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TWICE on The Meaning of Their Album ‘Formula of Love: O+T=♡’ and How 6 Years Together Made Them a Family
For six years, the girls of K-pop band TWICE—JEONGYEON, SANA, MINA, TZUYU, DAHYUN, JIHYO, NAYEON, MOMO, and CHAEYOUNG—have explored love in their infectious music (they literally released a mini album and single called What Is Love? in 2018). But their new album out today, Formula of Love: O+T=<3, puts the emotion front and center, along with what the girls have learned about it.
The 14-track album captures love at every stage and form, with songs like “MOONLIGHT” tackling the emotion’s beginnings, while others like “LAST WALTZ” captures a breakup and love’s bittersweet end. Recording the album—and for NAYEON, JIHYO, DAHYUN, and CHAEYOUNG, participating in song-writing too—was an eye-opening experience for the girls. SANA told ELLE.com that in making the music, “I explored the meaning of love and the thought of how it is not something that can be studied and narrowed down with a formula. Although you can think it through millions of times, you should just go with the flow to get the love you’re seeking.”
Formula of Love: O+T=<3 is more than just an exploration of caring though; it’s also a celebration of TWICE’s relationship with their fans (officially called ONCE)—and a testament to the girls’ journey and all they’ve accomplished as artists since their 2015 debut.
The power of TWICE can be seen in their numbers alone, which continue to soar and create new milestones for the girl group: Their first full English single from Formula of Love, “The Feels,” earned the girls their first spot ever on the Billboard Hot 100 and their highest Billboard Global 200 position yet, #12. Their ONCE fan base is growing and active, with over 21.4 million people following them on Instagram and millions of people watching their every YouTube video; their “The Feels” music video alone has over 113 million views now.
Amid this big moment, TWICE spoke to ELLE.com about Formula of Love: O+T=<3‘s meaning, their journey as artists, and what their relationships with each other, six years strong now, are really like. “Now, the word ‘friendship’ cannot define our relationship with each other,” SANA said. “It’s more of a family.” The girls opened up about their dynamic, weighing on questions like who’s the biggest romantic and more, to give an intimate look at their lives together.
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Take ELLE through Formula of Love: O+T=<3, song by song. What is the meaning of each track?
JEONGYEON: Our title track, “SCIENTIST,” is about studying love and figuring out that there is no right answer to love. The message is that ‘you should just go for it.’
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TZUYU: “MOONLIGHT” captures the bubbly feeling of butterflies in your stomach when you are starting to fall in love.
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MINA: “ICON” is a powerful song about expressing the iconic side of you without hesitation. The lyrics remind me of TWICE onstage during performances.
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DAHYUN: “CRUEL” is about asking if my unscathed appearance is cruel to you after our break-up. It is a cruel song, just like its title.
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JIHYO: “REAL YOU” is about asking for truthfulness and sincerity from a person who is full of his/herself and doesn’t realize what pure love is.
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NAYEON: “ F.I.L.A (Fall In Love Again)” is about conflict that arises during a relationship and the shaking heart toward a hopeless and futureless relationship.
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MOMO: “LAST WALTZ” is a sad story about wanting to make the day you break up with someone the best, perfect day. It’s about two people wanting to make the sad ending happy.
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TZUYU: “ESPRESSO” contains the feeling of ecstasy you feel from caffeine once you have a sip of a deep espresso. I believe many people can relate to this feeling.
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JEONGYEON: “알고 싶지 않아 (REWIND)” expresses the end of a relationship in a realistic way without any decorative words.
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JIHYO: “선인장 (CACTUS)” is about the feeling of uneasiness from the uncertain future of a relationship. It was inspired by my pet cactus, but I hope the listeners can imagine whatever topic they choose while listening.
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SANA: “PUSH & PULL (JIHYO, SANA, DAHYUN)” is about constantly pushing and pulling in a relationship to bring the other person closer.
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CHAEYOUNG: “HELLO (NAYEON, MOMO, CHAEYOUNG)” contains TWICE’s powerful and cool appearance onstage amongst enthusiastic cheering from our fans.
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MINA: “1, 3, 2 (JEONGYEON, MINA, TZUYU)” tells a story of a relationship that is going bad due to the mismatching tempos between the two people.
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MOMO: “CANDY” is a song dedicated to ONCE. We tried to convey the feeling of missing ONCE even when we’re together and how ONCE’s love towards TWICE makes TWICE exist.
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What track are you most proud of and why?
NAYEON: I like “MOONLIGHT” since the lyrics and the melody of the track really capture the title of the song. It feels as though we are dancing and swaying under a clear night sky underneath a bright moon.
JEONGYEON: I like listening to NAYEON, MOMO, and CHAEYOUNG’s unit song, “HELLO (NAYEON, MOMO, CHAEYOUNG)”, since it’s a very new style that TWICE took on for the first time.
MOMO: I choose “알고 싶지 않아 (REWIND)” because it was composed by the same composer as “널 내게 담아 (YOU IN MY HEART)” and “거북이 (TURTLE),” which reminded us of that time period and when we used to do concerts. This track sounds like it’s an extension of those two songs.
SANA: I like “PUSH & PULL (JIHYO, SANA, DAHYUN)” because it’s a unit track that I participated in. I felt proud recording this track since I put extra effort into the recording process. Because there were fewer members who participated in this track, I had more parts to practice and sing.
JIHYO: I like “알고 싶지 않아 (REWIND)” and “ESPRESSO” because the melodies for these two songs really stuck with me. However, I guess I would choose “선인장 (CACTUS)” as my proudest, since I participated in composing and songwriting. I hope ONCE enjoys all three tracks!
MINA: I like “1, 3, 2 (JEONGYEON, MINA, TZUYU),” the unit track I’m in. Similar to SANA, because I had more parts compared to other tracks where all nine members participate, I tried extra harder to master my own parts.
DAHYUN: I choose “CRUEL,” since I wrote the lyrics for the track. I had a fun time imagining how one would feel after a break-up.
CHAEYOUNG: I feel the proudest of “ICON” because it’s a full English track. It was more difficult to record compared to our Korean tracks, but I liked it from the moment we got the demo. The lyrics are very powerful, as well.
TZUYU: I like “선인장 (CACTUS)”. You will see why I chose this track as my favorite the moment you listen. It’s a wonderful track composed and written by JIHYO.
What message do you want fans to take from this album as a whole?
NAYEON: Because this is our first full album release in over a year, there are lots of great songs, including songs composed by world-known artists, our own member JIHYO, and lyrics written by the TWICE members. We’ve also tried unit songs for the first time, so I hope ONCE enjoys these new attempts by us!
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Tell ELLE about the process of working on the lyrics for some of Formula of Love: O+T=<3‘s tracks. How has your songwriting evolved through this?
NAYEON: I wrote the lyrics for “F.I.L.A (Fall In Love Again)”. The concept and the topic of the lyrics were given to us, so it didn’t take much time to think of what I wanted to write about. I was able to let my imagination take off with the main storyline.
JIHYO: For “REAL YOU,” similar to NAYEON, I also had a fun time with developing the lyrics based on the given topic. For “선인장 (CACTUS),” on the other hand, I thought about my pet cactus that died and wrote the lyrics from its point of view.
DAHYUN: For the track that I participated in during the song writing process, “CRUEL,” I went through a lot of imagination and pictured why the couple in the story broke up and what emotions they went through during the break-up. I tried focusing on all the details.
CHAEYOUNG: Compared to other members I had a fairly easy process, since I just had to write off of the the already-existing English lyrics of “The Feels.” However, this acted as a double-sided coin, since the original lyrics kept playing in my head.
“The Feels” is your first English track and first song to ever hit the Billboard Hot 100. How do you feel taking in that milestone? What do you dream of accomplishing next in the U.S. music scene?
DAHYUN: As much as I was thrilled and excited to enter into the Billboard Hot 100 with “The Feels,” first and foremost, I want to share my gratitude to ONCE who believed in us and sent us a huge amount of love towards our first full English single. We would like to keep on striving for more English singles and meet ONCEs in the states and cities we’ve not been to yet.
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What was your favorite part of creating “The Feels”?
MINA: I enjoyed filming the music video for “The Feels.” We were able to interact with dancers in the prom scene, and we felt like the protagonists for an American high-teen movie. Other members also enjoyed experiencing an American prom party that we were previously only able to encounter through movies.
You’re celebrating your six-year anniversary as a group. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about yourself as you’ve gone on this journey together and grown with your ONCE fans?
NAYEON: I’m learning all the little details about myself, as well as how strong ONCE’s love towards us is.
JEONGYEON: Because I experienced what society is like from a very young age, I was able to learn how to behave properly in the society, compared to other people of my age. It is fascinating to know how some ONCEs have gone through the process of becoming an adult with the development of TWICE. I just wish that we could stay like this together forever.
MOMO: I realized that I am a person capable of achieving various goals. I’d like to keep trying new things. I feel comfortable around ONCE, who has been my dearest friends for the last 6 years.
SANA: I learned to control myself and my feelings. I am still amazed by how many new things are happening around us. However, instead of feeling nervous, I feel relieved now that I know that ONCE will always support me.
JIHYO: I guess that I have a lot of different sides, and that I have the ability to express them. I’m happy to be able to walk side-by-side with ONCE.
MINA: My facial expression and my emotions have widened. I believe this change was possible since ONCEs always wanted to see various sides of TWICE.
DAHYUN: I never thought that I would get this tremendous amount of love by debuting as TWICE. Each day, I become a more positive person with the love and support I receive from ONCE. It makes me think that I want to return the love to them, as well, as ONCE is together with TWICE, we always feel supported and grateful.
CHAEYOUNG: I think our songs matured with us and, compared to our earlier albums, our participation with the album making process has grown, too. Even though we have affection towards our earlier albums, the love is getting stronger as our participation becomes greater. We hope to present ONCE with albums with greater member participation in the future.
TZUYU: I was able to experience a lot throughout the last 6 years in TWICE, which helped me grow in my personal life and develop my musical ability. I couldn’t have done it without ONCE’s steadfast love.
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Your style as a group has evolved so much over the years. What was your favorite style era for TWICE? Your favorite comeback look?
NAYEON: “Alcohol-Free”! We weren’t able to travel overseas during this era, but through filming the “Alcohol-Free” music video, I felt like I was in a foreign country.
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JEONGYEON: “Dance The Night Away”! The clothes we wore were so cool, and they matched the concept of the song.
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MOMO: “Feel Special.” The choreography was a little difficult to dance, but the nine members of TWICE managed to dance along, which made every performance fun to watch.
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SANA: “MORE&MORE.” I’ve never tried an orange hair style in my life, but with “MORE&MORE” I dyed my hair to orange! Thankfully, ONCE liked my new hair style.
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JIHYO: “Alcohol-Free”! The song was released in summer, and I think the vibe of “Alcohol-Free” matched summer well, which made the listeners enjoy the song even more.
MINA: “CRY FOR ME.” The vibe of the song was very different from other TWICE songs. I liked that we tried a new concept through “CRY FOR ME.”
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DAHYUN: “SCIENTIST.” I personally like every single comeback look of TWICE since we could try many different concepts through them, but I especially like the concept of studying about love as a scientist in this album.
CHAEYOUNG: “Alcohol-Free.” I loved the cool and summer style. The music itself, along with the choreography, brought joy into the world by making it irresistible for people dance to.
TZUYU: “Feel Special.” The concept and style the members took on were gorgeous and magnificent. The lyrics of the song are also very sweet, and it cheers me up when I listen to it.
For the visuals for Formula of Love: O+T=<3, what was your favorite look?
NAYEON: My favorite look was the STUDY version. I think it matches the concept the most and was a new look for TWICE.
JEONGYEON: I liked the BREAK IT version. It’s cute and hip at the same time.
MOMO: STUDY version! We were trying this kind of look for the first time, and it matches the concept of studying about love.
SANA: I like both STUDY and BREAK IT versions. I like how different the two looks are, and feel like now is the right time to try these concepts.
JIHYO: STUDY version, since I think it shows a new side of TWICE that ONCE hasn’t seen before.
MINA: STUDY version. I feel like an adult in the look, and it goes along with the concept of TWICE being scientists.
DAHYUN: I like both BREAK IT and STUDY versions. It was fun to wear these types of clothes while we were shooting our album photos.
CHAEYOUNG: I liked the EXPLOSION version, because it matches the energetic and bright style of “SCIENTIST.” It also felt very new to try the pastel-tone colors.
TZUYU: STUDY version because our members look so professional in the concept. It’s different from the concepts we’ve tried before, so I’m excited to see how ONCE will feel about it.
How would you describe your personal style now? What’s your go-to look on a day off?
NAYEON: Since it suddenly got chilly, I go for warm and comfy clothes these days.
JEONGYEON: I like training clothes and T-shirts!
MOMO: I usually wear training clothes and slippers.
SANA: Nowadays, I like white pants. I also like wearing glasses and beanies with small ring earrings, which is a style that I didn’t enjoy before.
JIHYO: I like any kinds of style these days, but I am especially into matching accessories with the style.
MINA: I try to go for a variety of styles, but since it’s getting chilly, I reach for warm, fluffy clothes.
DAHYUN: Because the weather has gotten cold recently, I usually wear warm hoodies, cardigans with neck warmers.
CHAEYOUNG: I recently took on the minimal and simple style. It’s a huge change from my go-to style before.
TZUYU: On my day-offs, I go for simple and clean looks that are comfortable and easy to move around so I can really relax.
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MOMO, TZUYU, NAYEON, JEONGYEON, DAHYUN, and MINA: Your dogs are icons and beloved by ONCE. How has being their dog mom changed you and the way you see love?
NAYEON: I gained responsibility and am able to look at the world with warm perspective.
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JEONGYEON: I gained a stronger responsibility! I’m starting to understand how moms feel about their children.
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MOMO: I feel like I am happier with Boo and Dobby, which makes me wish for their happiness, as well. So, I would like to keep on giving them my love with responsibility!
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MINA: I realized that I can do anything in the world for Ray.
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DAHYUN: By raising Ari, my dearest puppy, I realized that anything can bring happiness into my life. I love you Ari.
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TZUYU: All I want to say is that they are just love itself. Kaya and Butter are the definition of love.
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What’s something fans should know about your friendship that they don’t get to see?
SANA: Now, the word “friendship” cannot define our relationship with each other. It’s more of a family, rather than friends. We can now feel and truly understand each and every member’s emotions.
You’ve been a group for over six years now. Help ELLE.com learn a little more about your friendship dynamic with these superlative questions.
Who’s the best cook? Best baker?
NAYEON: MOMO! I love her Japanese foods.
Who’s the biggest fashionista?
JEONGYEON: MOMO! She can make any style into her own.
Who’s the biggest romantic?
MOMO: I choose SANA, since she is nice to everyone and uses pretty words that make people happy.
Who’s the mom of the group or biggest caretaker?
SANA: I guess since JIHYO is our leader, she always looks out for other members, even if she has a lot to handle on her own. Thank you JIHYO!
Who gives the best pep talks and is the biggest cheerleader?
JIHYO: I can’t choose! Every single member takes turns cheering each other on whenever others are feeling down to lighten up the mood.
Who’s the best with makeup?
MINA: MOMO! She always looks her best when I see her photos at the airport. I still have a long way to go with the base makeup, so I would like to learn from MOMO how to do base makeup.
Who’s the most athletic?
DAHYUN: NAYEON! I would say that she is always full of energy, since she is always talking with someone or dancing even in break times.
Who tells the best jokes?
CHAEYOUNG: NAYEON, because she always makes members laugh during break times and even while we’re working to keep the energy up.
Who’s the life of the party?
TZUYU: JIHYO. She is the one who gets the most excited when we make plans to get together.
Who’s the most encyclopedic or booksmart?
MOMO: MINA. She is full of creativity and always comes up with new and mind-blowing ideas.
Who gives the best relationship advice?
CHAEYOUNG: NAYEON and JIHYO. They both are like big sisters to me. I can go to them to get any type of advice.
Just for fun: The holidays are coming up. What’s your favorite holiday tradition to do together? Any favorite holiday show or movie?
JEONGYEON: We always performed for end-of-year stages during the holidays, so we really didn’t have time to get together for a holiday tradition. My favorite holiday movie is Home Alone!
And finally: What can you tease about what’s coming next for TWICE—and what any concerts for Formula of Love: O+T=<3 would be like?
JIHYO: Please look forward to our tour and concert that’s coming up soon! Until then, stay safe, healthy, and happy while listening to TWICE’s bright and cheerful songs!
You can stream Formula of Love: O+T=<3 here.
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