Review

Song Review: Tzuyu (Twice) – Run Away

Tzuyu (Twice) - Run AwayAs the Twice members slowly begin to develop solo careers, it’s interesting to see which girls release music first. Nayeon has become the most prolific, delivering two solo albums. Leader Jihyo also made a solo debut last summer. Now, Tzuyu is the next to follow in their footsteps. As a casual fan, I’m not familiar with specific genres or styles she gravitates toward, making me more curious to hear what her music has to offer.

Perhaps unsurprisingly in this current pop market, Run Away plays things right down the middle. This is certainly no “swing for the rafters” breakout, choosing instead to replicate a Twice-like sound with one voice rather than nine. This is no bad thing given the strength of Twice’s music, but the song’s generic execution fails to make an inarguable case for a Tzuyu solo career.

Run Away unfolds over a pulsing dance beat. What it lacks in character it makes up for in sheer drive, keeping its four on the floor momentum chugging along the entire time. The song itself is crisp and polished, cresting in a memorable chorus that takes advantage of the crystalline production. But like so many recent K-pop tracks, Run Away is high on style but low on everything else. The song doesn’t fully engage me because there’s no real gusto behind it. From performance to arrangement, its three minutes pass by without striking any tactile blows. Its as if the track is afraid to get dirty and slightly unpolished. What’s left behind is a pleasant — but ultimately sterilized — showpiece with a “look, don’t touch” attitude that keeps it locked behind glass.

Hooks 8
 Production 8
 Longevity 8
 Bias 7
 RATING 7.75

Grade: C+

18 thoughts on “Song Review: Tzuyu (Twice) – Run Away

  1. i like the two-part chorus (with a post-chorus instrumental break! a rarity in kpop if i must say), but other than that, the song is decent. mid 8’s for me

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  2. I liked the disco-ish sound here, and her chorus is pretty soaring, although slightly muted (maybe cause of her voice being a bit husky-ish), but I liked it. It’s good.

    8.5 (9, 8, 9, 8) for me.

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  3. I think it’s really good. I love the retro disco synth sound and the chorus is great. Tzuyu’s performance is charismatic and I love the MV. I do agree there’s a holding something back feeling as has been the case with every TWICE release since I Can’t Stop Me except Talk That Talk, but I really enjoy what we’re given here. What’s even better, is the album. Quite impressed by it.

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      • Alright, this one really is a grower. For me it’s a 9 right now and it became my favorite TWICE solo which I didn’t expect when I first heard the song. I also really love the album, especially Lazy Baby and Losing Sleep. But every track is really good. Run Away gives me a I Will Survive vibe and the retro disco synth sound is great for me.

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  4. Tzuyu is one of my favourites in Twice, so I was looking forward to this. It’s really underwhelming to put it nicely. It’s just soo… bland? It also doesn’t suit her voice at all. I was expecting something fun and upbeat.

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  5. Sounds to me like a demo version of the iconic MAGO, shame. However EP track “Losing Sleep” is so much better and would have made a great single!

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  6. Is it just me or was the vocal production and placement in the mix really odd? It seems like since Tzuyu can’t project her actually voice, when they wanted more power, they just placed it more forward in the mix to the point it was grating. The song itself production wise wasn’t bad, but Tzuyu wasn’t able to execute it vocally. If you want to make a case for someone as a soloist, you need to give the artist a song they can actually handle or at least have them work with a vocal coach until they are able to execute the song well enough to record and perform it.

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  7. I feel like this is a song that we didn’t really need.

    But to your point, Nick, all of their solos have just been Twice songs with one vocalist.

    I do think the very slight resemblance to “I will survive” is a nice touch.

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