Rating: 8/10
On Dec. 6, JYP Entertainment’s nine-member girl group TWICE released its new seven-track mini-album, “STRATEGY.”
The album’s title track and opener contain a sparky Megan Thee Stallion feature — the first time TWICE has had a feature on a title track. The pair have collaborated before on a “Mamushi” remix featured on the rapper’s album “MEGAN: ACT II.”
There are two versions of “Strategy” on the album. One version opens the album with Megan Thee Stallion, while the other closes the album with only the group singing, cutting the rap verse.
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“Strategy” is a groovy, up-tempo track with the Megan Thee Stallion feature, bringing additional pizazz. The track is a good mix of classic K-pop sounds with influences of ’80s house bubblegum pop and electronica R&B.
“Winning is my trademark, soon you’ll never wanna leave/ My strategy, strategy will get ya, get ya, baby,” sings Jeongyeon in the chorus.
“Kiss My Troubles Away,” the second track on the album, completely shifts genres. The track is reminiscent of a late-2000s soft pop-punk sound with strong bass and mellow vocals from group members Jihyo and Nayeon in the melodic chorus.
“Like It Like It” and “Sweetest Obsession” are the third and fourth tracks on the album. Both songs have smooth house sounds familiar to other contemporary K-pop groups such as ILLIT and NewJeans. The two tracks talk about quirks they like in a significant other.
“I recommend listening to ‘Sweetest Obsession’ with a sweet vanilla latte or while celebrating year-end moments with loved ones,” said Tzuyu in an exclusive interview with JYP Entertainment.
The fifth track on the album, “Keeper,” is the only song with writing credits from a group member. Dahyun wrote the track about self-worth and knowing her value with a significant other.
“Keeper” is unique as it combines pop and house beats, creating a new sound for TWICE. Dahyun revealed that it could have been the title track for this era.
“It’s a sweet and tender track, and I was overjoyed that a song I wrote was a candidate for the title track,” Dahyun said about “Keeper” in the interview with JYP Entertainment.
“Magical” is the sixth track on the album and the most sonically different. The track is comparable to a holiday song — it starts with synths and instantly transports you to a winter wonderland with sleigh bells featured in the chorus. The song seems like a gift from TWICE to ONCE, TWICE’s fandom.
“I always hated the winter season/ My heart was right on the brink of freezing/ Then you came around and suddenly/ It’s like I’m never gonna be cold again,” sings Chaeyoung.
The “STRATEGY” era was not only filled with new, trendy tracks but also fresh styles and looks never seen in the group. The concept looks and visuals were both retro and camp. The “Strategy” music video is filled with synchronized choreography, led by Momo and Mina, who took center for each dance bit.
“The production process for this album was particularly fun,” said Sana in JYP Entertainment’s interview. “It’s our first time selecting a featuring track as the title song, and we tried many new things. Members contributed a lot of ideas to the choreography, making this a highly satisfying album for TWICE.”
The album and era are very cohesive; however, the members seemed less involved in the behind-the-scenes of the music compared to previous albums. Usually, several members would tackle songwriting or production, but in this era, it was only Dahyun.
Despite the lack of member involvement within the songs, the members worked hard to promote this comeback in the United States with surprise appearances at Universal Studios and a record-breaking performance at Amazon Music Live.
In “STRATEGY,” TWICE musically advances as it tackles new genres and sounds, solidifying its spot as a K-pop veteran. It will be worthwhile to see what strategies TWICE takes next.
