You remember the color. That specific, vibrant "Cheer Up" mint green that seemed to take over the entire internet back in 2016. If you were around the K-pop scene then, you couldn't escape it. Honestly, it was everywhere. People weren't just listening to the music; they were living in the era of the TWICE Page Two album. It’s the moment a group went from "those girls from that survival show" to the nation’s girl group.
JYP Entertainment took a massive gamble. Coming off The Story Begins, the pressure was suffocating because debut hype is a fickle thing. One wrong move and you’re a one-hit-wonder. But Page Two didn't just succeed; it fundamentally shifted how girl groups were marketed for the next decade.
The Cultural Reset of Cheer Up
Let's talk about the title track because we have to. "Cheer Up" is a weird song if you actually sit down and analyze it. It’s a Frankenstein’s monster of "Color Pop," hip-hop, and house beats. Black Eyed Pilseung, the production duo behind the magic, basically threw everything at the wall. And it stuck. It didn't just stick; it became a national anthem in South Korea.
You’ve probably heard of the "Shy Shy Shy" phenomenon. It’s the most famous three seconds in modern K-pop. Sana, a Japanese member of the group, couldn't quite pronounce "shy" correctly, so it came out as sha sha sha. It was accidental. It was organic. It was exactly what the industry needed. That one tiny vocal quirk did more for the TWICE Page Two album sales than a million-dollar ad campaign ever could. It turned the members into relatable humans rather than untouchable idols.
Diving Into the B-Sides Most People Skip
Usually, with early K-pop mini-albums, the title track is a banger and the rest is filler. Not here. Well, mostly not here. "Precious Love" is a remake of Park Ji-yoon’s 1998 hit, and it serves as a bridge between the old-school JYP sound and the new "Twice" identity. It’s sweet, but it has that 90s R&B backbone that keeps it from being too sugary.
Then you have "Touchdown."
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If "Cheer Up" was the friendly girl next door, "Touchdown" was the aggressive athlete. It’s loud. It’s brassy. It’s the song they used to open concerts for years because the energy is just relentless. It’s fascinating how the TWICE Page Two album balances these two extremes. You get the soft, acoustic-leaning vibes of "Tuk Tok" and then the sheer power of the vocals in "I'm Gonna Be a Star."
Actually, let’s pause on "I'm Gonna Be a Star." Nayeon probably hates that song. It was the theme song for their survival show, SIXTEEN, and it repeats the title about a thousand times. It’s polarizing. Some fans find it iconic; others skip it immediately. But it represents the struggle they went through to even get to Page Two. It's a badge of honor, even if it's a bit of an earworm in a bad way.
Why the Packaging Changed the Game
We need to talk about the physical album. It sounds nerdy, but the TWICE Page Two album set a standard for "album inclusions." Before this, you might get a single photocard and a CD. JYP went overboard. They released two versions—Pink and Mint—and included a sleeve, a photobook, a garland, and multiple types of photocards.
They made the album a collectible toy.
Collectors went insane. This was the start of the "photocard trade" culture reaching a fever pitch. If you wanted a specific member, you had to buy multiple copies or spend hours on Twitter (now X) trying to find a trade partner. It’s a business model that every group from NewJeans to IVE uses now, but Page Two was the proof of concept that fans would pay for the experience of "unboxing," not just the music.
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The Stats That Don't Lie
Numbers are usually boring, but these are worth looking at. Page Two sold over 150,000 copies in its first year. For a girl group in 2016? That was unheard of. At that time, boy groups owned the physical market, while girl groups were expected to do well only on digital charts. TWICE proved you could do both.
- "Cheer Up" achieved a "Perfect All-Kill."
- The music video was the first K-pop debut-era follow-up to hit 100 million views at record speed.
- They won "Song of the Year" at the Melon Music Awards and MAMA.
It wasn't just luck. It was the result of a very specific "Color Pop" branding that highlighted nine different personalities. When you listen to the TWICE Page Two album, you aren't listening to a monolithic group. You can hear the distinction between Jihyo's powerhouse belt and Momo's stylistic rap.
The Production Nuance
Black Eyed Pilseung's production on this record is underrated for how technical it is. "Woohoo" uses these weird funky guitar riffs that you don't hear much in K-pop anymore. It’s a bit messy, a bit experimental, but it works because the girls' energy carries it. The mixing is bright—piercingly so. It’s designed to be heard on phone speakers and in noisy shopping malls.
It’s aggressive pop.
The songwriting credits also featured some heavy hitters. Seeing Choi Kyu-sung and Rado (who eventually formed STAYC’s production team) all over this tracklist explains why the hooks are so sticky. They weren't just writing songs; they were writing earworms that would play in your head while you were trying to sleep.
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What Most People Get Wrong
A common misconception is that TWICE was an overnight success because of JYP's money. While the "Big 3" advantage is real, Page Two almost didn't happen the way it did. The group's debut, "Like OOH-AHH," actually climbed the charts backwards. It started low and rose as people discovered them. Page Two was the make-or-break moment. If it had flopped, TWICE might have ended up like many other groups—talented but overshadowed by the next big thing.
Another myth? That the album is "just for kids." If you listen to the lyrics of "My Headphones On," it’s actually a pretty mature take on a breakup. It’s about moving on and reclaiming your space. There’s a layer of resilience under the bubblegum aesthetic that gets overlooked by casual listeners.
How to Experience Page Two Today
If you’re new to the fandom (ONCE) or just a music nerd, don’t just stream the title track.
- Start with the "Cheer Up" music video to understand the film parody concepts (everything from Scream to Love Letter).
- Listen to "Headphones" while walking alone; it’s the best "vibe" song on the record.
- Find the "I'm Gonna Be a Star" live stages if you want to see the members' incredible stage presence even when they are clearly exhausted by the lyrics.
The TWICE Page Two album is a time capsule. It captures a moment in 2016 when K-pop was transitioning from a niche subculture into a global juggernaut. It’s loud, it’s colorful, and it’s unapologetically fun.
To really appreciate it, you have to look past the "cute" concept. Look at the choreography—it's incredibly taxing. Look at the vocal layering in "Precious Love." There is a high level of craft in this "simple" pop music.
If you want to understand why K-pop looks and sounds the way it does in 2026, you have to go back to this mint-green era. It’s the foundation. Without the massive success of Page Two, the industry might never have leaned so hard into the multi-concept, high-inclusion model that defines the genre today. It remains a masterclass in how to build a brand that lasts longer than a single viral moment.
Check out the "Mint" and "Pink" physical versions on secondary markets if you can find them. The "limited edition" lenticular covers are particularly rare now and show just how much detail went into the physical production. Watching the "Cheer Up" behind-the-scenes films provides a great look at the grueling work that goes into making something look so effortless and bright. All these elements combined are why we're still talking about a "mini" album ten years later.