MANILA — Pledis Entertainment, the label behind K-pop sensation Seventeen, launched Monday its newest boy group TWS, which hopes to bring the "best" music that captures the essence of youth.

Composed of Shinyu, Dohoon, Hanjin, Jihoon, Youngjae and Kyungmin, TWS (pronounced as "two-us") is Pledis' first new boy group in almost nine years, following Seventeen.

The group's name is short for "Twenty-Four Seven With Us," which expresses the sextet's commitment to be with its listeners 24/7 or around the clock.

During a press showcase in Seoul, which was livestreamed to foreign media, the members labeled their brand of music as "boyhood pop."

"Boyhood pop derives from the cherishable moments in our daily lives. It's a genre with fantastical elements. In every note and word, we attempt to capture the moments in our boyhood," Jihoon said through an interpreter.

"We also aim to portray our youthfulness in a very natural and uncontrived way. We hope to bring some positive energy with our catchy tunes and sparkling vibes," Kyungmin said.

Jihoon said the group promises to "bring the best music to the table and make lots of people fall in love with us."

"We'll [also] try our best to earn the title of best rookie of the year," Shinyu added.

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TWS debuted with the five-track extended play "Sparkling Blue," led by the single "Plot Twist." It also includes "Oh Mymy: 7s," which the group dropped last January 2 as a pre-release track.

• WATCH: Seventeen's label introduces new K-pop boy group TWS

Youngjae explained that the upbeat "Plot Twist" talks about the heart-fluttering and nervous feelings that one experiences during a first encounter.

"This song talks about those heart-fluttering yet nervous first encounters where we try to overcome that nervousness," he said.

The high school-themed music video for "Plot Twist," meanwhile, depicts "the butterflies in your stomach on the first day of school," Kyungmin said.

Asked what makes TWS different from other groups doing youthful concepts and music, Shinyu said, "The multifaceted, bubbly energy and freshness expressed with the synergy of all six members."

He noted that the group studied the performances of songs like Seventeen's "Adore U" and SHINee's "View" to come up with a unique "touch" to the style.

"We added our own touch to this style of music by making it intense yet disarming," Shinyu said.

'Sense of responsibility'

As the latest group from Pledis following Seventeen, the TWS members feel grateful and a "sense of responsibility," Jihoon said.

"We feel gratitude and a sense of responsibility and it also becomes motivation for us to work harder," he said.

"We want to really try our best and become a strong team for Pledis as well," Jihoon added.

Dohoon also described Seventeen as TWS' role models.

"All six members dreamt of becoming just like them and Seventeen is a group that sends out a positive influence through their music... As artists, we TWS also want to have that positive impact on others and we're going to try our best to achieve this goal," he said.

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Like Seventeen, the TWS members also aspire to produce their own music. "We're working really hard so that we could also become [a self-producing group] like them," Kyungmin said.

Dohoon shared that the Seventeen members also gave "a lot of advice" to TWS and "treat us to really good food."

For more news and features on K-pop, K-drama, and K-stars, visit the Hallyu Corner microsite.

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