Whether you are a fan of K-pop or just a casual listener, we all know that South Korea’s pop music is made up of almost 80 percent women who made these songs known worldwide. From 2NE1, Girls’ Generation, Wonder Girls, Sistar, Red Velvet, Blackpink and Twice, these talented women have captured our hearts with their looks, voices, dance moves, and styles.
One of the most well-known girl groups of this generation is TWICE. Consisting of nine members, Jihyo, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu, who were formed during the ‘Sixteen’ in 2015 and debuted in the same year under JYP Entertainment.
Their track “Cheer Up” helped them become nationally famous twice in 2016. It was the best-performing single of the year, peaked at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart, and won “Song of the Year” at the Melon Music Awards and Mnet Asian Music Awards. Their following hit, “TT,” off their third EP, Twicecoaster: Lane 1, spent four weeks at the top of the Gaon charts. The EP was the 2016 Korean female group album with the greatest sales volume. Twice had sold over 1.2 million copies of their four EPs and special album in just 19 months following their debut. The group has sold over 15 million records in South Korea and Japan as of 2022.
With the release of their first studio album, Twicetagram, and its lead song, “Likey,” in 2017, Twice became the first female Korean act to concurrently top Billboard’s World Albums and World Digital Song Sales charts. Twice became the third female Korean act to chart in the Canadian Hot 100 with the release of their single “Feel Special” in 2019. Taste of Love and Formula of Love: O+T=<3 in 2021, Between 1 and 2 in 2022, and More & More and Eyes Wide Open in 2020 all peaked into the US Billboard 200 when the group signed with Republic Records for American marketing as part of a cooperation with JYP Entertainment. “The Feels,” their debut official English-language single, peaked at 83rd and 80th on the charts in the US and the UK, respectively, and earned their first entry into the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. They have been nicknamed the “Nation’s Girl Group” of the future, and many celebrities have mimicked their point choreography, which includes “Cheer Up” (2016), “TT” (2016), “Signal” (2017), and “What Is Love?” (2018).
With all of these achievements, it is really impossible for TWICE not to gain Filipino fans, especially since they are being considered the best girl group next to Blackpink.
Just recently, TWICE performed at the Philippine Arena last September 30 and October 31 with their sold-out concert called “Ready to Be.” It proved us how many Filipino fans were left high during the electrifying performances of these nine stunning women who became the main talk of the town with their successful concert.
Based on the social intelligence report of Capstone-Intel Corporation, the keyword “Twice” alone got 31,529 comments, 32,360 social volume, and 128,937 shares, for an overall total of 1,468,438 reaction counts.
Meanwhile, “Ready to Be” got 57,817 comments, 60,795 social shares, and 96,141 shares, for a total reaction count of 670,494.
Lastly, “Ready To Be in Bulacan” received 7,248 comments, 7,375 social volume and 24,217 shares for a total reaction count of 215,048.
Capstone-Intel also revealed that TWICE has a great impact on the preferences and culture of Filipino K-pop fans. Their “Ready To Be” concert garnered a total of 670,094 total reactions. Breaking down, we have 399,346 ‘heart’ reactions (59.56 percent), followed by 167,142 likes (24.99 percent), 96,856 ‘sad’ reactions (14.45 percent), 4,285 ‘wow’ reactions (0.64 percent), 2,343 ‘haha’ reactions (0.35 percent), and 122 ‘angry’ reactions (0.02 percent).
In this social intelligence report, Capstone-Intel also stated that one of the several reasons why Filipino fans of various demographics are enamored with international bands, particularly K-pop, is cultural globalization.
Filipinos’ love of K-pop singers, according to the agency, “evidences both cultural globalization and the aspiration for a universal culture since it allows Filipinos to engage with a type of culture that defies geographical boundaries and promotes a sense of identification.”
“It also provides Filipinos with a feeling of community that goes beyond their immediate surroundings as they become connected to a wider global network where enthusiasts host forums and gatherings to fortify their group and inspire others to follow in their footsteps,” the statement continued.
The research and intelligence organization claims that the way unique K-pop material is being distributed to Filipinos, whose numbers are growing and who are getting more involved with it, is a “massive” component in how K-pop culture has influenced fans’ identities and the generations they belong to. K-pop material is popular with a wide spectrum of viewers, including Filipinos, due to its widespread distribution across several media channels. This demonstrates how media and technology shape people’s cultural choices, according to the study agency.
Additionally, it was observed that these events, such as concerts, provide a forum for group celebration and self-expression, reinforcing the importance of community and shared experiences among Filipinos.
