As sweet as it sounds, “Strawberry” does bring out the sweet voices of TWICE. “Strawberry” is the closing track of TWICE’s EP Fancy You. The EP that was released on April 22nd, 2019, does bring out a unique side of TWICE. It’s the confidence, sweetness, and courage TWICE gives through their songs in the Fancy You EP. Through the Fancy You EP, no matter how much TWICE transforms their concept, they still want to hold on to their overflowing energy. That’s also become part of what “Strawberry” means to them.
Background of “Strawberry”
The tracklist for Fancy You was released on April 10th, 2019. In the tracklist, the EP Fancy You consists of six songs with several tracks also written by the members. But, before the release of the tracklist, the announcement of the comeback beginning with the release of the group teaser on April 8th, 2019, happened along with the main title song that is “Fancy.” The release of Fancy You‘s first group picture also contained information that the EP would be released on April 22nd, 2019. Not only that but TWICE also announced that they were going to have a world tour with the dates beginning in May 2019 with the tour titled Twicelight.
Story of “Strawberry”
When the tracklist was released, the moment ONCE saw the title “Strawberry,” they had guessed that the song was written by Chaeyoung. It’s not a coincidence because her nickname is Strawberry Princess. Chaeyoung likes strawberries so much that she wanted to write a song about strawberries. That’s how the song “Strawberry” was written. “Strawberry” is a soft pop track written by Chaeyoung and Kim Eun-su. The composers of “Strawberry” are Ryan Jhun, Kloe, Jake Tench, and Maestro the Baker. The song was also produced by Tench, Maestro the Baker, and Ryan Jhun. “Strawberry” is a song that describes someone as sweet as a strawberry. And, like a strawberry, they are sweet and come with freckles, but because of the sweetness, they don’t need to add sugar to the strawberry. To Chaeyoung, strawberries are best eaten fresh and not as a flavor in cake or other food. This also became a symbol of how people perceive themselves. Freckles may stand for a weakness, but strawberries also have a sweet taste, showing that every person has a good side to them. Just like how strawberries are best eaten fresh, people look best when they become themselves without putting on a persona or mask and trying to become someone else. While writing “Strawberry,” Chaeyoung felt so excited and focused while writing the music and lyrics. She stated that “Strawberry” is her favorite track, and she is very proud of it. This excitement makes the other members also feel that they need to sing “Strawberry” just like the guide that was made by Chaeyoung.
“Strawberry” Performance
Prior to their Fancy You comeback, TWICE held a live broadcast through V Live. In that Live, they performed several songs from the album including “Strawberry.” They also sang the song “Strawberry” during their Twicelights tour.
“Strawberry” Achievements
The release of the Fancy You EP received love including positive critique from music critics. Joshua Calixto, a writer who frequently reviews K-pop albums, wrote that “Strawberry” is a comfortable mid tempo song that manages to stay sweet. Fancy You managed to be listed in the 25 greatest K-pop albums of 2010s in a Billboard, and Joshua Calixto also wrote that “Strawberry” is a reconcile between Ariana Grande in attitude level and has the simplicity of “Bad Liar” by Selena Gomez.
