Eight-member girl group Hearts2Hearts held their Japan debut celebration event on August 12 at the 2F Festival Plaza inside DiverCity Tokyo Plaza. The gathering marked the release of their first Japanese single, “ICONIC HEART,” and drew a large crowd of fans known as S2U.
The group originally debuted in South Korea in February 2025 with “The Chase,” a launch that immediately earned them the most rookie-of-the-year awards of any act that year, at nine total. Their momentum continued to build with follow-up releases “STYLE” and “RUDE!,” both of which found strong audiences internationally, setting the stage for their long-anticipated Japanese single debut on August 12.
All eight members — Jiwoo, Carmen, Yuha, Stella, June, Aina, Ian, and Yeon — opened the show with a Japanese-language rendition of “RUDE!,” dressed in purple-and-black outfits that blended a chic edge with a cute aesthetic. Stella’s English rap verse, which had already gone viral online, was recited along by many fans in the crowd, underscoring how far the song’s reach had already spread.
After a brief break backstage, the members returned to introduce themselves individually with their signature nicknames before moving into a talk segment about the new single. Ian expressed how honored and happy she felt to finally perform for Japanese fans after a long wait for this debut moment. Yeon described “ICONIC HEART” as packed with the group’s signature charm, built around a bouncy, upbeat sound and an endearing choreography that she believes will win over S2U’s hearts.
Yuha shared her favorite line from the song’s chorus and even sang it live for the crowd, while June demonstrated one of the choreography’s key gestures — forming a heart shape with both hands — which the rest of the members then joined in on.
On the subject of the music video, which was filmed in Japan, Jiwoo said she loved it from the very first viewing and called the shoot one of the smoothest and most enjoyable she’s experienced. Carmen reflected on the video’s “magical girl” concept, noting it felt like an unusual direction at first but ended up suiting the group better than expected.
The single’s jacket photo was shot on an island in South Korea. Jiwoo joked about the sheer number of insects at the outdoor location, while Stella recalled how the playful, easygoing mood among all eight members during the shoot came through naturally in the final photos.
Toward the end of the event, Jiwoo announced the official opening of Hearts2Hearts’ Japan fan club as of August 12. Shortly after, Aina revealed news that drew the loudest cheer of the night: the group’s first fan event in Japan will take place on November 22–23 at Ariake Arena. Jiwoo added that the event will showcase a different side of the group beyond their stage performances, with plans for closer interaction with S2U.
The event closed with the live world-premiere performance of “ICONIC HEART” — a bright, breezy summer track with lyrics capturing the thrill of stepping into a bigger world, paired with a heart-pose-filled choreography that won the crowd over.
Beyond the Ariake Arena fan event, Hearts2Hearts also has a run of Japanese TV and music festival appearances lined up in the wake of their debut.
