🎤 TWICE: The Story of the Nation’s Girl Group
🌱 Pre-Debut (2014–2015): The “SIXTEEN” Survival Show
TWICE was formed through the Mnet reality show “SIXTEEN” (aired in 2015), produced by JYP Entertainment.
- The show featured 16 JYP trainees competing for spots in a new girl group.
- Initially, only 7 members were supposed to debut, but J.Y. Park later decided to add Tzuyu (the audience favorite) and Momo (for her exceptional dance skills).
- This final decision created the 9-member lineup that fans know today.
💫 Final Lineup
Members: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, Tzuyu
Name Meaning: “TWICE” means they’ll touch your heart twice — once through the eyes, and once through the ears.
Fandom Name: ONCE — “If you love us once, we’ll love you twice.”
🌸 2015: Debut with “Like OOH-AHH”
- Debut Date: October 20, 2015
- Song: Like OOH-AHH
- A fun, confident anthem mixing cute and fierce energy.
- It became the most-viewed debut MV by a K-pop group at the time, quickly making TWICE one of the hottest rookies.
🚀 2016–2017: Breakthrough Years
- “CHEER UP” (2016) – Their first huge hit; the “Shy Shy Shy” line by Sana became a viral meme.
- “TT” (2016) – Cemented TWICE as a national phenomenon. The “TT pose” became iconic.
- “Signal” (2017) – Quirky alien concept produced by J.Y. Park himself.
- These years made TWICE Korea’s #1 girl group, dominating music shows and year-end charts.
💎 2018–2019: Expanding Globally
- Japanese debut (2018) with #TWICE album — massive success; they became one of the top-selling K-pop acts in Japan.
- Korean hits like What is Love?, Dance the Night Away, and Yes or Yes showcased a more mature, summery image.
- Feel Special (2019) showed emotional growth — the lyrics about resilience were inspired by the members’ own struggles with fame.
🌏 2020–2022: Global Stardom & Artistic Growth
- More & More (2020) and I Can’t Stop Me marked their transition into a sleeker, mature electro-pop sound.
- Alcohol-Free (2021) and The Feels (their first English single) expanded their international presence — The Feels charted on Billboard Hot 100, a rare feat for a K-pop girl group.
- Scientist (2021) and Talk that Talk (2022) continued the “smart love and identity” themes.
🌟 2023–2025: Reinvention & Longevity
- TWICE renewed contracts with JYP in 2022 — all nine members stayed, a rare achievement for a 3rd-gen group.
- Their 2023 mini album READY TO BE included Set Me Free and the English single Moonlight Sunrise, both Billboard successes.
- Massive world tour “READY TO BE” (2023–2024) filled arenas and stadiums worldwide, including MetLife Stadium in the U.S. — making them the first K-pop girl group to headline a North American stadium.
- Members also launched solo projects:
- Nayeon – POP! (2022) and ABCD (2024)
- Jihyo – Killin’ Me Good (2023)
- Others (Momo, Sana, Mina) began expanding into modeling, acting, and collaborations.
💖 Legacy
- TWICE are considered one of the most successful K-pop girl groups in history — both in Korea and internationally.
- Known for their bright energy, flawless synchronization, and enduring friendship like in their Twice T-Shirts
- They bridged the gap between 3rd-gen and 4th-gen K-pop, paving the way for groups like ITZY and NMIXX (both JYP juniors).