TWICEthe only K-pop group present at Victoria’s Secret 2025 in Brooklyn, New York, faced an unexpected reaction from fans after their highly anticipated performance.
The show brought together Hollywood stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Dylan Sprouse, Madison Beer, Karol G, Gigi Hadid and Liu Wen, alongside K-pop sensations, raising expectations for the girl group’s stage.
The group performed its latest songs, This is for AND Strategy. While catchy, some fans questioned whether the songs were appropriate for a high-profile fashion event of this caliber. Critics noted that the music lacked the energy needed to fully captivate audiences, although others understood this TWICE aimed to promote their latest releases.
The performance sparked a particular debate about live vocals, an area TWICE has struggled since their debut. Tzuyu attracted the most criticism for her shaky and off-key singing, even going so far as to hit a rough note in the set’s finale. Some fans have singled out Sana as the most stage-friendly member of Victoria’s Secret, praising her consistent performance skills in singing and dancing.
Momo, largely handling rap sections, escaped harsh criticism, while singers Jihyo and Nayeon maintained relatively stable performances but still struggled to match the refined vocal levels of peers such as Madison Beer or Karol G. Many noted that the two singers had difficulty achieving the correct keys, similar to Tzuyu’s challenges.
On platforms like Threads, self-identify ONCE (TWICE fandom) users expressed embarrassment at the group’s performance. Comments included, “I felt so uncomfortable hearing the three of them singing. Only Jihyo saved it. Honestly, they could have lip synced,” while others described shaking at Tzuyu’s off-key notes. Discussions on X (formerly Twitter) also became highly polarized, with the majority reacting negatively.
Despite these criticisms, TWICE spent about three years breaking into the US-British music scene, achieving significant milestones in charts, album sales and touring. Their debut on international markets had already surpassed the previous attempts of other JYP groups Wonder Girls. Yet, the Victoria’s Secret 2025 the performance sparked renewed debate about whether it was appropriate TWICE is fully poised to dominate the global pop stage.
Fans and industry observers alike wonder whether the controversial show could tarnish their growing reputation, recalling a similar reaction during the Again and again encore in 2020.
Sources: Kenh14
