included Ian in their “30th anniversary celebration film” and they unveiled a trailer for the group during SMTOWN LIVE 2025 [THE CULTURE, THE FUTURE] in Seoul.  

Subsequent teasers showcased Hearts2Hearts’s cute and mysterious concept, alongside the members’ personalities. The group wishes to “connect with global fans through a magical and beautiful musical world filled with heartfelt emotions and genuine messages.” They also bring further international appeal with Indonesian member Carmen and Korean-Canadian member Stella.

Dreams Take Flight in The Chase

“The Chase” marks Hearts2Hearts’s first step into the K-Pop industry. This title track eagerly anticipates a future coming from unconventional means. Producer KENZIE and British girl group FLO stand out among the list of contributors to “The Chase.” Its whimsical R&B sound fuels a sweet and smooth listening experience. SM Entertainment usually knocks it out of the park with the R&B genre, and this song continues that track record. Though “The Chase” does not include any strong vocal belts expected of SM Entertainment’s vocalists, it stands on its own as a catchy song.  

To hear the members’ vocals more, look no further than the B-Side “Butterflies.” The harmonies of this mid-tempo track show more of what they have to offer. According to Ye-on, the song expresses Hearts2Hearts’s path ahead like “butterflies flying in search of flowers.” Rigend Film helped visualize this journey through the music video for “The Chase.” The studio, known for award-winning works like aespa’s “Armageddon” and IVE’s “HEYA,” uses the premise of a strange school field trip for Heart2Hearts’s debut. They manage to capture the dream-like essence of teenagers going on their own adventures. 

Hearts2Hearts followed a similar debut rollout as their last three predecessors: aespa, Red Velvet, and f(x) all debuted with a single, all of which created questions about future releases. The Chase’s two songs leave me anticipating what the members can do with an expanded discography. SM Entertainment forecasts that Hearts2Hearts will return with a single album in the second half of 2025, so it seems like only time will tell. I will have “I love the way you love the chase” stuck in my head until then. 

Edited by Joi Berry