Release Date: November 12, 2021
Track Listing
- SCIENTIST
- MOONLIGHT
- ICON
- CRUEL
- REAL YOU
- F.I.L.A. (Fall In Love Again)
- LAST WALTZ
- ESPRESSO
- REWIND
- CACTUS
- PUSH & PULL
- HELLO/li>
- 1, 3, 2
- CANDY
- The Feels
- SCIENTIEST (R3HAB Remix)
Review
TWICE capped off 2021 with the follow-up to their summer EP Alcohol-Free. True to their current direction, Formula of Love further takes TWICE away from their girlish, happy pop roots and pushes them deeper into mature, womanly pop territory.
What makes Formula of Love different from their previous efforts is that the music sounds like it was crafted to appeal to the western listener specifically. Whether this is intentional or not, one cannot deny that there seems to be a stronger appeal to an international audience all over this album.
When it comes to the overall sound of Formula of Love, you can think of it as an amalgamation of their past albums, starting from MORE & MORE up to Taste of Love. Combine that with the sonic palette inspired by recent albums from artists such as Dua Lipa and Kylie Minogue, and you have that western twist, as mentioned previously.
There are a few full English language songs on this album in the form of MOONLIGHT, ICON, CANDY and The Feels. However, with Asian acts, my bar is set pretty low for an intelligible all-English song unless there are members who are native-level speakers who can help coach the others with pronunciation.
Perhaps it’s because I have been tainted by Japanese idol acts trying their best at Engrish and failing hard that I feel this way. Thankfully my fears were for nothing, as TWICE’s English language songs sounded perfectly fine to me.
While The Feels was a good introduction to TWICE in English, I feel that MOONLIGHT and CANDY surpass it easily.
MOONLIGHT, in particular, reminds me of an 80s uptempo El Debarge song. (Look him up on Google/Youtube young blood.) It will bring back fond memories for those in a level of over-ripeness in their lives. Otherwise, it should appeal to those into the whole newtro movement.
The lyrics on the remaining songs are a mix of Korean and a lot more English than I expected to hear from TWICE when it comes to the rest of the album.
Look no further than the unit songs (PUSH & PULL, HELLO and 1, 3, 2) when it comes to other highlights on Formula of Love. As a famous wrestling promoter says, “It’s such good shit.”
While PUSH & PULL checks off the boxes of what I like from a pop song, I can’t help but gravitate to HELLO. Something about “gangster” TWICE during the verses and sugary sweet TWICE during the chorus is incredibly alluring.
Usually, I’m not too fond of albums that contain more than ten songs. To me, that’s an indication of filler between the good stuff. Unnecessarily padded albums are something I have no patience for these days.
However, I am glad to say that Formula of Love is an exception. The entire album is paced incredibly well and is a joy to take in repeatedly.
