Behind the Song: TWICE 'Headphone 써'

[88-pea.livejournal.com]

Song: "Headphone 써" by TWICE
Album: PAGE TWO
Composer: Didrik Thott, Niclas Kings, Ylva Dimberg
Lyricist: Jennifer Eunsoo Kim
Arranger: Niclas Kings

KPN: How nervous were you when you submitted your lyrics for this song?
JEK: The demo was already fixed on the album before they asked me to write the lyrics, so the pressure wasn't as high as writing for a song that hasn't even been pitched yet. But because of the popularity of TWICE, I was sure that I wasn't the only one they had asked. They probably requested a handful of writers and were planning on picking the best one. So, I had to adjust my expectations due to the level of competition. But I heard that Park Jin Young, himself, really liked my lyrics, so I was pretty happy. I also participated on Candy Boy from their first album, so being able to be a part of both albums was a cool feeling.

KPN: Can you tell me a little bit about the concept of the lyrics?
JEK: When I write lyrics, I try to visualize a storyline or a scene and build from there. So, when I heard the original title, which was "Headphones," instead of going down the obvious route of talking about music or dancing, I wanted to try something different. I thought about how everyone has their headphones on when they're on the subway and that triggered the concept for me. Most people who have headphones on are by themselves, probably commuting. So now, all of a sudden, the word headphones took on a more lonesome meaning. That's when I decided to turn this into a breakup song saying, "I'll be fine. I'll just put my headphones on and move on with my life."

KPN: The melody and the original English lyrics were bright and upbeat. How did you get the confidence to turn a bright song into a breakup song?
JEK: Well, I knew I couldn't go overboard with the breakup concept; I just needed it to be unexpected and interesting. So, I kept the references to the more emotional aspects of a breakup casual and light — not too heavy. It still has a pretty positive vibe despite the general concept.

KPN: Were there any other versions of the lyrics that you wrote before it got confirmed?
JEK: Yeah, the first version that I wrote had the hook in English. So instead of "Headphone 써" it was "Headphones On." But they thought it had too much English, so we changed it to "Headphone 써" and added more Korean to the hook. It gets a little tricky for me sometimes because I know that a song should have some English, but it can be hard for me to gauge exactly how much English people are comfortable with.

KPN: What do you consider to be good lyrics?
JEK: I would say lyrics that sounds natural. Almost even in normal conversations. This helps the lyrics to be more relatable. Instead of trying to impress anyone and thinking that you have to write the best lyrics ever, you need to relax and just write something that fits best with the music. When you have too much pressure, it's harder to write; you'll either get stuck or write lyrics that sound corny. There are certain things you have to consider, such as rhyming or what vowels sound better on high notes. But these are things that you'll pick up as you write more and more.

KPN: Do you have a favorite song on the album other than Headphone 써?
JEK: I really like the title song, CHEER UP. As a lyricist, I think the lyrics were really well written. It's very hard to write like that. When I first heard the title, I thought it was going to be one of those happy, hwaiting, cheerleader songs. Even though the concept did end up being a cheerleader, I never thought it would be about a guy chasing a girl, the girl being hard to get, and her telling him to cheer up. I thought it was really cute and clever.

KPN: If you had to be known for one song, which song would you want to be known for?
JEK: This is a really hard question, but I would have to say 그 애 참 싫다 by IU. Not because I think my other works are insignificant, but because this song helped me to get signed. The song wasn't released until 2 years after I wrote it, but it was this song that got people interested in signing me. I was completely new, so I had no idea what it took for lyrics to be considered "good." I had no boundaries. It was just a really cool experience for me and I get very nostalgic listening to that song (laughs).


KPop Nerd: Behind the Song: TWICE 'Headphone 써', Headphone 써, TWICE, Page Two, Park Jin Young, Candy Boy, Cheer Up, 그 애 참 싫다, IU

Comments

[timetobegin.livejournal.com]

I am really liking this series from Kpop Nerd, it's great to hear from the lyricists what went on in creating their lyrics! And this was done by a woman, too. Still too little female lyricists in Kpop.

Headphone sseo is really nice, fun to hear what inspired it.

[88-pea.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear you're enjoying it! I love these interviews as well. It's so interesting to see a different point of view of songs we hear/see performed.

We're hoping to bring more artist driven content soon, too! Please keep an eye out for it!

[gathyou.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting these interviews!
I really like the meaning of Headphone, it's relatable even if it's not the most common break-up song. "I'll be fine. I'll just put my headphones on and move on with my life." should be my life motto, at this point I could even glue them on my head lol

[88-pea.livejournal.com]

Thank you for enjoying them!

I completely feel you about the lyrics. I feel that way the moment I walk out of my house and my office!

[kyokomurasaki.livejournal.com]

Fave song on the album. It's always cool to hear from people behind the scenes.

[goldenrosalie.livejournal.com]

this is my most favorite song on twice's album so it was really interesting to learn more about it. thank you so much for your post!