Global Courant
On June 10, Twice opened the North American leg of their worldwide “Ready to Be” tour in Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium by defining its tagline: “We are ready to show you who we are, just as we are,” they announced, “As time goes (on), we are more comfortable being ourselves. Your love makes us super confident!”
Based on the rapturous response from the sold-out crowd of thousands, they feel the same way too. Twice became a leading group in the K-pop scene as soon as the nine-member group — comprised of Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu — made their debut in 2015. Now, eight years later, the group’s signature light pop, fluttering choreography, and candied lyrics have led to five worldwide jaunts.
This time the girl group visits North America in support of their 2023 EP — and their first No. 2 on the Billboard 200 – “Ready to Be.” A few key elements stand out in their newness: On this year, for the first time, a drummer and guitarist join the girls on stage about mid-way into the set, adding a tinge of freshness to older singles like “What is Love” and “Queen of Hearts.” And although Twice is known for singing sugary pop songs about love, they certainly deliver one of the edgiest K-pop shows the US has ever seen with “Ready to Be.”
With dedicated time slots for solo performances, each member gets their time to connect with audiences in a more personal way by performing covers or singing solo material. They unapologetically embrace and celebrate their femininity, also leaning into their sexuality for the first time with these displays. Momo shows off her pole dancing skills during a heated cover of Beyoncé’s “Move” while Chaeyoung delivers an original song and plays guitar. Nayeon also treated fans to her solo single called “Pop,” and Jihyo performed an unreleased song off her upcoming solo album (there was mention of Agust D, aka Suga from BTS, teasing his possible hand in the album — though that remains unconfirmed) .
They also dedicated time to singing English versions of their hits including “Moonlight Sunrise,” their second-ever English single, and “Set Me Free.” In between songs, the girls very politely address the audience asking for feedback on their performances. The response is ingrained in K-pop culture: some chant the names of their bias (meaning your favorite band member) while others are barking — a phenomenon with unclear origins at K-pop shows — to show their support for the girls as they speak . Off-stage, a translator handles the in-betweens.
The show ends with a string of surprise songs that the crowd picks from a prize wheel. Judging by the degree of noise coming from the stadium, the girls chose to close the nearly three-hour-long set with singles “Doughnut,” “Basics,” and “Signal,” and spent the last minutes of the show at the foot of the stage, collecting sunflowers and blowing kisses.
