Feel Special

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Lore & Background

The rollout for *Feel Special* was a meticulously timed nine-day teaser campaign beginning September 9, 2019, when JYP Entertainment first revealed album details and a teaser clip starring Nayeon. The next day, a clip featuring Jeongyeon dropped alongside the tracklist. On September 11, Momo's teaser clip exploded on Twitter after her dramatic hairstyle change sent her name trending higher in the US than #AppleEvent—prompting American businessman Jack Phan to tweet, "What is Momo?" Individual member teasers continued through September 17, followed by group teaser photos on September 18. The first music video teaser arrived on September 19 with another set of group photos; a highlight medley followed on September 21, and the online cover was unveiled on September 22. On September 23, Twice released the final music video teaser and officially dropped the EP, holding a press conference at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjang-dong, Seoul. The album's seven tracks span EDM, hip-hop, and '90s pop. Title track "Feel Special" was written and composed by J. Y. Park, who said he based the lyrics on a conversation he had with the members. Nayeon wrote lyrics for the bubbly "Rainbow"; Jihyo contributed to the defiant "Get Loud"; Dahyun helped craft the playful "Trick It"; Momo penned the sultry "Love Foolish"; and all nine members co-wrote the heartfelt closer "21:29." The final track is the Korean version of their Japanese single "Breakthrough."

In Their Own Story

On the day of the album's release, JYP Entertainment issued an official statement revealing that while member Mina had participated in the EP's production and music video filming, she would continue her health-related hiatus due to anxiety and would not join promotional activities. During the group's first showcase at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjang-dong, Jihyo performed without doing the choreography; JYP Entertainment explained she was receiving medical treatment for an unspecified condition.

Reader's Guide

Feel Special broke Twice's own first-week album sales record when it achieved sales of 154,000 copies on Hanteo on September 29, 2019. Their previous EP, Fancy You, initially held the record for highest first-week sales volume for a Korean girl group with 151,000 copies sold. The EP debuted atop the weekly Gaon Album Chart and also charted on both the Japan Digital Albums chart and the Oricon Albums Chart, debuting at numbers 2 and 3 respectively. The album was certified Platinum by Gaon upon reaching 250,000 copies sold. Feel Special ranked second on the Monthly Gaon Album Chart for September, recording sales of 368,842 copies. On October 29, Gaon confirmed that Feel Special had reached 400,000 copies sold in shipments, becoming Twice's best-selling album until it was surpassed by their succeeding EP, More & More, in 2020. The album received a 2× Platinum certification from the Korea Music Content Association on March 10, 2022. Writing for Sound Digest, Amanda Lee noted that Feel Special is an "exceptional comeback" following Twice's increased international presence after the release of Fancy You. Tamar Herman of Billboard praised the group's creative control over the EP and described the material as "an unrelenting show of pop perfection from the girl group." Billboard also included Feel Special in its "25 Best K-pop Albums of 2019: Critics' Picks" list ranking at number 14. Crystal Bell from MTV News included the B-side "Love Foolish" in her "Best K-pop B-sides of 2019" list, ranking the song at number 1 and calling it proof that "Twice are capable of so much more than cheery hooks." BuzzFeed included the B-side "Trick It" in their "20 Best K-pop B-sides of 2019" list, ranking at number 12.

Did You Know?

• When Momo's teaser clip was revealed on September 11, 2019, her name trended higher on US Twitter than #AppleEvent, prompting American businessman Jack Phan to tweet, 'What is Momo?'
• All nine members of Twice contributed lyrics to the EP, with every member credited on the album's closing track, '21:29'.
• The title track 'Feel Special' was written and composed by J. Y. Park, who said he based the lyrics on a heartfelt conversation he had with the members.
• Feel Special shattered Twice's own first-week sales record, moving 154,000 copies on Hanteo by September 29, 2019—edging past their previous EP *Fancy You*'s 151,000 copies.