NME’s latest stars of The Cover, Hearts2Hearts, have created an exclusive playlist to accompany the story’s launch – check it out below.
READ MORE: Hearts2Hearts: the sweet sound of a K-pop summer
The rising K-pop girl group are on this week’s (June 22) edition of The Cover, a manifestation of NME’s commitment to supporting emerging talent across the globe on a weekly basis. Every week, a rising artist will feature on The Cover – you can read Hearts2Hearts’ profile here, written by Sara Delgado and featuring photography by Wonyoung Ki.
Alongside their The Cover story, Hearts2Hearts have curated an exclusive playlist, titled ‘Lemon Hour’. The 13-track playlist features five of the girl group’s own songs, including the TikTok viral hit ‘Rude!’, their debut single ‘The Chase’, as well as their latest release ‘Lemon Tang’.
The playlist also includes ‘Lemonade’ by Jeremy Passion, as chosen by Yuha, the Carmen pick ‘Cha Cha Cha’ by Bruno Mars and Sabrina Carpenter’s summer hit ‘Espresso’, a selection by Stella. There’s also ‘Fall In Love Alone’ by Stacey Ryan, a pick by A-na, ‘Lover Girl’ by former NME Cover star Laufey, which was selected by Juun.
Closing out the playlist are ‘Sunny Days’ by Wave To Earth, as chosen by Jiwoo, Junny’s ‘Sour’ from Ye-on and the Ian pick ‘Ordinary Feelings’ by Mack Keane. Listen to the full playlist on Spotify below and on Apple Music.
Hearts2Hearts were first introduced to the world through the 2025 synthwave bash ‘The Chase’. Co-written by British R&B trio FLO and K-pop super-producer Kenzie, the track, inspired by ‘Alice In Wonderland’, bypassed debut trends in favour of an elegant sonic direction that showcased their vocal prowess while also retaining a Gen Z playfulness. Appealing to the general public while balancing the expectations of a growing fanbase is not for the weak, but Hearts2Hearts aren’t fazed by the task.
Whether it’s performing on stage or guffawing on vlogs, the girl group exude authenticity, dynamism and, above all, charisma. It’s those qualities that have helped the octet land on the NME 100 list of emerging artists to watch in 2026, as well as win multiple Best New Artist trophies across Asia, including at the Melon Music Awards and MAMA Awards. “Before we actually started, we always dreamed about what would happen if we could actually [get these awards],” A-na tells NME over a video call from SM’s offices in Seoul, her teammates sitting beside her.
“[Success] has been a big driver pushing us forward, but the biggest motivation and what keeps us going is the connection that we have as a group,” Yuha states. That camaraderie among the eight members of Hearts2Hearts shows throughout our interview, when they glance at one another, prompting them to finish each other’s sentences or share an extra tidbit. “The last year has been very critical in understanding each other,” Ian shares. “Even if we don’t say it out loud, we know if another person is not feeling well.”
Despite the bright lights and packed schedules of K-pop stardom, the girls live together in dorms, where they go out of their way to carve out normal lives for themselves. “We meet up after schedules, put on a movie, and get our favourite snacks and food,” Stella giddily shares. “We’ll have time where we all just talk to each other,” she adds, smiling at her fellow members as if looking for approval to spill a secret. “That time is really special to us.”
Read Hearts2Hearts’ full Cover story here and find out who else has been on The Cover here.
Every year, NME produces 50 Cover stories, showcasing the future of music via in-depth profiles and exclusive photoshoots. Check out our coffee table book NME The Cover 2024-2025, which features the likes of Kneecap, Lola Young, Amaarae, LE SSERAFIM, Oklou and many more.
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