TWICE Part 1: How Nine Trainees Became One K-Pop Sensation
The real story of how TWICE was born on a tough survival show, and why nine very different girls became one unstoppable group.
A Friend Who Never Stopped Cheering
The Editor has a good friend who is now in her 40s. She is not a teenager. She is not even in her 20s or 30s anymore. But she has been a TWICE fan since the very beginning.
She still has her old ONCE fan club lightstick. She still knows every dance move to “Cheer Up.” When TWICE comes on the radio, she stops what she is doing and smiles.
“I don’t just like their songs,” she told the Editor once. “I watched them grow up. I watched nine trainees from very different backgrounds become one family.”
That is the real magic of TWICE. This is not just a K-pop group. It is a story about nine young women who had to fight, cry, and support each other long before they ever performed together as a finished, debuted group.
Let’s go back to where it all started.
The Show That Built a Group
In 2015, JYP Entertainment had a big problem. The agency needed a new girl group. But instead of picking members quietly behind closed doors, JYP did something risky. They put the whole process on TV.
The show was called Sixteen. It ran on Mnet from May to July 2015. Sixteen young trainees competed for a spot in a brand-new girl group. Only some of them would make it.
The show split the girls into two teams: “Major” and “Minor.” The Major team got better training rooms and more chances to shine. The Minor team had to fight much harder just to be noticed. Fans online called the format harsh, even cruel at times. Trainees cried on camera. Friendships were tested every single week.
By the final episode on July 7, 2015, seven names were announced as winners: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung.
Then JYP founder Park Jin-young did something nobody expected. He said the group needed more than seven members. He added two more names: Momo and Tzuyu.
That is how a team of seven turned into a team of nine.
Nine trainees, one dream.
Where Does the Name “TWICE” Come From?
Before the final lineup was even set, JYP had already picked a name for the group: TWICE.
At a press event in April 2015, Park Jin-young explained the meaning himself. He said TWICE means touching people’s hearts two times. First through the ears, with great music. Second through the eyes, with an amazing performance.
It was a bold promise. The group had not even debuted yet, and JYP was already telling the world what TWICE would deliver.
Meet the Nine Members
TWICE is famous for how different each member is. That mix is part of why fans love them so much. Here is a quick look at the original lineup:
| Member | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Nayeon | Lead vocalist | Korean |
| Jeongyeon | Vocalist | Korean |
| Momo | Main dancer | Japanese |
| Sana | Vocalist | Japanese |
| Jihyo | Leader, main vocalist | Korean |
| Mina | Vocalist, dancer | Japanese |
| Dahyun | Rapper, vocalist | Korean |
| Chaeyoung | Rapper | Korean |
| Tzuyu | Vocalist, visual | Taiwanese |
Roles above reflect how media and fans commonly describe each member, since JYP does not always list official individual positions.
Three members are Japanese. One member is from Taiwan. This made TWICE one of the most international girl groups in K-pop from day one. It also helped the group win fans across Asia almost right away.
Debut Day: October 20, 2015
After months of training and one very public competition, TWICE finally debuted on October 20, 2015. Their first mini-album was called The Story Begins. The title track was “Like Ooh-Ahh.”
The song was bright, fun, and easy to sing along to. It did not try to be dark or serious. It just wanted people to smile. That simple choice became TWICE’s signature. Their sound later became known as “Color Pop,” a mix of dance-pop with playful, upbeat energy.
The group’s hard work paid off fast. About six weeks after debut, TWICE won Best New Female Artist at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA). For a group that had only just introduced itself to the world, that was a huge sign of things to come.
▶ Watch TWICE “Like Ooh-Ahh” on YouTube
Why Fans Fell in Love So Fast
The Editor’s friend often says the Sixteen show is what made her a fan forever. She did not just discover a finished group. She watched every single struggle that came before it.
She saw one member, Momo, get eliminated partway through the show, only to be brought back for the final lineup because of her dance skills. She saw nine girls from three different countries learn to trust each other under huge pressure. By debut day, she already felt like she knew them personally.
That is the ONCE fandom’s secret. Many early fans, like her, were not there for perfect performances. They were there for the story.
What Comes Next
TWICE’s debut was strong. But it was only the beginning. The real explosion came just six months later, with a song that would turn TWICE into one of the biggest girl groups in the world.
Curious how TWICE went from promising rookies to award-sweeping superstars? That story continues in Part 2.
Continue to TWICE Part 2: Cheer Up, TT, and the Rise of a K-Pop Powerhouse →
Rating: 8.7 / 10
A personal note from the Editor. Watching my friend light up every time “Cheer Up” plays reminds me that K-pop fandoms are not just about music. They are about the years you spend growing alongside a group. That is a kind of loyalty money can’t buy.