By Bruce Nie, Staff Writer
Almost a year after the release of Formula of Love: O + T = <3, by Korean girl-group Twice, comes their long-awaited comeback with their retro-inspired 11th Korean mini-album: Between 1&2. Featuring a total of seven new songs, Between 1&2’s uniqueness particularly stands out as over half of the songs were credited as being written by various Twice members.
Talk that Talk (TTT), the album’s lead single, encapsulates the synth-filled 80s dance-pop era concept of the album and serves as the perfect jumping-off point for listeners. While the 80s’ pop vibe isn’t entirely new for Twice—tapped into by various b-sides tracks such as PUSH & PULL and MOONLIGHT—TTT is distinct from other title tracks as Twice has never experimented with this vibe in a song of this magnitude.
While the Y2K-themed concept behind Talk that Talk’s music video is quite unique, the track itself doesn’t really stand out musically from other songs. On first listen, I simply brushed this song off as another energetic, if not slightly outdated, pop song that doesn’t try anything new. Although this initial conclusion isn’t completely wrong (TTT definitely isn’t winning any awards for originality), what Talk that Talk excels at is making the perfect hit that you can’t help bobbing your head along to; from the silky smooth first verse to the absolute banger of a last chorus, TTT is a fun, insanely-catchy retro-pop song that understands what it wants to be. It delivers without its gimmick feeling, well, gimmicky (cough* Red Velvet cough*). Despite its lack of originality, TTT does its job well and gives Twice fans another bop to put in their playlists.
With the growing popularity of K-pop with Western audiences, the inclusion of an all-English song has become almost a staple in many new K-pop albums. Between 1&2’s second track, Queen of Hearts fulfills this role and then some, with a catchy “BoomBoomClap” bassline and killer vocals that cement Queen of Hearts as one of Twice’s strongest B-sides yet. The upbeat and energetic vibe that the electric guitars and vocals bring is reminiscent of 2000s-era Disney pop-rock songs, and the rather optimistic and cheerful lyrics certainly add to this nostalgia. While I do enjoy Queen of Hearts, the lyrical pronunciation of certain lines (Chaeyoung’s entire rap segment) reminds me that, yes, I am still listening to a Korean group. However, overall it’s not really something that ruins the song for me and I can totally see why many fans claim this to be the album’s unofficial title track.
Basics, Between 1&2’s third track, is a rather relaxed song with some of the best rapping I’ve ever heard from a Twice song. This should be no surprise, as Twice’s main rapper, Chaeyoung, wrote the lyrics herself and made sure to let her area of expertise shine. The flow really fit the chill vibe of Basics and unlike a lot of other rap segments in K-pop, it felt natural and didn’t distract from the song. However, the chorus of Basics leaves much to be desired, with heavily-tuned vocals and a subpar melody that honestly just sounds a little grating to the ears. Initially, the chorus made me write off the entire song but over time it’s been growing on me and I can appreciate Basics for what it is—not the best B-side in the album but 100% not the worse.
Coming in fourth on the tracklist, Trouble brings probably the worst B-side on Between 1&2. That’s not to say it’s terrible, but the generic beat and melodies make Trouble hard to stand out from any early 2010s dance K-pop songs. Not only that, but what Basics excelled at, namely the rap, Trouble completely butchers. Chaeyoung’s rapping just seems unenthusiastic and out of place and takes what was already a mediocre song and makes it a serious skip-contender. However, the catchy melody of the chorus does come as sort of a saving grace and gives you a reason to actually listen to Trouble.
Following the theme of Between 1&2, Brave is a carefree dance-synth pop track with an incredibly eccentric and recognizable bassline. With stellar vocal performances from not only the main vocalists but overlooked singers like Sana, Brave is definitely one of the album’s top B-sides and one of my favorites.
The sixth track on Between 1&2, Gone, has all the pieces to be a standout track. It has a completely different feel from any other Twice song; its rather unique synth line, opening lines, and build-up are way above average. However, the mixing and production of the chorus completely overshadow the great vocals. It opts to overwhelm the listener with a jarring synth that makes it impossible to focus on the catchy melody of the chorus. So while Gone definitely had the potential to be one of Twice’s best B-sides, the questionable production choices leave it as just another forgettable song.
Closing off Between 1&2 is the pop-ballad When We Were Kids. It’s a pretty standard finish for a K-pop album and while When We Were Kids isn’t the most original track, it does its job well. The song is soothing and the chorus is incredibly catchy, and the various English lines sprinkled throughout the song help you to understand the powerful, yet relatable story of wanting to travel back in time to “when we were kids”.
Between 1&2 doesn’t really push new boundaries for the K-pop genre, but it is a welcome addition to Twice’s discography. Although it may be a little early to say, Talk that Talk seems to be one of Twice’s best title tracks, along the likes of What is Love? or I CAN’T STOP ME. While there are definitely some up and downs with Between 1&2’s B-side tracks, there are way more positives than negatives. Overall, Between 1&2 is a solid album definitely deserving of a listen-through.
Credit: JYP Entertainment
