Here are my credentials (one more time): TWICE, as they are for a lot of people, were one of the first groups I knew at the beginning of my getting into k-pop in the early 2020’s, and I would consider myself a fan. I know a lot of their singles, since they’re pretty inescapable, but I wanted to know more about their insanely huge discography, which spans three languages, and the members themselves. So, let’s get into this!

(Part One)(Part Two)(Part Three)

Single #9: Doughnut

Doughnut, again with the firsts, was the first song I learned in Japanese, and it’s certainly an introduction. Practically handcrafted for winter, it’s gentle and quite lovely, with just some light strings and piano, and feels like floating. Though it’s a slow build, my favorite part would have to be the high note payoff in the last chorus.

Album #8: Celebrate

Celebrate is an important song for TWICE for a few reasons, not the least of which being that it was their first release after they renewed their contracts. And thus, when it begins with the incredibly cute “Tonight, we celebrate our love! After all this time, we’re still together!”, I admit I can’t help but be won over. The song itself is a love song from the members to each other, and it’s just as saccharine as it sounds, but somehow it doesn’t come across as platitudes, but as genuine.

From the album, Celebrate, I enjoyed the bubbly beat and drums of Tick Tock, the whistling hook and Latin guitar of That’s What I’m Saying, and the surf rock of Sandcastle. By far though, my hidden gem was the rocky Voices Of Delight, with its rich guitar, never-ending drive, and piercing strings. Another strong release.

EP #10: Between 1 & 2

Talk That Talk is a track that I actually hadn’t sat down and watched before this deep dive, and I’m glad I did! It adds a slightly more rocky guitar to its edges than their titles normally do, and that plus the EDM and the glitzy, dancy video game influences makes for what’s quickly turned into a discography highlight for me.

From the EP, Between 1 & 2, I enjoyed the confidently pop-rocky Queen Of Hearts, the more reserved pre-choruses before that juggernaut of a chorus in Brave, and the hard-hitting hook of Gone. I couldn’t choose a hidden gem. I feel like I say it with every release, but this is such a strong piece of work; I don’t know how they manage to make them cohesive and yet with each piece unique.

EP #11: Ready To Be

Moonlight Sunrise is also an English release, and its chorus reminds me a bit of Dua Lipa’s Levitating, though I like that song better. It’s not any more simple than The Feels, and I’m honestly not sure what the reason is for this, but I don’t find myself returning to it very often, and I don’t feel much of a connection to it.

Set Me Free is the Korean single for this release, and though it has slower verses, when that great, swingy chorus comes in, it really hits its stride. Anchored by a couple flourishes of jazz and a constant sense of motion, it went straight on my roller skating playlist. I just wish that the rest of the track was as solid as that hook.

From the EP, Ready To Be, I enjoyed the energetic, summery Got The Thrills, the driving rock guitar and excellent chanty post-chorus of Don’t Blame It On Me, and the fun, teasing delivery of Wallflower. This is another one I couldn’t choose a hidden gem for.

Single #10: Hare Hare

Hare Hare goes back to the poppy, cartoony sound that TWICE’s Japanese releases started with, but with a little more confidence and a lot more interesting of an instrumental. I especially like the vocalized hook of this one in the post-choruses, as I think it helps round out the track and add to the sense of fun.

Album #9: With You-th

I Got You is also an English track, but shockingly, it’s one of my favorites of their entire discography. I know, right? As mentioned many times before, I’m a complete and utter sap and I’ve never been able to resist a heartfelt pop song about friendship with a driving beat and a great music video. So, it’s not that surprising that from Dahyun and Momo’s red ribbon dance on the cliffs, I was a goner. It’s warm and gentle, and feels like the culmination of everything I’ve watched thus far. I love this song, and I also love how true it rings, having seen their friendship grow throughout this review.

One of the first things that caught my ear about One Spark is the way the pre-chorus pulls back from the previous build-up before rushing forward with the “my heart is burning, burning, burning” hook and sticking the landing. And that tiny acapella section at the end? Perfection. Though I don’t think anything could ever usurp how much I enjoy I Can’t Stop Me, this is one of the few songs of theirs that manages to come close to that unstoppable force, especially in its last chorus. With its lyrics about gaining confidence from a lover, I can’t help but think of it as a new and improved version of Feel Special.

From the EP, With You-th, I enjoyed the fast percussion of Rush, the at first toned-down then slowly rising synths of New New (my hidden gem), and the sweet lyrics of You Get Me.

EP #14: Strategy

Strategy comes out to much fanfare from both the kpop community and pop as a whole, being a collar between TWICE and Megan Thee Stallion. I was a bit nervous about it, to be honest, having been burned by numerous “put a random rap verse in a song” kpop tracks. But while there’s certainly instances of sing-talk and a few awkward moments, the song is still so TWICE that I can’t help but like it. I especially enjoy how expansive the chorus is, not sacrificing quality for an easy hook, despite having one. I admit to being way less a fan of Megan’s sections, not only because I’m not really a rap person but because I feel like her style doesn’t gel with the overall song. This isn’t a criticism of Megan by the way, but I don’t think she was the right fit for a TWICE collab; rather, I think a solid pop singer like Sabrina Carpenter would have been a better choice.

From the EP, I enjoyed the rock-pop energy of Kiss My Troubles Away (which would’ve made a good title) and the laid-back dance-pop sound of Keeper. Though it’s a good release, I definitely enjoyed With You-th more.

Album #10: The Story Goes On

I knew Me + You was going to make me emotional from the moment I clicked on the video. No one does anniversary comebacks the way kpop groups do, and no one does friendship songs like TWICE. The music video may be one of their greatest, showing the TWICE members trying (and mostly failing) to move in to a new building and start adult lives with each other while faced with a dozen, progressively more ridiculous, mishaps. All of the references to their classic music videos—the dancing on the bus like in Like Ooh-Ahh, the couch scene like in What Is Love—-were so cute. The song itself isn’t anything that unique, to be honest, but I can overlook that. It was such a fun time.

The rest of this album is solo songs, one for each member, which, maybe an unpopular opinion, I really like. Especially when not every person in a group has had an official solo debut, it gives you a sense of the styles they like exploring and what kind of music they’d make in the future. It was so hard to pick a hidden gem, since all of them are so different. So far, my favorites are Jeongyeon’s sprawling western Fix A Drink, Sana’s woozy, synthy Decaffeinated, and Tzuyu’s laid-back Dive In, but time will tell.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this! I had a lot of fun these last couple weeks. I was certainly never bored with TWICE, even listening to hundreds of songs, and I found myself just feeling very happy after I was done. I enjoyed learning more about the members as people and their talents outside of the group; I watched Mina and Momo’s Hit the Stage performance, the Born This Way cover, and several episodes of their 2wice Date show. I always liked their songs, but I gained a whole new appreciation for their skills as singers (Jihyo’s got such strong tone) dancers (Momo took my breath away), and comedians too (Sana gave me some great laughs). So, I guess what I’m saying is, I can now officially call myself a ONCE!

My Top 5 songs are What Is Love, I Got You, I Can’t Stop Me, Perfect World, and One Spark, with Get Loud, I Want You Back, and Fall In Love Again as honorable mentions. TWICE gets a 9.5 out of 10 from me, which is both a surprise and not really a surprise. I was expecting to like them, but not this fervently! But I guess that sometimes, you just need a good pop song with a great beat that wears its heart on its sleeve and gets you to smile, and I can’t think of anyone who’s better at that than TWICE. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a stan card to laminate.

Next time, we’re on to another girl group! Tschüss!