Concert Review: TWICE Bring Glam and Girl Power to UBS Arena on the 'THIS IS FOR' World Tour

It seems wrong that it took me this long to finally see Twice live, after being a fan of their music for so many year (what k-pop fan isn’t?) but I finally made it to a show. And, spoiler alert: the girls made it well worth the wait. The powerhouse girl group are embarking on their mammoth “This Is For” World Tour, which kicked off last summer in South Korea. I got to catch the first of three performances at UBS Arena in New York. While sad that I missed out on seeing Dahyun, who is currently on a hiatus due to injury, the remaining eight members - Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu - commanded the stage and brought the glam and girl power I think we could all use right now.

With a discography spanning so many years, consisting of so many massive, incredible hits, it would be impossible to fit them all into one set. But I think the sampling they settling on definitely had something for everyone, with some deep cut throwbacks to ramp up the nostalgia sprinkled in with recent hits we all know and love.

The set kicked off with the tour’s namesake, “This Is For.” What a way to start. Screaming the lyrics along with thousands of other fans in the packed arena made me genuinely proud to be a girl. Thanks, Twice!

The first half of the show continued with mega-hits like “Strategy”, “Moonlight Sunrise”, “I Can’t Stop Me”, “The Feels”, and “I Got You.” After a costume change from their angelic white two-piece ensembles to something darker and edgier, the girls blasted into a high-power rock-inspired section, including a remix of “Cry For Me” and topping off with an energetic rendition of “Right Hand Girl.”

The girls have such a fun and commanding stage presence, with each one showcasing their own flavor. While I love all of the members, my eyes couldn't help but keep going to Jihyo, who just has such a special energy about her. Her voice sounded flawless, her smile was radiant, and the charisma she radiates is truly unmatched.

The part I think so many people were looking forward to was the solo stages. Each member performed about a minute to 90 seconds of one of their solo songs. This is something I always enjoy during k-pop shows, but I think Twice’s was even more fun, since each member has a very distinct style and charm. A highlight for me was Jeongyeon’s song, “Fix A Drink”, a country-inspired number that she performed in a gorgeous white bedazzled cowgirl hat and chaps. It was truly iconic, and I don’t use that word lightly.

A unit stage followed the solos, which saw Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung performing “Takedown”, a song that became popularized from the film “K-Pop Demon Hunters” (ever heard of it?) It was so fun to hear this song performed live, and to hear the excited fans singing along.

The final section of the show included some of Twice’s best throwback songs, in my humble opinion, including “Fancy”, “What Is Love?”, “Yes or Yes”,  “Dance The Night Away”, and “Feel Special.” Seeing these songs that all of us fans have been listening to for years, performed right in front of us, was, well, special. It was especially touching to see how much the members have grown since those eras, when they were still so young. 

The encore song changes every night, and we got “Signal”, which was very fun, but I admittedly was in the minority that was hoping to hear “TT.” But honestly, there were about a billion songs they could’ve done that would have made me just as happy. Again, they just have such a flawless discography.