Review Summary: Music doesn’t have to be deep or complex to be meaningful.
Beginning this third decade of my life has primed me to claim, without hesitation, my birthright as an Asian-American to unironically start stanning a K-pop group.
While the darker sides of the K-pop industry have been very well documented (and I’d absolutely acknowledge and discuss that at the drop of a hat), there’s something about the
pageantry of it all that lends itself well to pure escapism. In my twenties especially, I used to be adamant about escapism being a harmful way of engaging with life; that it could potentially distract you from stepping into your “true self” or some ***; as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize just how important of a survival tool escapism actually can be.
Economies everywhere are tumultuous at best, cultural issues are polarizing and never-ending, and apocalyptic news is fed to us directly and constantly via IV. It sounds dumb, but I think a potential prescription for all of that existential dread can come in the form of engaging with beautiful and talented people dancing and singing disgustingly catchy pop music.
Enter, TWICE.
The nine member girl group signed under JYP Entertainment in 2015 has a certain charm that endeared me to them immediately. The idol scene, be it in Korea or Japan, can be ruthless and often filled with manufactured personalities. In contrast, take a whole five minutes to watch compilation footage of TWICE out in public and you’ll see they’re a big bunch of talented chaotic dorks. They’re universally seen in the industry as some of the most down-to-earth and easy people to work with behind the scenes, and they lack a self-seriousness that’s found in the majority of their peers. I think it’s that aspect of their group identity which makes them a particularly grounding entry point into an otherwise hostile industry. This isn’t to say they haven’t had moments in their career that have fallen victim to some industry trappings, but broadly speaking they are a group that has built themselves a hugely successful career off of an intentional choice to let more of their individuality as members shine through.
That context is important to the music, because the whole idea of K-pop as a phenomenon is that it is a sum of its parts, the actual songs themselves just being one aspect to the experience.
Take the mini album and subject of this “review,” last year’s
Between 1&2 as an example; lead single “Talk That Talk” is a future-funk adjacent certified banger that highlights both the playful and skillful vocal arrangements that TWICE is known for, as well as the dancey bass-driven instrumentation that peppers their entire discography. As the lead single (or “title track” in K-pop lingo) for the album, the song and the accompanying music video is meant to show fans the “concept” of the record which generally includes costuming, sound, choreo, and overall attitude.
Between 1&2 has an early 2000s throwback theme, drawing a parallel between nostalgia for that era and nostalgia for the beginning of TWICE as an act itself.
Tracks like “Brave” and “Gone” showcase the group’s vocal prowess, particularly those of Nayoen, Jihyo, and Jeongyeon; the former track being almost an acoustic-driven commercial synth pop anthem, and the latter being a dynamic EDM-tinged moody slammer.
“Trouble” plays around with song-structure (the song itself was actually penned and composed by the group’s leader, Jihyo) and features some great stabby synths in the chorus.
Even the tracks that I don’t revisit often, I don’t necessarily feel are complete misses. “Queen of Hearts” is a fun peak-Avril Lavigne era pop-rock track that gives off girl-power vibes, and closing ballad “When We Were Kids” takes a surface level look at the theme of nostalgia again, but is performed with such sincerity that you can’t help but give in and feel a little bit.
TWICE surprised me. Not because they’re making the craziest and most impressive music I’ve ever heard, but because at their core they’re just sincere and
fun. That’s expressed as well in this mini-album as it is in the rest of their discography, and if you’ve ever found yourself rolling your eyes or completely uninterested in what K-pop has to offer, they could be the group that may shift that perspective a little bit.
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TWICE is:
Jihyo - Leader, Main Vocalist
Nayeon - Lead Vocalist, Lead Dancer, Center, Face of the Group
Jeongyeon - Lead Vocalist
Chaeyoung - Main Rapper, Sub Vocalist
Momo - Main Dancer, Sub Rapper, Sub Vocalist
Dahyun - Main Rapper, Sub Vocalist
Mina - Main Dancer, Sub Vocalist
Sana - Sub Vocalist
Tzuyu - Lead Dancer, Sub Vocalist
