TWICE, the only K-pop act featured at Victoria’s Secret 2025 in Brooklyn, New York, faced unexpected backlash from fans after their highly anticipated performance.
The show brought together Hollywood stars like Sarah Jessica Parker, Dylan Sprouse, Madison Beer, Karol G, Gigi Hadid, and Liu Wen, alongside the K-pop sensations, heightening expectations for the girl group’s stage.
The group performed their latest tracks, This Is For and Strategy. While catchy, some fans questioned whether the songs were suitable for a high-profile fashion event of this caliber. Critics noted that the music lacked the energy necessary to fully captivate the audience, though others understood that TWICE aimed to promote their newest releases.
The performance sparked particular debate over live vocals—an area TWICE has struggled with since their debut. Tzuyu drew the most criticism for shaky and off-key singing, even hitting a rough note at the finale of the set. Some fans singled out Sana as the member best suited to the Victoria’s Secret stage, praising her consistent performance skills across singing and dancing.
Momo, largely handling rap sections, escaped harsh criticism, while vocalists Jihyo and Nayeon maintained relatively stable performances but still struggled to match the polished vocal levels of peers like Madison Beer or Karol G. Many noted that the two vocalists had difficulty hitting the correct pitches, similar to Tzuyu’s challenges.
On platforms like Threads, self-identified ONCE (TWICE fandom) users expressed embarrassment over the group’s performance. Comments included, “I felt so awkward hearing the three sing. Only Jihyo saved it. Honestly, they could have lip-synced,” while others described shivering at Tzuyu’s off-key notes. Discussions on X (formerly Twitter) also became highly polarized, with a majority reacting negatively.
Despite these criticisms, TWICE has spent around three years breaking into the US-UK music scene, achieving significant milestones in charts, album sales, and tours. Their debut into international markets had already outpaced prior attempts by other JYP groups like Wonder Girls. Yet, the Victoria’s Secret 2025 performance has sparked renewed debate about whether TWICE is fully prepared to dominate the global pop stage.
Fans and industry observers alike are left questioning if the controversial show might tarnish their growing reputation, recalling similar backlash during the More & More encore in 2020.
Sources: Kenh14
You must be logged in to post a comment.