FANCY

"FANCY" by TWICE marks a significant turning point in the group's musical and thematic direction, moving from their signature bright and bubbly 'color pop' sound to a more mature and sophisticated concept. The song's meaning revolves around a bold, confident, and proactive declaration of love. Lyrically, it's about casting aside inhibitions and confessing one's feelings directly to the person they admire. The central message is one of empowerment in romance, encapsulated in the recurring line, "It doesn't matter who liked who first". This challenges traditional, passive roles in courtship and encourages listeners to be the protagonists of their own love stories. The lyrics convey a sense of urgency and overwhelming affection, expressing a desire to be with their love interest without delay. The singers describe their world as being completely transformed by this person, with everyday moments feeling like a sweet 'fantasy'. The song captures the thrilling and slightly dangerous excitement of falling in love, comparing the object of affection to a beautiful but thorny rose, yet expressing no fear in pursuing them.

The song begins by painting a vivid, almost surreal picture of the world as colored by the singer's feelings. The sky's clouds are a 'tropical yeah,' and the brilliant red of the sun is compared to the beloved's blushing cheeks. There's an immediate sense of wonder and affection. This initial imagery sets a sweet and almost dreamlike tone, asking for confirmation: 'Oh tell me I'm the only one, baby.' The central confession, 'I fancy you,' is repeated, reinforcing the song's core message.

The narrative then introduces a sense of thrilling danger associated with this love. The object of affection is likened to a stinging rose—beautiful but potentially painful. However, this danger is met with fearless resolve: 'It's okay, I'm not afraid at all.' Instead of backing away, the singer urges a stronger connection, 'Hold it harder, take my hand,' acknowledging that the path forward will be 'a little dangerous, even more dangerous, baby.' This embrace of risk highlights the depth and excitement of their feelings.

The sensation of being in love is described as a delightful, overwhelming sweetness. The singer's feelings are melting 'like sweet chocolate ice cream,' a moment described as 'so lovely.' This shifts into a depiction of a world completely transformed by love. Every day now feels like a birthday or a sweet fantasy. The simple state of mind is 'lallalla,' a pure and simple expression of joy. This love is all-consuming; the singer becomes a 'submarine' diving into the sea that is their beloved, wanting to explore everything without missing a single detail.

The chorus returns with its powerful, direct declaration. The phrase 'Fancy, you!' is a bold statement of desire. The lyrics question traditional romantic etiquette with 'Who cares who liked who first?' This line champions a modern, proactive approach to love, empowering the idea of expressing one's feelings without hesitation. The desire is so intense that the singer wants their beloved 'every day and night' and is ready to go to them immediately. The imagery of a disappearing dream or smoke suggests a fear of this perfect feeling vanishing, adding a layer of urgency to the confession.

The song concludes with a final, confident push. The singer declares their intention to claim their beloved, saying 'I'm gonna get you now.' The repeated calls of 'Hey, I love you!' leave no room for doubt. The mixture of sweet metaphors, the acknowledgment of risk, and the unwavering, bold confession creates a powerful narrative of a love that is both enchanting and thrillingly real. The finality of the declaration underscores a significant shift from a passive crush to an active, confident pursuit of love.

"FANCY" was released on April 22, 2019, as the lead single from TWICE's seventh extended play, Fancy You. The song was written by the acclaimed production duo Black Eyed Pilseung (composed of Rado and Choi Kyu-sung) alongside Jeon Goon. Black Eyed Pilseung were the masterminds behind many of TWICE's previous hits, including "Like Ooh-Ahh", "Cheer Up", and "TT", making their reunion with the group for this track highly anticipated. The arrangement was handled by Rado. The creation of "FANCY" signaled a deliberate conceptual shift for TWICE. The members expressed a desire to show a new, more mature side to their artistry, fearing that their audience and even they themselves might be growing tired of their consistently bright image. Jihyo mentioned wanting to build on their existing bright energy but infuse it with a more mature and new image. Nayeon revealed that some members initially found the song's new direction 'awkward,' but everyone grew to love it after the recording was complete. She also noted that they put a lot of effort into their vocal delivery to differentiate it from their previous work with Black Eyed Pilseung. The song was part of the Fancy You EP, which itself was a commercial success, becoming the first album by a Korean girl group to surpass 150,000 first-week sales on the Hanteo Chart.

"FANCY" is built on an upbeat, dance-oriented rhythm that drives its energetic and confident feel. The song's tempo is consistently fast-paced, creating a sense of excitement and urgency that matches the lyrical theme of a bold love confession. The rhythm is primarily carried by a strong electro-pop beat and dynamic synth basslines. The song follows a standard verse-pre-chorus-chorus structure, common in pop music, which makes it accessible and memorable. The pre-chorus is particularly effective, as it builds rhythmic tension by increasing the tempo slightly and using a stuttering beat before launching into the full-energy chorus. The chorus itself features a sticky, repetitive melody and a chant-like hook ("Fancy, you!") that is rhythmically simple yet highly effective and catchy. The rap section by Dahyun and Chaeyoung provides a rhythmic contrast, with a flow that sits tightly within the beat, adding a hip-hop flavor to the track. While a formal rhyme scheme analysis is complex for translated lyrics, the original Korean lyrics use a combination of rhymes and near-rhymes to create a flowing, melodic feel that complements the rhythmic foundation of the music.

"FANCY" is notable for its stylistic evolution in TWICE's discography, blending familiar elements with a fresh, mature approach.

• Musical Style: The song is a "bouncing electro-pop track" with retro-inspired synths and playful digital quirks. It maintains the high-energy, catchy quality of their previous hits but introduces a more sophisticated and mellow mood-pop electronic beat. The production is clean and polished, with a prominent synth riff that gives the track a mysterious and chic vibe from the start. The song's structure includes a two-part chorus and a dynamic pre-chorus that builds tempo and anticipation effectively.
• Vocal Delivery: The members' vocal performance in "FANCY" shows a noticeable shift. The verses are delivered with a more mature, sultry, and confident tone compared to their earlier, more overtly cute concepts. However, they retain their signature exuberant and upbeat energy in the chorus, creating a dynamic contrast that defines the song's unique feel. The members themselves stated they worked hard to create a different vocal vibe for this track.
• Lyrical Directness: The lyrics employ a direct and assertive narrative voice. Phrases like "I fancy you," "I won't ever let you go," and "I'm gonna get you now" are unambiguous declarations of intent. This straightforwardness was a departure from the more coy or hesitant expressions of love in some of their earlier songs.
• Choreography: The choreography, created by a team including Kiel Tutin and Leejung Lee, is powerful and sophisticated, matching the song's mature sound. It incorporates sharp, eye-catching movements and formations that were seen as edgier than their previous work, further emphasizing the group's conceptual evolution.

"FANCY" is widely regarded as a pivotal and career-defining moment for TWICE, marking their successful transition from their signature 'cute concept' to a more mature and sophisticated image. The song was a major commercial success, peaking at number 3 on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart and number 4 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100. It earned platinum certifications for streaming in both South Korea and Japan. The music video was a massive viral hit, garnering over 42.1 million views in its first 24 hours, making it the seventh-biggest YouTube debut at the time. It was also ranked as one of the most popular music videos of 2019 in both South Korea and Japan. Culturally, "FANCY" was celebrated for showing artistic growth and versatility, proving that TWICE could evolve their sound without losing their core identity. The song and its iconic choreography became a staple at K-pop events and in random dance play challenges, solidifying its status as an infectious pop anthem. "FANCY" won Best Dance Performance for a female group at the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), further cementing its impact. The song is often cited by fans and critics as the beginning of a new, more artistically ambitious era for the group.

The lyrics and music video of "FANCY" are rich with symbolism and metaphors that underscore the song's themes of bold love and transformation.

• The Rose: Jeongyeon's line, "It's dangerous, it stings, you are like a rose," is a central metaphor. The rose symbolizes something beautiful and desirable that is also potentially painful or risky to attain. This reflects the thrilling, slightly dangerous nature of falling deeply in love and making a bold confession. The singer's immediate follow-up, "It's okay, I'm not afraid a bit," highlights her confident and fearless approach to this love.
• Tropical Colors and Light: The song opens with Nayeon singing, "The color of the clouds in the sky is tropical, yeah / The red color of the sun is like your cheeks." This imagery symbolizes the way love can transform one's perception of the world, making everything seem more vibrant, warm, and beautiful. The world is literally colored by her affection.
• Chocolate Ice Cream: The feeling of love is compared to 'sweet chocolate ice cream' that is melting. This metaphor conveys a sense of overwhelming sweetness and delight, a feeling so lovely and intense that it feels like it's dissolving the singer's composure in the best way possible.
• Visual Symbolism in the Music Video: The music video visually represents the group's transition. It contrasts dark, chic, and sophisticated sets and outfits with explosions of vibrant, psychedelic colors and CGI backdrops. This duality mirrors the song's blend of TWICE's inherent bright energy with a new, bolder, and more mature attitude. The elaborate, dynamic visuals serve as a metaphor for the dazzling and all-encompassing feeling of being in 'fancy' with someone.

The most significant recurring motif in "FANCY" is the titular phrase itself: "Fancy, you." This hook is the core of the song's identity. Its repetition throughout the chorus makes it incredibly memorable and serves as the song's central declaration. It's a direct, confident, and slightly playful confession of attraction. The word "fancy" itself, while common in English, was a relatively fresh and stylish choice in the context of a K-pop hook at the time, contributing to the song's sophisticated feel.

Another key recurring lyrical idea is the dismissal of romantic norms, expressed in the line "누가 먼저 좋아하면 어때" (Nuga meonjeo johahamyeon eottae), which translates to "Who cares who liked who first?". This phrase is a powerful thematic statement that reappears to reinforce the song's message of proactive and empowered love, challenging traditional gender roles in romance.

The ad-libs like "Love ya!" and "What?" also serve as recurring sonic motifs that add to the song's playful and confident atmosphere. Musically, the prominent, retro-sounding synth riff that opens the song and reappears throughout acts as a key musical motif, instantly identifying the track and setting its chic, mysterious tone.