Twice – Moonlight Sunrise – The Bias List

Twice made a convincing English-language debut with 2021’s The Feels. While the language of their lyrics may have changed, the song retained the core elements of the group’s appeal. If an idol group plans to localize for foreign markets, this seems like the way to do it. Sixteen months later and Twice have returned with their second original English-language single – the mind-twistingly-titled Moonlight Sunrise.

This song also pulls elements from Twice’s oeuvre, but I’m not sure they’re the right ones in the right places. To put it simply, Moonlight Sunrise sounds like TT with all the good stuff omitted. I mean, imagine TT’s languid opening verse stretched throughout an entire song, lacking the payoff of its great pre-chorus and chorus. Fitful tension without resolution can work in some instances, but it’s a tricky approach. In this case, I’m craving a much stronger centerpiece. Up until the chorus, the song’s build has great potential. You can almost taste the captivating, city pop-inspired hook that might have been.

Instead, Moonlight Sunlight crawls to a stop with a monotonous repetition of its title. Coupled with its dull instrumental, there’s not much to draw your attention. The girls sound great, and that appeal injects the verses with satisfying energy. But taken as a whole, the song feels way too murky. A momentum-killing second verse only exacerbates this issue. Twice have been on a roll lately, so I’m assuming Moonlight Sunrise’s “pre-release” status means they’re saving the best material for later. I hope so, because this is a surprisingly middle-of-the-road return.