TEN: An Ode to a Decade of TWICE
Photo: JYP Entertainment
It’s been a glorious ten years with TWICE, and there’s no better way to celebrate the past decade with one of K-Pop’s most iconic girl groups than a new album. TEN: The Story Goes On—a callback to their debut album The Story Begins—honors TWICE’s past and present as a group and as soloists, and promises their future will be just as bright.
The album opens with “ME + YOU,” which serves as the title track for the release. It draws from 2000s R&B and remains simple in its composition, as the girls sing an ode to their fans for sticking with them for ten years, while promising to stay together here on out. It’s what you’d expect from a wholesome fan song and excels at creating a warm and nostalgic soundscape to commemorate their legacy with ONCE.
“ME + YOU” really shines with its music video. Gone are the hard-hitting choreographies, designer outfits, and big-budget CGI; instead, “ME + YOU” focuses on TWICE themselves and the memories they’ve made with their fans over the last decade. It’s funny and cute, letting the members’ personalities shine, but perhaps most notable are the multiple nods to the group’s past. With shots that mirror the music videos of “What is Love?” and “Knock Knock,” and even a 2025 version of their 2015 debut track “Like Ooh-Ahh,” the video for “ME + YOU” is sure to make any fan a little misty-eyed.
The Solos
A first for the group, TEN: The Story Goes On features solos from each member, and saying the songs vary in style would be a gross understatement. The tracklist plays out in age order, with Nayeon kicking things off with “MEEEEEE,” a seductive song with a heavy bass that balances out her lighter tone. Nayeon is certainly no stranger to solo work, and yet “MEEEEEE” still manages to sound like nothing she’s released before while also managing to perfectly suiting her. Jeongyeon’s “FIX A DRINK” couldn’t be more different: the soulful songstress channels her inner country girl for this cut, crooning alongside a twangy guitar. It’s certainly an unexpected turn and a swift departure from TWICE’s discography, but it’s no surprise that Jeongyeon pulls it off.
The beauty of solos, of course, is allowing each member to explore their own artistry, especially those who may get fewer lines in group releases. Momo’s “MOVE LIKE THAT” is just that. While the club-like atmosphere is somewhat expected as one of K-Pop’s most prolific dancers, her vocal range in this song is stunning. We’ve heard bits and pieces of her lower register over the years, but in “MOVE LIKE THAT,” Momo sounds downright dangerous. At the same time, the way her falsettos float over the heavy beat feels almost angelic. One thing’s for sure: this song is bound to be deadly live.
Sana channels Latin-inspired pop with “DECAFFEINATED,” a surefire, playful, and sexy choice for the most flirtatious member of TWICE. In an album with quite a few English tracks, it’s refreshing to hear Sana stick with Korean as she cheekfully compares the thrill of being in love to being overcaffeinated. Leader and middle child of the group, Jihyo, comes in next with “ATM,” an atmospheric R&B banger penned by EJAE (of recent KPop Demon Hunters fame for those that hadn’t known the accomplished producer previously). It’s rather muted in nature, with a simple beat that builds as the song continues; by the time the bridge hits, Jihyo is at her full capacity as a vocalist. The track ends with her hitting every adlib imaginable, letting her shine as the talented singer she is without having to rely on a vocal-heavy track like a ballad.
Mina’s solo “STONE COLD” is as ethereal as she is, mysterious overall, and sprinkled with airy vocals and glitch effects. “CHESS” by Dahyun samples Beethoven’s “Für Elise” over a modern beat and is a glittering self-empowerment anthem. TWICE’s newest soloist, Chaeyoung, deviates from the folk sound on her solo album to give us the infectiously electric DnB track “IN MY ROOM” (and it’s admittedly been on repeat for me since release). Lastly, after an iconic release alongside Corbyn Besson in last month’s “Blink,” Tzuyu returns as a soloist with “DIVE IN.” It’s a classic pop track with modern R&B touches that complements Tzuyu’s honeyed vocals, further showcasing how she’s grown into her own artist alongside TWICE this past decade.
It’s not often groups have stood the test of time, let alone with this degree of success, dedication, and obvious passion for their craft. TWICE have time and again proven themselves to be a staple in the K-Pop industry as a group and more recently as individual artists. TEN: The Story Goes On isn’t only a testament to TWICE’s decorated past and present accomplishments; it’s also a declaration that the next decade will be just as legendary as the last, with hopefully no end in sight.
Edited by Joi Berry