Twice are no strangers to fan songs. In fact, their career has been one long ode to their fans. I can’t think of another group who has consistently catered to fans’ taste and musical expectations as well as Twice have. That’s not to say they haven’t experimented here and there with sound and style, but their discography has always felt especially devoted toward giving their fans exactly what they want. I admire this, even when a certain song or album might not be to my liking.
ME+YOU is an actual fan song, designed to celebrate Twice’s tenth anniversary. As such, it spends most of its time being fluffy and pleasant rather than stretching itself in any novel directions. The production continues to draw upon the bubbly r&b/pop of the late 90s that made a big impression on their last mini album. This is a sound that’s very nostalgic for me and instantly earns ME+YOU bonus points even as I recognize that the song itself isn’t all that interesting.
There’s a satisfying smoothness to the melodies and performance, but I’m craving a deeper groove. On its face, the production seeks to replicate the futuristic, skittering She’kspere/Darkchild style of so many great late-90s classics, but you can tell it’s a knockoff. The facsimile is strong enough to elicit warm feelings but doesn’t quite hit the highs (or undulating lows) it needs to. Overall, it’s an inessential Twice song that’s also impossible to dislike.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
