Hopefully, nobody out there thinks that America has a monopoly when it comes to turning reality TV show participants into genuine stars. It has happened overseas too, most notably with the all-female K-pop group Twice. The group is made up of six South Korean singers and three Japanese singers who formed after all were contestants on the show Sixteen, which sought to create a girl group with superstar potential. The show was a complete success, as within five years of the group forming, Twice was the best-selling Korean girl group of all-time. Today Twice has taken its act beyond the Pacific Rim and become international superstars.

Making the Cut

Putting together a successful musical act through a competition-based reality TV show isn’t exactly a traditional formula. But in the case of Twice, it appears to have worked out. The show Sixteen was not without some drama and controversy, which is exactly what audiences expect to see from reality TV competitions. But in the end, singer and record producer J.Y. Park, who came up with the idea of the group and TV show, got a group of nine incredible singers and performers. Park called the group Twice, believing they’ll reach the heart of fans through both their ears and eyes. The rest, as they say, is K-pop history.

Taking the World By Storm

Barely three months after the season finale of Sixteen aired, the young ladies of Twice released their first record The Story Begins. The debut single from that record, “Like Ooh-Ahh,” was an instant hit and ultimately became one of the most viewed music videos in K-pop history. From there, Twice continued to grow in popularity as the hits kept on coming. By the end of 2018, Twice had become popular outside of Korea, selling over 200,000 tickets to five sold-out Japanese concerts in less than a minute. By the time 2020 rolled around, Twice had released three studio albums and over 20 singles. The ladies also started to find success in Europe and North America, separating themselves from all of the other K-pop groups and becoming international starlets with a bright future ahead.