There’s nothing quite like a TWICE concert. The nine-member K-pop girl group – now eight years into their spellbinding career – know their audience to a tee and understand just how to thrill them. One could argue that things started off a little shaky with a half-hour delay, but after a four-year wait to see TWICE work their magic again, what were a few minutes more to the ONCEs in Singapore?
- READ MORE: Five essential and iconic TWICE performances
Cheers erupted from the crowd the moment the lights dimmed, as the members of TWICE made their grand entrance onto the stage, kicking things off on a high with their latest single, ‘Set Me Free’ – but it was 2020’s ‘I Can’t Stop Me’ that truly broke the sound barrier. Just the first note of the fan-favourite song was enough to send the crowd into a frenzy, or as Nayeon noted afterwards: “I can hear you guys sing along through my in-ears.”
A three-hour concert is not an easy feat for fans, much less for the performers, but TWICE play it smart with two segments of solo sets – and it’s here that the girl group let their individuality shine. Some showcased their songwriting abilities (Chaeyoung with her original song ‘My Guitar’), while others just wanted to hype up the audience and have a good time (Jeongyeon with her cover of Justin Timberlake’s ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’), but a few truly below the crowd away with the time they were given.
Momo, ever the agile performer, wowed the audience with her dance over of Beyoncé’s ‘Move’, before ending things with a jaw-dropping pole dancing number. Meanwhile, Dahyun slowed things down with her emotional rendition of Colbie Caillat’s ‘Try’, complete with a Grand Piano solo. Innocent Mina also broke out of her shell with a risque cover of Ariana Grande’s ‘7 Rings’, making it rain cash and twerking her heart out. Out of all the members, though, it was Jihyo that stole the show with the first-ever live in concert performance of her debut solo single, ‘Killin’ Me Good’.
Beyond her solo performance, Jihyo also proved why she was the group’s MVP throughout the night. Whether she’s splashing the crowd with water, belting it out acapella after the band cut out during ‘Feel Special’ or just vibing along to the song when it’s her bandmates’ turn to song, the singer just steals the spotlight wherever she goes.
TWICE’s ‘Ready to Be’ concert also displayed the power of K-pop and how its fandoms can create a very heartwarming sense of community. One example is when everyone in attendance hilariously shouted “JYP” during the opening of ‘Alcohol-free’. But the real cherry on top was fans were given the chance to dance on screen – and you best bet that everyone knew the choreography to every song.
The only real hitch during the show was its encore – though the girl group are not to blame here, but instead lady luck. While TWICE gamed the spinning wheel in order to perform their underrated debut single ‘Like OOH-AHH’ as their penultimate song (at the behest of the screaming crowd), they left things to fate for the final performance… which landed on the underwhelming B-side ‘Shot Clock’.
Despite the less-than-spectacular ending, TWICE’s first Singapore concert in four years was undoubtedly a triumph. The girl group came, they saw and they conquered the hearts and minds of the ONCEs that have long been waiting for their return. We can only hope that their next visit won’t take quite this long.
TWICE performed:
‘Set Me Free’
‘I Can’t Stop Me’
‘Go Hard’
‘More & More’
‘Moonlight Sunrise’
‘Brave’
‘Try’ (Colbie Caillat cover by Dahyun)
‘Done for Me’ (Charlie Puth cover by Tzuyu)
‘New Rules’ (Dua Lipa cover by Sana)
‘Move’ (Beyoncé cover by Momo)
‘7 Rings’ (Ariana Grande cover by Mina)
‘Feel Special’
‘Cry for Me’
‘Fancy’
‘The Feels’
‘My Guitar’ (Chaeyoung)
‘Killin’ Me Good’ (Jihyo)
‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’ (Justin Timberlake cover by Jeongyeon)
‘Pop!’ (Nayeon)
‘Queen of Hearts’
Medley (‘Yes or Yes’, ‘What Is Love?, ‘Cheer Up’, ‘Likey’, ‘Knock Knock’, ‘Scientist’, ‘Heartshaker’)
‘Alcohol-free’
‘Dance the Night Away’
‘Talk That Talk’
‘When We Were Kids’
‘Crazy Stupid Love’
‘Like OOH-AHH’
‘Shot Clock’
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