On May 15, I went to my first TWICE concert at Banc of California Stadium! It was their biggest concert ever in the U.S., making it memorable for both TWICE and their fans, known as “once.”
TWICE is one of the most popular K-pop girl groups right now. Debuted in 2015 and composed of 9 members, the group garnered international attention in 2016 with their single “Cheer Up” and has gained traction ever since. This was their fourth world tour to date.
Immediately after arriving at the concert venue, there was a sea of pink cowboy hats, inspired by TWICE’s costumes at one of their “HELLO” live performances. Since TWICE is a girl group, I also saw a lot of girly styles such as mini skirts with frills or headbands. Everyone was dressed up in their best outfits!
The most obvious thing I noticed was the light sticks and fans. Everyone had light sticks with TWICE logos and fans with a TWICE member’s face printed on them. This was different from the Western concerts I have gone to (Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber), and I could feel the fans’ dedication to TWICE. Moreover, even though I got to the stadium around two hours before the starting time, most of the merch was already sold out by the time I reached the front of the line!
The show started out with the song “The Feels” off of their newest album Formula of Love: O+T=<3. Everyone around me immediately stood up and started dancing to their iconic choreography! This was different from all the other concerts I went to… after all, most Western artists don’t really have such recognizable choreo that fans can copy. This concert was the most interactive concert I’ve been to so far!
TWICE mainly sang songs from the same album, but they also added some throwback songs that they picked on the spot using a large Spin the Wheel. I was able to watch them perform the fan-favorites “KNOCK KNOCK” and “TT“, songs that I listened to during middle school!
Halfway through the concert, fans moved the member Dahyun to tears by celebrating her early birthday and singing her a birthday song in English.
During song breaks, TWICE shared their feelings about the concert, or just chatted about fun topics such as their recent hobbies. Jeongyeon, Dahyun, Mina, and Momo even started a dance-off, with Jeongyeon showing off her hair flips, Dahyun flaunting her hips, Mina impressing everyone with her ballet skills and Momo performing burlesque.
Throughout the concert, I could hear strong cheers for Jeongyeon, who had been taking a break from performances due to panic and anxiety. I was really happy to see her back on stage, looking confident as ever.
The concert made me realize how big and strong the K-pop fan base is in L.A. When I looked around the audience, I saw people of all ages, genders and races dancing to the music and dressing their best. It drove home to me how powerful music is in bringing such a diverse audience together in one space.
TWICE itself also has diverse member ethnicities—Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese. Both my boyfriend (Taiwanese) and I (Japanese) felt proud to be represented by such a popular group.
It was the last day of their 4th World Tour III, and I am so lucky to have seen them in L.A. I hope you get a chance to listen to some of their music! Thinking of going to a music festival soon? Check this prep guide out to help you make the best out of your experience!