Kpop is short for Korean pop. Typically, it is known for being upbeat and cheerful. For years, I wrote kpop off as being annoyingly cheery, having weird music videos (because all I knew about kpop was "Gangnam Style"), but having passionate, overzealous fanbases. I initially wrote kpop off as a genre, due to my first impression.
But at some point in 2018, my best friend (we're just gonna call her Nike because she is the one who wrote that one post with me) got into Twice for some reason. She told me about how much she loved them, so I listened to a few songs. Initially, I wasn't too impressed and thought "eh, not really my thing, but I'm happy they make you so happy". Once "Fancy" came out in early 2019, it kind of blew my mind. It was more mature than their other songs, but was still ridiculously catchy. It had a great beat, and the music video had a great aesthetic. I then listened to "Breakthrough", one of their Japanese singles, and I loved that even more. It's probably my favorite song of theirs to date. I decided to relisten to some of Twice's older music and was surprised by how much I liked them (when it comes to pre-"Fancy" stuff, my favorites are "Likey" and "Heart Shaker"). In addition to Twice, I got into Blackpink, another kpop girl group, and fell in love with their edgier style. I learned more about how kpop works (namely the concept of comebacks and the roles of a kpop group) and although I won't claim to be the biggest fan of kpop (because, of course, this genre is known for its passionate, overzealous fanbases), but I've been a lot more open-minded and I can't wait to delve in deeper to the genre.
Due to my friend being so passionate about Twice, I added more and more of their songs to my playlists, including the entirety of their Feel Special EP. I heard all of the songs at one point or another (except for one, but we'll get to that) and I really loved them all, so I figured I had to talk about them and why I love them so much. I'm going to review this EP, but first, I'm gonna write a short paragraph to sort of serve as an overview of Twice. For every other album review I've done, they've mostly been about artists that I have a lot to say about every stage of their career. Thus, the reviews have started with long-winded histories of these artists' discographies and personal lives. While it would probably be fitting to do the same with Twice (because as big as they are in Asia, they're not as familiar to Western audiences due to the language barrier), and while I could write every single thing I know about these nine girls as a preamble, I'm not gonna do that. One of the things I really regret about those old reviews is that I go way too in-depth, and I'd like to practice being concise for once. I also don't really think it's relevant to go super in-depth and detail their entire history. Just a brief, 200-words-or-less intro will work. So, with that being said, let's write about Twice in 200 words or less!
Twice are a South Korean girl group who were formed on the talent competition show Sixteen by JYP Entertainment. There are nine members; Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu. Momo, Sana, and Mina are from Japan and Tzuyu is from Taiwan; the other members are from South Korea. They released their debut single, “Like Ooh-Ahh” on October 20, 2015, and their first EP, The Story Begins, was released the same day. In April 2016, they released their song “Cheer Up”, which brought their fame to new heights due to its catchy chorus, positive energy, and music video, which homaged many films, and the song was the best-performing song in South Korea in 2016. Some of the group’s most popular songs include the aforementioned “Cheer Up”, “TT”, “Signal”, and “What Is Love”. Twice has had many best-selling singles and albums in Korea and their “Cheer Up” and “Knock Knock” videos were the most viewed kpop videos on YouTube for 2016 and 2017, respectively. They are also quite popular in Japan and have released exclusive Japanese singles including “One More Time”, “Candy Pop”, “BDZ”, and my personal favorite, ''Breakthrough”.
That's...let's check my Google Doc's word count...191 words! I can be concise! Now, to celebrate my newfound ability to keep things short and sweet, let's take a look at the Feel Special EP.
1. "Feel Special"
The title track is the first song on the EP, and it was the main single. This song is different sonically from previous Twice songs, as it's more mature and less cutesy. While I think Twice do the whole cutesy thing well, I'm definitely a fan of this more mature sound. I'm not going to look in-depth into or judge any of the lyrics on this project due to them being in a language I don't speak, and because of that, when translated into English, they'll naturally sound odd. However, I can still tell that this song is more personal to them, even though it is one of only two songs to not have writing credits from any of the members. Instead, it was written by JYP, the founder and manager of the group. He has stated that the lyrics were written from conversation with the members and they express how they felt. Mina, one of the group's members, has struggled with anxiety, to the points where she has had to sit out of concerts and events due to her anxiety. Because of this, her verse in particular seems to be quite personal, with one of the (translated) lines being "I just wanted to hide/ Didn't wanna face the world." Despite these themes, the song is all about that one person who makes you feel like a million bucks even when you're at you're lowest, and is quite uplifting. One would probably assume that it's about a romantic partner, but I think the message is universal enough to apply to anything. I really like how the music video shows that the person that makes the girls feel special is...each other. This song has a really catchy beat and the girls sound great. While I'd say I prefer "Fancy" by a hair when it comes to Twice's 2019 singles, I still think "Feel Special" is really good. I'd give it a 9.5/10, because as good as it is, the pitched-up, sort of chipmunk-style vocals that play throughout are not my thing. Remove those and we have a 10/10 track.
2. "Rainbow"
And after that, we start with the b-sides! One thing I think is really cool is that all of the b-sides have writing credits from at least one member. This one in particular was written by Nayeon, who is the group's center. I'm not sure how to describe it, but I really like the piano in the chorus of this song. I think it's sort of 90s-esque, but whatever it is, that sort of layered piano is amazing to me. The girls really went all out on the vocals, with Jihyo and Nayeon in particular sounding really strong in the chorus. There's a lot of falsetto notes on this song and what I think is a whistle note on the final chorus. But despite the great vocal performances the members give, it never feels like they're oversinging. Like the last song, this one is uplifting and positive. I'm not sure exactly what these lyrics are about, but the overall sound and vibe of the song is worth another 9.5/10.
3. "Get Loud"
This next song sees Jihyo, the leader of the group and my friend Nike's bias (basically your bias is your favorite member) doing lyrics. From looking at the title, I first thought it was going to be a vapid dance track like "get loud, turn the bass up, dance all night" or something. Genius only has English translations for the first three songs on the EP, so I did look at that, and I think this song is more about being powerful and not letting anyone get in your way. However, you could play it at a party and it would be a great dance track. The drums are so aggressive and powerful. The girls also sound really good and this song has very catchy melodies. I first heard it when riding through a big city at night, and it really fit the vibe. It's hard to explain, but certain songs just give me the "driving at night in the big city" vibe and it is one of my favorite feelings in music. I remember texting Nike about how all of the songs I had heard on this EP have that vibe, and I think that's one of the reason why I love these songs so much. 10/10
4. "Trick It"
This next song, "Trick It", was written by Dahyun, one of the group's rappers, and my bias-wrecker. (A bias wrecker, for the uninformed, is the member of the group who makes you reconsider who your bias is. Dahyun is mine because of her rainbow hair!) This song continues with the night-drive feelings from the last track, but I think I like it even more. Naturally because of Dahyun being one of the rappers, this song has more of a hip-hop sound to it, but not to the point where it feels awkward. The production on this song is top-freaking-notch. Whoever produced this song (Wikipedia doesn't really say, it just credits the lyricist, the composers, and the arrangers) deserves a gold star. The "uh huh, uh huh, uh huh" part the song starts out with and repeats throughout is so catchy, and the chorus is fantastic and features some more excellent vocals. If I had to describe the song in one word, I would go "kinetic". I'm not sure how to explain it, but it makes sense to me. I think if I were to make a Twice top 10 (I may do this at some point!), this would probably be in it. 10/10
5. "Love Foolish"
In my rough draft for my review of this song, I just wrote "this song slaps", except with some profanity thrown in there. Momo, the group's main dancer and my personal bias, wrote this one, so I had the highest expectations of this song when looking at the tracklist. And oh my god I love it so much. This is some glitchy, experimental but still catchy electropop. I love all the interesting sounds in the production. I think this song is about a dysfunctional relationship, as one of the main highlights is Chaeyoung, another rapper of the group, saying "I love you, love you, hate, foolish". That's probably my favorite part of the song, although I love the chorus, the verses, really, every part of it. This song is just something different for Twice, a kind of sound I've never heard from them, but it still fits in with the rest of the EP. I can totally imagine listening to it when driving through a big city at night. Momo is my bias for her cute, relatable personality (the girl is a total foodie) and amazing dance skills, but she can also write one heck of a song. 10/10
6. "21:29"
This song's lyrics were written by the entire group and the song is a dedication to their fans (known as Once). This song is a ballad and more laid-back in sound than the previous five songs, with more of an R&B sound to it. The song's meaning is perfect, as it's about how thankful the members are that they get to live their dreams thanks to their fans' support and how they will always treasure the memories they have made. The girls sound gorgeous and do some great harmonies. I definitely feel like I have less to say about this song than about the others, but that doesn't mean I love it any less. I typically prefer to listen to more upbeat music over ballads, so I can't see myself returning to this one as much as the other songs, but it's still beautiful and it really gives the EP an extra bit of emotion and heart. And I almost forgot to mention it, but if you were wondering where the title comes from, it's because they wrote the song at 9:29 PM. 9.5/10
7. "Breakthrough" (Korean version)
I already said it before- the original Japanese version of "Breakthrough" is my favorite Twice song to date. The huge electropop production just makes me want to get out into the world and be awesome. Surprisingly, I haven't heard the Korean version yet, so this is sort of a "first impression" thing. It feels weird listening to it in a different language when I've played the Japanese "Breakthrough" so many times. However, even though they changed the language, everything I loved about the original "Breakthrough" stays intact. The girls all give fierce performances, and the production is still as massive as ever, and brings back that "night drive" atmosphere I love so much. They even keep the English repetitions of "say say, don't give up!" that I loved so much. This song is about just being a boss and killing it no matter what people say. Dare I say the message of this song wouldn't be too out of place on a Beyonce album? Obviously, the song doesn't resemble Queen Bey at all sonically, but the attitude is all there. 10/10
So...maybe I'm really biased because I love these nine girls so much, but I really think every song on this EP is strong and shows a kpop powerhouse at their peak. The songs are all different but the project is still cohesive. Not a single song feels out of place. Even "Breakthrough", which wasn't even written for this project, still manages to fit in. These seven songs show a variety of unique styles, from the uplifting positivity of "Feel Special" and "Rainbow" to the percussive "Get Loud" to the hip hop-influenced "Trick It" to the glitchy "Love Foolish" to the emotional "21:29" to the fierce "Breakthrough". A fun project from start to finish. I can't wait to see what Twice does next. Seeing them grow and evolve is so rewarding. Typically when I do reviews of albums, I list my favorites and least favorites, but I genuinely do not have a "least favorite" song and think every track is replayable. My absolute favorites would be "Breakthrough", which is fantastic no matter what language it's in, "Love Foolish", and "Trick It". If you like catchy, well-produced pop music, check these girls and this EP out.
I'm not sure what my next post will be, but it should be out next Saturday! I'll see you then.
Stellar
Twice are a South Korean girl group who were formed on the talent competition show Sixteen by JYP Entertainment. There are nine members; Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu. Momo, Sana, and Mina are from Japan and Tzuyu is from Taiwan; the other members are from South Korea. They released their debut single, “Like Ooh-Ahh” on October 20, 2015, and their first EP, The Story Begins, was released the same day. In April 2016, they released their song “Cheer Up”, which brought their fame to new heights due to its catchy chorus, positive energy, and music video, which homaged many films, and the song was the best-performing song in South Korea in 2016. Some of the group’s most popular songs include the aforementioned “Cheer Up”, “TT”, “Signal”, and “What Is Love”. Twice has had many best-selling singles and albums in Korea and their “Cheer Up” and “Knock Knock” videos were the most viewed kpop videos on YouTube for 2016 and 2017, respectively. They are also quite popular in Japan and have released exclusive Japanese singles including “One More Time”, “Candy Pop”, “BDZ”, and my personal favorite, ''Breakthrough”.
That's...let's check my Google Doc's word count...191 words! I can be concise! Now, to celebrate my newfound ability to keep things short and sweet, let's take a look at the Feel Special EP.
1. "Feel Special"
The title track is the first song on the EP, and it was the main single. This song is different sonically from previous Twice songs, as it's more mature and less cutesy. While I think Twice do the whole cutesy thing well, I'm definitely a fan of this more mature sound. I'm not going to look in-depth into or judge any of the lyrics on this project due to them being in a language I don't speak, and because of that, when translated into English, they'll naturally sound odd. However, I can still tell that this song is more personal to them, even though it is one of only two songs to not have writing credits from any of the members. Instead, it was written by JYP, the founder and manager of the group. He has stated that the lyrics were written from conversation with the members and they express how they felt. Mina, one of the group's members, has struggled with anxiety, to the points where she has had to sit out of concerts and events due to her anxiety. Because of this, her verse in particular seems to be quite personal, with one of the (translated) lines being "I just wanted to hide/ Didn't wanna face the world." Despite these themes, the song is all about that one person who makes you feel like a million bucks even when you're at you're lowest, and is quite uplifting. One would probably assume that it's about a romantic partner, but I think the message is universal enough to apply to anything. I really like how the music video shows that the person that makes the girls feel special is...each other. This song has a really catchy beat and the girls sound great. While I'd say I prefer "Fancy" by a hair when it comes to Twice's 2019 singles, I still think "Feel Special" is really good. I'd give it a 9.5/10, because as good as it is, the pitched-up, sort of chipmunk-style vocals that play throughout are not my thing. Remove those and we have a 10/10 track.
2. "Rainbow"
And after that, we start with the b-sides! One thing I think is really cool is that all of the b-sides have writing credits from at least one member. This one in particular was written by Nayeon, who is the group's center. I'm not sure how to describe it, but I really like the piano in the chorus of this song. I think it's sort of 90s-esque, but whatever it is, that sort of layered piano is amazing to me. The girls really went all out on the vocals, with Jihyo and Nayeon in particular sounding really strong in the chorus. There's a lot of falsetto notes on this song and what I think is a whistle note on the final chorus. But despite the great vocal performances the members give, it never feels like they're oversinging. Like the last song, this one is uplifting and positive. I'm not sure exactly what these lyrics are about, but the overall sound and vibe of the song is worth another 9.5/10.
3. "Get Loud"
This next song sees Jihyo, the leader of the group and my friend Nike's bias (basically your bias is your favorite member) doing lyrics. From looking at the title, I first thought it was going to be a vapid dance track like "get loud, turn the bass up, dance all night" or something. Genius only has English translations for the first three songs on the EP, so I did look at that, and I think this song is more about being powerful and not letting anyone get in your way. However, you could play it at a party and it would be a great dance track. The drums are so aggressive and powerful. The girls also sound really good and this song has very catchy melodies. I first heard it when riding through a big city at night, and it really fit the vibe. It's hard to explain, but certain songs just give me the "driving at night in the big city" vibe and it is one of my favorite feelings in music. I remember texting Nike about how all of the songs I had heard on this EP have that vibe, and I think that's one of the reason why I love these songs so much. 10/10
4. "Trick It"
This next song, "Trick It", was written by Dahyun, one of the group's rappers, and my bias-wrecker. (A bias wrecker, for the uninformed, is the member of the group who makes you reconsider who your bias is. Dahyun is mine because of her rainbow hair!) This song continues with the night-drive feelings from the last track, but I think I like it even more. Naturally because of Dahyun being one of the rappers, this song has more of a hip-hop sound to it, but not to the point where it feels awkward. The production on this song is top-freaking-notch. Whoever produced this song (Wikipedia doesn't really say, it just credits the lyricist, the composers, and the arrangers) deserves a gold star. The "uh huh, uh huh, uh huh" part the song starts out with and repeats throughout is so catchy, and the chorus is fantastic and features some more excellent vocals. If I had to describe the song in one word, I would go "kinetic". I'm not sure how to explain it, but it makes sense to me. I think if I were to make a Twice top 10 (I may do this at some point!), this would probably be in it. 10/10
5. "Love Foolish"
In my rough draft for my review of this song, I just wrote "this song slaps", except with some profanity thrown in there. Momo, the group's main dancer and my personal bias, wrote this one, so I had the highest expectations of this song when looking at the tracklist. And oh my god I love it so much. This is some glitchy, experimental but still catchy electropop. I love all the interesting sounds in the production. I think this song is about a dysfunctional relationship, as one of the main highlights is Chaeyoung, another rapper of the group, saying "I love you, love you, hate, foolish". That's probably my favorite part of the song, although I love the chorus, the verses, really, every part of it. This song is just something different for Twice, a kind of sound I've never heard from them, but it still fits in with the rest of the EP. I can totally imagine listening to it when driving through a big city at night. Momo is my bias for her cute, relatable personality (the girl is a total foodie) and amazing dance skills, but she can also write one heck of a song. 10/10
6. "21:29"
This song's lyrics were written by the entire group and the song is a dedication to their fans (known as Once). This song is a ballad and more laid-back in sound than the previous five songs, with more of an R&B sound to it. The song's meaning is perfect, as it's about how thankful the members are that they get to live their dreams thanks to their fans' support and how they will always treasure the memories they have made. The girls sound gorgeous and do some great harmonies. I definitely feel like I have less to say about this song than about the others, but that doesn't mean I love it any less. I typically prefer to listen to more upbeat music over ballads, so I can't see myself returning to this one as much as the other songs, but it's still beautiful and it really gives the EP an extra bit of emotion and heart. And I almost forgot to mention it, but if you were wondering where the title comes from, it's because they wrote the song at 9:29 PM. 9.5/10
7. "Breakthrough" (Korean version)
I already said it before- the original Japanese version of "Breakthrough" is my favorite Twice song to date. The huge electropop production just makes me want to get out into the world and be awesome. Surprisingly, I haven't heard the Korean version yet, so this is sort of a "first impression" thing. It feels weird listening to it in a different language when I've played the Japanese "Breakthrough" so many times. However, even though they changed the language, everything I loved about the original "Breakthrough" stays intact. The girls all give fierce performances, and the production is still as massive as ever, and brings back that "night drive" atmosphere I love so much. They even keep the English repetitions of "say say, don't give up!" that I loved so much. This song is about just being a boss and killing it no matter what people say. Dare I say the message of this song wouldn't be too out of place on a Beyonce album? Obviously, the song doesn't resemble Queen Bey at all sonically, but the attitude is all there. 10/10
So...maybe I'm really biased because I love these nine girls so much, but I really think every song on this EP is strong and shows a kpop powerhouse at their peak. The songs are all different but the project is still cohesive. Not a single song feels out of place. Even "Breakthrough", which wasn't even written for this project, still manages to fit in. These seven songs show a variety of unique styles, from the uplifting positivity of "Feel Special" and "Rainbow" to the percussive "Get Loud" to the hip hop-influenced "Trick It" to the glitchy "Love Foolish" to the emotional "21:29" to the fierce "Breakthrough". A fun project from start to finish. I can't wait to see what Twice does next. Seeing them grow and evolve is so rewarding. Typically when I do reviews of albums, I list my favorites and least favorites, but I genuinely do not have a "least favorite" song and think every track is replayable. My absolute favorites would be "Breakthrough", which is fantastic no matter what language it's in, "Love Foolish", and "Trick It". If you like catchy, well-produced pop music, check these girls and this EP out.
I'm not sure what my next post will be, but it should be out next Saturday! I'll see you then.
Stellar
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