If one is ever in need of a serotonin boost, listening to TWICE is a sure way to help. The K-pop group never disappoints, and the band’s new EP READY TO BEÂ is everything fans can expect from a TWICE album.
Released on March 10, READY TO BE features seven tracks including a Korean and English version of the album’s lead single, “SET ME FREE.” The nine-member group also filmed and released a music video featuring the Korean-language version of the single.
In the song’s music video, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu are seen performing the song’s choreography on a set designed to look like a small town and on the surface of a barren planet. The choreography for “SET ME FREE” gives each member of TWICE the spotlight while also showcasing the group’s trademark synchronization.
With the English-language version of “SET ME FREE,” TWICE gives international fans an accessible version of the hit single. Production-wise, the two versions of “SET ME FREE” feel identical, and the members of TWICE are meticulous in making sure their timbre and vocal delivery is similar in both languages.
From the start, it is clear that “SET ME FREE” is meant to be a stadium banger. A bombastic pop track, “SET ME FREE” opens with a catchy bass line that evolves into an infectious sound. With TWICE set to embark on their READY TO BE world tour in April, it is not hard to imagine “SET ME FREE” as a setlist highlight.
Lyrically, “SET ME FREE” is an uplifting song in which the members of TWICE refuse to settle and decide to pursue what they want.
“I bet everything on me, risk it all / Except for this love, fade out / Gonna set me, set me, set me free
Get to the bottom of my heart / You just need to hold on to me / Come and sеt me, set me, sеt me free,” the group sings in the chorus of “SET ME FREE.”
While it can be interpreted that the lyrics are referring to the members of TWICE deciding to pursue a romantic relationship, the lyrics are universal enough that fans can apply the central message of “SET ME FREE” to any situation.
From the moment Jihyo sings the opening lyrics, “I don’t care if I lose everything / Or if these emotions are momentary” in the first verse, it is clear that TWICE are at their best with this song.
Their voices are mature and confident with the kind of assuredness that comes from being experts in their craft. “SET ME FREE” proves that Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu only get better with each release.