TWICE Brings Holiday Cheer With Repackage Merry & Happy
Since their debut in 2015, TWICE has been on fire, quickly making a name for themselves in the K-Pop industry, and 2017 was no different. After wrapping up a successful 2016, they greeted 2017 with “Knock Knock” from their repackage TWICEcoaster: LANE 2. Maintaining momentum they released “SIGNAL,” made their Japanese debut, and then made a quick Korean return with “LIKEY.” With all of those comebacks they managed to rake in 29 music show trophies, and they’re now ready to win some more with the much anticipated year-end special Merry & Happy.
In Review: twicetagram
It goes without saying that since this is a repackage, there are only a few new songs; in this case there are only two, “Heart Shaker” and “Merry & Happy.” Previously in October, The Kraze released a review for twicetagram written by Josh Shim! If you haven’t read it, you can check it out here.
“You’re My Heart Shaker”
From the first listen, “Heart Shaker” became highly addictive because of the synth beats and trademark catchy lyrics that have you singing along after two or three listens. At first I wasn’t sure what to expect from this upcoming release since I’m not a hardcore ONCE, but surprisingly I found myself jamming out more with each listen. The pre-chorus is refreshing to hear mostly because of Tzuyu’s vocals starting it out with the follow up from Dahyun, Mina, and Chaeyoung. Tzuyu and Chaeyoung are getting more lines with the most recent releases, and I hope that over time, Jeongyeon’s vocals will finally be appreciated and we’ll hear more from her as well.
The translated lyrics to this song aren’t very surprising since the song gives you the cheerful and bubbly vibe with the first listen, but reading the English lyrics actually inspired me and got me thinking with lines such as: “Love is timing. You might regret it if you miss this chance” and “Have more courage. Don’t hesitate anymore.” Since its release, the comeback has received many great reactions from the public, and they have been breaking their own records left and right, though that’s pretty much a given. This year has been TWICE’s most successful due to the amount of releases, awards, and records they now hold the title for, but I also believe it was successful because I can now say I’m more of a ONCE than I have ever been before. They may have just gained a new fan.~
The Music Video
The music video for “Heart Shaker” came as a pleasant surprise since it’s hard to tell what to expect from the teasers. TWICE has always had visually aesthetic videos with slight storylines and loads of effects until “LIKEY.” There was a lack of both storyline and effects with “LIKEY,” so with the teasers for “Heart Shaker” I believed it was going to be the same way. At first glance the bright colors drew me in, the heart-shaped windows on the sets’ doors and the bright pink hearts on the wallpaper immediately brought a smile to my face. The next things that came to my attention were the outfits, the choreography, and the way the set was used to create the effects purely by arranging it so the choreography fit with every location. The color scheme of the set fit with the outfits they wore and that made everything very aesthetically pleasing and easy to look at. The dance is just as addictive as the song, and it’s surprisingly very easy to learn as well, so I can’t wait to see how many people learn this dance! The video has amassed almost 17 million views and even reached #22 on YouTube’s U.S. trending list, achieving all of this since its release! Overall, I believe that after “TT” this is my favorite TWICE music video purely because of all the other aspects.
“Merry & Happy”
“Merry & Happy” is exactly what I needed and what I expected to hear from TWICE when they announced they were making a comeback in December. Things are always stressful this time of year, with finals and year-end coursework that everyone struggles to finish, but this track is just the perfect way to escape the stress and finally enjoy the holidays! The melody is reminiscent of many other Christmas songs that have been released over the years, but it never misses a beat and is guaranteed to lift your spirits if you’re feeling down and tired. This is one of those Christmas songs that you would love to listen to all year round because of the feeling it’s capable of producing.