How TWICE Has Changed The K-Pop Game: Their Successful Journey As Artists

The popular nine-member South Korean girl group composed of: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu, has been making history and breaking records since debut. The articles, news and medias giving them titles such as 'Top Girl Group’, 'Nation’s Girl Group’, 'Final Boss of Girl Groups’, these are not even all of it. Given the titles of one of the top K-Pop groups, TWICE continues to grow as artists.

Debuted on October 20th, 2015, Their first EP 'The Story Begins' with the title track "Like Ooh Ahh", a debut song, have made huge impact in the industry. TWICE have even achieved so much and grew more presence in Korea, Asia and even worldwide, after the release of the all-time hit "Cheer Up". Since then, the girl group has won big awards in Korea, just a year after they debuted, they have won a Daesang, this award is one of the highest achievements a group or an artist can achieve, this achievement of theirs made it more meaningful because as a rookie group, they have achieve a lot at that time, they maintained and garnered more copies physically and more digital points than any other artists in that year. They are even considered as a monster rookie and already even had the 'Nation’s Girl Group' title.

TWICE is known for their 'color pop' style, as they continued to release bright, catchy and 'cute' concepts after their hit: "Cheer Up", "TT", "Knock Knock", "Signal", "Likey", "Heart Shaker", them releasing cute concepts for years, for the first time in their career, their first summer concept: "Dance The Night Away", they continue to change their concept into a girl crush and mature one: "Yes or Yes", "Fancy", "Feel Special", also have tried another summer concept, followed by a retro: "More & More", "I Can’t Stop Me", and their latest summer track "Alcohol-Free". Their Japanese title tracks also have diverse music, from their latest album 'Perfect World’. They have released hits after hits, may be it a Korean or Japanese tracks. TWICE members are not afraid to try new concepts, as a K-Pop group, it is hard, it may not appeal to the fans, and there is no guarantee that the group’s next concept will appeal to the general public. TWICE has done so many concepts and have been changing it since then, they are not afraid to show more of them, to show new sides of them, to show that they can. They debuted with a girl crush concept, had a cute concept for years and changed it to more mature one. They have successfully transitioned one concept in to another, and they are not afraid to do more. ONCE, TWICE fans, is loving to see how their favorite group grow, to be able to show their versatility and duality.

While TWICE having and trying out different concepts throughout their career, on the other hand, they are breaking records left and right, whatever their concept is, it may be Korean or Japanese track. TWICE has proved all their way to the top with the top groups in the industry, they have went up and even continuing to reach a new peak. In just five years of their career they have been numerous records and all of it went down to history, basically, TWICE is already in history.

In the music industry, there are many aspects for you to call a group or an artist 'successful’, it may be in terms of views and streams all around the world, physical copies they have sold in their career, digital points they have obtained, awards and certifications they have received, tours and there are more indications of success in the music industry. Do that group or artist appeal in their own nation? In Asia? Or in the West? In the biggest music markets? Basically, Worldwide? Well, TWICE has all of it. They have set the record, even though another group or artist have broke the records they have set, the one who first set it will not be forgotten.

“I prefer "The first artist to..." than "The fastest artist to...", 'fastest may be broken and will be broken in the future’, but the 'first’, yes it will be broken, too, but it will remain and will go down to history.”

I believe most artists have the 'first' records and it's so great to see that most artists are excelling in any aspect in the music industry. TWICE has set so many records and most of them are "The first girl group/group/artist to...". Since the music industry has many aspects, here are some of TWICE's achievements with them being organized by each aspect:

YouTube views:

• First K-Pop idol group to reach 100 million views for a debut music video on YouTube.
• First K-Pop girl group to reach 200, 250, 300, 350 and 400 million views on a music video on YouTube.
• First Korean girl group till date to have 13 music videos with over 100 million views each on YouTube.

Sales:

• First K-Pop girl group to surpass 7, 8, 9 and 10 million pure album sales on the charts in Korea and Japan.
• First girl group to become a half million seller in Gaon.
• First girl group to surpass 200,000 copies in the 1st day in Hanteo Chart.
• First album (More & More) and first K-Pop girl group (along with Iz*One) to receive Double Platinum certification on Gaon Chart (500,000).

Digitals:

• First idol group with 3 songs to exceed 2.5 million downloads on Gaon.
• First idol group to have 8 songs with more than 2.5 million downloads on Gaon after the price change.

Awards:

• First idol group to win 2 and 3 consecutive Song of the Year (SOTY).
• First Asian artist to win 5 awards in Japan Golden Disc Awards.
• First K-Pop group to win all three awards in one year. The Japan Gold Disc Award 2011 - 2018 (K-POP).
• First K-Pop group to win SOTY in both Mnet Asian Music Awards and Melon Music Awards in the same year (Cheer Up).
• First idol group to win Artist of The Year for 2 months for 2 different songs in the digital category for a whopping streak of 3 years in a row at the GAON chart Awards.

Streams:

• First K-Pop girl group that were announced by GAON to be the only Acts to have 3 Songs with Platinum Certification for Streaming on Gaon Chart ever since certifications system began.
• First ever girl group that surpassed 1 billion streams on Gaon chart.

Concerts & tours:

• First K-Pop girl group to hold Japanese Dome Tour.
• First Korean girl group to hold two consequestive Tokyo dome concerts.

These aren’t all of the aspects we are considering in the music industry. And that’s not all of it, it doesn’t even contain a half of their achievements not even close to it. TWICE has been successful throughout their career, they have been breaking tons of records literally every comeback.

TWICE has the markets that matter in the “K-Pop” industry. Most importantly, dominating their own nation, Korea, said it all, they have had high-charting songs in the past years. They already dominated the largest music market in Asia, the second largest music market in the world, Japan, too. And, they are now starting to promote in the West, maybe give them a little bit more time to conquer the West music market. In fact, TWICE is the first female K-pop act to enter top 10 of Billboard 200 with an EP, with their 10th mini album 'Taste of Love’. TWICE is the best selling K-Pop girl group ever, on Oricon and Gaon. They are also the 5th best selling girl group in Asia’s history. 7th best selling Korean artists, they are the only girl group and the youngest artists to enter the top 10.

Besides, they are so humble. A TWICE fan made a video edit compiling some of TWICE’s achievements was luckily seen by TWICE members themselves, and their reaction was nothing, I mean you can see that they are proud of it, but they are too humble about it.

TWICE isn’t just a typical girl group, you can see them volunteering at an animal shelter, donating to the victims and to those who needed it and so much more.

Having said of their successful journey, their versatility, their achievements, TWICE has proved that they are artists, they write songs. They are also known of their songs, “Love Foolish” is the best K-Pop bside in 2019, and that was written by Momo. TWICE members have their own Korea Music Copyright Association credits. Nayeon having 6, Jeongyeon with 5, Momo with 5, Sana with 4, Jihyo with 8, Mina with 2, Dahyun with 5, Chaeyoung with 10 and Tzuyu with 1 credit, and the list will continue to grow. TWICE continues to extend their record as the big 3 girl group with the most KOMCA credits.

TWICE’s songwriting skills are on the other level, with their self-written hits, TWICE continue to add more to their writing and composing credits.

With all of their albums, in the past years, their albums are finally getting the recognition it deserved. TWICE’s latest album “Taste of Love” is critically acclaimed girl group album and even broke a record! TWICE has made another history by having an album that’s the highest rated K-Pop girl group album in history, and not only for the K-Pop category, but for overall girl group. TWICE’s “Taste of Love” has debuted on Metacritic with a score of 80. Breaking a worldwide record, giving that Taste of Love’s b-sides are all written by the members themselves.

Besides “Taste of Love”, TWICE’s 2nd full album “Eyes Wide Open”, was also being critically acclaimed album by Billboard, Beats Per Minute, Dazed and more. Out of 13 songs in the album, 6 of them were written by the members. TWICE has been giving high quality music ever since.

TWICE has it all! The talents, group’s versatility, their personality that will make you fall in love with them, their records left & right, their achievements as a group, their high quality music, critically acclaimed albums and songs. You are looking for a cute concept? Mature one? Girl crush? And more? They really are producing high quality music, "Cheer Up” was even used in a presidential campaign, "TT” helped in reviving the Hallyu Wave, “Likey” was played at the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, “Fancy” was chosen to play as a song during the opening ceremony of FINA World Championships 2019, several TWICE songs was played at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. And their songs never get old, recently, their 2018 song “What Is Love" trended and went viral, 3 years after its release, on TikTok, a lot of people, fans and non-fans danced to it, it even garnered over 2 million videos of people worldwide dancing to it in just a span of days. TWICE has changed the K-Pop game.