TWICE's Jihyo Talks Visiting As Many Fans As Possible, Why Prioritizing Mental Health Is 'Part Of My Job'

Being part of a nine-member K-pop group is hard work. Aside from the endless hours of vocal and dance prep, touring, 12-hour press days and the struggles of staying healthy on the road, there's also the mental cost of being in the world's spotlight 24/7.

“It was our recognition that at the end of the day, this is our job,” said TWICE's Jihyo. Broadcast today during an interview on Friday (February 23) that also included two studio performances. “It's what we do for a living. But I know I can't live the rest of my life just as TWICE's Jihyo, so I had to learn how to take care of myself mentally and physically… and when to stop when I need to. I think my health and good energy shows very honestly to our fans. Our fans see it. So taking care of myself is also part of my job.”

This is why member Mina took a mental health break in 2019, with Jeongyeon doing the same in 2020 and 2021, not fearing that the hiatus might create the kind of backlash from fans for which worried a previous generation of idols. “We talked a lot among ourselves and we also talked with our management. All of this has helped us individually and as a team to cope with whatever happens,” Chaeyoung said.

“It meant the world to me when girls would say why they took a break,” Tara, a devoted Korean-American fan who was in high school at the time, told the morning show. “My parents didn't take my depression seriously and told me to eat something tasty and get more sleep. I felt very isolated and alone. But seeing idols like Mina tell us that they need rest made me feel like I was being watched.”

The group with members Nayeon, Momo, Sana, Dahyun and Tzuyu released their 13th mini album, Youthon Friday, ahead of their third English-language single, “I Got You.”

TWICE will play a one-off show at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium on March 16, which hosted Super Bowl LVIII earlier this month. “It might seem like we started off really well, but we did a lot of small stage shows when we started,” Momo said. “Just last year we did our first concert at the stadium. So all this got on our nerves.” Last year they became the first female K-pop group to headline NFL and MLB stadiums in the US when they performed at SoFi Stadium in LA and MetLife Stadium in New York to sold-out crowds of 50,000 fans.

And knowing that not all of their devoted fans, called Once, can get tickets to every show, the group tries to keep visiting new places. “With every tour, we really try to visit as many places as possible,” Sana said. “That's why we went to Europe for the first time last year and that's why we're doing another gig in Las Vegas this year.” Mina noted that they will also be the first K-pop girl group to play Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Japan on July 27-28.

“We always try to visit more countries with each tour,” added Sana. “If there are places we haven't visited yet, but you want us to come, let us know. We will talk to the management and we will (try to) make it happen!”.

In their ninth year in the group, the 24-28-year-old members also spoke proudly of representing diverse backgrounds, with three South Korean members (Chaeyoung, Dahyun, Jeongyeon, Jihyo, Nayeon), three Japanese performers (Mina, Momo, Sana) and a representative of Taiwan (Tzuyu).

“I'm so thankful for the diversity in our team,” Nayeon said Today. “If it wasn't for TWICE, I don't think I would have had the opportunity to observe other cultures so closely or develop so much interest in them. Because of the exposure we had to other cultures so early on, I think that allowed us to communicate better with ONCE when meeting global fans. Communication is deeper because of our understanding of other cultures.”