The Story Of How TWICE's Momo Was Discovered Is An Emotional Rollercoaster
If you haven't jumped on the TWICE train yet, whatchu doin'? The nine-member group — made of Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu — have captured millions of hearts around the world, and you're next. With their cheery singles, bubbly personas, and undeniable talent, it's impossible to avoid ONCE fever. In fact, if you ask the gals of TWICE, they'd only give you two choices: yes or yes. If you're looking to find out more about the group, start with TWICE's Momo, otherwise known as the group's "Dancing Machine."
Before I dive into who Momo is, you should know TWICE formed through a reality competition show called Sixteen in 2015. With the group's tight bond, it's hard to believe the members were once competitors, but it's true.
You may assume all the members made it through the competition easily, but it wasn't so simple for Momo. See, she got eliminated from Sixteen in episode six, and her elimination devastated both the viewers and fellow contestants, but that obviously wasn't the end of her story. Read on to find out how Momo ended up a member TWICE despite her elimination, along with five other essential things you should know about her!
1. Momo is actually Japanese.
Along with Sana and Mina, Momo is one of the group's three Japanese members. Because of her upbringing, Momo can speak both Korean and Japanese, which has proven helpful whenever TWICE promotes in Japan. Although, because Momo spends so much time in Korea with her bandmates, sometimes, she can slip up and actually forget her mother tongue.
Luckily, Momo always recovers quickly.
2. Momo is TWICE's main dancer.
Momo doesn't have the nickname "Dancing Machine" for nothing. She practices for hours on end to perfect her craft, and in her free time, she even learns the choreography to other groups' songs for fun, like G-Friend's "Rough" and Red Velvet's "Dumb Dumb."
Top choreographer Lia Kim even said Momo is "like a dancer sent down from the gods" because she's able to learn choreography so quickly.
3. Momo featured in a GOT7 music video.
All great stars had to start somewhere, right? While she was a JYP trainee in 2014, Momo gained experience by making a cameo in GOT7's “Stop Stop It" music video. It's really a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, but it's still so cool to see now that Momo's starring in hit music videos of her own with TWICE.
Catch Momo near the 3:36 mark below.
Momo also made appearances in other JYP music videos, like Junho’s “Feel” and Wooyoung’s “R.O.S.E.”
4. Momo didn't let her Sixteen elimination determine her future.
Momo showed resilience when, after her elimination from Sixteen, she shared a dance cover of 2PM's "My House" on YouTube, along with the other eliminated contestants. Rather than dwelling on her rejection, Momo took it as an opportunity to showcase her talents elsewhere. Her determination paid off, as the judges realized Momo's potential and invited her back to join TWICE despite her elimination.
5. She's one of the most hard-working idols.
On the Sixteen finale, the judges brought back all the eliminated contestants because they realized one of them showcased unique qualities that TWICE absolutely needed in order to be successful. The judges explained, "This member has a side in which the other members do not possess."
After they announced Momo's name, the judges revealed JYP's entire A&R team and trainers chose Momo as "the most hard-working and committed member."
Momo is a true talent and without her, TWICE wouldn't be the same. Thankfully, the judges saw Momo's star quality when they did, because look at where she and TWICE are now!
