TWS (TourS) is officially a force to be reckoned with in the global music scene! The rising idol group has just earned their first-ever Gold Disc certification from the Japan Record Association, and it’s a major achievement.

On January 15, the Japan Record Association confirmed that TWS's first single Last Bell has shipped over 100,000 units as of December 2024, officially giving the group their "Gold" certification. This is a huge deal since the Gold Disc is awarded when albums reach 100,000 shipments, with higher certifications like Platinum and Double Platinum for even more sales.

What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that Last Bell is a Korean album, and it earned this recognition even before TWS made their official debut in Japan. This speaks volumes about the strong interest from local fans and shows just how much global potential TWS has!

Released in November 2024, Last Bell took Japan by storm, topping the Oricon Weekly Single Ranking and Weekly Combined Single Ranking as of December 16. TWS also made waves by appearing on major year-end Japanese music festivals like the 2024 FNS Music Festival and Best Hit Kayosai 2024—solidifying their growing popularity in Japan.

Since their debut in January 2024, TWS has quickly gained attention for their unique sound and amazing talent, becoming one of the hottest rookie groups in K-pop. They’ve already snagged 13 major music award wins, including 7 New Artist awards, making them the top debut artist of the year!

On top of that, TWS’s debut track "First Meeting Didn’t Go As Planned" made a historic mark by topping Melon’s 2024 Year-End Chart. This is the first time in 14 years that a debut song has reached this milestone! The song also landed in the top 3 of both the 2024 Year-End Digital Chart and Streaming Chart published by Circle Chart, proving that TWS is here to stay.

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Ahn Yujin of IVE shared some heartfelt memories from her Produce48 days, revealing the shocking reality of the harsh comments she faced.

On January 15th, Ahn Yujin and Jang Wonyoung appeared as guests on tvN’s You Quiz on the Block, where they caught up and shared some personal stories.

Ahn Yujin opened up about her time on the survival show, saying, "What I still remember is that Produce48 was my first real trial. I thought I was really loved and that people liked me, but when I went on that program, I was shocked to realize that there are people in this world who dislike me".

She continued, "In our daily lives, there aren't many people who directly tell us, 'I hate you.' It took time for me to accept that some people don’t like me, even though I didn’t do anything wrong."

Ahn Yujin also explained the pressure she felt during the competition, revealing, "Every week, the rankings were decided, and we had to line up in order. I started to feel trapped in that (internet) world."

She added, "Sometimes I wouldn’t get support, and there would be people who hated me. It was a situation where my evaluation could be viewed 24/7. Thinking, 'How do others see me?' created fear."

Jang Wonyoung added, "For me, it can be summed up in one sentence: I did it because I was young and didn’t know better."

When talking about her recent world tour, Ahn Yujin shared, "I tend to get nervous, especially when it's a stage I really want to do well on. I get even more nervous."

But she also shared how she calms herself, saying, "What I always think is that all these people like me. Then it's so easy. With that mindset, I think 'Everyone here? They're all mine!' and it makes me excited and happy", she laughed.

Finally, Ahn Yujin expressed her goals for 2025, saying, "I hope to stay healthy. I want to work hard on my schedule and take good care of myself, and I hope everyone has a healthy 2025. That's my wish."

Ahn Yujin’s honest reflections remind fans of the tough journey idols face behind the scenes.

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