Profile TWICE’s Momo – A Dancer with Strong “Star Factor” (2024 Updated)
Whenever she appears on stage, TWICE’s Momo exerts infectious energy and an extremely strong “star presence”.
Who is Momo?
Momo was born on November 9, 1996 with the birth name Hirai Momo. She’s the group’s main dancer, and also takes up rapping and singing lines. She’s also part of the sub-unit MiSaMo – which consists of TWICE’s 3 Japanese members
Momo’s Biography
- Birth Name: Hirai Momo
- Stage Name: Momo (모모)
- Date of Birth: November 9, 1996
- Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
- Nationality: Japanese
- Instagram: @momo
Momo’s Basic Information
Momo was born in Kyotanabe, Kyoto, Japan. She started dancing at a very young age and became interested in K-pop due to Rain and Lee Hyori.
She was scouted by JYP Entertainment thanks to a dance video with her sister, and moved to South Korea to start training in 2012.
Momo’s Career
Before TWICE, Momo was a member of Japanese idol group Lilysic Gakuen for an extremely brief time.
After joining JYP, Momo appeared in the music videos of GOT7’s “Stop Stop It” (2014), Junho’s “Feel” (2014), miss A’s “Only You” (2015), and Wooyoung’s “R.O.S.E” (2015)
In 2015, she appeared on the survival program “SIXTEEN”and was eliminated in the 6th episode. However, she was “revived” by JYP in the finale and selected as his special pick, officially joining the debut line-up of TWICE.
Momo officially debuted as a member of TWICE on October 20, 2015 with the group’s 1st mini-album “The Story Begins”. You can read more about Momo’s achievements under the profile of TWICE.
In 2023, Momo, alongside fellow Japanese members Mina and Sana, formed the sub-unit MiSaMo and released the mini album “Masterpiece”.
Alongside her music career, Momo was also announced as the ambassador for luxury designer house Miu Miu.
Controversies & Dating
During the promotions for TWICE’s 2020 song “More & More”, Momo became the talk of town due to her “disastrous” singing for an encore stage. At the time, Momo received heavy criticisms, causing the female idol to lose her confidence during later promotions of TWICE.
Within the same year, it was also reported that Super Junior’s Heechul and TWICE’s Momo are in a romantic relationship. Quickly after, both of the idols’ agencies confirmed the news, despite previously denying it in 2019. However, the couple broke up in 2021.
Additional facts about Momo
Momo has a 2-year-older sister named Hana. While the sister also auditioned to JYP with Momo, Momo was the only one to pass.
Momo is extremely scared of heights, roller coasters, and needles. Despite having an allergy to dogs, Momo, along with her family, raises 3 dogs.
She is known to be a huge fan of Rain, to the point of setting Rain’s “Love Song” as her ringtone. Besides being called a “dancing machine”, Momo also earned the nickname “eating machine” due to her being a big foodie.
