TWICE celebrate love and self-awareness in new introspective EP With YOU-th – Album Review

This marks the group’s 13th mini album, released on February 23, 2024.

By Nandini Iyengar -

February 29, 2024 - 5:00 PM IST

South Korea’s powerhouse female group TWICE has never failed to amaze the listeners with their dance pop songs. The girls are known to create songs which instantly connect with the listeners. They started as a cute girl group with bubbly songs and as years went by they bloomed into artists who used their art to connect with a global audience. From singing about cute first love and crushes to singing about self-love and a matured love, TWICE has come a long way. The girl group started off 2024 with a bang with the track “I Got You”. The song has already garnered millions of views since it was first released. That was soon joined by five more tracks in their 13th mini album With YOU-th. TWICE released their latest mini album on February 23, 2024 containing the lead single ‘One Spark’. The members once again showed their writing skills by participating in songwriting for this mini-album. Let’s take a closer look at TWICE’s 13th mini-album With YOU-th.

TWICE celebrate love and self-awareness in new introspective EP With YOU-th – Album Review

1. I GOT YOU
TWICE’s latest EP opens with the pre-release single ‘I Got You’. This track is resplendent with the classic TWICE charm when it comes to the music, lyrics and visuals. The girls dance around rocky and sunlit shores making promises and affirmations of an unwavering love and support for each and in extension, for their fans. The song is an upbeat track through and through. It echoes the group’s previous releases like ‘I Can’t Stop Me’. The percussions are continuous are quite prominent throughout the track, with a slight pause during the bridge. One just cannot help but get up and dance to the tunes as the song begins.

2. ONE SPARK
The energy and the idea that the group brought in ‘I Got You’ continues in ‘One Spark’. There’s a bittersweet sense of pain but it is a welcome emotion – “Give me the spark in my veins, give me the freedom to chase.” As the song comes to a conclusion, there is a slight dip in the music allowing for a sparkling conclusion as the girls bring the track to a conclusion. In the music video, we also see the timer on the elevator go from numbers to “timeless.” Could this serve as a hint to TWICE’s music in the coming year?

3. RUSH
The emotions which started off as sweet and innocent in the first track took a bolder turn with ‘Rush’. The lyrics embody a sense of urgency as the girls sing “I need to feel your rush, when you are next to me I am running out of mind.”

4. NEW NEW
This track is a dance-pop heavy number. As a heady feeling in ‘Rush’, this track signifies a change and a new start as the lyrics go, “Today is also different because of you in the same world that had stopped”. There is a cinematic feel to the song as the song launches into a sonic speed echoing the exuberant bounce in the lyrics.

5. BLOOM
‘Bloom’ uses the imagery of beautiful flowers and magic as the girls sing, “I am transforming into someone unchangeable / I got you just as you want it.” Rhythmic Latin guitars alliterate the song throughout. They also throw a subtle nod to their track ‘Moonlight Sunrise’ as Jihyo sings, “Twice the magic of the sun and moon…” The track echoes a 2010s charm with its vocalized choruses and breaks in the bridge.

6. YOU GET ME
While the opening track ‘I Got You’ sported the idea of confidence in a partner’s support, the concluding track ‘You Get Me’ plays along the similar lines, adding in a bit of hope for a new start. The girls show a sense confidence and assurance that a partner would be there for them always. “You Get Me” employs a smooth disco rhythm as the lyrics flow - “‘Cause you get me, when I am with you I am the best one/Lately I am feeling like everything is enough when I am with you.”

TWICE's latest EP radiates a lively, youthful spirit, encapsulating a profound bond in every note and lyric from ‘I Got You’ to ‘You Get Me’. Their album, cleverly titled to convey unity in youth, reflects a celebration of love and life. While rooted in their signature bubblegum pop, the group demonstrates a newfound maturity in addressing life's challenges. Through introspective lyrics, they convey various forms of love—be it companionship, romance, or platonic bonds—showcasing the versatility of their music. Each track offers a nuanced emotional depth, making it suitable for a range of moods.

Noteworthy is TWICE's growing prowess in singing both Korean and English effortlessly, with a marked improvement in their English vocals evident in this release. As the year begins, TWICE leaves a sparkling impression, solidifying their identity as a group capable of seamlessly navigating between languages and genres.

What do you think about TWICE’s 13th mini-album With YOU-th? Tell us in the comments below!