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Taste of Love (EP)

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Taste of Love
White background with members' pictures organized in a staircase pattern. Blue font reading "Taste of Love" in a warped pattern around the members' photos. From left to right: Nayeon, Sana, Dahyun, Jeongyeon, Jihyo, Chaeyoung, Momo, Mina, Tzuyu
Digital cover
EP by
Twice
ReleasedJune 11, 2021 (2021-06-11)
Genre
Length17:21
LanguageKorean
Label
Producer
Twice chronology
Eyes Wide Open
(2020) 		Taste of Love
(2021) 		Perfect World
(2021)
Singles from Taste of Love
  1. "Alcohol-Free"
    Released: June 9, 2021

Taste of Love is the tenth extended play by South Korean girl group Twice. It was released on June 11, 2021, through JYP Entertainment and Republic Records. Marketed as the group's tenth "mini album" release, it consists of six tracks, including the lead single "Alcohol-Free".

Background

[edit]

On April 19, 2021, it was reported that Twice were in the final stages of preparing for their comeback slated for June and had plans of filming a music video on Jeju Island.[1] The reports were officially confirmed by the group's Korean label, JYP Entertainment, sharing that official details would be released along with a fixed schedule.[2][3] It is the group's first comeback as a nine-piece group after member Jeongyeon took a break from activities due to anxiety issues.[4] The lead single, "Alcohol-Free", was pre-released on June 9.[5]

Composition

[edit]

Taste of Love is a 6-track summer-themed EP that features various genres such as hip hop and bossa nova. The opening track and lead single, "Alcohol-Free", recounts the magical moments of falling in love while comparing it to the feeling of getting drunk.[6] It was written by J. Y. Park and Lee Hae-sol. The seventh track "Cry for Me" (English ver.) was released only in physical editions of "Taste of Love".

Release and promotion

[edit]

Taste of Love was released worldwide on June 11, 2021, through JYP Entertainment and Republic Records. In celebration of the comeback, the group held an online live broadcast before the release of "Alcohol-Free" to talk about the album, the preparations, and the behind-the-scenes.[7] The EP was preceded by its lead single "Alcohol-Free" and its music video, which was released on June 9, 2021.[8][9]

Marketing

[edit]

On May 3, Twice released the first poster for their upcoming EP, Taste of Love, through the group's various social media accounts.[10][11] On May 9, a preview of the physical album content was shared and pre-orders began the following day. On May 31, the EP's tracklist was posted along with the album trailer.[12][13] A series of group teaser images were unveiled on Twice's social media accounts on May 21, while individual teaser images were released from June 1 to 3.[14] On June 7 and 8, the music video teasers for "Alcohol-Free" were published.[15][16] An album preview with snippets of the EP's tracks was uploaded on June 9.[17] Twice appeared on Melon Station's Today's Music and shared stories behind the making of the EP on June 11.[18] On the same day, Twice released an exclusive playlist on Spotify, guiding listeners through the group's creative process track-by-track.[19]

Live performances

[edit]

Twice performed "Alcohol-Free" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on June 9.[20][9]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic77/100[21]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[22]
Beats Per Minute75%[23]
IZM[24]
NME[25]
Pitchfork7.3/10[26]
PopMatters6/10[27]

Upon its release, Taste of Love received positive responses from music critics, who praised Twice's musical growth towards a more mature sound while maintaining their signature catchiness. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized score out of 100 to ratings from publications, the album received a mean score of 77 based on 5 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21]

AllMusic's David Crone called Taste of Love a "bundle of summer anthems with the vivid emotions of summertime passion", which comes as a result of its production, "swooning vocals", and the "breezy yet seductive sonic direction".[22] It was given a 75 out of 100 rating by Beats Per Minute, citing that it is "a set of six slickly-produced songs that take place from sunset into the hazy summer night".[23] In a 7.3 out of ten review for Pitchfork, Joshua Minsoo Kim said that it overflows with "moments of clear, magnetic confidence", and said that the group's devotion to breeziness cements it as one of K-pop's best summer albums.[26]

Angela Patricia Suacillo of NME praised the group's versatility in concept execution and vocal performances. Describing it as an "upbeat, groovy exploration", the reviewer called it one of Twice's "more powerful" releases for showing their growth as artists and involvement in the creative process, yet criticized "Alcohol-Free" for lacking excitement.[25] Similarly, IZM critic Kim Seong-yeop found "Alcohol-Free" lackluster, saying "the simple melody leaves a boring taste", however, the critic was more optimistic of the b-side tracks.[24] In a mixed review, Ana Clara Ribeiro of PopMatters noted that while Taste of Love is a good album, it does not have "enough 'wow' for its own good".[27]

Year-end lists

[edit]
Taste of Love on year-end lists
Critic/Publication List Rank Ref.
Beats Per Minute Top 20 EPs of 2021 Placed [28]
Rolling Stone India 10 Best K-pop Albums of 2021 7 [29]
Omelete 15 Best K-pop Albums of the Year 15 [30]
Pitchfork Top Albums and Songs of 2021 - Readers' Poll 4 [31]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Taste of Love debuted on the weekly Gaon Album Chart with a number 2 position. On June 11, it was reported that it had surpassed 530,000 pre-order sales, becoming a half-million seller before its release and their third release to surpass 500,000 sales.[15][32] In the United States, Taste of Love debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 chart with 46,000 album-equivalent units, of which 3,000 were calculated from the album's 5.09 million on-demand streams, while 43,000 were pure sales. It was the group's third release to enter the chart and their highest peak.[33] Moreover, the EP claimed the top spot on both Billboard World Albums and Top Album Sales charts, earning their second No. 1 in the former chart.[34][35] Selling over 500,000 copies, the EP certified double platinum by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) in August 2021.[36]

Track listing

[edit]
Track listing for Taste of Love
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Alcohol-Free"J. Y. Park "The Asiansoul"Park
  • Park
  • Lee Hae-sol
3:30
2."First Time"Jihyo
Red Triangle3:02
3."Scandal"Dahyun
  • Erik Smaaland
  • Kristoffer Tømmerbakke
2:43
4."Conversation"Sana
  • Chris Mears
  • Robbie McDade
  • Rebbi James
Bloodline2:27
5."Baby Blue Love"Nayeon
2:46
6."SOS"Dahyun
Lee Hyun-do2:53
Total length:17:21
Physical edition track
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
7."Cry for Me" (English version)
  • Lindgren
3:24
Total length:20:45

Notes

  1. ^ Signifies a translator.

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from Melon and album liner notes.[37][38]

Musicians

[edit]
  • Twice – vocals (all tracks)
  • Distract – background vocals (tracks 1–2)
  • Go Tae-young – guitar (track 6)
  • Ham Chun-ho – guitar (track 1)
  • Kim Yeon-seo – background vocals (tracks 3–5)
  • Lee Hae-sol – instrumentation (track 1)
  • Lee Hyun-do – keyboard (track 6)
  • Lee Na-il – string arranger and conductor (track 1)
  • On the String – strings (track 1)
  • Sophia Pae – background vocals (tracks 1–2, 6–7)
  • J. Y. Park "The Asiansoul" – instrumentation (track 1)
  • Rick Parkhouse – bass (track 2)
  • George Tizzard – guitar, keyboard (track 2)

Technical

[edit]
  • Eastbeam – vocal editing (track 6)
  • Eom Se-hee – recording (tracks 1, 4–6)
  • Fabiotheasian – vocal editing (track 4)
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering (track 7)
  • Im Hong-jin – mixing (tracks 2, 4)
  • Joo Ye-chan – recording assistant (track 1)
  • Ku Hye-jin – recording (tracks 4–5)
  • Kwon Nam-woo – mastering (tracks 1–6)
  • Lee Hae-sol – programming (track 1)
  • Lee Hyun-do – programming (track 6)
  • Lee Sang-yeop – digital editing, mixing engineering (tracks 1, 7), recording (tracks 2, 4–7)
  • Lee Tae-seop – mixing (tracks 1, 6–7)
  • Oh Seong-geun – strings recording (track 1)
  • Sophia Pae – vocal director (track 7)
  • Park Eun-jung – mixing (tracks 3, 5), recording (tracks 1, 3)
  • J. Y. Park "The Asiansoul" – vocal director, digital editing, vocal editing (track 1)
  • Rick Parkhouse – programming (track 2)
  • Jiyoung Shin – additional editing (tracks 2–3, 7)
  • Sim Eun-jee – vocal director, digital editing (tracks 1–2), vocal editing (track 1)

Charts

[edit]

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Certifications for Taste of Love
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan — 61,760[53]
South Korea (KMCA)[54] 2× Platinum 559,093[51]
United States — 43,000[33]

Accolades

[edit]
Nominations for Taste of Love
Year Award Category Result Ref.
2022 36th Golden Disc Awards Album Bonsang Nominated [55]

Release history

[edit]
Release formats for Taste of Love
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various June 11, 2021
[56][57]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Lee, Deok-haeng (April 19, 2021). [단독]9인 완전체 트와이스, 6월 컴백 확정..제주서 MV 촬영 [[Exclusive] TWICE with 9 members, confirmed comeback in June.. Filming MV in Jeju]. Star-News (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  2. ^ Lee, Ha-na (April 19, 2021). JYP 측 "트와이스 6월 컴백 준비 중, 제주도서 MV 촬영"(공식입장) [JYP's "Twice's June comeback in preparations, MV filmed in Jeju Island (Official Statement)] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Naver.
  3. ^ Yeo, Gladys (April 19, 2021). "TWICE to release new music in June, JYP confirms". Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021 – via NME.
  4. ^ Oh Bo-ram (October 17, 2020). 트와이스 정연, 활동 잠정 중단…"컴백 준비 중 불안감 겪어" [TWICE's Jeongyeon to temporarily suspend activities..."I experienced anxiety while preparing for the comeback"]. Yonhap News (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  5. ^ Park, Se-yeon (May 11, 2021). 트와이스, 6월 9일 신곡 음원·MV 선공개 [TWICE, new song + MV to be pre-released on June 9] (in Korean). Star Today. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021 – via Daum.
  6. ^ Sun, Mi-kyung (June 9, 2021). "청량와이스 온다"..트와이스, 오늘(9일) 신곡 'Alcohol-Free' 발매[공식] ["Cheerful TWICE is coming"..TWICE, releases new song "Alcohol-Free" today (9th) [Official]] (in Korean). OSEN. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  7. ^ Lee, Seung-hoon (June 4, 2021). 트와이스, 컴백 프리미어 라이브→'알콜-프리' 비하인드 예고..글로벌 기대감 UP [공식] [TWICE, Comeback premiere live→'Alcohol-Free' behind-the-scenes... Global expectations UP] (in Korean). OSEN. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021 – via Naver.
  8. ^ Chin, Carmen (June 9, 2021). "TWICE celebrate summer with a beach party in tropical 'Alcohol-Free' music video". NME. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Chan, Anna (June 9, 2021). "TWICE Offers a Double 'Taste' of 'Alcohol-Free' With Performance and New Video". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  10. ^ Chin, Carmen (May 3, 2021). "TWICE unveil teaser for upcoming mini-album, 'Taste Of Love'". Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021 – via NME.
  11. ^ Lee, Min-ji (May 3, 2021). 트와이스, 6월 새 앨범 발매 확정…8개월만 컴백(공식) [TWICE, new album to be released in June... Comeback after 8 months [Official]] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021 – via Naver.
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  13. ^ Chin, Carmen (May 31, 2021). "TWICE's 'Taste Of Love' features a track written by Little Mix's Jade Thirlwall". NME. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  14. ^ Chin, Carmen (May 21, 2021). "TWICE share summer-ready teaser images for 'Taste Of Love'". NME. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  15. ^ a b Lee, Seul (June 7, 2021). 트와이스, 새 앨범 '모어 앤드 모어' 선주문 50만 장 돌파…자체 최고 기록[공식입장] [TWICE releases MV teaser for 'Alcohol-Free'... Pre-orders surpass 500,000 [Official]] (in Korean). Xports News. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021 – via Naver.
  16. ^ Lee, Jae-hoon (June 8, 2021). 트와이스, '알콜-프리'에 취한다..내일 신곡 공개 [TWICE, Drunk in 'Alcohol-Free'... New song to be released tomorrow] (in Korean). Newsis. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021 – via Daum.
  17. ^ Hong, Hye-min (June 9, 2021). 트와이스, 컴백 준비 끝 [TWICE, Ready for comeback] (in Korean). Hankook Ilbo. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  18. ^ Lee, Min-ji (June 10, 2021). 트와이스, 멜론 스테이션 완전체 출연 확정 “11일 오후 1시 공개”(공식) [TWICE, Confirmed to appear on Melon Station as a full group "11th at 1 PM" (Official)] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  19. ^ De Leon, Pauline (June 11, 2021). "TWICE Drops 'Taste of Love' EP & Enhanced Album". Hypebae. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  20. ^ Hong, Hye-min (May 26, 2021). 트와이스, 美 엘렌쇼 첫 출연 확정...특급 컴백 행보 [TWICE confirms first appearance on Ellen Show in the US... Special comeback strategy] (in Korean). Hankook Ilbo. Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  21. ^ a b "Taste of Love [EP] by Twice Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
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  24. ^ a b Kim, Seong-yeop (June 18, 2021). "Album Review TWICE – Taste of Love". IZM. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  25. ^ a b Suacillo, Angela Patricia (June 15, 2021). "TWICE – 'Taste Of Love' review: a captivating dance pop exploration of growth and summer love". NME. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
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  28. ^ Sand, Josh (December 14, 2021). "BPM's Top 20 EPs of 2021". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
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  33. ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (June 20, 2021). "Polo G Lands First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Hall of Fame'". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 20, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  34. ^ Caulfield, Keith (June 23, 2021). "TWICE's 'Taste of Love' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Album Sales Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  35. ^ a b "Twice Chart History (World Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  36. ^ Baek, Ji-eun (August 12, 2021). [공식] 방탄소년단 '버터', 249만장 팔렸다…가온차트 4관왕 [(Official) BTS 'Butter' sold 2.49 million copies... 4 wins on Gaon Chart] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  37. ^ "Taste of Love". Dreamus. JYP Entertainment. Retrieved November 28, 2021 – via Melon.
  38. ^ Taste of Love (CD). Twice. JYP Entertainment. 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  39. ^ "Ultratop.be – Twice – Taste of Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  40. ^ "Ultratop.be – Twice – Taste of Love" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  41. ^ "Twice Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  42. ^ "Albumit 24/2021" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  43. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2021. 27. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
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  45. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2021-07-12" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  46. ^ "Gaon Album Chart – Week 24, 2021". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  47. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  48. ^ "Polo G Lands First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Hall of Fame'". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  49. ^ "Twice Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  50. ^ "年間 アルバムランキング" [2021 Year-end album ranking]. Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  51. ^ a b 2021년 Album Chart [2021 Year-end Album Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  52. ^ "Year-End Charts – World Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  53. ^ Sales for Taste of Love:
  54. ^ "South Korean album certifications – Twice – Taste of Love" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  55. ^ "36th Golden Disc Awards – Nominees". Golden Disc Awards. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  56. ^ Citations concerning Taste of Love release formats:
  57. ^ "Taste of Love - EP by TWICE on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
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