Meet 24-member global girl group tripleS, who take collaboration to a whole new dimension.
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You think you’ve got a grasp of K-pop’s sub-unit concepts? Think WJSN’s, EXO’s, NCT’s, SEVENTEEN’s, and others groups’ sub-unit concepts were a piece of cake to follow? Well, then, this girl group shouldn’t be a problem for you.
South Korea-based multinational girl group tripleS was formed by record label MODHAUS, and aims to be the first decentralized K-pop idol group. With 24 members and eight subunits (so far), tripleS will make music and perform in a variety of combinations. Members will rotate between working with the full group, in sub-units, and even as soloists.
The group debuted its first sub-unit Acid Angel from Asia in 2022, with members Hyerin, Yooyeon, Nakyoung, and Yubin releasing an EP titled Access. Sub-units +(Kr)ystal Eyes, Acid Eyes (a combination of the first two units), Lovelution, Evolution, ballad unit Aria, NXT, and upcoming unit Glow followed, with new members being announced over the last two years until they’ve completely revealed all 24 members.
Currently, the lineup consists of South Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese-Vietnamese, and Thai members from 15 to 23 years old. Each one has an “S number” given to them in order of debut, from S1 to S24. Namely, they are Seoyeon, Hyerin, Jiwoo, Chaeyeon, Yooyeon, Soomin, Nakyoung, Yubin, Kaede, Dahyun, Kotone, Yeonji, Nien, Sohyun, Xinyu, Mayu, Lynn, Joobin, Hayeon, Shion, Chaewon, Sullin, Seoah, and Jiyeon.
With their lineup being complete, tripleS officially debuted as a full team—Avengers: Endgame style—this May 2024 with their first full album Assemble24, with the title track Girls Never Die. They even cinched their first music show win on Korean music show The Show and had an emotional encore on a stage that has not seen that many artists from one group before.
tripleS’ sheer number and sub-unit concepts aren’t the only thing unique about them. They promote a special collaboration with their fans, WAV, as they let WAV have the power to vote and ultimately decide on tripleS’ sub-unit combinations and proposed concepts and music. By purchasing NFT tokens called Objekts on their app Cosmo, fans are able to let tripleS know what they’d like to see from the girl group.
With so many members and a unique fan-participation concept, it’s fun to think about the many ways they could go with their music and performance. You have to wonder, though, with so many ideas and perspectives—not just theirs—how they’re able to let everyone be heard and shine on their own amongst two dozen members. Well, you can find out as we get to know tripleS through our exclusive interview below.
Congratulations on your debut! What was it like to finally debut as a full team?
Mayu: This time we are back as a complete group, and it’s really not easy or common to have all 24 members active together, so I’m extremely happy. I also want to sincerely thank everyone who has supported us. I think this activity is a great opportunity to introduce tripleS to more people, so I want to keep working hard until the end!
Jiwoo: Two years have finally come to an end, and with the thought of a new beginning, I’ve been feeling excited lately!
Yeonji: After a long wait of two years from S1 to S24, I’m thrilled and amazed that all 24 members have finally come together for a complete debut!
Shion: At first, I couldn’t believe it, but as we started doing music shows, it really hit me that we were actually broadcasting as 24 members. I thought, “This is just the beginning,” and resolved to work even harder moving forward.
Congratulations on your first win on THE SHOW, as well! How did you celebrate?
Jiwoo: We were so happy that we hugged each other tightly backstage. After finishing our work, since there are so many members, we had separate celebration times in each dorm to catch up on the congratulations we missed. Most of the members seemed to have “meat parties.”
What does your title track Girls Never Die mean to you?
Yeonji: This song gave me courage. The lyrics, like “Get up even if you fall,” made me think, “Should I try one more time?” during moments when I felt so exhausted that I wanted to give up.
What was your reaction when you found out you would debut in a 24-member supergroup?
Mayu: When I first heard about the 24 members, honestly, at that time, not even half of the members had been revealed yet, so I didn’t know who I would be working with. I was anxious about how I could stand out among so many people. However, on the flip side, I was also excited about the various units we could form with such a large group and the opportunity to meet new combinations of members in the future.
What do you think is the advantage of having this many members?
Shion: We can create diverse stage performances, and the group choreography looks amazing. Also, since there are many members, each with their own unique charm, there’s always a new attraction to discover. I feel reassured wherever we go because we are all together.
Your group has a special relationship with fans, because they get the chance to choose the sub-units and content by voting. What is that experience like?
Yeonji: During the subunit voting period, there’s always excitement and tension because I don’t know which unit I’ll end up in until the fans finish voting.
How do you deal with disagreements among the group and how do you make sure all members know that they are being listened to and supported?
Mayu: Since there are many members, we often make decisions by majority vote. However, the older members usually organize our ideas and discussions from the group chat. We try to communicate with each other as much as possible.
What do you think is the importance of a good relationship with your members or teammates in making sure you do your best with your music and performances?
Jiwoo: I believe that the closer we are, the more we can build deeper and stronger bonds through conversation. By incorporating diverse opinions, we can come up with new and better ideas, resulting in more complete and high-quality outcomes. A good relationship within the team not only has this kind of influence but also positively impacts our passion and determination, encouraging each other.
What are some things that newer members of tripleS learned from members that have already been in the group since 2022?
Shion: I’ve learned so many diverse things from the members who have been active since 2022. They have helped me a lot with how to behave in group activities and broadcasts, how to show love to the fans, and pretty gestures for taking photos.
What are some new experiences you want to have with your fellow tripleS members?
Yeonji: I want to showcase the various musical styles and concepts that we haven’t been able to show yet through new unit combinations. Since we are a group where subunit combinations and title tracks are decided by fan votes, we are looking forward to our fans creating interesting combinations.
What K-variety show do you want to appear in and why?
Jiwoo: There are sooo many things! Personally, I grew up watching a program called Running Man, and I always had a fascination with not only the name tag ripping but also the various games they played. With 24 members, which is the size of a class, and TripleS often doing school concepts, I really want to try shows like Knowing Bros or Amazing Saturday, where we can show our new charms. I want to try all these variety shows!
What do you want to say to your fans (WAV)?
Mayu: To our beloved WAV! Finally, we can debut as a complete 24-member group, which we’ve been eagerly waiting for, and I believe it’s all thanks to the unwavering love and support from WAV. We’ve worked hard together, so please give a lot of love to Girls Never Die! Always cheer for us, love us, and thank you so much. Please stay with us until the end of this promotion as well. We love you, WAV~~~.
Interview has been edited for formatting purposes. Images from MODHAUS and @triplescosmos on X.
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