Sunday, May 8, 2016

[MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW] TWICE - Cheer Up (2016)


After promising debut with Like Ooh Aah last year, TWICE is finally back! They just released their newest album, Cheer Up with the same title track on April 25th.  Cheer Up solidifies TWICE status as one of the rising stars in K-Pop music scene. They have topped various charts and won music shows only six months after their debut.

Then, what make TWICE and Cheer Up special? Check out my review for Cheer Up below………


Coming from the same production team, it's impossible not to compare Cheer Up with Like Ooh Aah. Both songs have similar structure from the conversation like verses, build up bridge, hook chorus to dance break.  While Like Ooh Aah is louder and "in your face" type of song, Cheer Up appears calmer and sweeter.

Cheer Up is more medium tempo type of song. The usage of triangle and synthesizer sound gives delicate feeling to the whole song beside adding unique touch. To make the song more upbeat, the drum sound is added during the bridge and chorus, which is effective to build and pump up the song.

The sound doesn't really ground breaking or as interesting as Like Ooh Aah. But, I like TWICE attempts to go back with classic K-Pop route with its addictive hook and simple music. The repeated phrase in each verse such as shy shy shy reminds me so much with early hits of Girls' Generation and Wonder Girls, Gee and Tell Me. It won’t take you a long time to remember and start sing a long with the song as well as the dance.


The music video is quite unique where each member reenacts a movie scene individually. The movie scene that they picked also match each member image from Momo who acts as the tough and fierce Lara Croft, Tzuyu who tries out the little black dress elegantly ala Audrey Hepburn to Sana who becomes a cute and quirky Sailor Moon. These individual scenes are effective way to make people know more and differentiate between TWICE nine members. But at the same time, the sudden and fast transition in each scene could make the viewers confused.

Fortunately, the usage of pastel tone throughout the music video connects all the scenes and reminds us that this is the same music video. The pastel tone also fits TWICE sweet and shy concept for Cheer Up. This also accompanied by a blur camera effect. When we watch Cheer Up music video, we feel like we are in a dream.


Cheer Up music video storyline is based on the song lyrics itself. The music video begins with a boy who sees TWICE as ignorant girls to him through a camera lens. Then, he sees TWICE through another lens and realizes their true feelings. TWICE sings that they purposely act cold, so the boy doesn’t take them easy. But truthfully, they like the boy too and they cheer him up to keep pursuing them. At the end of the music video, the boy finally sees the girls true colors…or should I say antics? Hahaha.

It’s a fresh twist to the title and the concept itself. I expect them to sing Cheer Up for everyone in general context and be a cheerleader, but it turns out that it’s in romance context. Their cheerleader scenes also don’t appear much in the music video, so it doesn’t become overused. I also think that the lyrics will fall into the general “shyness about young love” theme, but TWICE manages to put on a little sass and confidence to the lyrics.


Cheer Up is a catchy and cute follow up from their debut. The song and the dance are memorable while the music video is an effective way to show each of their individual charms. It doesn’t as stand out as Like Ooh Aah, but TWICE manages to show different charm with Cheer Up.

The best thing about TWICE is that they manage to combine classic K-Pop concept into one and make it fun. They don’t stick to one concept such as innocent, quirky or sexy. Instead, we see TWICE as youthful group with a bit of quirk, cuteness, and sass.




Rating:                        3/5

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