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Twice, JYP entertainment’s rookie female idol group, is a nine-member act that debuted in October 2015. It follows suit to other JYP groups with inclusion of international members — three from Japan and one from Taiwan. Twice quickly garnered attention with their mini-album The Story Begins and even pockets Best Female Artist of the year just two months late. When I finally got a chance to listen to the album, I instantly understood why people are drawn to Twice’s magnetic charm and their one-of-a-kind music flavor. The Story Begins is an outstanding debut album that parades Twice’s youthful color through a mix and match of hip hop, R&B, and dance pop songs.
Track 1 – OOH-AHH하게 (Like OOH-AHH)
The album opener Like OOH-AHH is a strong attention grabber with addictive melody and a cheerful mood that’s atypical of JYP idol groups. This uptempo dance pop song has a mix of hip hop, R&B, and rock elements to make it sound multi-dimensional. Unlike their labelmates who usually follow the mature and sexy paths, Twice’s youthful enthusiasm and cheerleader-like vocal harmonies are the perfect complement to this peppy track.
Track 2 – 다시 해줘 (Do It Again)
Do It Again is more along the lines of what you’d typically expect from a JYP group. The track is a fast paced hip hop dance number with lots of jingles sounds and bumpin’ drum beats. It feels like a retro 90’s hip hop song modernized with contemporary composition techniques. In fact, Do It Again has a pretty flat tune with little ups and downs, yet it’s still quite infectious thanks to its dynamic back beats and vocal harmonies.
Track 3 – 미쳤나봐 (Going Crazy)
Unlike Do It Again, Going Crazy has a much more interesting melody to showcase Twice’s vocals including a number of ad libs during the chorus. This mid-tempo R&B dance pop song feels groovy and jubilant at the same time, helping it make a lasting impression on me right off the bat.
Track 4 – Truth
Truth is another track hard to pin down the genre for as it’s got a blend of funk, pop dance, and even ballads to it. The tempo and beat mixing is progressive and colorful. The melody, however, lacks wow-factor in comparison, and comes across as monotonous particularly during the chorus section.
Track 5 – Candy Boy
Next up is Candy Boy, a synthpop number with weighty beats and intense energy. The winding chorus composition is a nice touch, and is easily the highlight of the song when accompanied by the girls’ crystal clear voices. However, Candy Boy’s hard-hitting rhythms can be a bit overwhelming, making me feel tired after listening to it for too long.
Track 6 – Like a Fool
The Story Begins closes with Like a Fool — the only R&B ballad song on the album that really shows off Twice’s vocal abilities. The mellow acoustic guitar riffs, laid-back piano chords, serene harmonica melodies, and lighthearted percussion beats create a dreamy canvas, upon which the girls use their pure yet firm voices to paint a beautiful picture.
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