There are some artists you casually listen to, and then there are the ones who quietly shape your entire adolescence without you even realizing it. For me, that artist has always been TWICE.
I wouldn’t call myself a hardcore K-pop stan—but when it comes to TWICE, all logic goes out the window.
My story with them actually started before I even knew who they were. Back in 2017, when Musical.ly was still a thing, I used to watch compilations from Wengie. In one video, she used a song called “Signal.” I remember being completely mesmerized. I didn’t know the title, the artist, or even the language it was in—I just knew I needed to find it. I searched everywhere, replayed clips obsessively, and even made up my own lyrics based on what I thought I heard—completely unaware that I was listening to a K-pop song.
A year later, everything clicked.
In 2018, I stumbled across “Likey” and “Candy Pop,” and it felt like unlocking a part of myself I didn’t know existed. I had grown up listening to Bollywood music and Western pop, but this was different—bright, bubbly, unapologetically girly electropop that felt almost tailored to my taste. I fell into a deep dive of their discography, and when I discovered that “Signal”—the song I had been chasing for a year—was also by TWICE, I felt a kind of joy that’s hard to describe. It was like everything had come full circle.
From then on, TWICE became more than just an artist to me—they were a constant.
Through middle school and high school, they were my biggest interest. They were all I talked about, the soundtrack to my daily routines, and the comfort I returned to without even thinking. I even wrote about them in a letter to my future self in 7th grade—the kind your teacher mails back to you years later. I remember asking myself if I still loved TWICE… and if I had finally gotten to see them live. Even the quote on my graduation cap was a Twice lyric from their song “Sweet Summer day.”
For years, the answer was no.
Concerts felt like this distant, almost unattainable experience. They seemed expensive, overwhelming, and honestly not meant for me. But more than anything, TWICE never came close enough. The closest shows were always in places like New York or New Jersey, and my parents weren’t comfortable with me traveling that far. So I stayed a fan from a distance, telling myself “maybe one day.”
And then one random day, “maybe one day” became real.
When their “This Is For” tour dates dropped, I checked them casually, fully expecting disappointment. But then I saw it: Boston.
I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever experienced that level of shock and excitement at the same time. I felt like I was going to scream, cry, throw up, and pass out—all at once. It didn’t feel real. It couldn’t be real.
But it was.
One of my friends, who’s also a K-pop fan, agreed to go with me, and suddenly everything started moving fast. I remember sitting on my dorm bed, my palms sweating, on FaceTime with her while we screenshared the ticket queue. I had a chemistry lab in 30 minutes, but I didn’t care—I was fully prepared to risk my grade for this moment.
I didn’t even think about a budget. In my head, it was simple: money won’t matter in the future, but this memory will.
Still, getting tickets was stressful. I lost multiple good seats because I hesitated for even a second. Every time something slipped through my hands, my stomach dropped. My heart was racing, my hands were shaking—it felt like everything was riding on this one moment. But after three attempts, I finally secured balcony seats.
They weren’t perfect, but they were mine.
And somehow, even after buying the tickets, it still didn’t feel real.
The weeks leading up to the concert felt like a blur of disbelief. I kept telling people I was going, but part of me didn’t fully believe it myself. It got so bad that I didn’t even plan my outfit until the last minute—because in my mind, there was still a chance something would go wrong. The night before, I was scrambling, throwing pieces together, trying to create something worthy of the moment I had waited eight years for.
Then the day finally came.
Walking into the venue felt surreal, like I had stepped into a version of my life that younger me had dreamed about but never truly believed would happen. And then, the lights dimmed.
The crowd erupted.
And suddenly, their iconic intro—“Four!”—echoed through the entire arena.
That’s when it hit me.
This was real.
I was actually seeing TWICE.
I never thought I’d cry, but I did—almost immediately. Every time I looked up from my phone screen—the one I was using to record—I saw them, actually there, and tears filled my eyes. For the first few minutes, I had to watch through my phone just to keep myself from completely breaking down and ruining my makeup.
It was overwhelming in a way that felt almost impossible to put into words.
And somehow, one night didn’t feel like enough.
When I saw that tickets for Day 2 were still available—and cheaper—I didn’t hesitate. If anything, it felt like a second chance to fully experience everything without the shock. I convinced two more friends to come with me, bought the tickets, and went all over again.
And honestly? It was even better.
I screamed louder, danced harder, and let myself be completely present in the moment. I didn’t hold back. By the end of it, my voice was completely gone, my feet hurt, and I was exhausted—but I had never felt happier.
Those two nights were, without a doubt, the most magical experiences of my life.
It took me eight years to get there—eight years of listening, waiting, hoping, and dreaming.
Whether or not they tour again, or ever come back to Boston, I think I’ll always be okay with it. Because I got my moment—not once, but twice. (Get it?)
Song Recommendations:
- Knock Knock
- Signal
- Perfect World
- Gone
- When We Were Kids
- Talk That Talk
- What Is Love?
- Cry For Me
- I Can’t Stop Me
- Love Line
- Look At Me
- Shadow
- Fireworkd
- Crazy Stupid Love
- Rewind
- Ice Cream
- Basics
- Bitter Sweet
- Right Hand Girl
- That’s All I’m Saying
- Wallflower
- Cactus
- Love Warning
- Like A Fool
- Espresso
- Someone Like Me
- Missing U
- Turtle
- Seesaw
- Last Waltz
- Love Foolish
- You In My Heart
- Heartbreak Avenue
- Three Times a Day
- Depend On You