I've been in a very pensive and reflective mood this week, and my thoughts eventually turned to Twice and what I really find impressive about them.
Honestly, I did not think they were going to make it through contract renewals as a full group. When I saw Mina and Jeongyeon needing to take a break from the group, I assumed there was a 0% they would renew, but they surprised me.
I also thought really hard about it and there have never been any rumors of discord in the group and I don't normally see fans complaining about preferential treatment like you would with Miss A, for an easy example, or IVE for a more recent example.
Just think about all the top tier girl groups since 2nd generation started. Most of them had some type of drama between members or members who clearly and understandably wanted to pursue other activities (usually acting) after that first contract expired.
And if they did renew, the frequency of their activities plummeted and comebacks felt more like the occasional gift to fans to remind them they didn't disband moreso than an actively promoting group.
But Twice not only kept all their members and renewed, but they haven't slowed down at all. I went to both of their tours the past two years, and their energy and engagement with the fans was through the roof for the whole 3 hour+ show.
To be clear, my friends forced me to go both times, and Twice almost made me a fan.
I remember the prediction threads YEARS ago when the 3rd generation was at its peak, and Twice was probably the first or second most popular choice for the group most likely to disband.
And I guess I just want to sum this up by giving them their props, because when I look and see even 4th gen groups losing members or having many of the issues I described above, Twice has survived and thrived.
I understand why you Onces are fiercely protective of their legacy. I'm also sure we'll clash in the future, because that's what we crazy girl group stans do, and you know who I ride or die with, but I give big RESPECT to Twice.
I've been in K-Pop long enough to fully appreciate what they continue to do and how rare it really is.
Maybe I'll say nice things about BlackPink next if Blinks don't annoy me too much next week