There are very few things we at THP love more than a new group debut, and one of those things is a new group debut that makes us want to stan them before we hear a single note. OWIS already have us drawn into their dreamy world with their trailers, webtoon-style teasers, and ethereal aesthetics! You’ll be just as intrigued once you start exploring their pre-debut content, so here’s everything you need to know about OWIS before they make their debut with the MUSEUM mini-album on March 23rd.
Who Are OWIS?
OWIS, which stands for Only When I Sleep, are the first-ever artist to debut under a new entertainment company called ama (all my anecdotes). The company is founded and led by CEO Jay Kim, formerly of Warner Music Korea, and CCO Lee Haein – yes, the Lee Haein whose work you’ve already loved with KISS OF LIFE and CLOSE YOUR EYES! We got to attend a virtual panel with Lee Haein through Keens Academy a few years back when she was working with KIOF, and some things that stood out most to us were her drive for creative success, her unique understanding of the industry from both trainee and producer sides, and a story she told in which she had to recruit people for a team and wound up choosing a jewelry designer with no former music experience to make room for new perspectives.
The group members are Serene (thought to be Lee Haein, she’s also the group’s executive producer), Haru, Summer, Soi, and Yuni. We’ll get to them more in a bit!
What Is OWIS’ Concept?
OWIS has already presented such an alluring, dreamy concept that we can’t get enough of! The group name suggests that they “can only be met within dreams,” and their main narrative storyline is that the group is looking for their lost dreams. That idea is especially compelling when you consider the real-life artists behind each virtual character – they haven’t been officially named, but social media clues point to the members being Lee Haein (ama’s Chief Creative Officer, a former soloist, and a former trainee at multiple companies), Adora (a soloist who has produced for HYBE artists like BTS and TXT), JINI (a soloist who initially debuted in NMIXX), Ryu Sujeong (debuted in Lovelyz, who are currently on indefinite hiatus), and Lee Ruri (a former I.B.I member and soloist who participated in Produce 101 alongside Lee Haein).
Each of these women have passionately pursued their idol dreams in spite of the challenges they’ve faced along the way! They’re refusing to let their dreams be lost, coming together for an exciting new chapter. We’re curious to see what futuristic elements the group incorporates as well, since each virtual member’s birthdate has been revealed to be in the 27th century.
The OWIS Worldview
We’ve already gotten some really interesting views into the world surrounding OWIS, starting with a 31-second teaser that opens with a voicemail-esque line: “Hi! It’s me again.” There are eventually whispers and we see a girl rummaging through old boxes of memories, as if those memories were the things speaking earlier. The voice continues, “I was just thinking that we should’ve been in a museum.” And are those JINI/Yuni’s eyes we see at the end? We are seated and ready for more.
Their official debut trailer welcomes us to the Museum of Memories, complete with the idea that some memories “need to be organized” or cleaned up every once in a while to stay fresh in our minds. It shows us longer versions of the clips in that initial video teaser, bringing back the female character who was looking through boxes of her old memories and showing us some of those very memories. The surreal vibes kick in as butterflies come out from the gaps between keys on a keyboard and we see a little lit-up town inside of a wall. The narration continues, “I’m your missing piece,” making us think the speaker is a member’s inner child or a version of themself that they left behind. This video’s aesthetic is so adorable and makes us even more excited for this debut!
Finally, you’re really missing out if you don’t follow OWIS’ Instagram page! Their feed combines teaser images of the virtual members with panels from their very own webtoon that lets us meet them properly. We see things like the members in a dance practice room and even among the clouds. Can you piece together any theories?
Their First Mini-Album, MUSEUM
OWIS are releasing their debut mini-album, MUSEUM, on March 23rd! Some notable people credited on the album are Paulina Cerrilla (‘MUSEUM’), who cowrote on songs like LE SSERAFIM’s ‘ANTIFRAGILE,’ toni rei (‘forNEVER’), former BAE173 member who has found success as a soloist, and Alina Smith and Elli Moore of LYRE (‘lonely lullaby’), who have worked with leading girl groups like Red Velvet and ITZY.
Check out the tracklist below:
- ‘MUSEUM’ (Title Track)
- ‘airplane:143’
- ‘juicy’
- ‘missing piece’
- ‘lonely lullaby’
- ‘ONLY WHEN I SLEEP’
- ‘forNEVER’
- ‘MUSEUM (English Version)’
You can also grab your own physical copy of MUSEUM when it comes out! There are two main versions that you can choose from – the Dream version looks like a cozy sleeping bag, while the Missing Piece version comes in five variants, one for each member. There will be inclusions like photocards, sticker sheets that let you style a member like a dress-up doll, and a mini story book, depending on which version you pick. Orrrr you could get them all, we won’t judge! We’re tempted to do the same…
Do you plan on checking out OWIS’ debut with ‘MUSEUM?’ Which track from the mini-album are you claiming? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also buzz on over to our Reddit community to chat with us.
Check out more sweet K-Pop content!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OWIS:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | OFFICIAL TWITTER | MEMBER TWITTER | WEVERSE | YOUTUBE
