TWICE’s Japanese comebacks have always had their distinct sound, and their latest release is yet another showcase of TWICE’s range of flavors. ENEMY, a nine-track album that dropped in the last week of August, had two pre-releases: Its title track ENEMY, whose trailer dropped a day after the Incheon concerts, and LIKE 1, a collaboration with legendary Japanese rock band ONE OK ROCK.
ENEMY Opening trailer
There is much to parse about the opening trailer, which features an almost-seven minute video narrated by Jihyo (who is, in fact, credited as director who was involved in the album’s visuals, songs and music videos.) In the trailer, the members are depicted carrying varying sorts of aches—Nayeon and her ever-growing list of mounting worries; Jeongyeon and her unanswered calls; Momo and her uncertainty at the stairwell; Sana and the lonely aftermath of a busy day; Mina and her quest for perfection; Dahyun in her car, anxious about her crossroads; Chaeyoung and her struggle to keep her fruits from overflowing; Tzuyu and her hesitation at a doorstep.
At the end of it is Jihyo, beholding her own reflection, asking herself: What kinds of faces did we wear before? What must we wear moving forward? Jihyo stares, teary-eyed at the camera, before breaking out into a run, her footsteps heard by every member. They look up one by one, as if snapping out of their respective trances to answer Jihyo’s call.
The teaser’s description confirms much of what is onscreen: “The newly released opening trailer for TWICE's "ENEMY" expresses the anxieties and conflicts each member harbors in their hearts, portraying the pain and frustration of pursuing perfection that never seems to reach them.”
With TWICE now on their tenth year, it’s hard not to be emotional at how vulnerable and raw this release comes across, especially when you’ve seen their journey from then to now.
ENEMY M/V
The full song, which is a powerful rock ballad, embodies TWICE’s energy amid difficulties. It is an ode to overcoming the ‘ultimate enemy’—one that is within.
A beautiful guitar intro opens the song—one of TWICE’s strongest opens, in my opinion, and easily one of my favorites. The visual: Sana, guitar in hand, hesitating whether to stay in a waiting shed or to take off into an unknown location via a dirt path.
From there, the story unfolds and the members come on screen one by one—each member alone mostly in their respective locations, but strung together by some common theme or item: The same waiting shed, a tag on a coffee cup, a note behind a receipt, a hand wound wrapped in gauze. For example, Sana, Chaeyoung and Mina hang out in the same waiting shed, but never together; Dahyun drives by Tzuyu, waiting in another waiting shed. Perhaps the only members who meet are Nayeon and Jeongyeon, who argue on a bridge—the same one that Momo and Jihyo run across on separate occasions.
It’s a gorgeous MV; I am beyond happy they shot it outdoors, instead of their usual studio shoots. As the song reaches a crescendo, the members break away from their respective “prisons”—unwrapping fully healed wounds, finally deciphering the meanings in the notes, running out of their rooms after staring one last time into their reflections, and eventually heading out into the light.
When they come together, it’s for a satisfying dance break atop a cliff—the drone shot is breathtaking. It is always fun to see the members outdoors, and this one is reminiscent of the dance break for Dance the Night Away (also on a cliff!) In it, the members feel like they are fighting through their demons—yes, breaking free—and they’re doing it the way they do it best: As nine.
Like 1 Animation movie
This album’s second pre-release LIKE 1, which dropped closer to the full album’s release date, was written by Jihyo and composed by ONE OK ROCK’s Taka and Toru. While overall the song is lively and upbeat, the lyrics tell a slightly different story—after all, Like 1 is actually about partings and endings. In its official description, it is said that the song is about “the inevitable separation and the beautiful moments that live on in our hearts.”
Whatever Jihyo was thinking about when she wrote LIKE 1 needs to be studied, actually. The song opens with, Someday we will come to pass and someday I will have to let you go, and already from the get-go the listener gets a feel of the same shade of vulnerability that was very evident in ENEMY. In fact, in the entire album, only two songs are technically rock ballads—ENEMY and LIKE 1. And oh, what glorious rock ballads they are.
The MV, which is a beautiful animation movie and a welcome change of pace for TWICE, follows the story of a young girl and her childhood imaginary friend. As the girl grows up and meets friends in the real world, her connection to her imaginary friend fades, until such a time that she has to let her go. It’s a heartfelt and endearing look at growing up and moving on, and it is hard not to think about it in terms of TWICE and ONCE, especially those who have been with the girls since the very beginning.
As they approach a decade in the industry—a lifetime, to some extent, given that some groups don’t even hurdle the ‘cursed’ seventh year—it is actually a good time to pause and reflect on their next steps. Hearing the girls imagining a future after the lights have gone out in the stadiums and the fans have moved on after the shows is a bit heartache-y, but also it is rather practical: None of these are forever, and as Nayeon sings: Know there will come a time for a bittersweet salute—whether we like it or not, whether we’re ready for it or not.
But the song balances out the gloom with comfort, and instead proposes that though we cannot stay forever in a moment, whatever is made there can never be taken away: Cause we’re drifting away, but don’t be afraid, we’ll meet at lost and found / No matter what our love becomes, the two of us will always be like one.
Additional notes on ENEMY B-sides
With these two pre-releases, we were already half-expecting the rest of the album to sound more or less like a rock album—so imagine our delight when the rest of the tracks showcased TWICE’s flexibility and range instead.
The opening track Up to You is a shoo-in summer song in the style of Alcohol Free and Hare Hare, and I can already imagine this would do well with a travel style MV a-la Dance the Night Away. Jihyo opening it with Summer is waiting for you—it’s perfect for a morning commute playlist, guaranteed to turn even the gloomiest of days into a sunny upbeat one.
TWICE showcases their various vocal flavors in the succeeding tracks FINE, One day, and Blind in Love, but for me what stood out was the jazzy gem Love is More, which felt like a Misamo song for some reason. The members taking turns singing Why... in their own respective styles is such a pleasure.
The Wish, which had been a previous holiday release, is also featured here, while Dahyun-penned Glow is a go-to track if you ever want to cry to the members’ immaculate harmonies at the end of a long day.
From around the internet
ENEMY MV Director’s cut:
ENEMY Making movie feat director Jihyo: