TWICE AT METLIFE: The Power of Hard Work, Asia United, and Falling in Love Over and Over Again

Mixed Asian Media - July 12, 2023

By Jihyeon No

Photos provided by JYP Entertainment

History was made last Thursday when TWICE, the Kpop girl group from JYP Entertainment, became the first girl group and female Asian act to sell out MetLife Stadium for the New York City stop of their Ready To Be tour. Eight years into their Kpop careers, the women of TWICE have stolen hearts worldwide, joining the likes of icons Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga as female entertainers to sell out the 80,000 capacity venue and successfully making their historical footprint into the American music scene. But how did these nine women go from performing at schools in Seoul to setting unprecedented records in the U.S. market? Through a careful cocktail of hard work, a multi-ethnic line-up, and a charm that is irreplaceably TWICE.

In 2015 the nine members of TWICE — Im Nayeon, Yoo Jeongyeon, Hirai Momo, Minatozaki Sana, Park Jihyo, Myoui Mina, Kim Dahyun, Son Chaeyoung, and Chou Tzuyu — competed and won in Sixteen, a survival show produced by JYP Entertainment to launch a girl group in the then latest generation (known as 3rd gen) of Kpop. Following the show, the group did not reach immediate success — they performed for crowds under 100 at local schools in Seoul, had humble promotions that included selling concessions at a movie theater, and didn’t achieve a music show win until the follow-up single to their debut. Regardless, their spirits could not be broken as they pushed themselves to win over the hearts of ONCE, the chosen name for their fans. They continued to win music shows in South Korea, were dubbed "the nation's girl group," and currently hold the highest number of wins from any girl group in Kpop history.

The group’s success was not without obstacles — the group’s ethnic diversity was unheard of at the time, with three members from Japan and their youngest member from Taiwan. While JYP Entertainment has a history of employing foreign idols (2PM Nichkhun from Thailand and two members of MissA from China), at the time of TWICE’s debut, it was unheard of to have as many non-Korean members in a South Korean girl group. The foreign members were occasionally the subject of scrutiny from a Korea that was still learning to welcome imported performers, but their efforts were rewarded as the game of Kpop changed and the industry embraced performers from Japan, Taiwan, China, Thailand, and more. The Japanese line of TWICE, known as MiSaMo (named after Mina, Sana, and Momo) are even credited with helping ease tensions between Japan and Korea following a 500 year history of war and imperialism.

The four foreign members allowed TWICE to tap into an entire market of loyal fans, happy to support this newly seen diversity in Kpop. In support of Tzuyu, Chinese and Taiwanese fans joined the ranks of ONCE and helped drive album sales. In support of TWICE’s J-line, Japanese fans also drove sales and led to TWICE’s highly successful J-pop music debut in 2017, eventually becoming a household name in Japan alongside Japanese artists like ARASHI, PERFUME, and AKB48. With rising popularity and a surging JYP Entertainment stock to match, TWICE exemplified the power that Asia holds when united.

But that isn’t to say TWICE is only the product of their hard work and diversity, there is simply something more. Their name, coined by JYP Entertainment founder JY Park himself, was derived from the belief that the public would fall in love with them not just once with their ears, but twice — again, with their eyes. And after an eight-year long career and as one of the longest standing girl groups of their generation, still promoting with their original line-up, it’s safe to say the founder and legendary music producer was correct. The recipe for TWICE includes their individual charms, infectious and admirable chemistry, and a beauty that reflects East Asia. Last Thursday, over 50,000 people got to experience it all in person during a legendary concert.

The set list began with the English version of their latest single, “Set Me Free,” and wound through their more recent discography including hits like “Moonlight Sunrise,” “I Can’t Stop Me,” and “Cry For Me.” The set list also included a medley of classic TWICE title tracks like “What Is Love,” “Yes Or Yes,” “Likey,” “Cheer Up,” “Heart Shaker,” and more, with a live band accompanying the group. In between the two eras, TWICE treated their fans to solo stages from each of their nine members for the first time in their careers, with each stage a perfect representation of the diverse flavors the group has to offer in presence and musicality. From a beautiful ballad performance on a stunning white grand piano by Dahyun to the neon green feather outfit worn by Yoo Jeongyeon during her rendition of Lizzo’s “Juice,” to a sultry cover of Dua Lipa’s “New Rules” by Sana, and a truly explosive performance of Nayeon’s debut single, “Pop,” the solo stages proved that while TWICE is a group, within it are nine powerhouse performers capable of their own solo careers — which JYP Entertainment seems to be nurturing if the upcoming teaser of Jihyo’s solo (shown at the end of the concert) is anything to go by. Other standouts include an intimate indie-esque song written and performed on acoustic guitar by Chaeyoung, a smooth cover of Charlie Puth’s “Done for Me” by Tzuyu, intense choreography with a pole dance finale by Momo, a mesmerizing performance of Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” by Mina, and a self-written power ballad from her upcoming album by the group’s leader, Jihyo. All performances were captivating from the first to last beat and allowed ONCE to fall in love with their favs all over again.

Regrouped for their final performances, the girls concluded with a breathtaking firework finale during “Talk That Talk,” and eventually came back out for a fan-favorite encore section where they performed randomly chosen songs off a wheel. The wheel was received with mixed reactions, with the group deciding to override one of the three outcomes with their debut song, “Like Ooh-Ahh.” There was something symbolic about the group performing this, as the concert fell on the anniversary of their contract renewal from one year prior, as if the song that once started their careers signaled the start of a new era. Emotions were high as all nine members ran across the stage to interact with fans at every corner, and even the group — who had also impressively sold out SoFi Stadium the previous month —  seemed to be aware how truly special their night at MetLife was, with lead vocalist Jeongyeon pulling out her personal digital camera to take photos of the stage, the members, and herself. After their encore, nobody wanted the night to end, with Nayeon, Jeongyeon, and Dahyun taking the most time to leave the stage as they said goodbye.

The energy created between TWICE and ONCE last Thursday was irresistible, a magic that, when bottled, can sell out one of the biggest stadiums in the number one music market worldwide. So what's next? Fans are already speculating the group will be back in late 2023 or early 2024 for a special encore show. Will Mixed Asian Media be there? Of course, because when it comes to TWICE, seeing them just once isn’t enough.