Twice 

(Korean: 트와이스; Japanese: トゥワイス), commonly stylized as TWICE, is a

South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of nine
members: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung,
and Tzuyu. Twice was formed under the television program Sixteen (2015) and debuted
on October 20, 2015, with the extended play (EP) The Story Begins.

Twice rose to domestic fame in 2016 with their single "Cheer Up", which charted at
number one on the Gaon Digital Chart, became the best-performing single of the year,
and won "Song of the Year" at the Melon Music Awards and Mnet Asian Music Awards.
Their next single, "TT", from their third EP Twicecoaster: Lane 1, topped the Gaon
charts for four consecutive weeks. The EP was the highest selling Korean girl group
album of 2016. Within 19 months after debut, Twice had already sold over 1.2 million
units of their four EPs and special album. Following the release of their seventh
EP, Fancy You, Twice had sold over 3.75 million albums in Korea in 2019. As of
December 2020, the group has sold over 10 million albums in South Korea and Japan.

The group debuted in Japan on June 28, 2017 under Warner Music Japan, with the
release of a compilation album titled #Twice.[1] The album charted at number 2 on
the Oricon Albums Chart with the highest first-week album sales by a K-pop artist in
Japan in two years. It was followed by the release of Twice's first original
Japanese maxi single titled "One More Time" in October. Twice became the first Korean
girl group to earn a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of
Japan (RIAJ) for both an album and CD single in the same year. Twice ranked third in
the Top Artist category of Billboard Japan's 2017 Year-End Rankings, and in 2019, they
became the first Korean girl group to embark on a Japanese dome tour.

Twice has been met with much international success, becoming the first female Korean
act to simultaneously top both the Billboard World Albums and World Digital Song
Sales chart with the release of their first studio album Twicetagram and its lead single
"Likey" in 2017. With the release of their single "Feel Special" in 2019, Twice became
the third female Korean act to chart into the Canadian Hot 100. After signing
with Republic Records for American promotions as part of a partnership with JYP
Entertainment, the group has charted into the Billboard 200 with More & More and Eyes
Wide Open in 2020. They have been dubbed the next "Nation's Girl Group", and their
point choreography—including for "Cheer Up" (2016), "TT" (2016) and "Signal" (2017)—
became dance crazes and viral memes imitated by many celebrities.

2013–2015: Formation and debut

JYPE founder J. Y. Park is credited with creating the group's name

On December 19, 2013, JYP Entertainment ('JYPE') announced that they would debut a

new girl group in the first half of 2014, the first female group to come out of the company
since the debut of Miss A in 2010.[2] On February 27, 2014, JYPE trainees Lena
and Cecilia were confirmed as members of the group tentatively called as 6MIX, while
other rumored members included JYPE trainees Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Jihyo (then
known as Jisoo) and Minyoung.[3][4] The group's debut plan was eventually canceled
when Lena and Cecilia left the company.[5]

On February 11, 2015, J. Y. Park, the founder of JYPE, announced that the lineup of
the upcoming seven-member girl group would be decided through Sixteen, a
competition survival show that would air on Mnet later that year.[6] The show began on
May 5 and ended on July 7 with Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun,
and Chaeyoung being selected as the seven Twice members. Park then announced
that he would increase the size of the group from seven members to nine by
adding Tzuyu, who was known as the "audience's pick" since she was the most popular
contestant by the show's end, and Momo, who was added by Park himself since he felt
the group needed someone with Momo's performance abilities. The decision was
controversial at the time, with many people complaining about eliminated contestants
being able to join the group. [7][8][9] The group's name, Twice, was chosen by Park,
explaining that "the group will touch people's hearts twice: once through the ears, and
once again through the eyes." [10] Fans of Twice are known as "Once", commonly
stylized as ONCE, illustrated by the members' statement "If you love us even once, we
will repay your love with twice of our love" on social media in 2015. [11][12]

Twice made their official debut on October 20, 2015, with the release of their debut
EP The Story Begins, simultaneously with its lead single "Like Ooh-Ahh" alongside a
live showcase to promote it. [13][14] The group initially received a lukewarm reception;
while their EP debuted at number 4 on the Gaon Album Chart for the week ending
October 24 before peaking at number 3 two weeks later, [15][16] its lead single "Like Ooh-
Ahh" met moderate success debuting at number 22 on the Gaon Digital Chart.[17] A
week after its release, the single dropped to number 57 on South Korea's largest music
site Melon, but through word of mouth from netizens regarding the group's subsequent
promotions and performances, "Like Ooh-Ahh" reached within the top 10 of various
Korean music charts including Melon, Genie, and Naver Music by November 15. Such a
reverse run on music charts by a rookie girl group was deemed unusual by Korean
media.[18][19] Eventually, "Like Ooh-Ahh" would reach its peak position of number 10 on
the Gaon Digital Chart, three months after the song's original release. [20] The music
video for the group's single hit 50 million views on YouTube within five months of their
debut and became one of the most-viewed debut music videos for any K-pop group. [21]
[22]
 The group's early success earned them a "Best New Female Artist" award at
the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards held on December 2.[23] On December 27, Twice
performed a remix version of their single "Like Ooh-Ahh" at SBS Gayo Daejeon, which
was the group's first-ever attendance on a year-end music program. [24][25]

2016: Career breakthrough

Twice performing at Seoul Arts College in February 2016

On its chart issue dated January 23, 2016, Billboard reported that Twice had entered
its World Albums Chart, with their debut EP The Story Begins debuting and peaking at
number 15, which marked the group's first entry on the chart. [26]

On April 25, 2016, Twice released their second EP, Page Two, which notably included
the lead single "Cheer Up", a rearranged version of Park Ji-yoon's 1998 hit "Precious
Love", and "I'm Gonna Be a Star", which served as the theme song for Sixteen.[27] The
album became a commercial success for the group, debuting at number two on
the Gaon Album Chart and number six on the Billboard World Albums chart, with 80,686
units sold during the month of April. [28][29][30] With the total first-week sales volume
for Page Two reaching approximately 41,800 copies, Twice achieved the highest first-
week sales volume by a Korean girl group for the year. [31] By August, Page Two had
sold over 150,000 copies, making Twice the first girl group having a sales record of
more than 100,000 units that year. [32] Meanwhile, the album's lead single "Cheer Up"
became the group's first chart-topper in South Korea, debuting at number 1 on eight
real-time music charts immediately after its release, before going on to debut atop both
the Gaon Digital Chart and the Billboard K-pop Hot 100 chart.[31][33][34] Notably, the song
became a viral meme in South Korea due to the "shy shy shy" line delivered by Sana.
[35]
 Eventually, the song became the best-performing single in South Korea for the
entirety of 2016.[36] "Cheer Up" also received international success, debuting and
peaking at number three on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.[37] Additionally,
Twice became the only Korean act to send an entry on the YouTube Chart for the year
when "Cheer Up" charted at number 25 in May. [38]

Twice won their first music program award with "Cheer Up" on May 5, on  M Countdown,
exactly one year after the initial airing of Sixteen. This was soon followed by wins
on Music Bank and Inkigayo.[39][40] The group then made their debut performance in the
United States with an appearance at the KCON music festival held in Los Angeles on
July 31.[41]

In celebration of Twice's first anniversary since debut on October 20, the group unveiled
their new song "One in a Million" from their upcoming third EP, Twicecoaster: Lane 1,
through a live broadcast on V Live.[42] Twicecoaster: Lane 1 and the music video of pop
dance song "TT" were released online on October 24. [43][44] In Korea, the album recorded
more than 165,000 physical copies sold on the Gaon Chart within a week, exceeding
the five-month sales of the group's previous release Page Two in only seven days.
Eventually, Twicecoaster: Lane 1 became the bestselling K-pop girl group album for
2016, selling 350,852 copies at year-end. [45][46] Its lead single "TT" became one of
the best-performing songs in 2016, claiming the top spot of the Gaon Digital Chart for
four consecutive weeks and becoming the best-performing single in South Korea for the
month of November.[47] Internationally, the group's third EP debuted at number 3 on
Billboard's World Album chart, marking their first Top 5 entry, with the album's lead
single "TT" debuting at number 2 on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart. [38] "TT"
then became the first music video by a K-pop female act to surpass 200 million views
on May 25, 2017.[48]

On November 11, the music video for their debut single "Like Ooh-Ahh" hit 100 million
views on YouTube, making Twice the fourth K-pop girl group to reach 100 million views,
as well as the first K-pop group to reach this milestone with a debut music video. [49] On
November 19, Twice's "Cheer Up" won Song of the Year at the 8th Melon Music
Awards. It was then followed by another Song of the Year award at the 18th Mnet Asian
Music Awards on December 2.[50][51]

2017: First concert tour and Japanese debut

Twice performing in 2017

On January 10, JYPE announced Twice's first solo concert tour within just a year and
four months after debuting in October 2015. The three-day sold-out concert titled "Twice
1st Tour: Twiceland – The Opening" was held on February 17–19 at the SK Olympic
Handball Gymnasium. A tour across Thailand and Singapore was also held after the
first stop in Seoul.[52][53][54][55] After the Korean leg of the concert tour, Twice released a
special album on February 20 titled Twicecoaster: Lane 2, along with its lead single,
"Knock Knock". The album was a reissue of Twicecoaster: Lane 1.[56] The album
debuted atop the Gaon Album Chart and charted at number four on the Billboard World
Albums chart, selling 266,645 copies by the end of February. [57] Its lead single "Knock
Knock" debuted atop the Gaon Digital Chart, and peaked at numbers 5 and 15 on
the World Digital Song Sales and Japan Hot 100, respectively.[58]

Twice launched their Japanese website and social media channels in early February. [59]
[60]
 On February 24, they officially announced their Japanese debut with a compilation
album titled #Twice which was set to be released on June 28. [61][62] On May 15, Twice
released their fourth EP titled Signal with the lead track of the same name, produced by
Park Jin-young. This marked the group's first collaboration with Park. The EP contains
six tracks, including "Eye Eye Eyes" co-written by members Jihyo and Chaeyoung, and
"Only You" written by former Wonder Girls member Ha:tfelt.[63][64][65] Signal debuted atop
the Gaon Album Chart on the first week of its release, while also entering the Billboard
World Albums chart at number three. The album also entered the Billboard Heatseekers
Albums Chart, debuting at number 11. By the end of May, it was reported to be the
second bestselling album in South Korea for the month, recording sales of 248,550
copies.[66] Meanwhile, the album's eponymous lead single debuted atop the Gaon Digital
Chart and the Billboard K-pop Hot 100, and at number three on the Billboard World
Digital Song Sales chart.[67] With the commercial success of Signal, it was reported that
Twice had reached cumulative sales of over 1 million copies of their five albums,
achieving the feat in just one year and seven months after debuting. [68]

On June 14, Twice digitally released "Signal (Japanese ver.)", along with the short
version of its music video as a preview and countdown to their Japanese debut album
release. One week later, they released the full music video of the Japanese version of
"TT".[69][70] They officially debuted in Japan with the release of #Twice on June 28. It
consists of ten songs, including both Korean and Japanese-language versions of their
first five singles.[71] On July 2, Twice held their two-part debut showcase
titled "Touchdown in Japan" at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, attended by a total of
15,000 people.[72] #Twice debuted at number 2 on Oricon Albums Chart with 136,157
copies sold within seven days since its release. [73] The commercial success of Twice's
debut Japanese album was reported to have the highest first-week album sales by a
Korean artist in Japan in two years. [74] Less than two months after the album's release, it
recorded sales of over 260,000 copies. [75] On October 6, the group released the music
video for their first Japanese single, "One More Time", ahead of its official release on
October 18.[76][77] Selling over 130,000 copies by the second day of its release, the single
achieved the biggest first-day sales and became the fastest-selling release of any South
Korean girl group in Japan.[78][79] Both #Twice and "One More Time"
earned platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).
The RIAJ certifications earned by the group for #Twice and "One More Time" made
them the first Korean girl group to earn a platinum certification in Japan for both a single
and an album in the same year. [80] "TT (Japanese ver.)", the digital single from #Twice,
also earned an RIAJ gold certification for selling 100,000 downloads. [81] #Twice and "TT
(Japanese ver.)" then won Album of the Year and Song of the Year by Download for the
Asian Region at the 32nd Japan Gold Disc Awards.[82][83]
Twice released their first full-length Korean album, Twicetagram, on October 30 with its
lead single titled "Likey". The music video for the song was filmed in Canada in early
September.[84] "Likey" was composed by Black Eyed Pilseung and Jeon Gun, becoming
the group's fourth collaboration with Black Eyed Pilseung. Several composers and
songwriters participated in the making of this album, including the Korean members of
Twice as lyricists and former Wonder Girls member Hyerim, who co-composed the
eighth track titled "Look at Me". [85][86][87] The album and its lead single debuted atop
both Billboard's World Albums and World Digital Song Sales respectively—the group's
first number one on both charts, making Twice the first female K-pop act to
simultaneously top both Billboard charts. They also rose on the Heatseekers
Albums chart as the album debuted at number 10, one position higher than Signal's
peak at number 11.[88]

The Christmas-inspired reissue of Twicetagram, titled Merry & Happy, along with its
lead single "Heart Shaker" was released on December 11, 2017. [89][90] The album and its
lead single "Heart Shaker" debuted at No. 1 on four charts of Gaon—Album
Chart and Digital Chart, Download Chart and Social Chart respectively, while the
holiday track "Merry & Happy" entered and peaked at No. 24 on the Gaon Digital Chart.
[91][92]

Twice's successful debut in Japan led them to rank third in the Top Artist category
of Billboard Japan's 2017 Year-End Rankings.[93] Twice then performed at 68th Kōhaku
Uta Gassen, the top-rated annual year-end musical show in Japan produced by NHK,
which marked the first time a Korean artist appeared on the show since 2011. [94]

2018: Continued success and touring

Twice at the 2018 Golden Disk Awards

Twice's second Japanese single titled "Candy Pop" was released on February 7, 2018.
The single sold 303,746 copies in its first week and topped the Japan Hot 100 chart,
while also becoming their second single to earn a platinum certification from the RIAJ.
The group also embarked on their first concert tour in Japan titled Twice Showcase Live
Tour 2018 "Candy Pop", starting on January 19, 2018, in the Aichi Prefecture.[95][96] On
April 9, 2018, they released their fifth EP, What Is Love?, with the single of the same
name produced by Park Jin-young.[97] The EP sold 335,235 copies in the first month and
made Twice become the first female artist and the fifth act to earn
a platinum certification by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA), for selling over
250,000 copies.[98][99] Twice's third Japanese single, "Wake Me Up", was released on
May 16, 2018, and was certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association
of Japan (RIAJ).[100][101][102] The single became the first physical single by a foreign female
artist to be certified double platinum by the RIAJ. [103][104] Their second headline tour titled
"Twice 2nd Tour: Twiceland Zone 2 – Fantasy Park" began in Seoul on May 18–20,
2018.[105][106] By its conclusion, the group's concert tour had attracted over 90,000 fans in
six cities across Asia.[107]

Twice performed a cover of The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" as the theme song to
the Japanese film adaptation of Sensei Kunshu. The song was released as a digital
single on June 15, 2018, along with the music video. [108][109] A second version of the
music video featuring the cast of the film was released on June 26, 2018. [110] On July 9,
2018, an expanded reissue of What Is Love? named Summer Nights, along with its lead
single "Dance the Night Away", was released.[111] The single surpassed 100 million
streams and sold 2,500,000 downloads on Gaon Music Chart, earning the group its very
first platinum single certification for both streaming and download, and made Twice the
second act to earn a platinum certification for streaming, download and album by the
KMCA since certifications were introduced in April 2018. [112][113][99]

On September 12, 2018, Twice released their first Japanese studio album, BDZ. Its lead
single of the same name was pre-released as a digital single on August 17, 2018. [114]
[115]
 BDZ debuted at number 1 on the daily ranking of Oricon Albums Chart with 89,721
units sold, setting a record for the highest first day sales of albums released by a
Korean girl group in Japan.[116] It also topped the weekly ranking with 181,069 units sold,
making Twice the fifth foreign female artist in Oricon history to top both the weekly
singles and albums chart. [117] The release of the album was followed with their concert
tour named Twice 1st Arena Tour 2018 "BDZ", beginning in Chiba on September 29,
2018.[118] The studio album was certified platinum by the RIAJ, making it the group's fifth
consecutive platinum certification in Japan. [119] Twice released their sixth EP, Yes or
Yes, on November 5, 2018, with the lead single of the same name.[120] The music video
of "Yes or Yes" achieved 31.4 million views on YouTube within the first 24 hours,
becoming the seventh-biggest 24-hour YouTube debut of all time. [121]

On December 12, 2018, Twice released a special album titled The Year of "Yes", along
with its lead single "The Best Thing I Ever Did", as a reissue of Yes or Yes.[122] The
group also released a repackage of BDZ with "Stay by My Side", the theme song of the
Japanese television drama Shinya no Dame Koi Zukan, on December 26, 2018. "Stay
by My Side" was released as a digital single on October 22, 2018, along with a behind-
the-scenes video showing Twice recording the song. [123]

2019: Fancy You, Feel Special

Twice at the 2019 Golden Disk Awards

On March 6, 2019, the group released their second Japanese compilation

album #Twice2. The album debuted at number 1 on the daily ranking of Oricon Albums
Chart with 95,825 units sold, breaking the group's own record of the highest first day
album sales for K-pop girl groups in Japan. It then became the first album by a foreign
female artist to sell more than 200,000 albums in the first week since Kara's Super
Girl in 2011.[124][125]

Twice then became the first female K-pop act to hold a Japanese dome tour. The
tour Twice Dome Tour 2019 "#Dreamday" garnered a total audience of 220,000 during
five shows in Osaka, Tokyo and Nagoya, and was held from March to April 2019. All
tickets sold out within one minute. By the conclusion of the tour which spanned five
concert dates, the group had attracted over 220,000 people in attendance. [126][127]

On April 22, 2019, they released their seventh EP Fancy You.[128] The music video for
"Fancy", which garnered over 42.1 million views in a single day, also reached the
seventh position in the list of YouTube's biggest debuts during the first 24 hours.
[129]
 Recording 314,323 copies sold on April 25, the release of Fancy You saw Twice
exceeding a total of over 3.75 million album copies sold from their twelve Korean
releases.[130] Following the release of the album, the group embarked on their first world
tour titled "Twicelights" which was first held at a sold-out KSPO Dome in Seoul on May
25–26. "Twicelights" marked the group's first solo concert tours held in the United
States, with the North American leg of their tour recording over 41,000 people in
attendance.[131][132]

On June 12, 2019, Twice released two Japanese digital singles, "Happy Happy" and
"Breakthrough". On the release day of the digital singles, "Happy Happy" was also
released physically, followed by "Breakthrough" a week later. [133][134] Both singles
received platinum certificates from the RIAJ.[101] On July 17, 2019, JYP Entertainment
announced that the group will hold an additional Japanese tour leg after reaching tens
of thousands of fans on the Southeast Asia and North America legs of their  Twicelights
Tour.[135][136] They staged twelve concerts in seven Japanese cities from October 2019 to
February 2020.[137]

Twice released their eighth EP, Feel Special, on September 23, 2019, along with the
music video for the lead single of the same name produced by Park Jin-young.[138]
[139]
 The single scored the group's second number one entry on the Billboard's World
Digital Song Sales chart. "Feel Special" also increased Twice's popularity across North
America, as the single debuted on the Canadian Hot 100 at number 82. The group's
first entry made Twice the third K-pop girl group and ninth K-pop act to appear on this
chart.[140] Recording sales of over 151,000 copies on September 30, 2019, Twice broke
their own first-week album sales record with Feel Special.[141]

Twice released their second Japanese studio album &Twice on November 20, 2019,
which included the group's earlier released digital singles "Happy Happy" and
"Breakthrough". The album's lead single "Fake & True" was pre-released as a digital
single on October 18, 2019. [142] &Twice debuted at number 1 on the daily ranking
of Oricon Albums Chart with 80,563 copies sold, before going on to top the weekly
Oricon Albums Chart with 124,197 copies sold.[143][144]

In 2019, Twice sold over one million albums on Gaon, achieving this feat for the third
consecutive year.[145][146] In Japan, Twice surpassed 5 billion yen worth of record sales in
2019.[147] The group was the bestselling foreign artist and ranked fourth overall in the
Artist Sales category of the 52nd Oricon Annual Ranking.[147] On Billboard Japan, Twice
ranked fifth in the Top Artist category of the 2019 year-end rankings, becoming the
group's third consecutive year of ranking within the top five. [148][149][93] The group also
became the fifth most-streamed act on Spotify in the country.[150][151]

2020: US promotions, More and More, Eyes Wide Open

In October 2019, JYP Entertainment announced that the group has added two stops to
their world tour "Twicelights" at the Tokyo Dome.[152] The additional concerts were
initially scheduled to be held on March 3–4, 2020, with tickets being sold out within
three minutes.[153][154] However, due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the
Tokyo concerts were postponed and scheduled on April 15–16, but was eventually
canceled altogether.[155][156] An encore of the tour called the "Twicelights World Tour
Finale" was also initially set to be held in Seoul on March 7 and 8, 2020 at the KSPO
Dome[157] but was eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[158] On February
24, it was announced that the group had signed with Republic Records for promotion in
the United States as part of JYP Entertainment's partnership with the label. [159][160] On
April 20, it was reported that the group was preparing to release a new Korean album in
June.[161] The group's ninth Korean EP, More & More, was released on June 1 with a
lead single of the same name.[162] A month after its release, the EP recorded over
563,000 sales on Gaon, making it not only Twice's bestselling album to date but also
setting a record for having the highest sales volume for a girl group in Gaon Chart
history.[163] The EP debuted at number 200 on the Billboard 200, making Twice the fifth
South Korean girl group to enter the chart, after Girls' Generation-TTS, Girls'
Generation, 2NE1 and Blackpink.[164] Twice also entered the Billboard Artist 100 for the
first time, debuting at number 96. [165] In the same month, the documentary series Twice:
Seize the Light first premiered on April 29 through YouTube Originals, which features
nine episodes that follow the group's members throughout their journey as trainees to
their first world tour "Twicelights".[166]

On August 9, Twice held their first online concert titled "TWICE: World In A Day" in
response to their "Twicelights World Tour Finale" which had been canceled earlier in the
year. The group worked with the Beyond Live platform launched by SM
Entertainment and Naver for the concert, becoming the first artist outside of SM
Entertainment to host an online concert using the platform. [167]
On September 16, Twice released their third Japanese compilation album #Twice3,
which became their seventh number 1 album in the Oricon Albums Chart, making Twice
the second foreign female artist to achieve the feat following South Korean singer BoA.
[168]
 First reported later in September about preparations for a new studio album, the
group released their second Korean studio album, Eyes Wide Open, on October 26 with
the lead single titled "I Can't Stop Me".[169][170] Two months later after the release of Eyes
Wide Open, the album debuted at number 72 on the US Billboard 200, marking the
group's highest entry on the chart surpassing More & More, as well as making Twice
only the third K-pop girl group to break within the top 100 of the chart, after 2NE1 and
Blackpink.[171]

Twice then collaborated with the virtual girl group K/DA, with

members Nayeon, Sana, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung being featured on the song "I'll Show
You" as part of K/DA's first EP All Out released on November 6. The group's four
members performed the song alongside American singer-songwriters Bekuh Boom and
Annika Wells.[172][173] Following this, Twice released their seventh Japanese single titled
"Better" on November 11 for digital download and streaming, featuring "Scorpion" as a
B-side, and was then released physically on November 18. [174] The single debuted at
number 3 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 recording 93,548 unit sales from November
16–22.[175] The group then made their US television debut with their appearance on the
"#PlayAtHome" series of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on November 30,
performing their song "I Can't Stop Me".[176]

On December 1, it was reported that Twice had reached cumulative sales of over
5.81 million albums on Gaon. Taking into consideration the group's sales in Japan,
Twice had exceeded 10 million album copies sold in both countries. [177] During their
appearance at the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards on December 6, Twice gave a
surprise performance of their unreleased track titled "Cry For Me" which was described
by the group as a present for their fans, and after high demand, the song was officially
released as a digital single on December 18. [178] The song debuted atop the Billboard
World Digital Song Sales Chart on the chart dated January 2, 2021, and also became
the group's third entry on the Billboard Global Excluding US Chart debuting at #122. [179]
[180]
2021: Recent activities

On January 28, Twice made an appearance on the TIME 100 Talks series held
by Time magazine via livestream broadcast, with the group delivering a special
performance of their track "Depend On You" from their Eyes Wide Open album.[181]

On March 6, the group held their second online concert titled "Twice in Wonderland",
which was first announced on January 14. The concert was held in partnership
with NTT Docomo and was broadcast using various technologies including AR
(augmented reality) and MR (mixed reality). At the end of their online concert, Twice
announced the release of their upcoming Japanese single "Kura Kura" to be slated on
May 12.[182][183]

Artistry

Twice is most notable for their consistent employment of 'cute' concepts which was
further supported by the group's bubblegum pop sound, which was seen as a departure
from the usual retro style of music that was seen in their predecessor labelmates and
fellow girl groups Wonder Girls and Miss A. The group had come to develop a signature
"color pop" sonic style described as a combination of rock, R&B, and hip hop coupled
with notable hooks in their music.[187] Their "cheerful" musical base is employed
alongside a colorful style in terms of the members' fashion, and while they have gained
notability for emphasizing their youthful image, Twice has since adopted a more mature
style which was first seen with the release of "Fancy" and "Breakthrough" which saw the
group perform more sensual choreography for the former while employing a brassier
electro-pop sound in the latter. [187][188] They have since experimented with EDM, synth-
pop, and retro soul among others in their eighth EP Feel Special; tropical house, Latin
pop, and new jack swing in their succeeding EP release More & More; and retro-
synth, dance-pop, Japanese city-pop, and contemporary R&B for their second Korean
studio album Eyes Wide Open.[189][190][191]

The group is also known for incorporating modern online culture into their musical
releases and their corresponding music videos. For instance, their 2016 single "TT" is
named after the crying emoticon which was imitated in the group's point choreography,
while their 2017 track "Likey" lyrically alludes to Instagram culture and the struggles of
maintaining a beautiful social media image. [188][192] In the music video for their 2018
single "What Is Love?", the group referenced several movies including The Princess
Diaries, Ghost, La Boum, Pulp Fiction, Romeo and Juliet (1996), Love Letter, La La
Land, and Leon: The Professional.[193]

Public image and reception

Twice performing in Manila, Philippines in 2019 for their "Twicelights" tour.

Twice have been well received in South Korea, ranking second in the top ten artists of
the Gallup Korea survey for three consecutive years, becoming the highest-ranking
Korean group in 2016 and 2017, and the highest-ranking girl group in 2018. [194][195]
[196]
 Since 2016, members regularly have placed in the top 20 of Gallup Korea's annual
poll of the nation's favorite idols. [197] In 2017, Twice was included in Forbes Korea Power
Celebrity at third overall and first among recording artists. They entered within the top
ten of the list again ranking third in 2018, and ninth in 2020. [198][199][200] Twice has also
been recognized for their brand recognition and marketing power, having topped the
"Girl Group Brand Power Ranking" published by the Korean Corporate Reputation
Research Institute several times. [201] The group's success and domestic popularity was
key in the rise of JYP Entertainment's stock, which increased in value by a factor of
seven in less than three years; since the group's debut in 2015, prices rose
from ₩4,500 to ₩31,400 in 2018.[202] During the 2017 South Korean presidential
election, then-candidate Moon Jae-in from the Democratic party and candidate Yoo
Seong-min from the Bareun party both used Twice's song "Cheer Up" with modified
lyrics as their campaign jingles.[203][204]

Following their consecutive commercial successes in 2016 and 2017, Twice has since
been dubbed by Korean media as the "Nation's Girl Group", being cited as a follow-up
to previously successful girl groups Girls' Generation and Kara. Music critic Kang Tae-
gyu has described Twice as being "one step ahead of the current period" among other
girl groups from the same period of their debut. [205][206] The group's commercial
performance following their career breakthrough in 2016 was considered by the media
to be 'remarkable' in an industry dominated by all-male music groups. [207] Twice's
distinctive point choreography—including for "Cheer Up" (2016), "TT" (2016) and
"Signal" (2017)— became dance crazes and viral memes imitated by many celebrities
in South Korea.[208][209] In a survey conducted by media outlet Sports Chosun done in
2020 wherein representatives from several Korean entertainment agencies were
surveyed on their choice for the top girl group, Twice was ranked at number 1 with 83
points, with agency officials citing the group's strong digital and physical sales alongside
their pan-Asia success.[210] A similar survey was conducted by media outlet Sports
Seoul in the same year, with Twice also ranking at number 1 as the best female idol
group among Korean entertainment industry officials with 111 points, citing the group's
role in leading the re-emergence of girl groups in the Korean wave.[211]

In Japan, the group's positive reputation and relatability amongst fans were attributed by
local media to the presence of Japanese members Momo, Sana, and Mina and gained
Twice fame in the country even before their debut. NHK News credited the group's
commercial success with helping mend relations between Japan and South Korea. [212]
[213][214]
 An example of Twice's popularity in Japan was seen after the release of their
song "TT", in which the track's signature pose was imitated by several Japanese
celebrities and idols including AKB48 and Nogizaka46. When Twice officially debuted in
Japan through the release of their compilation #Twice, the Tokyo Tower
Observatory commemorated the event by displaying "TT" on the landmark—it was the
first time that the Tokyo Tower had collaborated with an artist for a display, and was
regarded as an unusual development by local media. [215][216] Japanese
newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun called Twice the "new protagonist in the dominance of
Japan's Korean wave content market", while Korean press remarked that the group is
"reigniting the heat of K-pop in Japan". [217][218][219] Twice is one of two Korean acts that
have been credited with leading a third "Hallyu" wave in Japan.[220]

Internationally, Twice's notable bubblegum pop sound and distinctive choreography has
led to the group receiving recognition by Time magazine as among the stand-out groups
in K-pop.[221] With much of K-pop's success in the United States being attributed to most
Korean acts employing either hip-hop or EDM as their sonic base, Billboard has noted
the success of Twice in making their bubblegum sound attract Western appeal,
following the group's release of their song "Dance The Night Away".[222] The South
China Morning Post has named Twice as among three major female K-pop groups who
are considered as "game-changers in a boy band-led industry", which was seen when
Twice's eighth EP Feel Special became the bestselling girl group album in South Korea
in 2019 and their feat of being the first Korean female group to hold a Japanese dome
tour.[223] The group's domestic and international success has led to Forbes magazine to
include them in their "30 Under 30" list in 2020.[224] Twice was also included
in Forbes Asia's inaugural "100 Digital Stars" list, which highlights personalities from the
Asia-Pacific region with an established influence in social and digital media. [225] The
group was included in Bloomberg's Pop Star Power Rankings for the month of July
2020, ranking at number 12.[226]