Over the years, TWICE have distilled their ethos into a feel-good and optimistic pop-driven narrative, adding layers of complexity as they’ve grown as musicians and conquered global shores. As such, the arrival of ‘With YOU-th’ – the group’s thirteenth mini-album – feels timely on all fronts, especially as they come off their massive ‘Ready to Be’ world tour.
TWICE’s core pillars have always been centred around their own personal growth and the group’s collective bond with their fans. As they inch towards a decade in the music industry, it feels right to go back to their roots and reaffirm that bond – a constant, enduring reminder that no matter the highs or lows, fans will always have TWICE. And playing right into that promise is the album’s pre-release single, ‘I Got You’.
A quintessentially TWICE release, ‘I Got You’ is tinged with synth-pop and uplifting reassurance as the nine-member group find solace in each other out on stormy seas. “No matter what you got me, and I got you / And I wouldn’t want it any other way,” they sing on the perfect road trip anthem, replete with moving harmonies and soaring melodies that we have come to know and love from the girl group.
The pure and immediate euphoria of ‘I Got You’, though, overshadows title track ‘One Spark’, which takes a couple of listens to be absorbed fully. While the drum ’n’ bass song is decidedly gorgeous on its own – and also harks back to the vibes of older TWICE releases – it doesn’t help that it comes sandwiched between the sublime ‘I Got You’ and ‘Rush’, one of the most memorable B-sides on the album.
The sound on ‘Rush’ – once again drum ’n’ bass, continuing to be the sound of the season – flows like water, not only sounding more confident, but also far more polished and mature. The group’s relatively softer vocal approach works in their favour, creating an easily digestible and far more cohesive track. Though, if we’re talking about the best tracks on the album, ‘Bloom’ undoubtedly takes the top spot.
The shimmery, summery track washes over like sunlight on a cool morning, drawing heavily from analogies for spring as the group compares themselves to a flower ready to bloom. The track’s fluid electronic drumming and breathy vocals add an air of mystery that heightens the underlying promise. “Twice the magic of the sun and moon / Just you wait until you see me bloom,” Jihyo and Nayeon sing on the chorus, bringing it all together in serendipitous harmony as they close it out with loops of the word “bloom”.
Also deserving a nod is ‘You Get Me’ – very obviously the counterpart to ‘I Got You’ – another serving of dreamy, dance-pop laden with melodic synths that paint TWICE’s promise of forever to their fans with rosy strokes. As the closing track, it works both as a denouement, a rest stop on their journey and a comfortable segue into whatever comes next – of which we’re sure there is more.
The only time the album stumbles is on ‘New New’. Despite staying true to the high-octane energy of the mini-album, the track does little to stand out amidst tracks that far outshine it in terms of impact. It doesn’t affect the overall listening experience, however – by the time you move on to ‘Bloom’ and ‘You Get Me,’ we’re well entrenched into the magic of TWICE yet again, ready to mark a season of revelry.
