Hearts2Hearts

Hearts2Hearts (Korean: 하츠투하츠; RR: HacheutuHacheu) is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group consists of eight members: Carmen, Jiwoo, Yuha, Stella, Juun, A-na, Ian, and Ye-on. They debuted on February 24, 2025, with the single album The Chase and its lead single of the same name.
According to SM Entertainment's report, the group name, Hearts2Hearts, means "to connect with global fans through a mysterious musical world filled with various emotions and heartfelt messages, and move forward together as a greater 'us'".
First news of a new girl group from SM Entertainment came in February 2023, when the company announced their new SM 3.0 corporate strategy. In the announcement video, CEO Chris Sung-soo Lee and COO Tak Young-jun announced that SM would debut four new acts in 2023: a new Tokyo-based subunit of NCT (which became NCT Wish), a new boy band (which became Riize), and a virtual solo artist (which became Naevis), as well as a new girl group. These plans were reiterated in May, when the company shared a YouTube video of CEO Jang Cheol-hyuk announcing their plans for 2023, confirming the company's plans to launch a new girl group in the fourth quarter of the year.
The group's debut was delayed several times, with the news being released each time in the company's earnings reports. The first delay came in August 2023, with SM stating the group would now launch in the first half of 2024. The debut was again delayed in May 2024, moving the group's launch to the fourth quarter of the year. In November 2024, SM updated their schedule for the final time, pushing the group's debut to the first quarter of 2025.
At the end of SM's 30th anniversary celebration SM Town Live 2025 concert at Gocheok Sky Dome on January 12, a surprise trailer was played that revealed the group's name and eight members, though their individual names were not released. The trailer also indicated that the group would debut in February 2025. The next day, South Korean media including Maeil Business Newspaper and The Korea Economic Daily reported that Hearts2Hearts would debut on February 24, with promotions beginning in late January.
Following the group's reveal, their company's stock experienced a 4.5% increase on the Korea Exchange at the closing of its trading day, with an additional gain of 6.94% the next day.
Hearts2Hearts is SM's first new girl group since Aespa debuted in 2020, and its first since the departure of founder and executive producer Lee Soo-man in 2023. With 8 members, it is also SM's largest girl group since Girls' Generation's 2007 debut with 9 members. Pop culture critic, Ha Jae-geun, noted that the group will be a "test" of the SM 3.0 corporate production strategy that was introduced in the wake of Lee's exit from the company.
On January 31, Hearts2Hearts' Instagram account was opened to the public, which unveiled a series of images, giving a sneak peek of the members. All members were revealed on February 3, when a trailer for the group, entitled "Chase Your Choice", was released on SM's official YouTube channel, and additional social media accounts were opened. The group's debut release, a single album entitled The Chase, was revealed that same day on February 24. The Chase comprises two songs: the lead single of the same name and a B-side titled "Butterflies". A schedule for the release was revealed on February 4, including the announcement of a debut showcase at the Yes24 Music Hall in Seoul on the album's release date.
In February 2025, SM Entertainment and SAMG Entertainment collaborated for a K-pop x character IP, releasing Hearts2Hearts special content, merch, and more, with Catch! Teenieping. On February 24, it was announced that Hearts2Hearts will be part of 'SMGC' project campaign, a collaboration between SM and Mega MGC Coffee. Later on that day, Hearts2Hearts were selected as campaign models for the women's spring special exhibition at Musinsa, the largest fashion platform in Korea.