[Herald Review] Twice ends 2021 with first in-person concert in two years

K-pop girl group Twice greeted fans in person for the first time in 2 1/2 years through their concert “Twice 4th World Tour ‘Ⅲ’” last week. The two-day event took place on Saturday and Sunday at KSPO Dome at Olympic Park in southern Seoul.

This was the group’s first offline concert since May 2019, and their first since the pandemic hit the entertainment industry. One member, Jeongyeon, was absent during the shows due to health issues. This was her third time taking a break from performing. She previously took a break for a show in October 2020, and one in August of this year.

The final day of the concert was one to cherish for both Twice and Onces, the official term for Twice fans. Many fans within Korea and abroad participated through the live concert streaming platform Beyond Live.

“I can’t believe that the Onces are right in front of me. I’ve really, truly missed you guys,” said Nayeon, the group’s leader. She added that she hoped fans would leave the venue with bruised hands from too much clapping.

Chaeyoung chimed in, saying that it was a difficult road preparing for an offline concert. “There were times when we thought that we wouldn’t be able to greet you guys in person, which troubled me and kept me anxious while practicing for the concert. But I’m glad I got to see you guys,” she said.

Sunday’s concert was a jam-packed three-hour event. The eight members performed 26 songs, and prepared three encore performances to satisfy their fans. The setlist was composed of the group’s biggest hits and exclusive unit performances.

Decked out in fancy jewelry and dramatic red and black outfits, they opened the last day of their concert with their first English-language single, “The Feels.” The thrill was palpable in the sold-out auditorium. 

The night took a majestic turn as fireworks shot out from the stage during “Feel Special” and “Up No More.”

Twice raised the energy level even higher by connecting with fans while performing “Queen.” Using white sticks and perfectly synchronized choreography with their dancers, they took center stage to perform “Fancy.” This brought fans even more in sync with the group’s energy on stage. The group closed the first part of the concert with “Turn It Up,” using animated clips featuring words and phrases like “sweet dreams” and “pop” that flashed throughout the three-minute track.

The audience was restricted from loud cheering at the venue as per Korean government mandates. Though fans could not let out their loud chants and whoops of joy, they were encouraged all throughout the concert to clap their hands and raise their light sticks instead.

Twice lit up the second part of their concert with “Shot Clock,” reminiscing a scene of a powerful Broadway musical. Clad in black and white leather, the members appeared on stage on a stage lift as the entire venue turned red.

While missing the usual fan cheers and chants, the volume got louder with “Get Loud” and “I Can’t Stop Me.” Twice fans showed their love by holding up posters, which were shown on LED screens.

After three songs in a row, Nayeon spoke about the third, “I Can’t Stop Me.” She admitted that the band debated whether or not to perform this challenging song because of its fast tempo.

”But in the end, we decided to include the song because it would be our first time meeting fans in-person since the pandemic broke out,” she said.

Twice upped the ante by performing “Espresso” and “Icon,” the two B-side tracks from their third LP, “Formula of Love: O+T=<3,” released in November. They concluded part two of the show with “Cry For Me.”

The group opened part three in light blue, pink, violet and white outfits. They performed more B-side tracks on their third LP, “Scientist,” “Real You” and “Moonlight.”

The group showcased a diverse setlist which included two ballads, “Cactus” and “Rewind.” In “Cactus,” Jihyo participated as a lyricist. As soon as the song ended, Jihyo surprised fans by bursting into tears. “I really missed the feeling of singing and dancing in front of fans so much,” she said.

Twice continued the show with the mega-hits “What is Love,” “Knock Knock,” “More & More,” “Dance The Night Away,” “Alcohol Free” and “Heart Shaker.”

One of the most electrifying performances of the night was the unit performance. Jihyo, Sana and Dahyun opened with “Push & Pull.” Their high-energy performance involved a sofa and handkerchiefs as stage props.

Then Nayeon, Momo and Chaeyoung took the baton with “Hello.” The girls appeared in head to toe pink driving a pink van, looking like chic cowgirls.

Despite Jeongyeon’s absence, Mina and Tzuyu performed “1, 3, 2,” ending with impressive choreography.

The show came to an end with a remixed version of “TT.” The members dressed up in Christmas trees, snowman, Santa and Rudolph costumes, immersing fans in a festive holiday mood.

Twice will kick off the US leg of its world tour in February. They will visit five cities – Los Angeles, Oakland, Fort Worth, Atlanta and New York. The group will extend its reach to more global fans with another two-day concert at Tokyo Dome on April 23-24.

By Park Jun-hee (junheee@heraldcorp.com)