Photo Credits: MAPS Korea MAPSJapan. Titan Content

A New Chapter in the AtHeart Story

AtHeart’s MAPS Korea & Japan 2026 Spring Issue pictorial feels like a quiet detonation—an image of a fifth‑generation girl group stepping into its own mythology, dressed in dreamy textures and future‑facing confidence. It is not just another magazine spread; it is a statement about where K‑pop is headed, and who will be leading that shift.

AtHeart debuted in August 2025 with the EP Plot Twist, a five‑track introduction that moved from EDM‑laced title track to Amapiano‑tinted B‑sides and shimmering pop confessionals. As the first group launched by Los Angeles–based Titan Content, they entered the industry with both global expectations and the pressure of proving a new system could work.

The MAPS Vol.197 pictorial lands at a pivotal moment: early enough in their career for reinvention, late enough that their identity feels unmistakably defined. You can feel that trajectory in the photos—the rookies of showcase stages now standing like seasoned storytellers, their styling echoing the emotional twists of their music.

“AtHeart isn’t just performing for the camera; they’re drafting the next chapter of their universe in every frame.”

The Pictorial: Taste VII_AtHeart

Shot in a pale, sun‑washed room, the MAPS spread positions the seven‑member lineup as characters in a slightly surreal, avant‑schoolgirl tableau. Cropped jackets, sculpted bows, dotted tights, and crown‑like headpieces turn each member into a distinct visual “taste,” while the earth‑tangled roots at the center of the frame hint at something darker and more organic beneath the sweetness.

The styling feels like a visual sequel to Plot Twist: girlish silhouettes undercut by unexpected textures, soft pastels clashing with metallic or netted details, a choreography of innocence and disruption. Even the positioning—one member seated on the ground, others standing like guardians around a suspended root structure—suggests the push‑and‑pull between vulnerability and power that defines AtHeart’s early discography.

Fashion as Narrative

From debut, AtHeart’s concept has been about connection—“heart to heart” with fans across borders—yet their styling often complicates that tenderness with edge. In the MAPS pictorial, ruffled hemlines and polka‑dot hosiery flirt with nostalgia, while clean blazers, structured pleats, and architectural headpieces channel a more experimental, editorial spirit.

You can almost read each outfit like a track on Plot Twist: playful detailing for “Good Girl (AtHeart),” sharper tailoring that mirrors the tension of “Push Back,” and ethereal layers that match the dreamy synths of the title song. This is fashion as extended universe—where outfits serve as visual B‑sides, filling in emotional textures you can’t always hear in the music alone.

“Their clothes don’t just style the moment; they foreshadow the next comeback.”

From Training Rooms to Global Spotlights

AtHeart’s journey has already been marked by transformation. First introduced in 2024 as part of Titan Content’s “next‑generation K‑pop strategy,” the group’s lineup shifted before debut, with new members joining and others departing as the concept crystalized. By the time they stepped onto their debut showcase stage in Seoul in 2025, they were no longer just trainees chasing a dream—they were the proof of concept for an entire company’s global vision.

Their EP Plot Twist didn’t just chart their emotional highs and lows; it announced a sonic range that set them apart from many rookie peers. From electronic dance flourishes to Amapiano undertones, AtHeart’s music reflects the multicultural backgrounds of members coming from South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States. It’s easy to see why 2026 has already been billed as the year they move from “rookie to reference point” in conversations about fifth‑generation K‑pop.

The MAPS Effect: Reframing Visual Identity

MAPS has a reputation for taking idols out of their usual comfort zones, placing them in editorial narratives that amplify both beauty and ambiguity. Featuring AtHeart alongside a headline‑making cover star like Dahyun of TWICE situates the group within a continuum of influential women in K‑pop while subtly framing them as the next wave.

In the Taste VII_AtHeart spread, the members don’t lean on obvious “rookie charm.” Instead, the photos pulse with a quiet confidence—slightly aloof gazes, poised hands, and an almost theatrical stillness that makes the viewer come closer. This is the visual language of a group ready to be looked at differently: less as newcomers, more as co‑authors of the current era’s aesthetic.

Fans, Feeds, and the AtHeart Universe

AtHeart’s fandom has grown in tandem with their digital presence, driven by members who treat social platforms like open diaries—sharing backstage clips, late‑night practice snippets, and personal reflections on their journey. Their multinational makeup has also helped them carve out pockets of intense support in North America, Southeast Asia, and Japan, even before full‑scale touring.

The MAPS pictorial arrives tailor‑made for stan culture. Each frame is a screen‑cap‑ready moment: a new bias photo card in waiting, a moodboard image for fan edits, a reference point for fan art exploring the group’s “rooted yet reaching” concept. It sparks the kind of conversation that keeps a group trending—not just because they look good, but because fans can sense a narrative unfolding in real time.

Creative Direction: Music, Mood, and Myth

What makes AtHeart compelling right now is the way their creative direction treats every medium—song, stage, styling, and shoot—as connected pieces of one larger map. The emotional honesty they talk about in interviews (“unexpected emotions only we, as teenagers, can express”) finds its echo in choreography that swings from tightly synchronized power moves to looser, almost diary‑like gestures.

The MAPS Vol.197 images feel like a bridge to what comes next: perhaps a concept that leans deeper into surreal coming‑of‑age storytelling, or a comeback that juxtaposes delicate visuals with heavier sonic experimentation. Whatever form it takes, AtHeart’s universe is clearly expanding—one where a magazine spread is not a side quest, but a central chapter.

Why AtHeart Matters in 2026

In an era where K‑pop is simultaneously more global and more crowded than ever, AtHeart represents a new kind of proposition: a group engineered with international reach in mind, but grounded in the emotional specificity of youth. Their MAPS Korea & Japan pictorial crystallizes that duality—cosmopolitan yet intimate, meticulously styled yet emotionally raw.

If Plot Twist was the opening scene, this 2026 Spring Issue spread reads like the moment the camera zooms in and the audience realizes the protagonists are ready to take control of the story. For fans watching closely, Taste VII_AtHeart isn’t just about how they look in this instant; it’s a preview of the world they’re about to build next.

The Production Team

PHOTOGRAPHY LEE SOJUNG @zojng
PRODUCER PARK SEOHA @bakas_486
STYLING JUNG DUHYUN @jungduhyunn

HAIR RYU DONGHO @_ryudongho
MAKE-UP JO ARA(seoulbase) @seoulbase_joara

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