READY TO BE

TWICE, one of the world’s largest K-pop girl groups, have long been celebrated for their cheer-y pop bops and buttery harmonies. <i>READY TO BE</i>, their 12th EP, is no exception. But instead of middling with a workable formula, they push boundaries: disco production on the single “SET ME FREE” (available in Korean and English here), asymmetrical falsetto on “MOONLIGHT SUNRISE”, shout-along gang chants on the 2010s electro-pop “GOT THE THRILLS”. even energetic rap-rock on “BLAME IT ON ME”. When they sing, “We can keep going at all hours,” on the synth slow-burn “WALLFLOWER”, one of a couple co-written by Dahyun of the group, it’s easy to believe them.