TWICE – 'FEEL SPECIAL'

Track List:

1. Feel Special *Title

2. Rainbow

3. Get Loud

4. Trick It

5. Love Foolish

6. 21:29

7. Breakthrough (Korean Ver.)

The girls of TWICE are back with their newest EP, 'Feel Special'. Like the last album, the members lent a hand in making this EP. Nayeon wrote the lyrics for "Rainbow," Jihyo co-wrote "Get Loud," Dahyun co-wrote "Trick It," Momo has a writing credit on "Love Foolish," and the members of TWICE are all credited on "21:29." It's not charting as well as their previous albums, sadly. Usually, their singles kill it.

They start out with the title track "Feel Special." The lyrics for this one are based on the feelings of the members. Mina’s solo verse at the midpoint references her struggles with anxiety: "I just wanted to hide...As if everything has lost meaning." The song itself is pretty classic TWICE, and they didn't skimp on the chorus (like no two-syllable words repeated ad infinitum). It's a pretty good dance-pop. "Rainbow" is sort of soft pop, at least in the beginning. It gets a tempo to match "Feel Special," and a pounding beat. And actually, I think I like this one better than the title track. No disrespect to the girls' feelings, but this is more fun, more danceable, and more interesting. That may have something to do with Jihyo, though.

"Get Loud" starts out beautifully bold and in your face. There are no pretensions toward anything softer. They start with the chorus, which is majestically loud, with a pounding beat and some staccato. This is an unapologetic club-banger and is way more my speed. Where did the cute TWICE go? I don't know, and listening to this, I don't care. Gimme more of this. "Trick It" is a little different from the other songs on here. They kind of dial it back on this one. It gets a disco beat during the chorus. But before that is just pretty voices stuffing as many syllables into a line as they can. I think the way it starts out is better than when the song gets some momentum. It's not bad at all, and I love the vocals here, I just wish there was more of what they started with.

"Love Foolish" has got to be one of the more experimental tracks on here. I like the tortured synth lines and buried layers of instruments. And I like that electropop intro. The girls don't lose any of their energy on here and bring it like they usually do. Maybe even better. You know there had to be a ballad on here, and "21:29" is it. It has a pretty steady beat throughout and has a consistent melody (maybe someone's actually listening to me). They don't lose the singer during some obligatory crescendo, and the song just leaves with a warm feeling. These girls know how to do ballads, and this song is one of the high points. "Breakthrough" is really just a Korean version of their Japanese single. If you were rocking out to that one, you know what to expect. I can't quibble with its inclusion -- it's a solid tune.

Overall, I think they did a stellar job. Truthfully, they kind of fell off my radar for a while with hits like "Likey" and "Cheer Up." Maybe those songs generate an instant-hit, but they bore me to tears. Give me a good song. If it's good enough, it will become a hit. This EP is the exception to the rule, apparently. I really like this one, and it seems like TWICE put out an album and someone forgot to notice. I don't know if it's the season or all the other high-profile releases. This ranks among their best. I like this even more than their last release. This deserves way more love than it's gotten.

MV REVIEW

I don't think there's any such thing as a boring TWICE video, and the MV for "Feel Special" is especially brilliant.

Here, each of the girls is outfitted in their 'special' style, as they meet up with each other. And sometimes, it's a clash, as with Chaeyoung in sweats and Mina in a beautiful gown. But as the video goes on, they pair these girls up with each other. Momo and Tzuyu, Dahyun and Sana, Nayeon and Jihyo, etc. And what they're wearing has a lot to do with their personality or what they enjoy doing (or at least, that's how it seems). And two by two they all meet up and start smiling. But my bias, Jeongyeon, seems to have been left out until she finds the rest of the group. Then they're all smiles and laughter, having fun with each other.

And, of course, we have the dance sequences. These, for lack of a better word, are tight -- in more ways than one. They are perfectly synchronized, and in continuing a growing K-pop trend, they're focusing as much on gestures as anything. And while we don't see it that much, we see them really unveil some serious footwork and dance moves as well. The choreo here is really next level, with the girls exploding from one position to the next.

It's quite well done. The costumes are opulent, the background interesting, and there's definitely no time for your eyes to get bored. This stands among some of the most visually stunning MVs of 2019. The girls killed it here, and I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Score

MV Relevance...........9
MV Production..........9
MV Concept..............9
MV SCORE: 9.0

Album Production.....9
Album Concept.........9
Tracklisting...............9
ALBUM SCORE: 9.0

OVERALL................9.0