review: in Jihyo’s ZONE
TWICE's leader JIHYO's mini-album "ZONE" is hands down among 2023's most compelling solo releases
TWICE Jihyo’s solo dropped last Aug 18 and to say that we are obsessed with the seven-track, no-skip mini-album is an understatement.
We were already in Seoul when the album dropped—specifically at KBS, observing how music show queues are actually conducted. The morning we arrived, there already was a music show pre-recording. We had not been successful in applying—the hoops international fans have to jump through are plenty, and then there’s the matter of getting a slot in competition of hundreds of other ONCEs who have been at this for years.
And so that’s where ZONE’s title track “Killin’ Me Good” first dropped in our laps—in the middle of Seoul heat (31-deg summer weather, perhaps even worse than Manila’s), seated outside KBS, envious of everyone else’s BCPCs (ugh) but at the same time, very very happy to be finally witnessing this chapter unfold for our main bias.
What really strikes a chord in me about Jihyo’s career path is her longevity and persistence. An 8-year-old when she first joined JYPE as a trainee in 2005, Jihyo trained for ten years before finally debuting alongside eight other TWICE members, successfully emerging from the survival show SIXTEEN in 2015.
And now, almost a decade since her debut as TWICE, and 18 years since that day she first embarked on her journey, here comes Jihyo’s solo effort finally: ZONE.
In her article for the GRAMMYs website, Sofia Gomez writes, “It seems as if every moment in Jihyo's career has led to this point.” And I really couldn’t agree more. I have a fair idea of how it’s like to work on building a career for close to a couple of decades, but I can’t begin to grasp how anyone could start doing it at such a young age. How does anyone become so sure, so young? How does anyone know what they really want to do for the rest of their lives that early on, right?
Asked in multiple interviews about how she feels about having trained for so long, Jihyo points often to her forgetfulness—and how this has enabled her to keep herself grounded in the present. “My personality is that I easily forget things,” she tells Gomez. “So, of course, the journey that started at 8 years old has not been an easy one, or has not always been easy. But I don't dwell on [the] things that pains me. I'd rather focus on the moment and try to enjoy every single moment. That's what I would like to tell my younger self: try to enjoy every moment of this.”
And enjoy she does. In fact, that’s the most attractive thing about her. Anyone who has ever watched a TWICE music video, music show performance or concert stage will tell you that Jihyo always shows up with 130%. That’s how we got sucked in, anyhow—who is this woman, and why is she consistently so good at everything?? She sings, she dances, and as TWICE’s leader, she also speaks on behalf of the group. Her fierce personality also shines through in TWICE’s reality series, “Time To TWICE”, which really got going over the pandemic. In it, Jihyo is always a force to be reckoned with—there is simply no activity that is undeserving of her full energy, attention, and dedication. And I really, really like that about her—her competitive spirit is so wholesome and unmatched, it brightens up a room that is already bright with the energies of eight other women, to begin with.
So when it was confirmed that Jihyo was launching a solo album this year, we made up our minds: We had to show up for her too, the way she shows up for her fans. I remember hearing “Nightmare” for the first time when they kicked off their Ready to Be World Tour in Seoul, and thinking, there is no way she is not releasing a solo this year. After Nayeon’s successful run last year, there is simply no other person more deserving to come after.
Eventually, “Nightmare” would bookend the mini-album and be among six other b-sides, of which I really couldn’t choose a favorite still. After all, Jihyo had a hand in all of them as writer, composer or both—with the exception of the title track Killin’ Me Good, which was written by JYP himself.
Track-by-track notes on ZONE:
The first half of the album is dance-y and upbeat—similar to the electric moments around a new love, the first three tracks evoke all-too familiar feelings of infatuation, attraction, and deep, all-consuming desire.
Title track “Killin’ Me Good” embodies all three—Jihyo’s music video features a simple storyline that involves her and her foreigner boyfriend falling in and out of love after a brief tryst in Korea brings them together and their eventual long-distance set-up pulls them apart. Jihyo opens the video with a phone call to supposed boyfriend, asking him if he had arrived well (in his home country), and updating him that she is watching TV at home, miles away.
It’s a sneak peek into a sort of actress Jihyo that may be in the horizon, but it’s also one of the segments that the other TWICE members will forever tease her for. (As Nayeon says in their reaction vid: Until the day I die.)
Throughout the music video, we see Jihyo go through the highs and lows of a relationship—from the flower-and-spark-filled honeymoon stage to the slow, certain descent marked by unreturned calls and messages toward the bitter end. Ultimately, Jihyo faces the mirror and slips their couple shirt off, chucks it to the floor and saunters out in a deadly black number—thank you, next.
The second track, “Talkin’ About It” is an all-English track featuring rapper 24kGoldn—admittedly, I was worried about this a little because I wasn’t particularly into the rapper feature in Nayeon’s “No Problem”, but man, when we heard the track in full I was so glad to be proven wrong. This collab slaps hard, and it’s one of the rare moments that I do like a male rap feature (after being so spoiled by Momo, Dahyun and Chae’s rapping in TWICE songs). The lyric video is also gorgeous—so glad to see this getting a bit extra love.
The third track, “Closer”, is perhaps my biggest surprise. With lyrics written by Jihyo, “Closer” sounds like it belongs in my favorite TWICE mini-album “Taste of Love” (2021) because of how flirty it is. I don’t usually go for TWICE’s Latin-sounding tracks, or at least that’s what I tell myself at first, but after a couple of listens I get obsessed anyway (see also: Wallflower, Firework)
Plus: Jihyo also performs “Closer” in music shows, as a double feature to “Killin’ Me Good”, and well we can say it’s just as deadly, if not more murderous.
The second half of the album is softer than the first half, showcasing Jihyo’s range in terms of vocal abilities.
Marking the seeming transition is track four, “Wishing on You”—a sweet and flirty crowd-favorite that is so refreshing to hear in Jihyo’s voice. Hearing Jihyo sing, I want you to / be my every distraction, baby is a definite treat. That chorus is just *chef’s kiss*
Thematically, the album shifts with “Don’t Wanna Go Back”, which is a duet with Heize. This song is definitely in my top 3 for this album. I specially love how she also gets a duet with a woman for this album! And about a love that has run its course at that! She guested in Heize’s radio program for promotion and they sang this live—I hope they could perform together like, seriously. A Tinydesk execution, anyone!
I have said this everywhere I could, but for the record I’ll repeat it here: If I were a track on this album, I’d be “Room”, which is perhaps Jihyo’s most discussed song in interviews. She likes raving about how different it is from the songs she’s used to making and singing, and how it stands out as a challenge. In her interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she says her favorite lyrics from the album come from this song, which she wrote in such a short amount of time: “I was in love with the image that it brought me to, and the theme was really what I’m into. The lyrics came really naturally for me—it’s about a room that has all my memories, but I’m leaving that behind to embark on a new path. That’s the storyline, and as for lyrics, there’s a phrase I say which translates to “This time has passed, but I hope the past time will remain as beautiful as it was before.” I think that line pretty much sums up the whole song.” I also love the live version that she performed for It’s Live.
[BONUS: Room official lyric video, using my favorite visual set from her photo shoots. My heart.]
The finale is “Nightmare”—which many concert-goers are already familiar with, but still there’s an additional verse right there that adds further to the song’s power. I will never shut up about the very first time I heard this track during their Seoul concerts kicking off their Ready to Be Tour—and witnessing Jihyo’s confidence as a solo performer unfurl onstage in real-time, in front of thousands. In interviews, she says that she had really planned to carry this B-side into the concerts as a sort of “spoiler” for her solo, and I’m truly glad she went with this as it showcases her powerful vocal and cool rock star demeanor—a delight for concert audiences from Seoul to Australia to Japan to across the US.
Given that we have always seen Jihyo promoting alongside TWICE members, it’s a bit bittersweet watching her do her solo promotions alone—although of course the members have shown their support for ZONE in one way or another: There’s their staggered attendance during Jihyo’s first few shows—we saw MiMoNaChaeng coming out of MusicBank on the day of ZONE’s release and Jihyo’s first music show appearance, Sana doing an all-too-smiley dance challenge with her partner, and DaTzu coming in the following morning.
Meanwhile, Jeongyeon co-hosted the ZONE Live (eng subs WHEN JYPE), guested with Jihyo in “I Live Alone” (perhaps my favorite promo for this solo—and is a separate article entirely) and featured via phone call in Jihyo’s segment with Spotify Korea (the entire jagiya / babe situation is driving me nuts).
And when Jihyo got her first music show win—despite having dismal numbers for digital and sns against Stayc—it was such A Moment. Brought back memories of TWICE’s first win for Cheer Up, and Jihyo’s iconic tearful babyface. No longer a baby, but still iconic, Jihyo accepted the award last Friday on Music Bank—solo but definitely not alone, as virtually everyone else onstage celebrated with her on her much-deserved win. (ITZY Ryujin’s barely held-back tears had me nearly bawling in an otherwise quiet and uneventful coffee shop lol).
In her speech, Jihyo had said she had disabused herself of expectations of music show awards, so the achievement was entirely unexpected. Her shock was palpable as the on-screen calculations eventually tilted in her favor—you could see the exact moment of disbelief. She was already teary-eyed but she had to pull herself together for her message, but eventually she had to let a few slip. I still can’t wrap my head around how a person could be both unbelievably tiny and yet extremely larger than life at the same time.
She thanked the fans and her team that spent an entire year preparing for the solo, and then promised even leveled-up performances as TWICE—referring to the resumption of their concerts come September.
But even as Jihyo returns to being One of Nine (1/9), one can’t help but feel like this solo venture is certainly not the last. After all, Jihyo was made for times like these. Speaking to Vulture about feeling ready to go solo, Jihyo says: I actually believe that when you debut as a singer, you should already be prepared to go solo. There wasn’t really a specific moment. It’s more like, I had to become a person who would always be ready.
How apt, considering the title of their current tour: Ready to Be. A challenge and a promise, all rolled into one.
Other Related Media
Curious about TWICE tracks but don’t know where to start? Stream with us on Stationhead, where it is TWICE 24/7 all day, every day: Twiceland9
ZONE on TWICE’s YouTube channel: Playlist
This Jihyo at the GYM content is INSANITY
Jihyo at Lee Mujin Service!
If you’ve reached this far—thank you very much for indulging! It’s tough promoting as a solo artist, even for a TWICE member, so Jihyo needs all the support she can get. Hope you found something interesting/useful here!
And if you ever need a ZONE album—
Hehe. Let us know.
XO,
K