Misamo is Twice’s first sub-unit, active for almost three years now. I last wrote about them in November of 2024 and now they’re kicking off 2026 with new single Confetti and upcoming album PLAY. As their music has developed, it’s taken on more of an old-school approach. Confetti pull us all the way back to a theatrical swing sound.

Genres like this can easily feel like novelty since they’re so removed from today’s popular music. The key is to find a way to infuse modern sensibilities so that the song doesn’t simply become pastiche. Confetti is more content to be part of some imaginary J-pop musical than a modern pop track, and that’s fine. However, this approach definitely limits its appeal.

Overall, Confetti is cute and bubbly, hinging on a repetitive hook that feels more like an exclamation than a fully fleshed out refrain. In a way, this hearkens back to Twice’s early material, but the song just isn’t addictive enough to flourish in the same way. It comes across as one of those year-end, holiday-themed special stages at a Korean or Japanese music festival. In other words, it would be delightful to watch once onstage but isn’t something that will find a place on my day-to-day playlist.

Grade: C