"TWICE" is a South Korean pop group that consists of eight girls. The project was created by "JYP Entertainment" company. And it is popular not only at home, in Korea, but also in Japan.
History of creation
In South Korea, interest in groups from leading show business agencies appears even before the projects themselves are born. In the same way, the history of the creation of the group "TWICE" began. One of the largest music labels in South Korea, JYP Entertainment, announced work on a new female youth pop group back in 2013. Rumors about the future line-up of the group immediately spread among the public. The media fueled audience interest. Various sources said that the group called "6 mix" will include Jongyeon, Selena, Nayeon, Jihe and Cecilia, who at that time were doing an internship at the agency. Then, information appeared that Sana from Japan would participate in the team. The wait was ruined by Cecilia and Selena's departure from the agency.
The excitement around the music project slowly subsided over the course of two years. In 2015, the director of the label said that the recruitment of girls to the group was not suspended, but changed the format. The agency has announced the filming of a television survival show called "Sixteen." Candidates will compete fiercely for a position in a popular team. The show ran for three months. The girls who won the competition formed the lineup of the group "TWICE". The name of the group means that the audience will get a double pleasure from the group: from melodic and pleasant female voices and from professional choreography performed by beautiful girls.
Participants biographies
Sana Minatozaki is the lead dancer in the group. Her stage name is Sana. The girl was born in 1996 under the astrological sign of Capricorn. When Sana was a little girl, her family wanted her to be a star, she received special support from her grandmother. Thanks to such a charge of confidence, the young artist easily auditioned for the popular show business agency "JYP Entertainment". At the time of the successful casting, she was still a schoolgirl. Recruiters noticed her in the store, saw her charisma and good looks, and they themselves invited her to try to pass the selection and become an intern. Her first footage was in the music video for "GOT7" before being selected for the group "TWICE". Sana's Japanese appearance and mentality give the project an unusual flavor. In her demeanor on stage and in videos, she is playful and cute, which is typical of many Japanese industry stars.
Im Hire is the leader of the group. Her stage name is Nayen. The future star was born in the capital of Korea in 1995. Her zodiac sign is Virgo. Before winning the casting and working in the "TWICE" team, the girl had little experience of participating in television projects and clips. Nayen has a positive mindset, she smiles all the time and gives others a joyful mood.
Park Jisoo. The girl officially changed her name to before the casting, and now her name is Jihe. Employees of the JYP Entertainment label themselves offered her cooperation when she was just a child and played a child role for the competition. In 2005, the young artist has already received a trainee job at the agency. The girl had been preparing for a career as a star for nine whole years, and she had enough perseverance and efforts to complete this difficult training. Before starting work at TWICE, the girl worked as a model, took part in filming in commercials and in the video for "Miss A". Her year of birth is 1997, her zodiac sign is Aquarius.
Kim Dahyun is a dancer in the group. Her stage name is Dachen. Prior to participating in the television casting, she starred in two music videos for the JYP Entertainment label. During the survival show, Kim Dahyun impressed viewers with an expressive dance that portrayed an eagle. Dachen was born in 1998. Her zodiac sign is Gemini.
Yu Jongyeon is a quiet and non-conflict member of the band. She is responsible for a calm, friendly atmosphere in the group. The girl has famous personalities in her family - her sister named Gong Seung Yeon became famous as an actress. A girl was born in a small provincial town called Anyan in 1996. Her astrological sign is Scorpio. Before participating in the "TWICE" project, the young artist starred in music videos, advertisements and worked as a model.
Song Chaeyeon is a rapper in the group. Her stage name is Cheen. In addition to the ability to quickly pronounce a recitative, the girl knows how to dance and even studied this art at the Academy of Music. Her birthplace is the large-scale metropolis of Seoul. She was born in 1999 under the sign of Taurus. Before participating in the group "TWICE", the girl gained experience in filming music videos.
Momo is the leading dancer in the group. The second Japanese woman in the group, the girl was born in Kyoto in 1996. Her zodiac sign is Scorpio. As a child, she spent a long time persuading her family to send her to learn to dance, and her parents gave up. The future artist showed herself: she participated in festivals and competitions. She was noticed by JYP Entertainment and offered to join the company as an intern. Momo took part in a television survival show, but lost and was expelled from the project. The girl showed herself so well that in the final, the director of the agency said that he was appointing Momo as a member of the team. Prior to TWICE, Momo participated as a dancer in music videos.
Zhou Tzuyu is a dancer in the group. Her stage name is Tzuyu. The girl is originally from Taiwan. From early childhood, the girl wanted to become a star, and her dream came true. Artist's year of birth - 1999. Zodiac sign - Gemini.
Mui Mina is a dancer in the group. Mina received a classical choreographic education, studied at a ballet school. In order to get into the group "TWICE", she had to retrain and dance in modern and fashionable styles. Mina's homeland is Texas, where she was born in 1997. She lived in Japan for many years. After moving to South Korea, she got a job as an intern at JYP Entertainment. Prior to joining TWICE, the girl starred in three music videos for artists who collaborate with the same label. Mina's zodiac sign is Aries.
Debut and the beginning of the group's success
The group officially began its existence in October 2015. The premiere of the mini-album entitled "The story begins" took place right on the day of the debut. A year later, another track was released, which greatly increased the demand for the group. The song is called "Cheer up". She was soon ranked # 1 on the South Korean National Chart "Gaon", then won the National Song of the Year Award. The next track titled "TT" from the second mini-album also conquered the top of the above charts, and stayed there for a whole month. The mini album surpassed all female Korean pop groups in copy sales.
Growing popularity in Japan
In 2017, the team began to conquer Japan. They worked with Warner Music Japan. The collaboration brought success to the group. "TWICE" became the first South Korean girl group to be certified platinum in Japan in a year and ranked third on Billboard Japan's list of most popular artists. The band released another single for Japan early the next year. In winter, the team took part in large-scale advertising campaigns with the Nike brand. In the fall, a full-length album called "BDZ" and a mini-album "Yes or yes" were released for Japanese fans. January 2019 was marked by an expression of love and attention from Japanese audiences with the release of the Japanese reworking of the song "Likely".
