Rookie group TWS (Shin Yu, Do Hun, Young Jae, Han Jin, Ji Hun, Kyung Min) is making waves in Japan with their latest mini album.
According to the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) on November 12, TWS’s 4th mini album ‘play hard’ surpassed 100,000 shipments in its release month of October, earning the Gold Disc certification.
This marks another impressive milestone for the group, as all their releases this year have now received Gold or higher certifications.
Earlier in 2025, their 3rd mini album ‘TRY WITH US’ earned Gold, and their Japanese debut single ‘Nice to see you again (original title: はじめまして / Hajimemashite)’ earned Platinum. In addition, their debut song ‘First Meeting Didn’t Go as Planned’ surpassed 50 million cumulative streams in September, securing its own Gold certification.
What makes ‘play hard’ even more impressive is that it sold over 100,000 copies in just two days after its release on October 30. The album topped Japan’s Oricon Daily Album Ranking and ranked highly on the Weekly Album Ranking, Weekly Combined Album Ranking, and Billboard Japan’s Top Album Sales, proving TWS’s growing popularity in the region. It also broke the first-week sales record of their previous mini album in both Korea and Japan.
The title track ‘OVERDRIVE’ continues to rise in popularity, climbing four spots to 88th on Melon’s latest weekly chart despite official promotions being over, signaling long-term success.
TWS is set to close the year with a series of major performances, including the 2025 MAMA AWARDS on November 28–29, the 2025 FNS Music Festival on December 3, the 10th Anniversary Asia Artist Awards 2025 on December 6, and COUNTDOWN JAPAN 25/26 on December 27. Fans can look forward to seeing the group shine on these global stages.
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