Last Bell is the first single album[a] by South Korean boy group TWS. It was released on November 25, 2024, by Pledis Entertainment, along with the lead single "Last Festival".
Background and release
TWS debuted in January 2024 with the EPSparkling Blue,[2] and followed it up four months later with Summer Beat!.[3] Both were commercially successful, with each EP achieving sales of over 500,000 copies.[4] On October 10, Pledis Entertainment announced that the band would be releasing new material in November, their third new release of the year.[5]Last Bell, TWS's first single album, was announced on November 4 with a teaser video uploaded to the band's official YouTube channel.[1]
A trailer for the album was released on November 9.[6] The trailer, running one minute 34 seconds, portrays the band as high school students preparing for what will be their last winter festival play before graduation, A Midwinter Might's Dream. The band is shown interacting with girls who affectionately watch them rehearse, teaching them choreography, decorating the stage, and practicing lines.[7] The same day, the band shared a phone number that fans could call on their official social media channels. Callers were connected to an interactive voice response line that played "playful" messages from the band's members. Over 10,000 fans connected to the line within the first 10 minutes after posting, with tens of thousands of additional calls being rejected due to the service being over capacity.[8] The single album was released on November 25, 2024.[9]
Composition
The single album's lead single "Last Festival" (Korean: 마지막 축제; RR: Majimang chukje) contains an interpolation of the song of the same name by Seo Taiji and Boys, taken from the group's 1993 album Seo Taiji and Boys II. The song is described as a "refreshing winter song" that is completely different from the original track.[9]
Promotion
On the day of release, the band will hold a showcase concert performing songs from the album at Blue Square Mastercard Hall in Yongsan District, Seoul.[10]
^ abHong, Hye-min (November 4, 2024). "투어스, 첫 싱글 '라스트 벨' 발매... 연타석 히트 이을까" [TWS, first single 'Last Bell' released... Will it continue the series of hits?]. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved November 4, 2024.
^Kim, Seon-woo. "'대세 신예' 투어스, 11월 25일 컴백…첫 싱글 발매" ['Trendy Rookie' Tours, Comeback on November 25th... Release of First Single]. JTBC (in Korean). Retrieved November 4, 2024.
^Choi, Ha-na. "TWS, 신보 'Last Bell' 트레일러 공개" [TWS releases trailer for new album 'Last Bell']. TVDaily (in Korean). Retrieved November 13, 2024.
^Han, Hae-seon (November 11, 2024). "'25일 컴백' TWS, ARS 프로모션→'전화 폭주' 회선 긴급 증설" [TWS, '25th comeback', ARS promotion → 'Call overflow' line emergency expansion]. Star News Korea (in Korean). Retrieved November 13, 2024.
^ abLee, Min-ji (November 19, 2024). "TWS, 신곡 작사에 서태지? '마지막 축제' 어떤 곡이길래" [TWS, Seo Taiji wrote the lyrics for the new song? What kind of song is 'Last Festival'?]. Newsen (in Korean).
