Welcome back to the fourth instalment of my K-Pop Deep Dive. This week I will be talking about a group that stole my heart once I gave them the chance to. Made up of 9 members, it is Korea’s powerhouse girl group: TWICE.

SIXTEEN

JYP Entertainment is one of the top music companies in Korea. In 2013, they announced that they would be creating a new girl group. This would be the first girl group to be debuting since the debut of Miss A in 2010. The group was supposed to debut in 2014, but due to various reasons, their debut was cancelled. However, in 2015, the company announced that a new JYP girl group would be formed by the survival reality show SIXTEEN. The show had sixteen JYP trainees compete to debut in a seven-member group TWICE. Every week the girls would be split into two groups, Majors and Minors. The members that were on the Major team, were currently on track to debut and were treated as such, while members in the Minor group were treated at a disadvantage and had to fight to not get eliminated. The show ran for 10 episodes. During the finale, the CEO (who is an artist himself) of JYP announced that he would add two additional members to the group. By audience vote, Tzuyu, was added and by the CEO’s choice, Momo was added. And that’s how TWICE became a nine-member girl group.

The Music

TWICE’s main genre of music is bubble-gum pop. Bubble-gum pop is a form of pop-rock music with an upbeat sound that is produced in such a way that it is easy to digest. This plays a big role in way TWICE grew as big as they are in Korea, as well as worldwide. They are, in my opinion, but also backed by numbers, one of the biggest girl groups in South Korea. What makes them appealing is how catchy their songs are. You just need to listen to their songs once to get them stuck in your head for weeks. It doesn’t help that the choruses of their songs are so easy to sing-along to. Even if you don’t speak Korean, you’ll find yourself singing along with the song. Another factor that plays a role in the success of their music is the catchy and easy choreography that goes with the music. It's eye-catching, it’s simple, and it’s easy to imitate. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself singing and dancing along to their songs when they come on. Although TWICE is not known for composing or producing, they do help with writing lyrics. You have the leader of the group, Jihyo, who has been playing a major role in writing for the group not long after debut. As a leader, fans expect she tries her best to represent what the group wants to give to their fans. The rappers, Chaeyoung and Dahyun, also have helped with writing the rap lyrics since debut. Other members have also helped here and there with writing their own B-sides or singles.

Popularity

TWICE isn’t only big in South Korea. They are also making an impact on the Japanese market. K-Pop has always had a role in the Japanese music market. Some older artists, also known as 1st generation K-Pop groups, have played a huge role in the Japanese music market, selling out stadiums and charting, 1 on music charts. Later, this had started to simmer down but went back up once TWICE hit the market. TWICE has 3 members that are Japanese themselves, allowing Japanese fans to feel closer to the group. This played a huge role in the rising popularity of TWICE overseas. A Japanese news station even ran a story on how TWICE is helping to mend relations between the two countries.

Currently, TWICE is promoting as an 8-members group, as member Mina took a hiatus to focus on her health. This is due to her suffering from anxiety. She, however, still participates with recording music and music videos. But now TWICE is releasing their much anticipated ninth mini album More & More, that will include all nine members, so be sure to check it out!