After arriving in LA on Feb. 13, the nine members of TWICE– Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu– prepared to kick off their long awaited fourth world tour “III” at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Previews from their first show in Seoul, South Korea during the holiday season had fans prepared for a long, exciting set list, with favorites such as “Feel Special,”, “I Can’t Stop Me” and “Dance The Night Away” throughout.

TWICE took the stage at 7:30 p.m., opening with an energetic performance of their Sept. 2020 single “The Feels.” Dressed in matching sparkly, black-and-red flannel ensembles, the members instantly lit up the arena with their glamour and talent. The first highlight of the show, “Fancy,” came after a steady lineup of other perfectly choreographed hits such as “Up No More” and introductions by each of the band members. 

After a VCR (pre-recorded videos that play between breaks during the show) and a costume change into western-inspired, glittering black-and-silver getups, the band began the next segment of the concert. The second highlight of the show came at this point with the performance of “Shot Clock,” which featured detailed choreography done on large, multi-tiered stairs. Though there was never a silent moment in the crowd, it was especially loud for the following lineup, especially during “Icon” and “Espresso.”

The third segment of the show was a shift from the darker motif of the previous performances to some lighter yet more emotional themes. The lights and visual effects took on summer tones like sky blue and pink, and TWICE returned in stunning pastel outfits to sing dance-pop tracks like “Scientist” and “What is Love,” as well as the ballads “Rewind” and “Moonlight.” This change in mood did not mean that the members of TWICE toned down their energy– in fact, my absolute favorite performance of the night, “More & More,” which has been acknowledged by TWICE as their most difficult song to perform due to its complex choreography, came towards the end of this act.

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Noelle Villasenor

TWICE's Jihyo steals the stage during the performance of their song "Shot Clock."

Preceding the encore were three subunit stages, each song featuring a group of three members. Sana, Jihyo and Dahyun’s “Push & Pull” utilized cool toned colors to make for an exceptionally unique stage while Nayeon, Momo and Chaeyoung captivated the crowd with “Hello”. However, my favorite of these stages was Jeongyeon, Mina and Tzuyu’s “1, 3, 2,” a gorgeous track with glittering gold costumes and beautiful, flowing choreography. 

The show ended close to 11 p.m., running for over three hours, and the set list totaled to 31 songs. By the encore, my voice was practically gone and I was ready to sleep for days, but I was still exhilarated from TWICE’s superb energy and singing along to the final songs, “Yes or Yes” and “Signal,” which were chosen by a random wheel of song titles. 

Throughout the show, I was particularly enthralled by the stage presence of Momo and Jihyo, who are two of the group’s most prominent dancers. Even from the stands, their radiant charisma was so palpable that it left me speechless at times. 

This tour was also a special event for TWICE and their fans to celebrate the presence of Mina and Jeongyeon. During their “Twicelights” tour in 2019, Mina went on hiatus for health reasons, so the February 15 and 16 shows at The Forum marked her first concerts in the United States. It was also special to see Jeongyeon on stage, as she had taken a step back from promotional activities with TWICE since mid-2020 due to her health, so the crowd made their appreciation for her known with deafening applause each time she spoke. 

I was unsure of what to expect going into the performance, but I knew that TWICE would not leave me feeling disappointed at the end of the show, and I was right. I left with my expectations completely blown away by the stellar lineup that the group had prepared. Due to the length of the concert, I also did not leave feeling unfulfilled or unsatisfied, and I would absolutely say that any dollar or minute spent in traffic is completely worth it to witness such a fun, talented group. It was an unforgettable experience–even comparable to BTS’ phenomenal comeback stages at “Permission to Dance LA” last December–and I wouldn’t think twice about rewinding and experiencing the night again.