Hearts2Hearts turns up the summer glow with zesty ‘Lemon Tang’ comeback energy

From f(x)’s “Hot Summer” (2011) and Red Velvet’s “Red Flavor” (2017), some of K-pop’s most iconic summer anthems came from SM Entertainment — and the agency’s rookie girl group Hearts2Hearts is hoping to carry the legacy forward with its own zesty summer song, “Lemon Tang.”

The group’s second EP, also titled “Lemon Tang,” is packed with heart — both in lyrics and spirit — as the eight members look to ride on the momentum of “Rude!,” their most successful single yet.

“We received so much love with ‘Rude!’ in the first half of the year,” member Carmen said during a showcase for “Lemon Tang” held at Blue Square in central Seoul on Monday. “So in the second half, I hope we can continue to receive love with ‘Lemon Tang’ and make this year Hearts2Hearts’s year.”

“We prepared especially hard for this album after receiving so much love with ‘Rude!,’” member Juun added. “Just like our team’s name, Hearts2Hearts, we wanted to deliver our message and music to our fans, from our hearts to theirs. That was what we kept in mind while preparing this album.”

Launched by K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment, Hearts2Hearts debuted in February last year with its first single, “The Chase.” The eight-member group consists of Ye-on, Stella, Yuha, Ian, A-na, Juun, Carmen and Jiwoo.

The second EP, “Lemon Tang,” features five songs: the title track “Lemon Tang” and B-sides “15-Love,” “Baby Steps,” “heart emoji,” “Secret Recipe” and of course, “Rude!,” which was released in February as a digital single.

“Rude!,” an addictive, house-leaning dance track, became the girl group’s most successful single yet, topping the domestic streaming charts, including Spotify’s weekly top song chart for three consecutive weeks in Korea.

Riding that strong momentum, Hearts2Hearts now hopes to make “Lemon Tang” into a new summer banger.

“We doubled down on our symbol, the heart, with this album,” said Jiwoo. “There are many moments we share our hearts in not only our title track but also our B-sides. In particular, the word ‘heart’ appears in every song on this album, so I think it would be fun to look for that while listening.”

The title track, produced by SM’s hitmaker Kenzie, is a fast-paced dance-pop track that the group’s agency described as “representing a fizzy burst of flavor,” with lyrics about how sour and zesty feelings can become refreshing and sweet when shared with someone else.

“The moment I heard the song, I could feel the summer from it,” said Yuha. “We thought it was perfect as a lead single as it captures Hearts2Hearts’s bright energy the best.”

With SM’s girl groups known for their memorable summer bangers, Hearts2Hearts hopes to join the ranks of its seniors, the members said.

“We would be so happy and grateful if we could continue SM’s summer song legacy,” said Ian.

Hearts2Hearts’s labelmate aespa also released a lemon-themed summer song, “Lemonade,” last month, and Jiwoo said she and aespa member Karina were surprised by the coincidence when they met each other.

“We supported each other, and Karina wished us luck,” said Jiwoo. “While aespa’s lemon is cool and electric in its sourness, our version of lemon is about sweetness and our message of coming together to shine together.”

Looking ahead, the group hopes to expand its reach further and meet more fans around the world.

“One day, I would really love to go on a world tour and meet our fans all over the world,” said Stella.

BY SHIN HA-NEE  [[email protected]]