In the grand scheme of things, a decade might not seem like that much time, but there are very few groups in the K-pop world who have managed to stay together and intact for so long. Since their 2015 debut, TWICE have paved the way for a new generation of South Korean artists, with a discography that’s both beloved by listeners and acclaimed by critics, but also as young women who have remained united while growing up in the spotlight and navigating the music industry together.
“We begin by living in the same dorm, so we went from living with our parents to living with each other,” leader Jihyo tells NME over Zoom, with the rest of the nine-member group sitting in a straight row next to her. “We have learned how to live together, how to be considerate of each other, and we also learned a lot about how our social identity forms.”
TWICE might not live together anymore, but they still consider themselves each other’s safe spaces, especially when schedules get more demanding and tiredness threatens to take over. “We try to lean on each other for support,” Momo says, who speaks about how they enjoy going out to “eat good food”. However, she also notes they have learned to value their alone time more and more as they grow older.
“We are working on this TV show recently where we gather once a week to watch a show together and react to the content, and while we do that, we eat together and we talk about work and personal life. We also gain energy from each other by doing something like that,” Sana adds. “However, at the same time, being completely alone is also necessary. It is essential for us to gain back the energy, and it’s a chance to recuperate.”
In setting boundaries with each other, and as a testament to the maturity they’ve gained in their decade together, TWICE have also democratised the group’s decision-making process to ensure nobody is left behind. Going beyond the leader and established positions, they utilise a voting system where majority votes prevail, as Jeongyeon explains. However, exceptions are made for when the “quiet members” – that is, Tzuyu, Mina and Dahyun – speak out. “Because they don’t usually speak out, whenever they do, it is because they have something to say, so we naturally listen to them,” Sana says.
“It’s marvellous to me how we began from tiny stages and we moved on to bigger stages as the number of fans grows, we are very grateful for that” – Tzuyu
“There are nine of us, so if every one of us were to speak out, it’d just take too long to decide on something, and that is why some of the members stay quiet when they don’t have a particular opinion,” says Dahyun of the group’s internal processes. “We usually adhere to the voting system. If I agree, I’ll go along with it. But if I disagree, that’s when I speak up. And I think other private members do the same thing.”
Despite TWICE’s typical hectic schedule, voting is already underway as the group start thinking about their next steps. “We basically live in the practice room. We get up in the morning, come to the practice room and stay there until the end of the day. In the middle of practices, we are also preparing something for the next chapter at the same time,” Nayeon says.
Before TWICE can share any of what’s to come, they are focused on promotions for their new album ‘This Is For’. They first announced the record in May with a teaser that featured the nine K-pop icons in identical royal blue outfits and matching ultra-long, straight hairdos. It’s perhaps the most homogeneous image of the group we’ve had since their debut – there’s always been an element of individualism when it comes to TWICE, like in their music video for ‘Strategy’ – one that’s left as much of a mark on the members as it did on fans.
“We put on wigs! For the album cover, all of us put on wigs together,” Jihyo excitedly proclaims. “We struggled. They hurt so much. But I think it’s going to be a fond memory looking back in the future.” Sana jumps in with her own quip about the process – “It was really confusing to tell one another from each other among ourselves, and the staff was perplexed as well” – prompting laughs and giggles from both members and staff in the room.
The visual choice might have been purely stylistic, but it is precisely that sense of cohesiveness that permeates through the group’s first full-length album in four years. Dahyun says that ‘This Is For’ is TWICE’s take on “summer vibes”, but the process started brewing long before then. When we speak to the group in late-June, they are still putting the finishing touches in the ultimate race against the clock. “We started working on the album around November or December last year,” Jeongyeon says, and Jihyo jumps in to complete her sentence: “And it’s still not finished yet.”
“The music has been finalised, but there are other components of album-making that are still ongoing,” Jihyo adds. “With each album, we try to reinvent ourselves. We try to show a different side of ourselves. This is our first full-length album in a long time, so we aimed to be as sonically diverse as possible. [As part of that effort], we divided into many different units to sing the songs, and I think that’ll really benefit the performances.”
To accompany the album, each member of the girl group also recorded one solo song. While some members of the K-pop act have put out solo releases before – Nayeon did so in 2022, with Jihyo and Tzuyu following suit in 2023 and 2024, while Chaeyoung is expected to pick up the baton later this year – it’s the first time the group have pulled such a bold move with a mainline group release. “During our last tour, ‘Ready to Be’, we covered other artists’ songs for our solo stages,” Tzuyu says. “We thought that it’d be really fun to sing our own songs during our solo stages in the upcoming tour, so that’s why we made them.”
“We basically live in the practice room. We get up in the morning, come to the practice room and stay there until the end of the day” – Nayeon
TWICE’s upcoming ‘This Is For’ tour, which kicks off this weekend on July 19 in South Korea, will be full of firsts. Beyond the brand-new solo songs recorded just for this tour, they will also perform on a 360-degree stage for the first time while on the road. “The 360-degree stage is what we live for and also die for at the same time,” Sana worriedly confesses. “We don’t know until it’s time to be on that stage,” Nayeon adds, “so as much as we prepare right now, everything is still unsure and uncertain until we stand up on that stage and do the performances.”
The shows will serve as the main festivities for TWICE’s 10th anniversary, which they will celebrate on October 20. “I honestly don’t know how the time flew by so fast,” Jihyo says.
Tzuyu adds: “I remember the first showcase that we had right after we debuted as vividly as our concerts at Nissan Stadium [for the final stops of the ‘Ready to Be’ world tour]. It’s marvellous to me how we began from tiny stages and we moved on to bigger stages as the number of fans grows. We are very grateful for that.”
Still, the group aren’t getting too lost in the jubilant mood. “We are preparing a lot so our only reservation is whether we will be healthy enough to pull everything off,” Jihyo says steadfastly in a motherly tone as she looks over her members. “I just hope we stay in good condition to carry everything out.”
TWICE’s new album ‘This Is For’ is out now via JYP Entertainment on Spotify, Apple Music and more.