{"id":51929,"date":"2026-03-06T16:36:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T20:36:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/?p=51929"},"modified":"2026-03-13T19:43:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T23:43:00","slug":"jq-magazine-concert-review-twice-a-triple-threat-at-new-yorks-ubs-arena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/2026\/03\/06\/jq-magazine-concert-review-twice-a-triple-threat-at-new-yorks-ubs-arena\/","title":{"rendered":"JQ Magazine: Concert Review \u2013 TWICE a Triple Threat at New York\u2019s UBS Arena"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By <\/em><\/strong>Vlad Baranenko<\/em><\/strong><\/a> (<\/em><\/span>Saitama-ken<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, 2000-02) for<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0JQ magazine<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. Photos by JYP Entertainment, Sarah Waxberg.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On February 20, the sensational K-pop group TWICE<\/a> lit up UBS Arena for the second of three sold-out performances in Belmont, New York. The eight members in attendance, along with backup dancers and a live band, transformed the 19,000-seater into a party of lasers, dynamic light effects, and voices that has mesmerized fans of all ages around the world. This writer was fortunate enough to have been invited to witness the spectacle firsthand, enjoying a spellbinding 30-song extravaganza ahead of the group\u2019s tenth anniversary this fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Before diving into the concert, it’s noteworthy to mention a bit about the group. Formed in 2015 under JYP Entertainment, TWICE debuted as a nine-member girl group \u2014 Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu \u2014 and quickly rose to prominence with catchy and energetic hits that became their calling card. Early singles like \u201cCHEER UP\u201d established their blend of bubbly pop melodies and sharp choreography, and later releases like \u201cFANCY\u201d and \u201cFeel Special\u201d showed everyone the group\u2019s evolution. In just the last few years, TWICE have hit their share of milestones: In 2023 they became the first female K-pop group to headline major U.S. stadiums, selling out shows at SoFi Stadium and MetLife Stadium, and last year they made history again as the first K-pop girl group to headline Lollapalooza in Chicago. Their English-language single \u201cThe Feels\u201d broke into the Billboard Hot 100, and 2024\u2019s mini-album With YOU-th<\/em> became their first to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Their most recent full-length album, THIS IS FOR<\/em>, also debuted in the Top 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This wasn’t my first time seeing a girl group perform at a major U.S. venue, and I wasn’t expecting the crowd to be any different from the likes of J-pop fans or Hatsune Miku, but I must admit that this mix felt different. Somehow, the teenagers and older fans well into their 30s seemed more mature, dressed in a stylish manner that I wasn’t used to. Needless to say, I later discovered that the outfits many fans adorned were a tribute to the style of the group\u2019s music videos. Multiple people wore the iconic red crochet bonnet, the style associated with TWICE\u2019s \u201cTHIS IS FOR\u201d music video<\/a>. High cut pink fur boots were also abundant, featured in the group\u2019s performance<\/a> at the Victoria\u2019s Secret Fashion Show (another first for a K-pop group). <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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As I made my way to my seat, the defining feature of this tour that caught my attention was the 360-degree stage design. Rather than using a traditional front-facing setup with the stage on one end of the venue, TWICE was performing on three stages simultaneously. A main platform with hydraulics stood in the middle of the arena, allowing it to evolve and morph to accommodate the desired \u201ceffect\u201d of each song.  Connected by extended walkways were two other smaller stages, one on each side of the venue. This multiple zone setup allowed for three major performance areas operating in constant rotation, ensuring that no section of the audience felt left out. (Whether intentional or not, the shape of the three stages resembled the number \u201c2\u201d from above.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As the lights dimmed and the crowd roared in anticipation, large cube-shaped LED screens hovering overhead the middle stage started playing a montage of TWICE\u2019s members. The screens then slowly lowered to hide the main platform for a few minutes, and when they once again began their ascent, the members of TWICE made their entrance from below. Dressed in white boots, shorts and miniskirts adorned with faux animal tails and crop tops, the members jumped right into it with \u201cTHIS IS FOR\u201d to wild cheering from the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The first thing I noticed was that instead of nine members, there were only eight on stage. Jeongyeon, who is currently sidelined due to an ankle injury, was absent for this leg of the tour. This absence didn’t seem to discourage the remaining performers nor the fans. They referenced her during speaking segments between songs, and many in the audience held up signs and chanted her name throughout. The group performed as an energetic eight for the full duration of the concert, flawlessly adjusting their formation without missing a step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Combined with lasers, smoke effects and confetti (not to mention the thousands of Candybong light sticks<\/a> waved throughout the show, all pre-ordered and brought to the show by fans), the production was top notch and kept everyone immersed, regardless of their seating arrangement. Throughout the night, the eight members split into groups to keep all three stages active, teamed up with dozens of backup dancers for some funky choreography.  The central stage in itself came to life during the show when parts of it would lift up and down to different heights like a living Tetris board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of the night\u2019s loudest and most energetic moments arrived during \u201cTAKEDOWN<\/a>.\u201d Probably the most-known to the youngest of fans, the tune was TWICE\u2019s contribution to Netflix\u2019s KPop Demon Hunters <\/em>soundtrack. A live band with electric guitars and drums accompanied the dancers, injecting the track with rock show enthusiasm. Later, the group shifted into darker, edgier looks \u2014 black and jewel-toned pieces with metallic hardware that complemented the later tracks. For the encore, they re-emerged in bright, playful tour gear and winter boots, signaling a return to the teenage charm that first endeared them to fans a decade ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jihyo, long celebrated as one of K-pop\u2019s most prominent live vocalists, delivered a particularly memorable performance. Her voice was deeply resonant and emotionally commanding; paired with the live band arrangements, it filled the arena and truly energized her fans. While K-Pop is not my usual \u201cgo-to\u201d genre, I couldn’t help but bob to the beats and harmonics during her solo performance. Also worth noting was a segment where the arena was turned into a joyous noise competition, with the enormous LED screens above encouraging different sections of the arena to outsing and outdance one another, making it a truly interactive concert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For the encores, the fans loudly requested \u201cDoughnut<\/a>.\u201d Despite their demand not making the setlist<\/a>, the girls returned to the stage in casual outfits, with some wearing merch straight from the souvenir stands (which were absolutely packed post-show). TWICE\u2019s unscripted connection with their audience is exactly why their large-scale shows feel more like a massive party rather than just a rehearsed production. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Closing with the same electrifying energy that powered the nearly three-hour night, as confetti rained down during closer \u201cTalk That Talk<\/a>\u201d and the members completed their final bows, it was difficult not to reflect on the magnitude of TWICE\u2019s journey. From bright rookies to arena-conquering veterans commanding a grand stage over multiple nights in New York, their growth truly mirrors the globalization of K-pop itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For upcoming TWICE tour dates, click <\/em><\/strong>here<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. For more <\/em>JQ articles, click <\/em><\/strong>here<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Vlad Baranenko (Saitama-ken, 2000-02) for\u00a0JQ magazine. Photos by JYP Entertainment, Sarah Waxberg. On February 20, the sensational K-pop group TWICE lit up UBS Arena for the second of three sold-out performances in Belmont, New York. The eight members in attendance, along with backup dancers and a live band, transformed the 19,000-seater into a party […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,26,53,291,21,58,6],"tags":[1615,1639,1384,1640,1642],"class_list":["post-51929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articlejournalism","category-celebrity","category-events","category-jq-magazine","category-music","category-reviews","category-writers","tag-jq-magazine","tag-k-pop","tag-music","tag-twice","tag-vlad-baranenko"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pkZ7m-dvz","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51929"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51951,"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51929\/revisions\/51951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}