[Formula of Love: O+T=＜3]: TWICE Vol.3 (ランダムバージョン)

＜ONCE+TWICE=LOVE＞という愛の公式を体現した1枚
2021年リリースの韓国3rdフルアルバム。科学者に扮したメンバーが「愛とは何か」を研究するMVも話題となったタイトル曲"SCIENTIST"や世界中のONCEに向けて作成された初の英語シングル"The Feels"の韓国語バージョンなど全15曲を収録。当時のTWICEにとっては最高記録となる全米3位を獲得。

TWICE、待望の韓国サードアルバムが登場。
2021年6月発表の『Taste of Love』以来、約5ヶ月振りのカムバック!

カバー(4種/160x220mm)
フォトブック(ヴァージョン別/160x220mm)
CD(ヴァージョン別)
インデックスフォトペーパー(9種のうちランダム1種/ヴァージョン共通/100x148mm)
Scientist IDカード(18種のうちランダム2種/ヴァージョン共通/86x54mm)
D.I.Yステッカー(ヴァージョン共通/120x170mm)
ブレークスクラッチカード(10種のうちランダム1種/ヴァージョン共通/55x85mm)
フォトカード(60種のうちランダム4種/ヴァージョン共通/55x85mm)

In 2021, Twice wrote about love in more depth than ever before -- and for a group that debuted with tracks like "Like a Fool," "Do It Again," and "Truth," thats saying something. Earlier in the year, their tenth mini-album, Taste of Love, offered fans a light-hearted summer fling before the Korean nine-piece dedicated their first English-language single, "The Feels," to a groove-led exploration of the titular emotion. But on their third Korean-language album, Formula of Love: O+T=<3, Twice are still pursuing the titular question of their 2017 smash hit: "What Is Love?" Though the albums cover plants Twice amid chemistry sets, magnifying glasses, and hastily scribbled formulae, finding loves "formula" proves immediately futile; on opening gambit "Scientist," Nayeon pushes toward intuition with a dismissive "Love aint a science, dont need no license." Instead, the group use the albums 15 tracks to continue to explore the concept itself, ranging from the conflicted, moving-on phase of "Rewind" to the saccharine devotion of "Candy," from the snap-back "Im just doing all the things that you do" of "Cruel" to the hopeful "tonight, we fall in love again" of "F.I.L.A." The English-language cuts here - including smash hit "The Feels" -- mark exciting new territory for the group: "Moonlight" folds a Sugarhill Gang drum pattern into a nostalgic disco-pop banger, while "Icon" fuses towering confidence, laddering melodies, and a sharp "Damn, I got it, Im iconic" chorus into a near-perfect anthem. The albums more genre-fluid directions prove equally fruitful -- the dembow-lite rhythm of "1, 3, 2" and the electro-rap hybrid "Espresso" being firm highlights -- while more traditional K-Pop productions like "Real You" and "Rewing" continue to showcase the groups impressive vocal development. While a few sets of underbaked lyrics surface toward the projects close ("Hello," "Candy"), theyre quickly eclipsed by late highlight "Push & Pull," which cements itself alongside Domo Genesis "Dapper" and Rauw Alejandros "Todo de Ti" as the perfect roller-rink throwback jam. It remained to be seen whether Twices more mature sonic direction would map onto their full-length releases, but Formula of Love surpasses expectations, infusing the groups love-centric lyricism with newfound confidence and creative flair. This is one of Twices most assertive and varied releases to date -- and with a more concise track listing, perhaps their best. ~ David Crone