TWICE’s new EP bets on cheerful vibe

SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) — South Korean girl group TWICE bet on its trademark cheerful, spunky vibe in its third and latest EP, entering the fall K-pop season with a winning start.

In a media showcase held in central Seoul on Monday, the nine-member multinational K-pop group beamed with confidence as they introduced their new EP “TWICEcoaster : LANE 1.”

“We’ve got a song that best shows TWICE’s energetic, bright vibe that we’ve shown since (our two previous EPs) ‘Like Ooh-Ahh’ and ‘Cheer Up,’” said TWICE’s Jihyo.

Members of South Korean girl group TWICE pose in a media showcase for its third and latest EP “TWICEcoaster : LANE 1″ in central Seoul on Oct. 24, 2016.

Each member projects different personalities to make up TWICE’s cheerfulness, according to the members. This takes Jeongyeon’s “boyish,” Nayeon’s “older sister-like reliability,” Jihyo’s “free spirit” and Sana’s “cute and sexy” image.

“They said I’m the de-facto leader of this team,” Tsuyu said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

The new EP was released on music streaming and downloading services on Sunday at midnight, 16 hours before the media event. Within an hour, the EP’s lead single, “TT,” topped major music charts here. As of 6:35 p.m., the dance-pop song’s music video surpassed 4.5 million views on global video sharing platform YouTube.

With the new EP, TWICE is seeking to carry on its winning streak of online music streaming and album sales. The girl group’s second EP “Cheer Up” boasted the bulkiest EP sales among all K-pop girl groups this year, with the highest rate of accumulative music streaming, tallied by benchmark music chart operator Gaon.

In addition to the robust performance, TWICE members boasted strong teamwork.

“We naturally became friends, as the nine of us go shopping and spend lots of time together,” said Nayeon.

Tsuyu (L) and Jeongyeon of South Korean girl group TWICE pose in a media showcase for the band’s third and latest EP “TWICEcoaster : LANE 1″ in central Seoul on Oct. 24, 2016.