The month of April has been unusually slow for K-pop releases, punctuated only by new music from some of the industry’s leading acts. BLACKPINK and BTS have already delivered their comebacks (to varying degrees of musical success), and now it’s time for Twice. I’ve always enjoyed Twice’s music, but it rarely finds its way to the top of my personal play list. However, over the past few weeks I’ve felt a surprising pull towards their discography. After reacquainting myself with their past albums, my anticipation for the release of Fancy began to rise. Adding fuel to the fire, the girls have been teasing a slight concept change for the new single, and even enlisted composers Black Eyed Pilseung — the duo responsible for their most celebrated work.
Fancy may not arrive as the seismic shift some were hoping for, but it inches closer to more mature sounds. This is most evident during the song’s standout verses, which bop along a stuttering tempo and take great advantage of the group’s unique vocal tones. The prominent synth riff that opens the track gives off a mysterious vibe and draws upon Pilseung’s recent work with Apink. When the beat kicks in halfway through the opening verse, Fancy really begins to catch fire.
If anything, the song is crying out for a more sophisticated chorus. The verses and pre-chorus point towards a completely different track than we end up getting. Fancy’s central hook retains much of the energy and giddy tone of November’s Yes Or Yes. It’s a sticky melody, for sure, and I think it would have benefited from the kind of diva-like performance that vocal powerhouses like Ailee could have delivered. Twice’s vocals are addictive in their own way, but better utilized in a different setting. Still repeat listens have already cemented this chorus in my head. Like all Twice songs, I’m sure it’ll be rattling around in my memory for some time.
In many ways, Fancy feels like the first step in a promising transformation. It may not be the strongest song Twice have ever recorded, but it’s just what they need at this moment.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
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The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Essay comment ahead! I have a lot of thoughts. Proceed with caution.
Maybe it’s just my subverted-expectation rush, but I’m absolutely having a blast with this song. The teasers I watched hinted at Fancy having a drop-chorus. Instead, they pushed their sound into a new direction while still retaining a uniquely Twice-esque sound, and I’m beyond happy about it (not to say that Fancy is my favorite song this year—it’s not. However, it’s totally enjoyable and I’m glad things turned out this way!).
The entire album is incredibly solid, if you ask me. With Twice, there’s usually one standout B-side per album surrounded by others that are pleasantly forgettable, but I enjoyed every song here quite a bit on the first listen, which says something for me. The only one that I don’t foresee myself seeking out in the near future is Strawberry, but it serves its purpose as a wind-down track well enough. I don’t mind the tropes or even the voices in Twice that typically turn me away from their B-sides—particularly Mina’s. Her voice normally just doesn’t work with me, but I quite like it here.
As of right now, there are a lot of full albums I haven’t gotten around to hearing yet (speaking of, what are your favorites of 2019 so far? I really need to catch up), but Fancy You is now the one to beat. I’m hoping Twice proceeds in this stronger direction for a while longer!
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And one more thing I forgot to add on—the verses! My very first thought after listening through the song and album was about how strong the verses were to me. During a time where lots of verses are kind of serving as filler before the chorus or drop, fingers crossed that the rest of the industry follows suit!
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My most listened to albums this year are TXT’s and Astro’s, but that shouldn’t be all that surprising given my musical taste! I also really liked ONEUS’s and ATEEZ’s from January. The new BTS one is also super solid. On the girl group front, my top three albums so far are probably Cosmic Girls, IZONE (surprisingly!) and maybe Twice once I have time to listen to it more.
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In a different shocking turn of events, I don’t have an immediate opinion Twice! My initial impression is positive, and this song is definitely strong as a whole, but I’m not immediately blown over like I have been with past Twice releases. I think this is probably the most generic that Twice have sounded, which isn’t something I find inherently bad at all, so it’ll be up to how the track ages in the long term.
It’s funny how you mention the new Black Eyed Pilseung’s work with Apink, because “Fancy” really does sound like it’s going to be another “%%” for the first thirty seconds or so, and it really highlights how well “%%” nails that atmosphere while “Fancy” does end up going in a completely different direction. “Fancy” ends up relying on vocals during the chorus a lot more, which – while I think it’s a fine melody – might subtract from the experience. Honestly, this is one of those times when you should probably ask me in 5 months whether or not I like it, because I honestly can’t tell yet!
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From what I can remember, Twice’s 2018 material tended to grow on you quite a lot as time went on. The opposite usually happens for me, but Fancy is already proving to improve with age. It’s been awhile since one of their title tracks really clicked with me, but this might just be the one.
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Most twice songs are binary for me: fantastically incredibly catchy, or annoyingly incredibly catchy. I … I … I don’t know where to put this one. It sounds like someone else’s song to me. I think a lot of their previous songs (and I am no expert) have been sung by the chorus for the chorus,. But this one is Nayeon and Jihyo chorus heavy, which is a good thing, using twice’s lead singers. Also, at least on the recording, everyone else’s singing isn’t that bad. The song also sounds a bit rushed, like they could have taken down the bpm by 5 or 10 notches.
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I personally like the rushed feeling, but I see what you mean.
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