Twice’s Japanese output has been a mixed bag, representing some of their strongest and weakest material. But, no one can argue with the group’s prolific work ethic. In addition to their nonstop Korean output, the girls will have released three full Japanese albums by the time Perfect World comes out in July. This newest album’s title track is one of Twice’s most daring releases yet, offering a hard-hitting sound in direct contrast to some of their cuter bubblegum singles.
The transformation is successful, even if that might not be immediately apparent. Despite a welcome volley of brass, Perfect World’s first verse and pre-chorus aren’t particularly inspiring. It’s clear that the track will soon unveil its exciting energy, but I wish it had come swinging right out of the gate.
Thankfully, Perfect World’s chorus arrives like a wrecking ball. Electric guitar joins that brassy ornamentation, forging a gritty backbone over which the girls deliver an aggressive rebuke to a scorned lover. What this chorus lacks in melody, it makes up for with punch. It’s gratifying to hear Twice sound so unrestrained. Free from the shackles of affected aegyo, the vocals are commanding and emotive in a way we don’t always hear from them. And though the energy lulls again during Perfect World’s second verse, the arrangement takes a few interesting turns to maintain interest until we return to that chorus. Similarly, the standout bridge enlists an insistent kick, fueling momentum into the song’s climax. There are parts of Perfect World that feel a little rough around the edges, but its overall effect is quite powerful.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
HAHAHA, I lost it at 2:40. That scene just looks hilarious for some reason.
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I can’t keep up with Twice’s output- I literally had no idea they were even releasing anything today haha. When do these ladies even sleep?? That aside, I actually really like this. Probably my favorite of their recent Japanese releases and definitely better than Alcohol-Free. I appreciate them tackling something a little harder-hitting and they sound great here!
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To be fair, I feel like Twice’s Japanese releases (or maybe most Japanese releases from K-pop groups, I’m not sure) have little promotion or warning before they seemingly drop out of nowhere. I remember seeing a date for Kura Kura’s release, May 12, and then suddenly the song and MV dropped on Apr 20. Turns out the physical release was dropping on May 12 and the title track was pre-released early, but I was super shocked to see it appear on my YT recommendations that day. Now, the same thing basically happened again, with the album itself dropping late July.
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Yup! It’s quite the norm for Japanese releases. MV is usually released weeks or months before the album release. It follows a pattern of MV teaser/short preview of the title track >> pre-aired on radio show(s) >>> MV >>> album.
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Ah that makes me feel better! I don’t recall getting warning about Kura Kura either. Much easier to miss than the dozens of teaser photos/videos before their Korean comebacks. Although, I sorta like this approach as I feel JYP tends to spoil their entire songs in their teasers haha. More of a pleasant surprise this way!
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Too bad that might end up changing for the Japanese teasers too…apparently Nayeon asked why their Japanese comebacks don’t get MV teasers, and then they promptly dropped one yesterday spoiling half of the chorus, signature JYP style 😂
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I really like this! I was excited from the chorus teaser yesterday, and I’m glad that the full song lived up to my expectations. Like you said, the song feels really impactful and I really like a lot of the melodies they use here, for some reason they feel really interesting to follow.
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Definitely, I wasn’t expecting this brass coming from TWICE! I wish the chorus was a little less “yeah yeah yeah”, but every part of the song feels really theatrical and dynamic. Unexpected but really glad they got to perform something different! Also, it’s a little concerning to see them comeback so often 😦 I hope they’re getting the rest they need bc it must be exhausting to release music and mv’s so steadily
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I had the exact same thought! So many comebacks combined with the fact that 2 members went on hiatus for anxiety within a year or so… feels worrisome to me. I’d be more than happy for them to go the quality over quantity route, although I do really like this song as well!
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I was a little worried as well particularly due to the two hiatuses, but I’ve heard that in interviews Twice has mentioned that they feel bored when not working on something, so I guess they don’t mind staying busy…I’m still a bit concerned but I suppose their schedule nowadays is a lot more manageable than their insane years of 2017/2018. Hoping with you that they’re getting the rest they need.
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Yeah, I really like it! It sounds like an interesting combi of rock, hiphop and latin influences – great.
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Part of me hoping that they would release this as their Korea release instead of Alcohol Free
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TWICE is my favorite group at this moment. I like female kpop far better than male, especially the cuter stuff. I love this song and I’m so happy Jeongyeon is back. I hope she feels well.
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