TWICE ends this week with their long-awaited comeback with Talk that Talk and their 11th mini-album since debut, Between 1&2. This is the group’s first comeback since the release of SCIENTIST last year, the announcement of their full-group contract renewal with JYP Entertainment, their fourth world tour and another string of Japanese release (some which I have reviewed, and others I have yet to).

Talk that Talk, for me, is a great release. Out of the pop releases that I have reviewed recently, TWICE’s song was definitely one which shined brightly. And this comes as no surprise to me, given TWICE has excelled with pop tracks in the past. So what sells me Talk that Talk? Firstly, I found the feel good energy of Talk that Talk to be stickler. The explosion of energy at the start of the choruses was effortless and helped make the track satisfying. Even though the song has been released just a few hours back, I have been returning to Talk that Talk just for this aspect alone. Secondly, the melodies throughout the song (verse, chorus, bridge and all) were simple and straightforward. There isn’t any messing around with the vocals or the instrumental. Everything was clean, neat and embodied the energy perfectly. As a result, the melody rings on and also drives me back to the song. Thirdly, I really did enjoy Talk that Talk‘s instrumental. In addition to the already-mentioned energy, there was a dynamic factor and bounce to the backing that I really enjoyed. Fourthly, strong vocals throughout makes this song a stunner. Is there anything I wished was better executed? I think the rap lines could have been clearer and had more of a kick to them. But other than that minor detail, I am very much into Talk that Talk. It might just become one of TWICE’s best title tracks ever, in my point of view!

Once again, the members looked amazing in this video. There is this fierceness to the members’ visuals which definitely complements the fierce nature of the song (something I didn’t comment on above). However, the video does balance it out with more lighthearted and whimsical tones via the props and post-production editing (i.e. holographic love hearts, floating paw prints and emojis, teddy bears getting pierced, cat videos etc.). I also liked the mix between 90s and modern trends in the video. The QR code at the end of the video apparently takes fans to the Instagram post of when they announced the name of their fandom – ONCE! The post-production which places the video in a virtual setting was also awesome! Great video, overall!

I really enjoyed how the choreography embodied the aforementioned energy. It made for a fun and exciting choreography. The members definitely looked like they had a ball on stage! A massive pity that Jihyo was unable to participate as her absence did leave a bit of a void. But I am sure once she returns, everything about the performance would be complete.

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10