The South Korean pop group “Twice” rose to fame in late 2015 after being created through JYP’s brutal survival show Sixteen. Even though they are a more recent Kpop group, Twice are currently one of the most popular and loved girl groups in Asia. They have broken many records in different countries, and their success does not seem to be stopping anytime soon.
After nearly three years of music from the group, Echo Music’s manager Claire Buchanan is here to take you through her top ten Twice songs!
 

10. One More Time
One More Time was Twice’s first ever Japanese release. Even though this was their debut in a new country, I sadly felt like this song fell short and didn’t receive the attention a debut usually receives.
At first, I really enjoyed listening to this song. It was catchy and had a strong chorus that was easy to sing along to. However, the beat and tune actually became slightly irritating and annoying to listen to after a while. The high-pitched synth sound that can be heard at the very beginning of the song, and that can be heard a few more times throughout the song is something that the song definitely could have done without, along with the highly autotuned bridge that Tzuyu sings.
Whilst the music video is very colourful, and has a cute concept, the choreography isn’t well showcased, especially during the verses. Whether this was intentional is unknown, but it would have been nice to see more of the dance that goes along with the song.
In general, the song captures the fun vibe Twice as a group are known for, however often gets skipped when it begins to play on my Spotify.


















9. Candy Pop
This was another Japanese release for Twice, being their second released single in the country.
Even though there are several parts of this song that make me badly cringe (“Hey sweetie sweetie” at the start is a great example), I honestly think this song didn’t receive the attention it truly deserved.
It is expected for songs to not perform as well outside of a group’s home country, but I feel like “Candy Pop” has an extremely strong theme, and overall isn’t a terrible single. The track’s beat follows a fast tempo and a catchy beat, truly emphasising the “bubblegum pop” feel this song aimed to produce. I personally believe that the vocals in this song, especially from Jihyo and Nayeon, are some of the most complex and advanced out of all Twice singles. This aspect is significantly overlooked from this song.
The music video, whilst not being a lot of fan’s favourite, perfectly complimented the high energy and cheerful mood the song sets. The group are initially seen as anime characters for the first section of the music video, before transforming into their real-life selves in adorable outfits. If this music video had been produced for any other song, I think I would have hated it, but I believe a song so upbeat and happy needed a music video like this.
Even though there are aspects of this single I love, I think it is the weakest out of all Twice singles in terms of choreography. After watching the full dance video which had been uploaded separately to the Twice YouTube channel, I was seriously disappointed with how rushed and unpolished it looked. Whilst some parts fit the song well, the chorus choreography seems to lack the high energy feel the song gives.


















8. Like OOH-AHH
This was the first ever single released by Twice, which meant it was important to get the look and aesthetic right in order to showcase the personalities of the individual members, as well as the girls in a group.
This song is well loved in the Twice fanbase. Many fans seem to adore the early era of Twice and often look back on this time as their peak. I, however, believe that this debut was slightly mediocre and didn’t bring anything new or exciting to the table.
I don’t hate the song, however this single and era doesn’t sound or look like the Twice I know and love. When compared to all other singles, there is something so odd and different about this song that makes it stand out in an uncomfortable way. If Twice had stayed on track with the concept of this song with their other singles, and kept a more mature and sophisticated approach to their music, it would have made more sense when looking back to their earlier music. However, it looks like this was the initial direction the group were meant to take, but JYP changed their mind and lead them down a route more suited towards a younger audience.
There are many aspects of this song and era that I love, but separately, and not part of the song itself. For example, when Momo is featured centre of the group during the bridge and dance-break of the song in the music video, it looks great and makes sense as she is the lead dancer in the group. This is something that wasn’t seen in a Twice music video again until two years later in “Likey”.
Whilst the choreography during the bridge of the song is impressive and set up well in the music video, I feel like the rest of the choreography is bland and not that simple to follow. However, this may be down to the fact the song is more mature and not as up-beat as most other Twice singles.
It must be incredibly stressful to figure out how to debut a brand-new girl group. Getting to get a group’s look and sound right first try probably does not happen often, and in this case, I believe it took slightly longer for Twice to find their signature style. Even though this era is popular amongst fans, it wasn’t until their aesthetic and theme slowly changed before they began to rapidly grow in popularity.


















7. Knock Knock
This is the place in the list where we feature songs that I honestly struggle to fault at all – and we’re only at number 7!
Knock Knock was one of those songs that I didn’t care for at all when I first heard it. I thought it was repetitive and slightly annoying and chose to leave it out when creating my playlists. However, after craving new Twice songs to listen to, I returned to this song, and grew to absolutely love it.
It may be repetitive, but I think that’s what makes it so fun and catchy. Whenever I listen to this song, I find it extremely difficult to not knock along on any hard surface I can find at the time.
It is evident that the group enjoyed the full creation of this song, as the high energy and enthusiasm can clearly be heard in the vocals and can also be seen during the music video.
The unique music video, which features JYP himself, is very colourful and involves various comedic moments (such as Jeongyeon refusing to follow the crazy antics of the other members, and Sana running outside in the opposite direction of the other girls) to match the uplifting and light-hearted nature of the song.
The dance is arguably one of the most creative and easy to learn routines out of Twice’s whole collection. When the choreography is performed on stage, it is amusing and satisfying to see all the different group elements come together.
Even though this song was only released in early 2017, it sadly did not receive as much popularity as some of their previous songs received, however is still considered a successful single for JYP Entertainment.














 

 

 

6. Heart Shaker
When reviewing this list, I was heartbroken that this song couldn’t make the top five. Whenever I hear the first few seconds of this song, I instantly jump in and sing along with the opening performed by Chaeyoung and Dahyun. When I’m in a good mood, or am feeling optimistic, I stick on this song and I instantly feel ten times better than I previously was. The track wastes no time jumping into a happy and upbeat tune, and this energy is kept consistent throughout the entire song. The closing chorus is the perfect climax to the song, including strong adlibs and chants to make it all the more special.
The lyrics, which explore the story of finding the courage to tell somebody you like them, is reflected metaphorically in the music video. The group are seen throughout the video on a colourful train set, and at the end of the video, are seen dancing outside the station, which represents them being successful in their journey and being satisfied with the results. The video is unsurprisingly fun and colourful and shows off the choreography well.
The one point where this song loses marks is the absence of a rap break for Dahyun and Chaeyoung. Apart from ordinary singing parts within the song, the duo are given one short rap line each, which are understandably lost within the rest of the song. Even though this aspect is a shame, the producers may have felt that the song didn’t benefit from any rap lines.


















5. Likey
I have a really large soft spot for this song, as it was the first Twice song I ever heard, and was ultimately the track that left me wanting more. At first listen, I was put off by the overly “girly” and seemingly childish theme of the song and group overall, however, a couple of weeks after, couldn’t stop myself from singing it.
Likey is a catchy and upbeat song that perfectly conveys the fun and flirty feel of the group. It is guaranteed to have just about everybody up on their feet, dancing and singing along, as the simple and repetitive lyrics openly invites this. In past songs, Sana has never really received a great amount of lines, so the fact that she leads the chorus here is great. She has one of the more higher pitched singing voices in Twice, and I honestly believe it was a wise choice to have her sing the chorus due t this factor.
Likey also features an incredible rap break from Dahyun and Chaeyoung, something that was missing from their previous single, “Signal”. It was refreshing to see the rap duo have their own unique section in the song and music video, and to have their chance in the spotlight once again.
The music video, which was filmed in Vancouver, Canada, compliments the light-hearted atmosphere that this song brings, as well as showcasing the infectious choreography to match the song. It is clear that this routine is set to be an instant classic among kpop fans, and is already recognised by Kpop listeners outside of the group’s own fanbase.
Even though this is one of Twice’s most upbeat songs, I personally felt like the fun and modern feel was not portrayed as well through their stage outfits whilst performing this song live. It would have been great to see a colourful and modern concept on stage, instead of the more muted tones they did wear.
Overall, Likey was an amazing success for the group, and is to this day, one of their most popular songs, so deserves this place on the list. 


















4. Cheer Up
Even though it was the second single the group ever released, “Cheer Up” is arguably the song that solidified Twice into the kpop hall of fame. Cheer Up was by far Twice’s most successful song of 2016, and there are many reasons that explain why.
The song’s verses follow a fantasy-esque vibe that sound almost dream-like. Chimes and bells are used to give a soothing and calming atmosphere, and the softer vocals during the verses emphasise this. However, the pre-chorus, sung by Momo and Jeongyeon, gradually prepares the listener for an explosive beat, and Jihyo’s extremely strong vocals.
This song was my number one for a long, long time, but lost its place simply due to the excessive amount of times I played it on repeat, which isn’t really a bad thing.
The music video explores the concept of seeing the member’s lives through different perspectives, and how everything may not be as they seem. An unknown person with a video camera for a head represents the the media, showing that the group are constantly under watch from the outside world no matter what they are doing. With such an abstract idea, it allows for theories and thoughts to be discussed throughout the community, which I think is a great touch to the song overall. Within the music video the group play a range of different roles. It’s great to see how they each individually portray the different characters. The choreography can mainly be seen during the chorus, where the group are in a school gym dressed as cheerleaders. This may be a reference to the popular movie “Bring It On”, as there are various other movie references throughout the music video. The choreography is fun, and easy for fans to learn, so that they can dance along.
The song won song of the year at the Melon Music Awards, as well as the Mnet Asian Music awards, only further proving the popularity and love for this single.


















3. What Is Love?
As of now, What Is Love is Twice’s most current single, being released in April 2018. This single is a mix of everything Twice is best known for – catchy beats, strong vocals and infectious choreography. Jihyo and Nayeon took a step back for this song’s chorus, which interestingly features Sana and Tzuyu as the main vocals. Sana and Tzuyu sound great together on the chorus, and it was nice to hear something different from the usual chorus set-up. Even though the roles were slightly shuffled around, I personally believe Dahyun and Chaeyoung’s usual rap verse stood out the most in the whole song.
There was a lot of hype surrounding this song during the release of the various teasers, which included short video trailers and concept images. Before the song was released, JYP strongly hinted that Twice’s next single would, as usual, follow a sweet and girly feel, with lots of bright colours being featured within the concepts. After weeks of anticipation for Twice fans, the single overall definitely didn’t disappoint.
The music video, similar to Cheer Up, includes a lot of different movie references. With popular movies such as Pulp Fiction and The Princess Diaries being referenced, along with various different hidden easter eggs, the music video simply cannot be watched only once.
When I first saw the choreography for this single, I wasn’t overly impressed, and personally thought the moves were unusual and didn’t fit the song. However, because this was the first Twice release I experienced whilst being a fan, I don’t blame myself for initially being fairly critical. After much consideration (and many plays and re-watches), I understand that the dance and concept fit the theme very well.


















2. TT
Closely missing out on the top spot, we have one of Twice’s most iconic songs to date. “TT” was released in late 2016, not long after the great success of “Cheer Up”. As of May 2018, “TT” is Twice’s most viewed single on YouTube by nearly 90 million views.
TT overall has a unique sound when compared to most other Twice singles. Whilst other Twice songs feel much more upbeat and happy, TT gives a more mature and chill vibe. The lyrics, which translate into lines such as “I feel so irritated, I’m so upset”, and “I feel like crying, I don’t feel like myself” explain the struggles and problems of love, rather than the positives about it. The darker, more serious lyrics fit the slower tempo of the song. These aspects aren’t commonly heard in Twice songs, especially in their leading singles. I think the change in tone with this song is what makes it so popular. Even though Twice have perfected the cute, cheery concept, giving their fans something completely different was a smart move. A personal highlight within this song is the pre-chorus build up sung by Momo, which drops into the chorus, beautifully sung by Nayeon and Jihyo.
Along with the song being highly popular, fans seem to show great appreciation towards the visuals and wardrobe for this era, both in the music video and for their stage performances. To go with the darker theme, the music video follows a stereotypical Hallowe’en set up, showing the members performing in different Disney themed costumes.
Like other stage performances, the members rotated between costumes included in the music video, along with outfits made with toned down and muted colours. These outfits all linked well when put together on stage, further enhancing the concept of this single.
When people hear the name “Twice”, this song is most likely going to be the song people instantly think of, and for good reason, which is why it has earned its spot at number 2 on this list.


















1. Signal
This is a very controversial pick, I understand, but please hear me out. Signal is arguably one of Twice’s fan’s least favourite tracks. The fanbase have not held back on voicing their opinion about this song, saying that it’s a very weak release for JYP, and that Twice could have done a lot better, but I honestly don’t understand why.
Signal is completely different to any other Twice song out there. Its quirky, unique beat matches the different singing styles the members bring to the table throughout this track. Even though the different sections of this song are slightly different from each other, they all strangely fit together to create a peculiar masterpiece.
Funky and futuristic sounding effects can be heard throughout the song, and the chorus, sung by Tzuyu, has a weird (but fitting) effect over the vocals, further enhancing the space/alien theme of the music video. Within the bizarre video, each member have a different superpower, which they use to try and gain the attention of an alien. The light-hearted video which, for example, shows Mina attempting to hypnotise the alien, and Momo running at super speed into walls, shows that the group are up for having fun and making jokes during their videos. Fans have stated that the video is very freaky and generally uncomfortable to watch, especially due to it containing a bright blue alien character which the members are trying to seduce, but I honestly think a song like this needs a weird video to match.
The choreography is arguably one of their most complicated and detailed routines, but the members manage to nail every move during each performance with high energy. Their stage routines, similar to the music video, have mainly followed a school girl aesthetic throughout, which makes the concept and look for this song much stronger, rather than changing the outfits each time.
Even though this song isn’t one of their most popular, I strongly believe that JYP did a great job at achieving a quirky, but fun concept throughout the entire era, which is why we picked this song for our number one pick.