Ready to Be

Ready to Be is the twelfth extended play by South Korean girl group Twice. It was released on March 10, 2023, through JYP Entertainment and Republic Records. It consists of seven tracks, including the lead single "Set Me Free"[1] and the group's second English single "Moonlight Sunrise". The EP's sound draws mostly from retro and "sophisticated" pop production,[2][3] with its songs incorporating disco, pop-rock, blues, Miami bass, R&B and dance-pop that are influenced by house, dream-pop, latin and balearic beats. Lyrically, the album revolves around themes of maturity, confidence, love, and heartbreak.[3]

Ready to Be
Digital cover
EP by
Twice
ReleasedMarch 10, 2023 (2023-03-10)
StudioJYPE Studios (Seoul)
GenrePop
Length20:24
Language
  • Korean
  • English
Label
Producer
  • Lee Woo-hyun
  • Lee Woo-min "Collapsedone" 
  • Lenno Linjama
  • Lindgren
  • Lostboy
Twice chronology
Between 1&2
(2022)		 Ready to Be
(2023)
Singles from Ready to Be
  1. "Moonlight Sunrise"
    Released: January 20, 2023
  2. "Set Me Free"
    Released: March 10, 2023

The album was met with generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised the "sophisticated" retro, pop production and the EP's mature themes. Commercially, it debuted at number one on the Circle Chart with over one million physical copies.[4] In the United States, the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with over 145,500 pure physical sales,[5] making Twice the fourth top ten-charting South Korean group and the first female K-pop act to have three top-three albums in the country. The album sold 18,000 vinyl copies making it the highest first week vinyl sales in the United States for any all-female group since 1991. It also reached the top ten in Japan, Germany, Portugal, Poland, Hungary and Croatia.

Background

Ready to Be follows the release of "Moonlight Sunrise", Twice's second English single,[6] and is their first Korean release in 2023.[7] The album as whole is a work that revolves around "Twice's firm determination to break away from the world's gaze, prejudice and face the real 'me'."[8]

Composition

"Set Me Free" is a disco track characterized by a groovy bass line, "simple yet powerful sound", and liberating lyrics.[9][10] The lyrics revolve around the protagonists finding the courage to confess their love to a crush, with lines such as "I've been hiding how I feel for you forever" and "Now that it's off my chest there's room for you and me".[11] The second track is pre-release single "Moonlight Sunrise", an upbeat Miami bass, R&B, and pop song.[12][13] The track incorporates a synth-pop arrangement with house influences, a dreamy melody, and lyrics that "explore the urgency of love."[14] "Got the Thrills" is a Balearic beat-influenced dance-pop song.[2] Some critics noted that "Got the Thrills" could be considered a sequel to "Talk That Talk" due to its similar synths and chord progressions production.[3] Followed with the rock and blues track, "Blame It on Me," written by Twice member Dahyun. It is characterized by a "loud strum" of electric guitar, and a consistent chord progression throughout the track. Its lyrics talk about one-sided obsession with "a subtle touch of lust."[3] Some critics described the song as an "ode to unrequited love and the consequences of not being reciprocated."[3] The fifth song, "Wallflower," is a Latin-influenced track.[3] Lyrically, it is about "confidently suggesting an intimate night and sharing a dance with one another."[3] The closing track, "Crazy Stupid Love," is another song written by Dahyun. It is a pop-rock song that revolves around break-ups, with lyrics that show the singers singing with "raging emotions of not wanting to deal with trivial lies and the toxicity that love can carry."[3]

Release and promotion

Release

On February 3, 2023, Twice officially revealed the album's title and cover, and announced its release date of March 10, 2023.[15] The group revealed the official tracklist on February 17.[6] On March 4, a pop-up experience was held in Los Angeles in support of the album's release, with Twice personally selling merchandise to fans.[16][17] On March 6 and 7, the group released two teasers for the music video.[18][19]

Promotion
Twice on their fifth world tour

To promote the album, Twice performed "Set Me Free" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on March 9, and "Moonlight Sunrise" on The Kelly Clarkson Show on March 14.[20][21] On the album's release date, the Empire State Building was lit up in Twice's official colors in collaboration with non-profit organization Musicians On Call, celebrating the "healing power of music".[17] In April, the group will embark on their fifth world tour in support of the album.[22]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[23]
IZM[24]
NME[2]

Rolling Stone's Tim Chan gave the album a positive review, stating that Twice "blows up the tired stereotypes and smashes through barriers with a seven-song set that’s as brash and compelling as anything in the pop music landscape today".[11] Rhian Daly of NME gave the album a rating of four out of five stars, noting that it further refines Twice's sophisticated and retro-inspired sound, despite some "awkward junctures".[2] Lai Frances, writing for Uproxx, praised the group's "newfound image of bringing sophisticated pop with mature themes."[3] AllMusic's Neil Z. Yeung concluded his review by saying Ready to Be keeps "the energy and euphoria at a peak" and "is another serving of addictive pop moments from the confident and stylish nine-piece".[23] Han Seong-hyun from IZM wrote that "while the impressions left by 'Set Me Free' and 'Moonlight Sunrise' are somewhat flat, the rest of the tracks that follow succeed in immediately engaging and immersing the ear". Han nevertheless felt that Ready to Be "is the best result, if not the best, that a 7-year-old group can show."[24]

Commercial performance

On March 8, it was reported that pre-order sales of Ready to Be had surpassed 1.7 million copies, breaking the group's own album pre-order record.[22] In United States, the album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 153,000 album-equivalent units, including 145,500 pure album sales. It marks Twice's fourth US top-10 album and their highest-charting album in the US to date, as well as their biggest week by units.[5] Twice became the fourth top ten-charting South Korean group and the first female K-pop act to have three top-three albums in the country.[25] The vinyl version sold 18,000 copies making it the highest first week vinyl sales in the country for any all-female group since 1991.[26]

Track listing
Track listing for Ready to Be
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Set Me Free"
  • Star Wars (Galactika)
  • Jvde (Galactika)
Lindgren3:01
2."Moonlight Sunrise"
  • Earattack
  • Lee Woo-hyun
  • Earattack
  • Lee Woo-hyun
3:00
3."Got the Thrills"Mrch
  • Lee Woo-min "Collapsedone"
  • Mrch
Lee Woo-min "Collapsedone"2:53
4."Blame It on Me"Dahyun
  • Lee Won-jong
  • Ciara Muscat
Lee Won-jong2:40
5."Wallflower"JQ
Lostboy2:56
6."Crazy Stupid Love"Dahyun
2:49
7."Set Me Free" (English version)
  • Star Wars (Galactika)
  • Jvde (Galactika)
  • Melanie Fontana
  • Lindgren
  • Melanie Fontana
  • Lindgren
  • Marty Maro
Lindgren3:01
Total length:20:24

Personnel

Credits adapted from Melon and album liner notes.[27][28]

Musicians
  • Twice – vocals
  • Ciara Muscat – composer (track 4)
  • Earattack – arranger, bass, drum programming, keyboard, producer, songwriter (track 2)
  • Greg Bonnick – composer (track 6)
  • Hayden Chapman – composer (track 6)
  • JQ – lyricist (track 5)
  • Jvde (Galactika) – lyricist (tracks 1, 7)
  • Kaedi Dalley – songwriter (track 2)
  • Lara Andersson – composer (track 5)
  • LDN Noise – arranger, producer (track 6)
  • Lee Won-jong – arranger, composer, guitar, producer, keyboard, synthesizer (track 4)
  • Lee Woo-hyun – arranger, bass, drum programming, keyboard, producer, songwriter (track 2)
  • Lee Woo-min "Collapsedone" – arranger, composer, electric guitar, keyboards, producer (track 3)
  • Lenno Linjama – arranger, composer, producer (track 6)
  • Lindgren – arranger, composer, producer (tracks 1, 7), lyricist (track 7)
  • Lostboy – arranger, producer (track 5)
  • Marty Maro – composer (tracks 1, 7)
  • Melanie Fontana – background vocals, composer (tracks 1, 7), lyricist (track 7)
  • Mrch – background vocals, composer, lyricist (track 3)
  • Nicole Neely – strings (tracks 1, 7)
  • Nina Ann Nelson – songwriter (track 2)
  • Peter Rycroft – composer, all instruments (track 5)
  • Shorelle – background vocals, composer (track 6)
  • Sla – composer (track 6)
  • Sophia Pae – background vocals (tracks 2, 4–5, 7)
  • Sound Kim – background vocals (track 6)
  • Star Wars (Galactika) – lyricist (tracks 1, 7)
  • Tayla Parx – composer (track 5)
  • Young Chance – background vocals, composer (track 6)

Technical
  • Curtis Douglas – mixing (tracks 1, 7)
  • Earattack – vocal director (tracks 2, 5), recording (track 5)
  • Friday (Galactika) – vocal director (track 1)
  • Gu Hye-jin – recording (tracks 1–2, 4–5, 7)
  • Haneul Lee – immersive mix engineering
  • Im Chan-mi – recording (tracks 1–3, 6–7)
  • Jung-hoon Choi – immersive mix engineering
  • Jvde (Galactika) – vocal director (track 1)
  • Kang Sun-young – digital editing (track 6)
  • Kwon Nam-woo – mastering
  • Lee Kyung-won – digital editing (tracks 1–2, 5, 7)
  • Lee Tae-seop – mixing (tracks 2, 4–6)
  • Lee Won-jong – digital editing, vocal director (track 4)
  • Lee Woo-min "Collapsedone" – computer programming (track 3)
  • Park Nam-joon – digital editing, mix engineering (track 3)
  • Shin Bong-won – mixing (track 3)
  • Sophia Pae – vocal director (track 7)
  • Young Chance – digital editing, vocal director (track 6)

Charts

Certifications
Certifications for Ready to Be
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
South Korea (KMCA)[53] Million 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Release formats for "Ready to Be"
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various March 10, 2023
[54]
United States Vinyl [55]

See also

References
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  2. Daly, Rhian (March 13, 2023). "TWICE – 'Ready To Be' review: unabashedly upfront and direct with K-pop's stadium-filling girl group". NME. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  3. Frances, Lai (March 14, 2023). "TWICE's 'Ready To Be' Is An Ode To Love And Maturity". Uproxx. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  4. "Circle Album Chart – Week 10, 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  5. Caulfield, Keith (March 19, 2023). "Morgan Wallen Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 With 'One Thing at a Time'". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  6. Suacillo, Angela Patricia (February 17, 2023). "TWICE reveal tracklist for mini-album 'Ready to Be'". NME. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  7. Bowenbank, Starr (February 2, 2023). "TWICE to Release 12th Mini Album 'Ready to Be': Here's When It Arrives". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
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