"Cheer Up" (stylized in
all caps
In typography, all caps (short for "all capitals") refers to text or a font in which all letters are capital letters, for example: "THIS TEXT IS IN ALL CAPS". All caps may be used for emphasis (for a word or phrase). They are commonly seen in ...
) is a song recorded by South Korean girl group
Twice
Twice (; Japanese: トゥワイス, Hepburn: ''To~uwaisu''; commonly stylized as TWICE) is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of nine members: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaey ...
. It was released by
JYP Entertainment
JYP Entertainment Corporation () is a South Korean multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate founded in 1997 by J. Y. Park. It is one of the largest entertainment companies in South Korea, and operates as a record label, tale ...
on April 25, 2016, as the lead single from their second extended play ''
Page Two''. It was written and composed by Sam Lewis and
Black Eyed Pilseung
Black Eyed Pilseung () is a South Korean music production and songwriting duo made up of Rado (Song Joo-young) and Choi Kyu-sung, formed in 2014. They have produced hit songs such as Sistar's " Touch My Body"; Miss A's " Only You"; Twice's " L ...
respectively.
The song topped the
Gaon Digital Chart
The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based o ...
and is the
best-performing single of 2016 in South Korea. It also won several awards including Song of the Year in two major music awards shows,
Melon Music Awards and
Mnet Asian Music Awards
The MAMA Awards (formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ E&M. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes has been won by K-pop artists, although there are other As ...
.
Composition
"Cheer Up" has lyrics written by Sam Lewis and music by
Black Eyed Pilseung
Black Eyed Pilseung () is a South Korean music production and songwriting duo made up of Rado (Song Joo-young) and Choi Kyu-sung, formed in 2014. They have produced hit songs such as Sistar's " Touch My Body"; Miss A's " Only You"; Twice's " L ...
, the same team who wrote Twice's hit single "
Like Ooh-Ahh
"Like Ooh-Ahh" (stylized as "Like OOH-AHH"; ) is the debut single recorded by South Korean girl group Twice. It was released by JYP Entertainment on October 20, 2015, as the lead single from their debut extended play ''The Story Begins''. It was ...
" from their debut
EP. It is a
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
song that incorporates multiple genres, including
hip hop,
tropical house
Tropical house, also known as trop house, is a subgenre of house music, and a derivation of tropical music, with elements of dancehall and Balearic house. Artists of the genre are often featured at various summer festivals such as Tomorrowland. T ...
, and
drum and bass
Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...
; this blend was described as "color pop".
Lyrically, the song emotes tease and frustration about a love interest.
Music video
The music video for "Cheer Up" was directed by video production team Naive (Kim Young-jo and Yoo Seung-woo). The music video was released on
JYP Entertainment
JYP Entertainment Corporation () is a South Korean multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate founded in 1997 by J. Y. Park. It is one of the largest entertainment companies in South Korea, and operates as a record label, tale ...
's
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
Channel. It went viral on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
soon after it was uploaded on April 25, 2016, gaining 400,000 views in only thirty minutes. It reached one million views in less than a day, and surpassed seven million views on April 27.
In the music video, the members portray characters from famous films and TV shows.
Mina is Itsuki Fujii from ''
Love Letter
A love letter is an expression of love in written form. However delivered, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation and description of feelings.
History
One of the oldest references to a lo ...
'',
Sana
Sana may refer to:
Places
* Sanaa, the capital of Yemen
* Sana (river), a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Sana, Bhutan, a town in Bhutan
* Sana, Haute-Garonne, a commune in France
* Sana, Iran, a village in Iran
* Sana, Mali, a commune in M ...
is
Sailor Moon
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 52 individual chapters were published in 18 volumes. The seri ...
from the ''
Sailor Moon
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 52 individual chapters were published in 18 volumes. The seri ...
'' series,
Nayeon
Im Na-yeon (; born September 22, 1995), known mononymously as Nayeon, is a South Korean singer. She became a member of the South Korean girl group Twice, under JYP Entertainment, in 2015 as a winning contestant of the reality survival televis ...
is
Sidney Prescott
Sidney Prescott is a fictional character and the protagonist of the ''Scream'' franchise. The character was created by Kevin Williamson and is portrayed by Canadian actress Neve Campbell. She first appeared in ''Scream'' (1996) followed by four ...
from the ''
Scream
Scream may refer to:
*Screaming, a loud vocalization
Amusement rides
* Scream (Heide Park), a gyro drop tower in Soltau, Germany
* Scream! (ride), a tower ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags New England
* Scream! (roller coaster), at ...
'' film series,
Tzuyu
Chou Tzu-yu ( zh, 周子瑜}; , born 14 June 1999), known mononymously as Tzuyu (, ), is a Taiwanese people, Taiwanese singer based in South Korea. She is the only Taiwanese member of the girl group Twice, formed by JYP Entertainment in 2015. ...
is Holly Golightly from ''
Breakfast at Tiffany's'', and
Jeongyeon
Yoo Jeong-yeon (; born 1 November 1996), known mononymously as Jeongyeon (), is a South Korean singer. She is a member of Twice, a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment.
Early life
Jeongyeon was born as Yoo Kyung-wan on 1 Novem ...
is Faye from ''
Chungking Express''.
Momo
Momo may refer to:
Geography
* Momo (department), a division of Northwest Province in Cameroon
* Momo, Gabon, a town in the Woleu-Ntem province of Gabon
* Momo, Piedmont, a town in the province of Novara, in northern Italy
* Joffrey Tower, in ...
is an action heroine reminiscent of the ''
Tomb Raider
''Tomb Raider'', also known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, th ...
'' and ''
Resident Evil
''Resident Evil'', known in Japan as is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
'' film series,
Jihyo
Park Ji-hyo (; born Park Ji-soo on February 1, 1997), known mononymously as Jihyo, is a South Korean singer. She is the leader and vocalist of the South Korean girl group Twice, formed by JYP Entertainment in 2015.
Life and career Early life
...
is a cheerleader from ''
Bring It On Bring It On may refer to:
Books
* ''Bring It On'' (book), by Pat Robertson
* ''Bring It On!'' (manhwa), a romance manhwa by Baek Hye-Kyung
Film and stage
* ''Bring It On'' (film series), an American series of teen comedy cheerleading films capit ...
'',
Chaeyoung
Son Chae-young (; born April 23, 1999), known mononymously as Chaeyoung, is a South Korean rapper and singer. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Twice, formed by JYP Entertainment.
Early life
Chaeyoung was born in Seoul, South K ...
is a cowgirl (reminiscent of different Western films, especially ''
A Fistful of Dollars
''A Fistful of Dollars'' ( it, Per un pugno di dollari, lit=For a Fistful of Dollars titled on-screen as ''Fistful of Dollars'') is a 1964 Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood in his first leading role, a ...
''), and
Dahyun
Kim Da-hyun (; born May 28, 1998), known mononymously as Dahyun, is a South Korean singer and rapper. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Twice, formed by JYP Entertainment in 2015.
Life and career
Dahyun was born in Seongnam, Gye ...
is the
gisaeng
Kisaeng (Hangul: 기생, Hanja: 妓生, RR: ''Gisaeng''), also called ginyeo (Hangul: 기녀, Hanja: 妓女), were women from outcast or slave families who were trained to be courtesans, providing artistic entertainment and conversation to men ...
Hwang Jini
Hwang Jini or Hwang Jin-Yi (; 1506 – 1560), also known by her gisaeng name Myeongwol ("bright moon", ), was one of the most famous gisaeng of the Joseon Dynasty. She lived during the reign of King Jungjong. She was noted for her exceptiona ...
(from the biopic ''
Hwang Jin Yi''). In the group dance scenes, the members are cheerleaders at a pep rally in a soccer stadium and a basketball stadium and in another dance scene, they are in front of a house, decorated as if hosting a party, wearing casual clothing.
A special music video, titled "Twice Avengers", was released on May 27 to commemorate the original music video reaching 35 million views on YouTube. In the special video, the members dance in their film character costumes on a set made to look like a planet in outer space.
On November 17, the video surpassed 100 million views. It then surpassed 200 million views on August 9, 2017, making Twice the first K-pop girl group with two music videos to reach this milestone. The music video also topped 2016 YouTube's Most Popular Music Video in South Korea.
Reception
Critical
![160507 Twice guerrilla concert](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/160507_Twice_guerrilla_concert.jpg)
Tamar Herman of ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' described "Cheer Up" as an atypical K-pop girl group release that "solidifies Twice's unique style" through its unexpected mix of beats and genres. She further noted that the accompanying music video helped reinforce the members' independent identities while the song showcased of each member's individual voice, "
orgoingmusical wholeness for the sake of eccentricity".
Fuse
Fuse or FUSE may refer to:
Devices
* Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current
** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles
* Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protect ...
journalists Jason Lipshutz, Tina Xu, and Jeff Benjamin discussed the release in the K-pop-centric podcast ''K-Stop'', describing "Cheer Up" as a
1990s pop throwback reminiscent of
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
' "
...Baby One More Time". They praised the single's fun and catchy tone, rap break, and the "incredible" production quality of its music video but criticized its
processed vocals and controversial lyrics, which seem to encourage young women to "play games" (i.e., feign disinterest) with their romantic partners. They concluded that, while the group has a lot of potential, they would need to "polish it up" for future releases.
''Billboard'' and ''
Dazed
''Dazed'' (''Dazed & Confused'' until February 2014) is a bi-monthly British style magazine founded in 1991. It covers music, fashion, film, art, and literature. Dazed is published by Dazed Media, an independent media group known for producing ...
'' included "Cheer Up" in their best K-pop songs of 2016 lists.
The song's "shy shy shy" line became a viral
meme
A meme ( ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural i ...
and was imitated by many celebrities.
Commercial performance
"Cheer Up" was a commercial success, debuting atop the
Gaon Digital Chart
The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based o ...
. It topped the chart for three non-consecutive weeks. The song acculumated 1,839,566 digital sales and 111,556,482 streams in 2016, making it the best performing single of the year.
Elsewhere, it entered ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
s
World Digital Song Sales
The World Digital Song Sales chart (formerly World Digital Songs) is a weekly record chart compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by '' Billboard'' magazine. Established in 2010—with the issue dated January 23—as one of 21 genre-specific s ...
at number three.
"Cheer Up" surpassed 2,500,000 downloads in August 2017 on
Gaon Music Chart
The Circle Chart (), previously known as the Gaon Music Chart or the Gaon Chart (), tabulates the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in South Korea. It is produced by the Korea Music Content Association and sponsored by South Korea's ...
. As of 2018, it has 2,737,015 digital downloads and 160 million streams.
Japanese version
On February 24, 2017, Twice officially announced that their debut in Japan was set for June 28. They released a compilation album titled ''
#Twice'' which consists of ten songs including both Korean and Japanese-language versions of "Cheer Up".
The Japanese lyrics were written by Yu Shimoji.
Accolades
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
! scope="col" colspan="3" , Streaming
, -
See also
*
List of Gaon Digital Chart number ones of 2016
The Gaon Digital Chart, part of Gaon Music Chart, is a chart that ranks the best-performing songs in South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, K ...
References
{{authority control
2016 singles
2016 songs
Korean-language songs
JYP Entertainment singles
Gaon Digital Chart number-one singles
Twice (group) songs