"I wanted to show a more perfect and refined side than at debut." In summer 2025, the group AtHeart, which began its comeback with a plot-twist flutter with "Plot Twist," returned about seven months later looking deeper and stronger.
AtHeart recently held an interview at the OSEN building in Mapo-gu, Seoul to commemorate the release of their new double single Shut Up (Shut Up) and Butterfly Doors (Butterfly Doors).
After debuting in August last year and preparing for their first comeback, the members were still filled with excitement and nervousness. AtHeart said, "We are about to perform on music shows, but it still doesn't feel real. This time there is more of a feeling that we need to show more, so we have been researching, thinking and practicing a lot," and added, "I want to say thank you so much to the fans who have patiently and quietly waited for and supported us even though waiting wasn't easy. As this is our first comeback, we want to show a more changed and grown side."
The members, who felt they were lacking during their debut activities, devoted themselves to research and practice for this comeback. Arin explained the focus of this promotion, saying, "At debut we were all teenagers, so our goal was to show a high-spirited, energetic teenage image, but this time we tried hard to show a more mature and grown-up side."
Growth first appeared in the results. The members expressed surprise that, unlike during their debut album, there were fewer revision requests and recording times were shorter.
Spring also said, "My father is a harsh critic. Even though I'm his daughter, he tells me if something isn't good and says it's not great when it's not, so I'm always nervous showing him things. But this time he watched our 'Butterfly Doors' music video and cried. He said he liked it so much and that it was perfect and that I would do well from now on. That reaction was actually the first time. I was very surprised and very happy, and that reaction has stayed with me for a long time."
This double single carries distinct charms. About Shut Up, which contains a confident attitude, and Butterfly Doors, which depicts a mature emotional world, the members shared interesting impressions. Seohyun said, "When I first heard 'Shut Up' I thought, 'It's very bright and quirky, but the lyrics are very confident and have some contrasting expressions,' so it was a bit intriguing, and at first I thought 'Butterfly Doors' might be similar to our debut song, but as it goes on it has a perfect hook that draws you in, so I wanted to hear the versions recorded in our own vocal colors as soon as possible for both songs," showing confidence.
AtHeart previously debuted the new songs on stage for the first time at the 42nd Mynavi Tokyo Girls Collection 2026 Spring/Summer held on the 14th at Tokyo National Yoyogi Gymnasium First Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.
Arin said, "First of all, just standing on that stage felt unreal and it was an honor. But I still feel a little regretful. My biggest desire is to go back with a more grown-up image next time," and Michi said, "It was our first stage in a while, so we practiced a lot and wondered how the reaction would be. We wanted to show everything on that stage, and we want to continue to show our growth in the future."
AtHeart defined the identity of this comeback as "the new black." While black commonly symbolizes darkness, it means something different to AtHeart. Spring said, "I thought this black heart meant an empty heart and a beginning, but it's actually a full heart, so they call it a black heart," and explained, "Just as combining each person's color makes black, I think we can now express our strengths with a black heart."
Finally, Nahyun said the goal for this promotion is "always to be No. 1 on music shows and to chart on music platforms," adding, "This year our goal is to perform on year-end stages. Beyond that, we want to perform at Lollapalooza or the Tokyo Dome. And we want to do a world tour under our name."
[Photo] Titan Contents
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