TWICE Talk New Album "MORE & MORE" And How They're Evolving With Their Fans

"We are evolving with our fans and the world too."

You can't think of K-Pop music without thinking about TWICE.

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Since their debut in 2015, the nine-membered group from JYP Entertainment — consisting of members Jihyo, Mina, Jeongyeon, Sana, Momo, Tzuyu, Nayeon, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung — has etched their names into the K-Pop history books with their bubbly, uplifting discography and addictive choreography that has garnered them fans across the globe. The group has accumulated numerous awards throughout their career, including Singer of the Year at 2019's Asia Artist Awards, and continue to write and perform music that champions the importance of self-confidence, female empowerment and making mental and physical health a priority.

As the group embarks on their fifth year together, TWICE has returned with their ninth mini-album — MORE & MORE — released on June 1 that sees the group break new ground. The six-track album sees them delve into new genres like Latin-pop on the track "Firework", share their most honest and vulnerable lyrics yet on songs like "Shadow", and usher in a new era of music that explores what it means to them to be a mature, confident woman.

According to Sana, the main theme of MORE & MORE is love: "We mainly focused on the messages that we wanted to deliver in our lyrics. Love is a key theme that we wanted to include, as it’s important to show our fans that we love them and that they are special to us."

We caught up with TWICE to discuss MORE & MORE, the meaning behind each song on the record, and how they're growing up with their fans.

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Ready to find out ~more and more~ about TWICE? Let's go!

1. What did it mean for you to hold your ninth comeback with the single “MORE & MORE”?

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Tzuyu: "The comeback means a lot since it has been a while since all nine of us have been back together. 'MORE & MORE' is very exciting, and we had so much fun focusing on the choreography for it; we wanted the dance to be powerful, and the goal was to show our fans a new side of us."

Nayeon: "Our comeback with 'MORE & MORE' means so much! It has been nine months since our last title song 'Feel Special' released, so we have been working hard to make 'MORE & MORE' one of our best songs yet with fun choreography to go with it."

2. What were your first thoughts when you heard “MORE & MORE” for the first time?

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Sana: "'MORE & MORE' is a different song for us, both lyrics and choreography-wise, but it really shows the musical growth we all have made as a group. I also had ONCE in the back of my mind, and thought that they’d enjoy it too!"

Mina: "I agree with Sana. The hook for 'MORE & MORE' was different than the previous melodies in our songs, which really made this song stand out. I love this track!"

3. What is your favorite song on MORE & MORE?

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Jeongyeon: "I like 'FIREWORK' because it is very different from our past songs and was inspired by the Latin genre."

Momo: "My favorite is 'SWEET SUMMER DAY' because it’s a very exciting song and I can’t wait to sing the song with ONCE."

Dahyun: "I love 'SHADOW' the most! The melody is awesome, and I really like how the lyrics express genuine emotions."

4. At the TWICE: Seize the Light press conference, Tzuyu mentioned that the group wanted to show a more mature side of TWICE in your next comeback. How did you work to balance the cute, bubbly energy TWICE is known for while still continuing to evolve as artists and individuals with this new album?

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Mina: "The balance comes down to each of us being truthful, genuine, and authentic. We are evolving with our fans and the world too. We’ll always remain ourselves, but we know that it is important to branch out and try new sounds, choreography, and more as we grow as a group."

5. To me, “MORE & MORE” feels like a continuation of the storyline of "Feel Special" — a love story that, even as it matures, still retains its magic and trust. As you head into your fifth year together as TWICE, how have your relationships evolved with ONCE and with each other?

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Jihyo: "I can’t believe we’re going on five years together! I love all the members and am so thankful for them. Our relationship with ONCE grows stronger and stronger each year. ONCE’s support for us has helped us through all the highs and lows, and has kept us so motivated to push ourselves to be better artists and performers."

Chaeyoung: "Aside from our relationship with ONCE continually growing, our relationship amongst each member has strengthened throughout the years. We went from trying to get to know each other throughout the first year, to now acting like family. We have a better understanding of one another."

6. The song "OXYGEN" describes looking out at the sky and feeling comforted by the shining stars. What is something that always brings you comfort, and what is it like to be a source of comfort for fans?

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Jihyo: "My comfort comes from ONCE, for sure. Although our schedules are very busy right now, ONCE keeps us energized and motivated. Knowing that we are a comfort for them as well, is a very special feeling."

Tzuyu: "I agree with Jihyo — ONCE always brings me comfort. As a group, we are all so thankful to be a source of comfort for our fans — and to share energy and happiness with each other."

7. “SHADOW” describes the fear of showing this dark side of yourself — one that battles with insecurities, fears, and anxiety — with the rest of the world. How have you learned to embrace your individual shadows?

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Dahyun: "As a group, we have all gone through a lot during the last five years, but we are always focused on our physical and mental health. We’ve learned to embrace our own physical shadows by leaning on each other and ONCE to find motivation and energy to keep our heads up and stay healthy."

8. I know Nayeon wrote the lyrics for “MAKE ME GO!” What inspired you to write this song?

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Nayeon: "I watched a movie about a female assassin on a plane, around a year ago. The movie stuck with me, and I was motivated to write a song from the killer’s perspective. I started writing lyrics and the draft became the song 'MAKE ME GO'."

9. I’ve seen online that a lot of fans say this song is similar in feeling to “LOVE FOOLISH”, which was written by Momo! What do you think of the comparison?

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Nayeon: "I do agree that the song is similar to 'LOVE FOOLISH'!"

Momo: "Yes – I agree that 'LOVE FOOLISH' is very similar to 'MAKE ME GO,' however, the message is different. 'LOVE FOOLISH' follows a story of someone who falls in love, whereas, 'MAKE ME GO' is a story of someone who wants to find love!"

10. "FIREWORK" is TWICE's first Latin pop song. What about the genre inspired you, and are there any genres that TWICE has yet to explore that you want to try next?

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Chaeyoung: "'FIREWORK' is the first song we’ve ever recorded in the Latin genre. We all agreed that we were interested in diving into this genre, and had a very fun time recording the song! We hope to record a song in the R&B space for our next album."

11. “DON’T CALL ME AGAIN” is such a strong, female-power anthem! Who are the women in your lives that inspire you?

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Nayeon: "Definitely my mom! I decided that I wanted to be an artist in middle school, and although my mom wasn’t fully on board with me becoming a trainee, she really supported me throughout the years and is very proud of me now. I believe that I have gotten this far because of my mom’s support."

Jeongyeon: "My grandmother really inspires me. I lived with her until halfway through middle school, since both my parents worked a lot. I used to put on performances for her, and she always told me to go after my dream to be an artist. Sadly, she passed away before we debuted as TWICE, but she will always continue to inspire me."

12. Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung both worked together to write the song “SWEET SUMMER DAY"! How did you two come together to write this song?

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Jeongyeon: "'SWEET SUMMER DAY' was inspired by wanting to write the perfect summer song! Both Chaeyoung and myself had ideas for lyrics, and the song formed naturally!"

Chaeyoung: "We wanted to write a fun summer song since our album was set for a June release! I wrote the rap part, and Jeongyeon helped write the rest of the song. We both were inspired and had the same idea for the song. We hope you all like it!"

TWICE's new album, MORE & MORE, is available now!

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.