Less than four months after their previous subunit’s debut, tripleS made their fifth comeback of the year with the mini album titled ⟡ (무적), which means “invincible.” This comeback also marked the release of their fifth mini album and the debut of their fifth subunit, EVOLution. Under MODHAUS, the group is led by CEO Jaden Jeong, who is well known for his previous work with LOONA. He serves as the group’s A&R, creative director, and music producer.
The representative song of EVOLution, “Invincible,” draws parallels between us and diamonds, emphasizing our resilience and strength. In a way, we are like diamonds.
JiWoo
TripleS is a unique group in that they have a large number of members, and the members of each subunit are decided by their fandom, WAV. JiWoo, who was previously part of another subunit, mentioned that “one of the benefits of being in this group is that our subunits are determined through a fan vote called Gravity. This allows us to showcase a different facet of our talents each time, enabling us to present diverse concepts and music.” This subunit also gave members Kotone, YeonJi, and Mayu their chance to debut. “It’s a dream I’ve had since I was young. I’m incredibly happy about it right now. But it’s just the beginning” stated Mayu. She later added that she would love to perform the tripleS song, “Generation,” as she remembered “seeing its performance on television when I was a student in Japan, and it serves as the debut song for tripleS, holding significant meaning.”
On the other hand, JiWoo, ChaeYeon, YooYeon, SooMin, and NaKyoung had debuted in previous subunits and have had a bit more experience as idols. Nakyoung shared, “It’s been a while since my last comeback with ‘Rising,’ and I was thrilled to see our fans again with the debut of EVOLution. Being part of this new subunit has allowed me to create wonderful memories with my fellow members.” She also discussed the dynamics of being part of such a large group and how they manage to work together: “The key difference lies in the way our energy and dance skills come together as a team. When making comebacks with different subunits, I prioritize teamwork, focusing on how well our members collaborate. You can expect a vibrant and energetic atmosphere from us as a team.”
Matching the mini album’s title, the title track is called “Invincible.” The upbeat song features high, airy vocals against funky instrumentals and synths. The combination of these elements creates an almost transcendent sound, reinforcing the message of invincibility and unwavering determination. JiWoo explained, “The representative song of EVOLution, ‘Invincible,’ draws parallels between us and diamonds, emphasizing our resilience and strength. In a way, we are like diamonds.” The resilience of diamonds is represented throughout the entire music video as well. It begins with the group searching a school at night and stumbling across a drawer full of diamonds. After performing a ritual, the members develop supernatural powers. By the end of the video, they’re running through walls, showcasing their invincibility. YeonJi even alluded to this: “If I were Invincible for a day, I would break through walls to reach my destination more quickly.”
MODHAUS CEO Jeong took part in writing “Invincible,” as well as two other songs on the album: “Heavy Metal Wings” and “Moto Princess.” Notably, fellow tripleS member, SoHyun, also helped write the lyrics for “Moto Princess” and had previously mentioned that she had written them with member Kotone in mind. For context, the “Moto” in “Moto Princess” is a reference to Kotone’s surname, Kamimoto. Unfortunately, the group did not get to work too closely with SoHyun for this release due to her involvement in promoting as part of a different tripleS subunit, LOVElution. “Nonetheless, she played a key role in crafting the lyrics for the song,” explained Kotone. “Moto Princess” is of the Jersey Club genre, featuring the style’s characteristic fast and rhythmic beat that speeds up as it approaches the choruses. The fast pace energy of the song meshes with the lyrics which describe moving forward and always running past conflict toward the future as quickly as possible. In a similar vein, “Heavy Metal Wings” tells the story of a girl who, in the coldness of the world, starts to find her own wings and learns to love herself. While they share similar messages of positivity, “Heavy Metal Wings” features a much more pronounced R&B sound, with heavy use of bass and drums in the instrumentals, combined with slower vocals.
Moving on to other songs on the album, there is “Rhodanthe,” an upbeat synth pop song about holding what is important close, and never letting go of the memories made together. It has been noted that the song has a very similar sound to Iz*One’s “Fiesta,” which can be explained by Choi Hyun-joon, who contributed to the songwriting for both tracks. The fifth song on the album is “37.5 Celsius” (미열 37.5), another R&B inspired song with a hip hop twist that discusses how it feels to fall in love. “Oui,” the seventh song on the album, also features a hip hop sound and incorporates record scratch sound effects multiple times in the background instrumentals. The final song of the album, “Enhanced Flower,” is notably shorter than the rest. What really stands out about this song, however, is that rather than being sung by the group, it is a solo song by JiWoo, the main vocalist. Her ethereal voice stands out amidst the prominent piano and bass. Although it is an outro of sorts for the album, it is speculated that this song is a teaser for the complete song to be released in the future.
Being a large group offers the advantage of having many members, which allows us to form various units, each showcasing different and unique styles. Moreover, our choreography and performances benefit from the mutual energy and synergy we draw from one another, resulting in fantastic stages. Also, because all of the members have their own unique charms, so the fans are not able to escape from them.
YooYeon
With such a large and diverse group, it’s impossible to tell what is in store next for tripleS. “Since the team is determined by fan votes, we find it more meaningful,” said JiWoo. “We are committed to delivering even more fruitful outcomes to meet our fans’ expectations. As fans play an active role in tripleS’ future, Kotone shared, “Our fans are the source of energy that keeps us going, and with them waiting for us, it has enabled us to make this debut. We look forward to more opportunities to meet our fans in person, and feeling their support inspires me to give my best even during our practice sessions.”
