Twice's "Like Ooh-Aah" Might Not Be The Zombie Apocalypse We Were Hoping For But It's Still Pretty Damn Awesome

The day we've all been waiting for is finally here; Twice's debut. It's a day that will be remembered as Twice will go on to become the next it girl group in South Korea, continuing the legacy of their legendary sunbaes: Wonder Girls and Miss A. It's been five years since JYP Entertainment debuted their last girl group, so of course the members of Twice have much to live up to. Coming from the same agency that produced legendary hits like "Tell Me", "Nobody" and "Bad Girl, Good Girl" you can say the pressure was on for this group to create equally amazing music. With debut song "Like Ooh-Aah" it's pretty clear that Twice are already on the right path. 

Their debut MV has managed to gather over 5 million weeks within its first week, which in my opinion is really impressive for a rookie group. The general public seems to have gained interest in the group as well, and I can definitely understand why. However when I watched the video for "Like Ooh-Ahh" for the first time I felt a bit disappointed. What bothered me the most was the song itself, because it didn't go quite as I had expected.

"Like Ooh-Ahh" has a very upbeat, energetic and radio-friendly pop sound to it, and it felt to me as a song yo might even hear on mainstream western radio. The overall feel is very bouncy, bubbly and youthful, but without sounding too sugary or sweet, which is admittedly a nice change of direction. I have to point out though, that after my second listen I was already low-key digging the song and now I genuinely do like it, once I accepted it for what it was; a mainstream pop tune. 

Thankfully my opinion of the video didn't have much impact over my impression of the video, which also sadly wasn't as amazing and groundbreaking as I had hoped. When I watched the video teasers for the individual members as well as the group ones I imagined a zombie apocalypse story, with the girls being the earth's sole survivors. I wanted to see some fighting, some gore or at least a bit more contact with the zombies in question, but that wasn't the actual case for the MV.

Instead the zombies act as metaphors for the members' many suitors who only lust after their beauty without having any actual depth or substance. I suppose it does make sense, but it is a bit far-fetched in my opinion. On the other hand it does make an interesting and different video, so I can't complain too much. Already from the beginning we see the zombies, both lifelessly wandering around in masses and behind bars and fences trying to reach the girls. However they never actually get to them, but are there to represent all the brainless admirers the girls have to face on a daily basis. They sing about wanting to fall in love for real, and want to meet someone who makes them feel "like ooh-ahh". The standards are set high indeed.

The majority of the video is shot in almost a one-take kind of way, with the camera switching from one member to the other as the girls navigate their way through what looks like a post-apocalyptic abandoned house. Often the members jump in and out of each others's scenes, and once you think you've seen all of them the camera makes a 180 degree turn and there's three other ones right there.

In the choruses however they all come together to show off the choreography in a more traditional way of shooting, but I do like that there is variation because it keeps you on your toes. The latter half of the video is however heavier on the dancing sequences which doesn't bother me at all, because among those scenes is the dance breakdown in which Momo takes center stage. She absolutely kills it and seeing her there only further confirms to me how destined she was to debut in this group after all.

There are also many other highlights that come with this MV, apart from the camera work and use of zombies of course. Although the video didn't quite serve bad-ass fighting scenes it does give off the vibe of a zombie invasion. What I mean by that is that they managed to capture the apocalyptic feeling with the use of locations, props and also color editing and filters. The fact that the girls are, for the most part, dressed in camouflaged clothing and thick boots also add to that idea.

What I also really appreciated with this MV, and this debut in general, is that on top of having a catchy title track and a cool and different video, the members of Twice are allowed to have their personalities shown through the screen. Apart from many other recently debuted girl groups none of them look the same; they all have different clothes and hair to match their individuality. Even in the video you can tell what kind of images they have, like Nayeon's cute girl-next-door look, Momo's tough, sexy concept and Sana's quirky 4D antics.

I definitely don't think that being this many members is a disadvantage to this group because of this exact reason. Since they all exude different vibes and images you won't ever think that some of them don't serve a purpose in the group or that not everyone will have a chance to shine. Although some of them might hold more talent in certain areas than others you can't really tell because what one lacks another makes up for. This way of promoting their individuality and uniqueness is going to truly help them in the long run, and this MV is just the beginning of that.


At the end of the day though; what this debut brings to the K-pop table is nothing a ton of fun. I feel like it's been a long time since I heard a song that was this infectiously positive and bouncy, especially from a girl group. The video is very well made and an overall great watch as well, and the song is made for playing on radios everywhere in South Korea.

With this concept I also think Twice is going to reach a much broader audience, because it's appealing to both girls and boys alike. I can especially see the younger teenage generation getting into this, and considering the ages of the members themselves it does feel really appropriate too. They aren't infantilized nor sexualized, but rather act as girls between 20 and 16 would, which is just so refreshing to see. I can with most certainty predict a bright future for these girls, because they have so many advantages already. They have a big company backing them up as well as talent, flawless visuals (have you seen Tzuyu?) and a approachable, natural charm to them. Hopefully it's only a matter of time before Twice are the next big thing in K-pop.

Song: 3,25/5
Video: 3,85/5