[Review] TWICE - TT

You can argue all you want, but Twice is the hottest girl group in Kpop right now (whether or not they're literally on fire is debatable). Maybe you don't have to argue that, considering their popularity, variety appearances, etc. Either way, this is Twice's third title track and their momentum continues to climb higher and higher. Perhaps the most hype surrounding this comeback is the idea that they'll be going up against Black Pink later in the month. After getting me invested in this group after "Cheer Up," we'll see if they can keep it up with "TT."

For this comeback, I did something I don't usually do. I listened to the teaser, so as a result I was mentally prepared for the inflections "TT" brought to the table. It seems that the inflection virus from "Cheer Up" has spread to this comeback, too. Sidenote: Twice is not the only culprit, as GOT7's newest track "Hard Carry" also has their fair share of inflections. Anyway, this song illustrates the Twice formula that we'll see for years to come. Nayeon starts us off, Tzuyu and J-Trinity lead into the chorus of Jihyo and Nayeon, Dahyun and Chaeyoung paired together, etc. Unlike last time, I think Nayeon has a better showing than Jungyeon in "TT," though that may just be biased towards how much more lines Nayeon has.

While the song is pleasant on the ears, there's nothing particularly memorable about it. "I'm like TT" is far too short to be an effective hook and nothing really jumps out at you overall. I'd say that Sana's "nanana" part is what I'll remember the most about this song but only because it's funny when coupled with her outfit in the MV. The bridge is nice, but doesn't change much compared to the rest of the song, even if Tzuyu and Jihyo join Mina for it. Sometimes you just have to be average, and the song is neither exceptionally great or terrible.

Should this section even be here? Yes, Chaeyoung and Dahyun split verses together, but both of them certainly do more singing than rapping. It seems that with each subsequent release, both girls do less rapping. And that's a shame. Chaeyoung has some serious potential and Dahyun's starting skills are quite good. As I said in "Cheer Up," I'd love to see what Chaeyoung could manage on her own. Hopefully we can see that in the near future. Oh well. Even writing a rap part here is just making more work for me, but I accept the challenge.

Whenever I listen to most new songs, I play the audio without watching the MV to get raw reactions, so I was pretty confused with the chorus and all the "TT" mentions. Of course, once I saw the MV and choreography, it all made sense. It's cute, and so is the rest of the dance. Twice continue to take advantage of their group size and use a variety of formations to prevent things from being boring. Because it lacks a break, the staying power of this dance loses potential. At the end of the day, the "I'm like TT" parts will always be a key point, but I'd say that the choruses of "Like Ooh-Ahh" and "Cheer Up" will always be stronger because those were more interesting dances. Like the audio, the dance is quite average overall.

Even if the song and dance are mere pedestrians, this MV more than makes up for it by being a superstar. All of the splendor of "TT" lies within the video. This is the most season-appropriate MV we have seen in a long while (excluding Christmas videos because those are too easy). With Halloween around the corner, this is as thematic as it gets. While I do question the decision-making skills of the kids in the MV for walking into a stranger's house unattended, their recklessness is rewarded with VIP seats to a Twice performance. Even though the plot pretty much ends there, it's all about the members at that point. The MV takes the individual scene style from "Cheer Up" but paints it all in Halloween colors. Each member has a different costume - and some are better than others.

Sana makes for a convincing superhero, while the Tzuyu and Jihyo are elegant as witch(?) and princess. More Disney themes arise with Momo and Chaeyoung, but Mina's pirate getup is really on point. I still wish Jungyeon would grow out her hair. It helps with her puppet costume but otherwie still sticks out awkwardly. Lastly, Dahyun is the MVP of the show. Her shuffling in a rabbit costume and other antics is one of the best things we've seen all year. It always seems that her personality shows up the best in their videos. I have no complaints! Everything about this MV is fantastic.

This comeback is balancing between work and play. If you're looking for a spectacular song, this likely isn't it. "Cheer Up" has more shine to it and even the disjointed "Like Ooh-Ahh" was interesting. There are no weaknesses or strengths, and nothing new was developed. However, with their popularity cruising, this MV represented a treat for fans and is in the running for best MV of the year. I would definitely label "TT" as a stop-gap song. It's nothing special, but the release satisfies the crowd and will keep everyone occupied until their next comeback. Until next time!