On Aug. 26, JYP Entertainment’s official YouTube channel, which currently has over 25 million subscribers, released the music video for “Talk that Talk.” The nearly 3-minute-long music video, which provides the audience with a mixture of retro Y2K, cyber and futuristic video game aesthetic scenery, shows Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu using old and new technology while dancing to an upbeat synth-pop melody. The girls wear several outfits throughout the dynamic music video, some of which seem reminiscent of their outfits from past music videos such as “Can’t Stop Me” and “Perfect World.” As expected from TWICE, the visuals in their music video do not disappoint.
Lyrics Analysis
The lyrics express the desire to know what’s on a partner’s mind. In the first verse, Mina says: “Get straight to the point. Stop beating around the bush.” Oftentimes, people are bad at making romantic confessions, and these lyrics express the frustration that the other person feels as they wait for their partner to say the words “I love you.” In the refrain, Chaeyoung and Momo sing, “I think I already know but I wanna hear you say it.” When people confess their romantic feelings, the other person usually has an idea of where the conversation is headed, but they’d rather hear the words than just assume. In the second verse, Momo touches on the idea that you can tell people are in love just by the way they look at each other, singing, “You read it, the words that we exchange with our eyes.”
Finally, the bridge comes in to solidify the meaning of the song: “The simple words ‘I love you,’ that’s all I wanna hear. Without hesitation, I’ll go up to you. I’ll make it simple and just tell you, ‘I love you.’” When one person in a relationship is too scared to confess their feelings, the other person may decide to bite the bullet and do it themselves. The overall message of the song is that you shouldn’t be afraid to express your feelings, as the other person most likely feels the same way.
Choreography
TWICE is known for their fun and upbeat dances, and the choreography in “Talk that Talk” is no exception. On Aug. 28, the girl group released the choreography video on their personal YouTube channel, which has almost 15 million subscribers. Fans have commented that they are proud of the girls and happy to see that they’re enjoying themselves while performing the song. The group’s nine members are also being praised for the dance’s synchronicity and fluidity, especially since the choreography for “Talk that Talk” is a bit more complex than that of some of their previous songs.
Hate
Unfortunately, the music video was released around the same time as BLACKPINK’s “Pink Venom” music video, which caused some unnecessary hate. Some BLINKS (fans of BLACKPINK) expressed hatred for “Talk that Talk” because they didn’t want it to interfere with the charting of “Pink Venom.” Since TWICE’s song didn’t top the charts immediately after its release, many BLINKS took to Twitter to call the song a flop and claim that their album “Between 1&2” was a failure. In response, ONCE (the fandom for TWICE) has made it clear that it isn’t supposed to be a competition and that TWICE is successful regardless of how quickly their music tops the charts.
Despite the hate the women have received, the “Talk that Talk” music video currently has over 58 million views on YouTube and over 18 million streams on Spotify. TWICE has also become the first K-pop girl group to land two albums in the top 3 of the Billboard 200. “Between 1&2” debuted at No. 3, tying with studio album “Formula of Love: O+T=<3,” which rose to third in November 2021. At the end of the day, TWICE’s fans are enjoying “Talk that Talk,” and that alone is enough to consider the music video a success.
