If you are in tune with K-Pop music at all, I am sure that you know of TWICE. They have been at the forefront of the genre for many years, and have become one of the most popular K-Pop groups ever. Not only is TWICE incredibly popular in Asia, but they have also had a ton of success in the Western world. They have worked incredibly hard since their debut in the mid-2010s, putting out new music every single year, including this year(their EP With You-th came out in February, and their Japanese album DIVE was released in July). The 9-member group made up of Jihyo, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Mina, Sana, Momo, Chaeyoung, Dahyun, and Tzuyu, has had a plethora of viral hits over the years. Songs like ‘What Is Love,’ ‘TT,’ ‘The Feels, and ‘One Spark’ have gone incredibly viral on TikTok and Instagram, cementing them as one of the most important and relevant groups in K-Pop. Over the last couple of years, a bunch of the members of TWICE have ventured into making music outside of the group. This started with Nayeon and the release of her EP IM NAYEON in the summer of 2022, which she followed up with her second EP, NA, a couple of months ago. Since the release of NA, there have been two more side projects from members of TWICE. The Japanese members of TWICE, Mina, Sana, and Momo came together to form MISAMO early in 2023, and dropped their debut EP, Masterpiece, last July, Jihyo also decided to drop a solo project, titled ZONE, about a month after Masterpiece came out. Another member of TWICE has now decided to drop a solo project: Tzuyu. To be honest, I was a little surprised that Tzuyu was next in line because although I have always seen her as a main dancer in the group, I did not realize she wanted to be a soloist. I actually would have expected to see Jeongyeon, Chaeyoung, or Dahyun drop solo music before Tzuyu, but here we are. I am excited for Tzuyu, though, as this is her chance to shine in her own right. With that being said, here is how I feel about Tzuyu’s new EP, abouTZU. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from abouTZU, and also comment on how you feel about the EP as a whole!
Tzuyu gets abouTZU going with the debut single ‘Run Away,’ which is starting to do the rounds on TikTok. I saw a comment on a video of Tzuyu dancing to this song recently that it is very reminiscent of more old-school K-Pop, and I definitely agree with that. When I hear this track, it does make me think of the music I originally associated with K-Pop when getting into it about 10 years ago. ‘Run Away’ has a light and bubbly Synth-Pop sound with a bit of a Disco feel to it. The synths that drive this melody are charming, but also have a bit of a cold and dim tone to them, which makes it interesting and fun. The beat for ‘Run Away’ is spritely and groovy, but does not have too much power to it. Because of the simplicity of the instrumental, the focus is put on Tzuyu’s vocals, which are honestly great. I really enjoy her tone on this track, and the strength she sings the chorus with gives the song a commanding element. ‘Run Away’ is a nice way to get this EP going; it draws me in, and makes me intrigued to hear more. ‘Heartbreak In Heaven,’ which features PENIEL of BTOB, keeps the upbeat Synth-Pop sound we got on the last track. This song has a lot more of a bubbly feeling than the one that precedes it. The melody for ‘Heartbreak In Heaven’ is driven by a groovy bassline that is complemented by luscious synths. The groove of the bassline contrasts the vibrant sound of the synths nicely, making this song feel very bright. The beat for ‘Heartbreak In Heaven’ is energetic and pushes the song along quickly, but does not do anything special to make it overly noticeable. Tzuyu demonstrates her range on this track; I enjoy the high notes she hits, as it gives the song texture. The rap verse from PENIEL provides a buffer from the scintillating nature of the instrumental and of Tzuyu’s vocals, making it stand out. ‘Heartbreak In Heaven’ is not as captivating as the opening track, but I could still see people gravitating towards this one for sure. ‘Lazy Baby,’ which features ph-1, has a pretty different sound from the first two tracks. Everything about this one is quite a bit more sophisticated than the first two tracks. The melody, for one, has an old-school Funky R&B element to it that I think is very cool. This melody is driven by a groovy Piano riff that is complemented by synths that sound like Horn instruments. I love the Trumpet sounds that help drive this melody, as they give the song such a zany and vivacious sound. The beat for ‘Lazy Baby’ is sophisticated and intriguing. During the verses, it has a punchy Pop-Trap sound, and during the hook, it has an upbeat Dance-Pop sound. As fun as this instrumental is, the best part about ‘Lazy Baby’ is the vocals. Tzuyu shows so much emotion and life on this track; I love the shouting parts of the vocals, as they make this song extremely entertaining. ph-1 does his thing on this track as well. His rap verse contrasts the brightness of Tzuyu’s vocals nicely and gives the song a grainy element that it benefits from. ‘Lazy Baby’ is the most energetic and frenzied song of the EP yet, and it shows a quirky side to Tzuyu that I appreciate a ton.
It almost feels like we are going back and forth in zaniness as far as the instrumentals go on this project. Like ‘Heartbreak Baby,’ ‘Losing Sleep’ has a sound that is somewhat cookie cutter and tame. I really do not have a ton to say about this track. It is not bad, but does not grab me as much. The instrumental has a pretty standard Pop-Reggaeton feeling to it. The synths that drive the melody are melancholy and pretty simple, and the beat has a Latin music feeling to it reminiscent of artists like Becky G. There is just nothing about it that makes it stand out. I do, however, enjoy the vocals on ‘Losing Sleep,’ especially on the bridge. The high notes she hits during this section of the song give the song a bit of life and emphasis that stands above the rest of the track. ‘Losing Sleep’ is a light and pleasing little bop that can make you want to dance, but I am not going to lose sleep over this one, that is for sure. ‘One Love’ is another track with a sound that immediately made me think of more retro K-Pop. If you were to tell me this instrumental was an unreleased TWICE track from like 8 years ago, I would probably be inclined to believe you. The melody for this one is driven by a sunny guitar riff that is so reminiscent of the Early 2010s. This guitar riff is complemented by some synths that make the melody feel ethereal. The beat for ‘One Love’ fluctuates from quick and jumpy on the verses to more deliberate on the hook. I actually probably would have preferred the beat to keep that faster tempo throughout, as I feel like it would make the song hit a bit harder. Tzuyu’s vocals are solid on this one, but I would say this is probably the weakest vocal performance of the project so far. ‘One Love’ is a pretty good track with a K-Pop nostalgic element to it, but I would say this one is not the most memorable. Tzuyu slows and calms things down on the last track of the EP, ‘Fly.’ Instrumentally, this is easily the most low-key song on abouTZU. The melody for this one is driven by a very sweet and warm piano riff, which is complemented by various shimmering synths that increase and decrease in power as the song progresses. The drum pattern on ‘Fly’ has a pretty laid-back Pop-Rock tempo to it. There is something about this track that has a Disney Movie feeling to it. I could literally see this song being in a movie like Frozen or Moana. Tzuyu delivers her strongest vocal performance of the record on this track. She demonstrates her range on ‘Fly,’ and sings with a level of emphasis that makes this song feel very climactic. ‘Fly’ has an epic essence to it overall, making it a good way to close out this EP.
As I mentioned in the introduction, a solo EP from Tuzyu was not something I saw coming. Out of all the members in TWICE, she is just the one I least expected a solo EP would come from(at least not until all of the other members had released one first). Alas, I was pleasantly surprised when abouTZU came out and had no idea what to expect. Now, I will not say this is the most riveting or exciting EP I have ever heard. Sonically, abouTZU does not push any boundaries or do anything too special. It is more than enjoyable for what it is, though. The songs on this EP are light and fun, and there is something on here for a lot of different kinds of K-Pop fans. Tzuyu more than holds her own as a vocalist on this project, proving that she can excel in her own right when getting the chance to shine. I do not like the fact that one of the main criticisms I have seen about this EP rollout has been Tzuyu’s stage presence. She has never really been the center of attention like this and is still learning how to do it. I definitely think her stage presence and charisma will vastly improve as she continues to perform and promote these songs by herself. Overall, abouTZU does show that Tzuyu certainly has the chops to excel as a soloist, and I am glad we got this project from her.
EAST SIDE VIBES 