Twice Shares the Stories Behind Five of Their Memorable Songs

“The trend made us relive the moment when we first released ‘What Is Love?’ So we took part in it, and it was fun recreating the moments [on TikTok] to surprise our fans and show our gratitude toward people who are still listening to the song.”

“Cheer Up”

The nonet’s second single, released in 2016 and written by K-pop hitmakers Black Eye Pilseung, was the beginning of Twice’s journey as the country’s national girl group in 2016. Alongside the easy-to-learn choreography—well ahead of TikTok times—the song itself is not your typical bubblegum pop song. Rather, it’s a “color pop” song embracing different sound elements from hip-hop, dance, drum, and bass. And most important, it was nothing like their debut single, “Like Ohh-Ahh.”

“When our group was first formed, our concept had a wild, edgy image that had a strong girl instead of young and cutesy,” says Chaeyoung. “But then when we got this song, the concepts changed drastically to really bright and happy. So when we first heard the song, I remember being a little bit caught off guard.”

However, the song’s cheerful connotations became the energy booster across the country, to the point where everyone and their moms, top celebrities, and even the Olympics, still refer to the song today. Sana, who owns one of the key lines of the song (“shy, shy, shy”) says it was fun watching people cover her part, let alone the whole song, after it went viral. For Twice’s younger members, Dahyun and Tzuyu, thinking of “Cheer Up” reminds them of how much their popularity has set in.

“I still remember when we would drive up to the performance venue, walk up the stage, receive cheers, and hear ‘Wow, it’s Twice!’” Dahyun says.

“I’m still surprised to see not just our fans but a lot of celebrities dance to the song. They remember and they know the choreography and they dance to the song, “ Tzuyu says. “And that makes me really happy.”

“The Feels”

Since signing with Republic Records in early 2020, Twice has produced English versions of their lead singles (“More & More,” “I Can’t Stop Me,” “Cry for Me”) while making appearances on talk shows like Ellen, Kelly Clarkson, and Stephen Colbert. It was only a matter of time until the group followed suit with a single made for the United States. Written by Woo Min Lee (a.k.a. collapsedone), Justin Reinstein, Anna Timgren, and Boy Matthews, “The Feels” captures what it’s like to be crushing on someone and yearning to know if the other person feels the same way. The song’s catchy dance pop hooks stay true to the group’s signature sound. The only difference? They’re going global.