Blasting open the titular track Set Me Free‘s music video with an explosion unlike another, TWICE’s 12th mini album Ready To Be follows suit. With seven songs on the EP’s tracklist – Set Me Free, Moonlight Sunrise, Got the Thrills, Blame It on Me, Wallflower, Crazy Stupid Love, and the English version of the leading track – the fans of the group, known as ONCEs, have declared the record to be an unmissable and unforgettable project released by their favourite K-pop girl group.
The same surge of thrills has translated to their first day sales as well. With more than 412 thousand copies recorded on the Hanteo Chart, that too just in two hours, the music act’s latest album has earned the highest first day sales, thereby surpassing the numbers acquired during the initial hours of BETWEEN 1&2‘s release in 2022.
Moonlight Sunrise, the second track on the album, had received an English pre-release in January 2023 prior to the premiere of the album. Now, on March 10, both the album and the Set Me Free MV have come out, thus generating one-of-a-kind explosion and rush of feelings among the fans who can’t stop replaying the album on loop. The title track takes a rather grungier and mature route in comparison to the former counterparts put out by the music group.
Its lyrics seem to be an unrestrained channel for the nine members – Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu – to finally out the long-held-within expression of love, or against it. But, that’s not all that is there to the song. Considering the song has come out only two days after International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8 annually, the lyrics then aren’t just about setting free one’s confessions of love. They also illustrate the courage it takes to put oneself out there and jump into situations that may otherwise be considered risky. Which brings us to the song’s association with being an unshackling break-up anthem as well.
Also read: Expectations MV: (G)I-DLE’s Minnie and Anne-Marie Collaborate For an Empowering Emotional Anthem
A particular visual likening Tzuyu to Jennifer Lawrence’s scenes from The Hunger Games again seek to portray the same message and emotion. Being trapped in the clutches of red strings from all sides, the sequence sees Tzuyu wearing a similar white dress as the American actor in the movie, which eventually bursts into flames, revealing a freer stance assumed by the singer. The resulting black dress transition allows her to move freely and be the better version of herself.
ONCEs have loved this reference from the movie and the eventual rap verse belted out by Chaeyoung, Dahyun, and Momo, and they now have the fans desiring for a rap line sub-unit. The video heavily focusses on an empowering dance routine that takes place in outer-space, on a planet elsewhere. This ends with the MV being cut-off midway as Chaeyoung takes a giant leap, only for the explosive action to be concluded in a post credit scene of sorts (featuring the JYP Entertainment logo). The new path opted by the group, even in terms of the video look, has the fans posting hilarious memes as the MV got the better of them for a second.
Check Out the Ready To Be Reactions From Twitter
Here’s how the fans reacted after the album and the music video premiered. The B-sides of the album are being loved to a great extent, especially Crazy Stupid Love and Blame It Me, both of which have been penned by Dahyun. Wallflower is yet another winning track!
TWICE’s 12th extended play is now streaming on Spotify. The group also performed their title track for the first time ever at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, watch it here!
Have you streamed the new album yet? Let us know your favourite track from Ready To Be in the comments section below.
what a great comeback is making twice, I’m happy to hear new music!