“Just be yourself.” That’s the advice that star choreographer Lia Kim told AtHeart, the girl group that she helped bring to life, as the rookies kicked off their global journey in Seoul.

AtHeart is Kim's latest venture. The famed 1Million Dance Studio founder joined Los Angeles-based Titan Content, which is helmed by a former SM Entertainment chief executive, to create K-pop's next killer act.




AtHeart is the first K-pop group to be launched by Titan Content. The agency's U.S. headquarters oversees production and distribution, but talent is still developed in Seoul. Kim's protégés stood before the public for the first time at a debut showcase in central Seoul on Wednesday, presenting its debut work, “Plot Twist.” The five-song EP includes the title track as well as “Push Back,” “Dot Dot Dot …,” “Knew Me,” and “Good Girl (AtHeart),” which was prereleased on May 29. The title track blends dreamy pop with EDM elements.

“Lia Kim always tells us that she wants us to be artists who are not confined by standardized boxes,” member Bome said at the showcase. “She also told us, ‘Listen to your music.'”

It's not just Kim: Titan Content’s founding team is a who's who of K-pop industry veterans, including Board Chairman Nikki Semin Han, former co-CEO of SM Entertainment; CEO Katie Kang, who pioneered SM Entertainment's casting and training process; Chief Visual Officer Guiom Lee, founder of Dazed Korea; and Chief Business Officer Dom Rodriguez, who was named to Billboard’s “40 under 40” list in 2023. Kim serves as chief performance officer.

The seven members — Nahyun, Seohyeon, Bome, Arin, Michi, Katelyn, and Aurora, who sat out the debut showcase for health reasons — definitely feel the pressure of being Titan Content's first group. They're big shoes for a young band to fill: Michi, the oldest, was born in 2007, and Nahyun, the youngest, in 2009, making the average age 16.

“It’d be a lie if we say there’s no pressure,” said Arin. “But with all the support and feedback from our company’s executives, we’ll do our best to become an act that can leave a lasting footprint.”

But greatness isn't the group's only goal. The group’s name fuses “heart” — symbolizing mind, heart, and love — with “at,” reflecting their mission to connect and share those feelings with everyone, according to the agency.

“'Butterfly effect' is the most important keyword in describing our album,” said Bome. “Like how a mere flap of butterfly wings can create a huge impact, we aim to be the kind of artists who could present the K-pop industry with a new paradigm.”

Nevertheless, they're off to a star-studded start. The music video for “Good Girl (AtHeart)” had already accumulated more than 10 million views on YouTube as of Wednesday — and Girls' Generation's Sooyoung even made an appearance. Nahyun's bandmates recalled the youngest member shedding tears after meeting her longtime idol.

“Our role model as a group is Girls’ Generation, so we were especially more nervous before meeting Sooyoung,” Nahyun said. “But she offered us advice and support."

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]