meta-scriptK-Pop Group Twice Unveil Video For New Japanese Single | GRAMMY.com
Korean pop group Twice in 2016

Twice

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K-Pop Group Twice Unveil Video For New Japanese Single

Watch the Korean pop group's music video for their first Japan-language single, "One More Time"

GRAMMYs/Oct 9, 2017 - 10:36 pm

South Korean girl group Twice is winning hearts around the world with their latest music video — a fun, cartoony romp filled with bright colors and competitive sports tropes.

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The new video is in support of the nine member K-pop group's first Japanese language single, "One More Time." As Billboard reports, Japan is the world's second-largest music market, and Twice has already seen great success there. The group’s debut compilation album #Twice, released through Warner Music Japan, included both Korean and Japanese language versions of the group's first five singles, climbed to No. 2 on Japan's  Oricon Albums Chart, and saw the highest first-week sales for any K-pop artist in Japan in more than two years. In addition, three members of the group — Momo Hirai, Sana Minatozaki, and Mina Miouyi — hail from Japan.

Twice's formation came about as the result of their participation on a televised survival-style Korean talent competition called "Sixteen," which saw 16 hopeful young singers compete for a chance to join the final nine-member lineup.

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Women's History Month 2024 Playlist Hero
(Clockwise, from top left): Jennie, Janelle Monáe, Anitta, Taylor Swift, Victoria Monét, Ariana Grande, Lainey Wilson

Photos (clockwise, from top left): Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Coachella, Paras Griffin/Getty Images, Lufre, MATT WINKELMEYER/GETTY IMAGES FOR THE RECORDING ACADEMY, Paras Griffin/Getty Images, JOHN SHEARER/GETTY IMAGES FOR THE RECORDING ACADEMY, Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Listen: GRAMMY.com's Women's History Month 2024 Playlist: Female Empowerment Anthems From Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Jennie & More

This March, the Recording Academy celebrates Women's History Month with pride and joy. Press play on this official playlist that highlights uplifting songs from Taylor Swift, Victoria Monét, Anitta and more.

GRAMMYs/Mar 8, 2024 - 04:44 pm

From commanding stages to blasting through stereos, countless women have globally graced the music industry with their creativity. And though they've long been underrepresented, tides are changing: in just the last few years, female musicians have been smashing records left and right, conquering top song and album charts and selling sold-out massive tours.

This year, Women's History Month follows a particularly historic 66th GRAMMY Awards, which reflected the upward swing of female musicians dominating music across the board. Along with spearheading the majority of the ceremony's performances, women scored bigtime in the General Field awards — with wins including Best New Artist, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Album Of The Year.

Female empowerment anthems, in particular, took home major GRAMMY gold. Miley Cyrus' "Flowers" took home two awards, while Victoria Monét was crowned Best New Artist thanks to the success of her album Jaguar II and its hit single "On My Mama." As those two songs alone indicate, female empowerment takes many different shapes in music — whether it's moving on from a relationship by celebrating self-love or rediscovering identity through motherhood.

The recent successes of women in music is a testament to the trailblazing artists who have made space for themselves in a male-dominated industry — from the liberating female jazz revolution of the '20s to the riot grrl movement of the '90s. Across genres and decades, the classic female empowerment anthem has strikingly metamorphosed into diverse forms of defiance, confidence and resilience.

No matter how Women's History Month is celebrated, it's about women expressing themselves, wholeheartedly and artistically, and having the arena to do so. And in the month of March and beyond, women in the music industry deserve to be recognized not only for their talent, but ambition and perseverance — whether they're working behind the stage or front-and-center behind the mic.

From Aretha Franklin's "RESPECT" to Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)," there's no shortage of female empowerment anthems to celebrate women's accomplishments in the music industry. Listen to GRAMMY.com's 2024 Women's History Month playlist on streaming services below.

TWICE
TWICE

Photo: JYP Entertainment

interview

TWICE Reflect On Milestone Moments & Latest 'With YOU-th' EP

The nine members of K-pop girl group TWICE spoke to GRAMMY.com about their new EP 'With YOU-th,' released today, and their ability to navigate the choppy waters of life and stardom over their nearly decade-long journey together.

GRAMMYs/Feb 23, 2024 - 03:14 pm

In the music video for "I Got You," K-pop girl group TWICE are stranded at a tempestuous sea. Their ship waders and wobbles, thunder roars outside, but the nine members are safe and sound in the cabin — lying on cozy pillows and having a good time, they know all storms are temporary.

"I Got You" precedes TWICE’s thirteenth EP, With YOU-th, out Feb. 23, and the video mirrors their journey together so far. 

TWICE members Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Jihyo, Momo, Sana, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu made their debut in Oct. 2015, after being selected through JYP Entertainment’s survival show "Sixteen." Almost a decade later, the group is now one of K-pop’s most influential, beloved names. They've even made history by becoming the first K-pop group to win a Breakthrough Award at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards, and the first girl group and Asian female act to sell out Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium last year.

Achieving their level of success didn’t come easy. In songs like "Feel Special" and "One In a Million," they've openly shared the dedication and resilience it took to make it this far. They highlight the importance of unity and their special connection, both with each other and their fan base known as ONCE.

With YOU-th celebrates all that. It’s a journey navigating toward the calm after the storm, and a statement on the importance of friendship, love, and just having someone who can say "No matter what, you got me/ I got you/ And I wouldn’t want it any other way."

Ahead of the release, the nine members of TWICE (and a special appearance by Momo’s Norwich Terrier, Boo) chatted with GRAMMY.com over Zoom about their new album, the most significant moments in their career so far, and how they see themselves today.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

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Reflecting On The Present While Creating With YOU-Th

Nayeon: With YOU-th is meaningful in a way that it tells our story and reflects who we are at this moment.

Sana: Our [lead single], "One Spark," was supposed to be in one of our previous albums, but it didn't make it. [When] we chose it to be the single for this album, and we wanted to make it even better than it already was. We changed arrangements and the parts that we sang, and we also re-recorded the song to make it as perfect as possible.

Dahyun: The song that I wrote the lyrics for, "You Get Me," is a sequel to our pre-release single, "I Got You." The story continues in that there's a connection between the two songs. I also wrote lyrics for another song, but it didn't make it in this album and I'm hoping that it'll make it in the next album.

Experiencing An Unbelievable Debut — And Global Success

Jeongyeon: The first moment that really stuck with me was during the [2015 survival show] "Sixteen," where TWICE members were decided. Another moment was when we released our first single, "Like OOH-AHH." I cried a lot on that day.

Another moment [that I remember well] was the first time we topped the Korean music charts with [2016’s] "Cheer Up." It happened on May 5. I remember it very clearly.

Tzuyu: During the years that I was a trainee, some of the members were already chosen to debut [with TWICE], and I was not one of them. Whenever I watched them during monthly evaluations, I would always think about how perfect they are and how good they are. I never thought that I would be one of the members. The fact that I made it into TWICE and that it lasted so far is still really unbelievable for me.

Dahyun: When we first visited a broadcast station to perform on stage as TWICE, that was really memorable. I remember being so nervous in front of the fans. And I remember our first concert where I cried a lot.

Blinking Twice, Nearly 10 Years Have Flown By 

Jihyo: I sometimes look up our old concert videos on the internet, and when I watch them, I am impressed by how much improvement we made, and also how young we were and how hard we worked.

Sana: When we debuted, I thought our eighth anniversary would never come, but it happened so quickly. Our eighth anniversary fan meeting was so beautiful and we cherished it with our fans and all nine of us. That was such a precious moment. I'm just so grateful that we made it this far and all of us are healthy and happy. I think that's what matters the most.

Mina: Right before we signed the contracts again as a group [in 2022], we had a concert at Tokyo Dome. At this point, none of us knew what would happen, so we cried a lot and we were very anxious as well. That performance really stuck with me.

Twice Have Had To Overcome Hardships As A Team

Jihyo: Because everybody else talked about happy moments, I'm going to talk about the difficult times rather than the good times. I think the hardships made us solid as a team, and it really made me feel that I'm not alone in this. Whatever we go through, I'm not alone.

That feeling struck me hard when I released my solo album, [Zone]. I got so many cheers from the members and they helped me by doing all these challenges for Instagram. I really felt like difficult things are easier to overcome when we're together.

Every time when we're so busy and all of us are sensitive, it's much easier to get over yourself and think that you're not alone in this. All of the members are going through the same thing. That kind of thought really helps.

Remembering The "Glamor" Of Touring  

Momo: During our [last] tour, we would all get together in the hotel room and eat. For example, when we are in Japan, our favorite meal to eat together is udon noodles. And there was this one particular day that each of us got into the shower right after the concert, and the hot water didn't come out, so all of us in our respective bathrooms screamed at the same time. That was really funny.

Chaeyoung: Last year, during the promotions for "Set Me Free," we visited the United States for two weeks. Every day we had three or four [performance] schedules, and it made me feel like I was back to the newly-debuted times of our group. It was physically challenging, but we got over it, and it’s now a good memory. The most striking part was when we went to the Empire State, and they lit up the whole [Empire State] building with TWICE’s official colors.

Dahyun: There was also a concert in Japan where we performed on a big, round stage. I remember all of us members holding hands and circling around, and that somehow stuck with me. I also remember vividly the first time we got an award overseas, in America.

TWICE Want To Face The Future Together

Nayeon: In the last scene of the music video for "I Got You," we are sailing on a ship in the middle of the ocean. I thought that it was a reflection of where we are, career-wise and in our lives. Of course we had difficult times, but I think that going through all of it together solidified us as a group. I'm not going to say that we have a clear destination point now, but what matters is that we are together, and that is something very clear and solid.

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Kendrick Lamar GRAMMY Rewind Hero
Kendrick Lamar

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016

Upon winning the GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for 'To Pimp a Butterfly,' Kendrick Lamar thanked those that helped him get to the stage, and the artists that blazed the trail for him.

GRAMMYs/Oct 13, 2023 - 06:01 pm

Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

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He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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Twice Member Jihyo
Jihyo

Photo: JYP ENTERTAINMENT

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TWICE's Jihyo Takes Steps Into Her 'Zone' On Debut EP

In an interview, TWICE member Jihyo discusses her songwriting process, overcoming uncertainty, and how she's spent the past 18 years readying herself for a solo debut.

GRAMMYs/Aug 16, 2023 - 01:16 pm

Park Jihyo first entered the spotlight in a child acting competition when she was 8 years old. Her performance left an impression on agents from K-pop behemoth JYP Entertainment. Much has happened in the interim — including a record-breaking tour with her group TWICE  — but 18 years after that competition, Jihyo will make her official solo debut via JYPE.

Jihyo is the latest member of TWICE to debut with a solo release; her first mini-album, Zone, drops on Aug. 18. Jihyo has contributed to the composition and lyrics for the majority of the seven-track EP.

"I wanted to diversify as much as possible so that listeners can have fun while listening to my album. Each song has a different genre and feel to it," she tells GRAMMY.com, adding, "I am both nervous and excited at the same time!"

It seems as if every moment in Jihyo's career has led to this point. Jihyo signed with JYPE in 2005 and spent the majority of her youth refining her singing, dancing, and self-confidence. She joined the reality girl group survival competition "Sixteen" in 2015, and was eventually selected to join the lineup of JYPE’s next girl group. Today, Jihyo is the leader and main vocalist of the nine-member ensemble TWICE, performing alongside Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu. 

Jihyo has penned a number of tracks in TWICE's discography such as "Get Loud," "First Time," and "Trouble" to name a few, and lent her vocal skills to three 2022 Korean drama original soundtrack singles — "Stardust love song" ("Twenty-Five Twenty-One"), "I Fly" ("Today's Webtoon"), and "A Strange Day" ("Summer Strike"). Zone is expected to be Jihyo’s most compelling and personal project to date that aims to highlight her musical self-discovery, impressive vocal range, and audacious spirit.  

Zone's teaser trailer, promotional images and highlight medley have led to highly anticipated chatter among TWICE's fans — some of whom got to experience one track from Zone live during their recent Ready To Be tour. Relying heavily on perseverance and grace to get to this moment, Jihyo believes it's time for her respective musical prowess to take the spotlight. 

Over Zoom, Jihyo discussed Zone, her first collaboration with a Western artist, and what she'd tell her younger self as a soloist. 

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. 

**Can you take me through your songwriting process for Zone? After previously penning 13 tracks in TWICE's discography, it must have felt different to write six songs for your own album.**

After my solo album was decided, they [company management] wanted me to participate in the songwriting process. The most difficult part was that they didn't really give me a concept for the album because they wanted me to choose what I wanted to express. It was really difficult to decide what I wanted to share and figure out what it is I wanted to tell in [Zone]. 

That's why the songs on the album are so diverse — it's the process of me figuring out what message I wanted to convey through this album. So, [Zone] actually shows [my] discovery process. 

What can you tell us about the first track,  "Killin’ Me Good?"

The genre of the song is up-tempo R&B. While listening to other candidates for the [opening] track, "Killin' Me Good" really stood out because of the melody in the verse. It was really catchy to my ears, and I really feel that "Killin' Me Good" is suitable as the title.

Zone had two artist collaborations: "Don’t Wanna Go Back," featuring Korean R&B singer Heize, and "Talkin’ About It," featuring Western singer/rapper 24kGoldn. Can you share your experience on the process? 

Which [songs] would have features wasn't decided in the beginning. We [then] chose songs that needed something to enhance it with another mood, vocals, or rap part. 

For "Don't Wanna Go Back," we decided that we wanted a female voice that is suitable for ballads. For "Talkin' About It," it needed a male rap part. 

24kGoldn's feature in "Talkin' About It" is actually the first time a TWICE member has collaborated with a Western artist. How did that come about?

The writing process for "Talkin' About It" began in February when I was in the U.S. I felt that the mood of the song needed English lyrics. 

Since we were writing the song in the States, we wanted to work with artists that are fluent [in English] and from the States, as well. So that's why we chose to go with 24kGoldn and I am super satisfied with the result! 

**Was there a vision you had in mind when preparing the visual concepts for Zone?** 

In the trailer, I wanted to show my natural and positive side while at the same time, a little bit of a chic and dark side of me to showcase many looks at the same time. I wanted to show both myself and the mood of this album. 

Fans who attended the Ready To Be tour were given a chance to watch you perform your upcoming b-side "Nightmare." How did it feel to showcase it live for the first time? 

When I sang "Nightmare" for the tour, my solo album wasn't officially announced at that time. I wanted to showcase the song as a little bit of a spoiler. And since it is completely different from the title track, I thought it was a really great song to use to spoil my album and it was a lot of fun!

When preparing your solo debut, as you mentioned earlier, you felt nervous and a little bit worried about the end result. How do you keep yourself grounded in the face of uncertainty?

When I was preparing for [Zone], I was also doing the concerts. So I was actually in the middle of two very big things in my career. And of course, I felt a lot of pressure. 

I doubted myself on whether I could pull it off or not. But I knew deep down that if I didn't give it my all, and if I didn't do my best in pursuing these two really great things in my life, I [would] regret it later. So I didn't really think about how successful my solo album or the concert will be. I wanted to focus on the process and I wanted to focus on doing my best. And once I realized that, I felt much more at ease.

That seems like a lot to juggle all at the same time. So now that it's done, I'm sure you must feel a little more relaxed now that it's completed!  

Yeah, I'm very relieved! [Laughs]

You've been a member of TWICE since 2015 and trained at JYP for over a decade. What’s the most important thing you learned as an idol so far?

I never realized how my career was going up until recently. But with the [Ready To Be world tour], it really made me realize how far I've come and how much success I've gained. This tour really meant a lot to me.

At 8 years old, you began your journey as an artist,and now you're here sharing your solo debut with the world. If you were given the chance to, is there anything you'd like to tell your younger self?

My personality is that I easily forget things. 

So, of course, the journey that started at 8 years old has not been an easy one, or has not always been easy. But I don't dwell on [the] things that pains me. I'd rather focus on the moment and try to enjoy every single moment. That's what I would like to tell my younger self: try to enjoy every moment of this.

Looking towards the future, what kind of legacy do you hope to leave behind as an artist?

In this album, I wanted to showcase dance tracks. But at some point in the future, I want to release a ballad album and I also want to try jazz at some point. 

I think I would describe myself as an adventurous type, so I want to try everything! I want to show the world a very diverse output. I think the process of going through that adventure would mean a lot to me personally.

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