“Yes, you can watch me, but you can’t touch me.”
J-pop trio MISAMO—made up of Mina, Sana, and Momo, the three Japanese members of Korean girl group TWICE—have officially made their debut with the release of their mini album Masterpiece. With little turnaround time between wrapping up the North American leg of TWICE’s fifth world tour and the start of the subunit’s promotional activities in Japan, MISAMO have certainly had a busy summer. Given the success of TWICE’s Ready to Be World Tour (which picks back up in September) and Masterpiece’s immediate success upon release, it seems that the hard work and efforts of MISAMO and their company JYP Entertainment, are paying off in spades.
Pre-release single “Marshmallow” served as the first official offering from Masterpiece. A bright and airy atmosphere provides the backdrop for mellifluous vocals as the members sing about moving past a breakup and into happier days, with Momo flexing her prowess as the group’s main rapper with a particularly impressive delivery in the song’s second verse. Much more mellow compared to the energetic dance pop TWICE is known for, “Marshmallow” was a lovely first look at Masterpiece, but overall proves to be a bit too tame, paling in comparison to the more dynamic tracks on the album.
Lead single and title track “Do not touch” remains one of the strongest cuts from the mini and effectively sets the stage for the rest of Masterpiece with its placement at the top of the tracklist. A glossy, empowering R&B song emphasizing the importance of consent and personal boundaries, the title track sees MISAMO likening themselves to the priceless works of art found in museums. With some jaw-dropping visuals from Mina, Sana, and Momo and a number of references to classical art pieces from the likes of Boticelli, Monet, and Klimt, the music video for “Do not touch” is the perfect showcase for the sleek and elegant track. Notable for its darker, moodier sound and aesthetics, “Do not touch” is an even further step away from the trademark saccharine sound and image of TWICE, helping to further distinguish MISAMO as a group with their own distinct identity.
The bulk of Masterpiece follows suit in helping MISAMO solidify their presence as a group. Follow-up track “Behind the Curtain” proved to be the most surprising cut on the album, opening with playful vocals overtop a jazzy piano before exploding with brass instrumentation in the chorus. Sounding unlike anything on the rest of the tracklist or in TWICE’s discography, the song fully allows Mina, Sana, and Momo the chance to show off their versatility as vocalists as they sing outside of their usual ranges and experiment with different types of deliveries, harmonization, and ad-libbing. The opening one-two punch of “Do not touch” and “Behind the Curtain” is a powerful start to the mini album, though the energy wanes a bit as “Behind the Curtain” transitions into the aforementioned “Marshmallow”.
Things bounce back quickly from there, at least, with each of the following three tracks containing a songwriting credit from one of the members. “Funny Valentine” and “It’s not easy for you,” written by Momo and Mina respectively, re-establish the darker sonic palette set by the title track. The mix of R&B elements with classical instrumentation, as well as the continued stellar vocal performances from MISAMO on “Funny Valentine” create a track that is absolutely mesmerizing to listen to. “It’s not easy for you” prominently features a gritty, bluesy guitar lick throughout its run. While the contrast in tones between the light distortion of the guitar and the group’s smooth vocals is enjoyable, the repetitive nature of the instrumentation becomes stale quite quickly.
With its sleek, more spacious production, Sana-penned track “Rewind you” sonically slots into place alongside “Marshmallow,” though it proves to be more energetic with its upped tempo and stronger percussion. The return of the more mellow sound in the ending stages of the album is a welcome change, though this track in particular suffers from its weak and repetitive “rewind, i’ma make you rewind it” refrain. While the infectious chorus of “Rewind you” sees Sana impressively utilize the higher levels of her vocal range, at times it does seem like she pushes just a bit too far out of her vocal comfort zone.
Finale track “Bouquet” was initially released at the start of the year as part of the soundtrack for the Japanese drama Liaison: Children’s Heart Clinic. A standalone track at the time of its release, its inclusion on Masterpiece was surprising. It represents the one true sonic outlier on the tracklist, feeling tacked onto the end of the album as filler. But despite sticking out like a sore thumb, “Bouquet” really does help solidify MISAMO’s abilities and true range as vocalists. The song is topped off by a grand musical climax, with the orchestra making way for Mina, Sana, and Momo’s triumphant, soaring vocals as Masterpiece reaches its end.
With all the glitz and glam you would expect from a TWICE release, but with a chic and powerful elegance suited to MISAMO and its members in particular, Masterpiece proves to be a strong debut showing for the Japanese subunit. The darker soundscapes and aesthetics explored across Masterpiece’s runtime fully allow Mina, Sana, and Momo their own space to shine and demonstrate their range and versatility as performers, helping them to establish their own identity as artists separate from their larger group.
9/10
Masterpiece is out now via Warner Music Japan, with links for streaming the mini-album available here.