“Once you see us, you’ll madly love us, TWICE,” appeared on the Bud Light stage jumbo screens in bold, colorful letters, the audience’s cheers echoing loudly in the air.
These were both the words of TWICE’s “FOUR” and Lollapalooza’s introduction to the South Korean pop group that changed the landscape of K-pop over the past 10 years.
Twice is one of the most famed K-pop girl groups, debuting in 2015 under JYP Entertainment and achieving mass commercial and critical success. Consisting of members Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu, the band amassed a large following and has over 20 million monthly streams on Spotify.
TWICE would make history as the first K-pop girl group to headline Lollapalooza, and though following in the large footsteps of previous K-pop headliners such as last year’s Stray Kids and 2022’s j-hope, it was made clear that the group could hold its own.
Taking influence from pop, R&B and hip-hop, TWICE put on a breathtaking show that combined powerful live vocals, thrilling visual aspects and the simply unstoppable force of the group.
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The set design of a subway train opened, revealing the girl group in matching white tops and cut-off denim jeans, all holding bejeweled microphones as they waved to the crowd.
“You have stolen my heart, oh yeah,” rang out, as fireworks shot up from the stage in beautiful bursts of color and lasers shot in the screaming crowd. The jumbo screen flashed with “TWICE” in big blue letters, signaling the beginning of an unforgettable night in K-pop history.
The group’s energy was infectious from the very beginning with “The Feels,” and the energy refused to let up. TWICE’s fanbase, called ONCE, jumped up and down to the high-energy rhythm of each song, holding light sticks in the air that created a beautiful sea of color.
The stage burst with vibrancy, the band going through choreographed segments perfectly in sync, their vocals meshing seamlessly with one another.
The gritty guitar solo of “MORE & MORE” rang out from the stage as blue lights illuminated the group, their silhouettes displayed on the jumbo screen.
Each member of the group flaunted her dominance on stage, moving with grace and precision, the fluidity of their dance moves adding to the dazzling visual impact of their performance.
Following “ONE SPARK,” the band exited the stage, and drones lit up the sky in different colors, displaying characters and phrases that celebrated the recent Netflix phenomenon, “KPop Demon Hunters.”
This elaborate drone performance further heightened the group’s performance as they appeared back on stage, performing their own rendition of “Takedown” from the movie.
Lollapalooza marked the group’s 10th anniversary and sixth world tour, and their headlining set commemorated K-pop culture in a way that was simply unforgettable.
Ending at 10 p.m., TWICE’s set fulfilled their promise — “Once you see us, you’ll madly love us, TWICE.”
